Kolaba Fort

The Kolaba or Kulaba Fort (or the Alibag Fort) is an old military fortification in India, now turned into a popular tourist destination and a protected monument. Constructed by Shivaji, the Fort was chosen by him to be one of his chief naval stations.
Kolaba Fort is a sea fort built by Shivaji Maharaj in 1652 in the Alibag Beach of the Arabian Sea. The fort has a height of 25 feet and is at a distance of only 2 kma from the Alibag Beach shore. The most interesting feature of the Fort is that despite being a part of a saltwater body, the fort has a fresh-water well. A temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, built by Raghoji Angre in the year 1759, is also present in the Fort premises and is still worshipped by the fishermen from the area. The fort also has temples dedicated to Mahishasurmardini and Goddess Padmavati. The Alibag Beach, Versoli Beach and the Akshi Beach are also located nearby and are the pristine, quiet ones.
 

There are carvings of animals and birds present on the fort walls. Carvings of animals like tigers, peacocks, and elephants can be seen on the entrance arch. Close to the gate, there are temples of Padmavathi and a Mahishasura and other gods along with castle’s main deity.

The average height of the fort walls is 25 feet. It has two main entrances, one on the seaside and the other towards Alibag. An interesting feature of this fort is that it has freshwater wells in its premises even though it is a seaside fort. In the monsoons, the fort can be reached by wading through waist-deep water at low tide. However, at high tide, boats must be used to reach it. In that fort, there are temples. Many tourists come to visit Kolaba Fort.

Kolaba Fort near elite resort

How to reach Kolaba Fort : The Fort can be easily accessed from the city of Mumbai, as it is located only 35 kms in the south of Mumbai. Mumbai, one of the biggest cities of India, is well connected via Airways, Railways and Roadways to all the major cities in the country and abroad. Kolaba Fort can also be approached by foot during low tides and by boat during high tides from the Alibag Beach.


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