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Sindhudurg - A Historical Fortress

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The name Sindhudurg is a combination of words Sindhu, which means the sea, and Durg, which translates to a fort. It was built by the great Maratha warrior King, Chattrapati Shivaji. He chose this rocky island location to suit his strategic purpose of countering foreign forces, and to keep the Siddis of Murud-Janjira in check. The beauty of this fort is that, it is built in such a fashion, that it could not be easily seen by the enemies that came from the Arabian Sea.

Tourist Places In And Around Sindhudurg

The major attractions here are the beaches, not to mention, the numerous forts. In earlier days, built around the 17th Century, Sindhudurg was Maharashtra’s most important sea forts. The Sindhudurg Fort has a zigzag rampart with 42 bastions. The building material itself comprises close to 73,000 kg of iron. At a time when travelling by sea was banned by holy Hindu scriptures, this massive construction represents the revolutionary mindset of the Maratha King. Till date, tourists from all over the world visit the Padmagarh fort to witness this Maratha glory. The Vijaydurg Fort at Devbaug, Tilari Dam, Navadurga Temple are other attractions in this region that shouldn’t be missed. SindhuDurg is also home to one of India’s oldest Sai Baba Temples.

Sindhudurg is located in the Konkan area of Maharashtra. This fortress is situated in an islet off the shore of Malvan, and was carved out of the Ratnagiri district. Flanked by the Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other, Sindhudurg is famous for its natural beauty that includes its beaches, backwaters, waterfalls, forts and pilgrimage centres.

Sindhudurg - History, Nature And Everything Nice

Endowed with majestic mountains, an exotic seashore, and a glorious scenery, this place is popular for Alphonso Mangoes, cashews, jamuns, etc. On a clear day, one can see the clear sea-bed upto a depth of almost 20 feet. Indian and foreign tourists love to explore the region and go scuba diving and snorkelling to help themselves with a visual treat of exotic coral reefs on the outskirts of the island.

Most of the district area is covered by dense forest, with a lot of flora and fauna to please any nature lover. A host of wild animals like the Leopard, Wild Boar, Mongoose, Wild Rabbit, Elephants, Wild Buffalo and the Macaque Monkey can be found here.

This region is extremely renowned for its unique Malvani Cuisine. A must try for travellers – domestic and foreign alike – this cuisine includes sumptuous recipes of seafood dishes, especially fish and prawns, made in their own local flavour.

Why Sindhudurg Makes For A Pleasant Escape? - Sindhudurg weather

The region of Sindhudurg experiences a humid climate. Summers are usually hot and travellers are advised to rather travel during the winter season, more specifically in December and January, when the weather is much cooler and pleasant.

How To Reach Sindhudurg

At a distance of 400 km from Mumbai, Sindhudurg is easily accessible by air, road, and rail. A host of buses are available from a number of cities in Maharashtra, as well as outside Maharashtra, to reach here. National Highway 17 passes through this area. It can be reached by train or bus from any of the major places like Mumbai, Goa and Magalore. Goa Airport, at a distance of about 80 km, is however, the closest airport to Sindhudurg.

Walk on the lovely seashore, explore the historic magnificence around, or simply relax – Sindhudurg has a little something for every kind of traveller. Don’t miss out on the memories this fortress has in store for you.

Sindhudurg Weather

Best Season / Best Time to Visit Sindhudurg

  • Jan
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How to Reach Sindhudurg

  • By Road
    State run buses are available fro many cities in Maharashtra, like Mumbai, Panaji, Pune, Kolhapur and Ratnagiri. The frequency of these buses is good, and is also the cheapest option in terms of travel. However, this means of commuting is not highly recommended as the buses are usually crowded and relatively uncomfortable for long journeys.
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  • By Train
    Sindhudurg is well connected by railway too. It has a rail station, however only a few trains stop here. Sawantwadi and Kudal are two major stations situated closest to Sindhudurg, at a distance of around 35 km and 25 km respectively. The place is located along the Konkan Railway line, and taxis are available to help you reach your destination. From Goa (MAO) and Mumbai (CSTM), you have the Mandovi Express and the Konkan Kanya Express running on all days. While the train journey from Mumbai takes close to 9 hours to reach Sindhudurg Station, from Goa, it is merely 2 hours away.
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  • By Air
    For those arriving by air, the Dabolim Airport in Goa is the best option. The airport is around 130 km away from Sindhudurg and can be easily reached by taxis.
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