Travel date: January 25, 2026
Mode of transport: public transport (MSRTC Bus).
Life has been full of ups and downs, by the grace of God, there was a lot of wandering in 2023 - 2024. After the Kedarnath and Tungnath trek in May 2025, the wandering came to a halt. I don't know how six months passed while facing family troubles and what rubbed salt in the wound was that I had to cancel my ticket after taking a vacation from work for eight days for traveling to Rameswaram, Madurai, and Jinji. My heart was sad but I was also irritated, the medicine for this illness was a one-day wandering. It was necessary to return home in a day, so it was necessary to plan the wandering accordingly. Since the younger brother had a holiday, it was decided that he would leave the house and wander. There are many places for wandering near Mumbai, but it was not clear which place to go. Also, if you have friends with you, the journey will be even more beautiful, but at that time, the usual trekkers and friends were busy with their personal work. So I started looking to see if anyone had posted any advertisements on the WhatsApp group " Sahyadri Mumbai TTMM Community ". I came across an advertisement by Abhishek Dharmadhikari, " Korlai, Revdanda, Rameshwar Temple, Kanakeshwar Temple ". I sent him a message at 2 am, received his message in the morning, when I inquired about the plans, I found out that I had to reach Panvel at 7:30 am on Sunday. It was a bit difficult to reach Panvel from Goregaon at 7:30 am, at that time Abhijit suggested coming by bus from Dadar. I told him that I would inform him by evening, and started preparing.
As usual, I asked Shailesh Dada about the places and told him how the planning was going. As soon as I heard the names of the places, Dada immediately said that it would not be possible to visit all the places in a day. This created confusion in my mind whether to go or not, but Dada said that it would be okay to visit one or two places, but you should go and come. Then, saying what will happen, I nodded to Abhishek and started packing my bag. This time, the journey was a little different for me, this time I did not have my usual friends with me. I was going to travel with strangers. Although there were countless questions in my head about what the person in front of me would be like, what his nature would be like, it was certain that I would leave the house for a journey. I went to sleep after setting the alarm for 3:30 in the morning.
Travel Description
I woke up at 3:30 am with the sound of the alarm but I hadn't slept well, I got ready and left the house at around 4:30 am. While waiting for the first bus of the morning below the building, the watchman uncle told me that the first bus will be late today because it was Sunday. Since I was late reaching Dadar, I reached Goregaon station by Uber auto. I boarded the Churchgate local at 4:56 am. While reaching Santacruz, I got a call from Abhishek and he said that our plan has been cancelled. 2-3 people who were coming with us are not coming. I was disappointed to hear this, but at that moment I told Abhishek that we both should go and Abhishek also got ready. Around 5:40 am, I got down at Dadar station and came out towards the east, walked towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road (Eastern Express Highway). I didn't know where the ST buses stop, I had gone roughly. When I asked a person there, he told me to go to the right (towards Lalbagh). After going some distance, I saw Shivneri buses going to Pune. When I went there and inquired, the conductor uncle asked me to go outside to the highway. At approximately 06:20 in the morning, the Mumbai-Murud bus arrived, I boarded the bus and sat directly at the back seat since there was no reservation. Since the last seat was not reserved, I got to sit till the end. I took the Korlai ticket from the conductor uncle and informed Abhishek because he was going to board the bus from Panvel and he had already made his reservation.
The bus reached Panvel at around 7:40, with Abhishek there was one more person (Kavita Chalke). So now there were three of us wandering around instead of two. As the bus moved forward, my attention was drawn to the clock and I was estimating how long it would take to reach Korlai. I thought it would reach by around 11:20. The bus reached Alibaug bus station at around 10:20 and the conductor informed that the bus would stop for 20 minutes to fill the CNG, everyone got down. So it would be even later to reach! At this time, we took a nap and came back to the depot and stood waiting for the bus. The bus did arrive but the unreserved passengers boarded the bus first and filled the bus. However, the reserved passengers had to stand outside the bus. Due to this, the conductor got all the passengers down and let the reserved passengers in first. Another 20 minutes were wasted in all this. So we were supposed to reach Korlai at 12:00 PM instead of 11:20 PM. The bus left Alibaug depot and went some distance and got stuck in traffic. We were stuck in traffic till Chaul Chowk, so we wasted about 40 minutes and got down at Korlai bus stop at 1:05 PM.
Korlai fort
It took 15 minutes to walk from the Korlai bus stand to the foot of Korlai Fort. While we were walking towards the fort with the help of Google Maps, a local person helped us. He told us to take the straight path along the seashore instead of going through the village. There is a path leading to the fort from behind the Shiva temple at the foot of the fort, and one can also enter the fort from the north side of the fort by circumambulating the fort. The fort is situated on a hill and is not very high. We started climbing the hill from the south side, from behind the Shiva temple. In just 20 minutes, we happily reached the entrance of the fort and got lost in history for a while.
History of Chaul and Korlai Fort
There is evidence that the history of Chaul dates back to 300 to 400 BC. In ancient times, Chaul was known by many names such as the following.
Champanagari : According to ancient mythological references, Chaul is mentioned as ' Champanagari ' or 'Champanavati'.
Simul : In the early years of the Christian era, the Greek geographer Ptolemy mentioned this port in his records as ' Simul ' or ' Timula '.
Chemul : In inscriptions from Kanheri and Naneghat , this place is mentioned as ' Chemul ' or ' Chimulo '.
Simur : Arab travelers of the 10th century (e.g. Al-Masudi) mentioned this city as ' Simur ' or ' Saimur '.
Revdanda : During the Portuguese period, a part of Chaul was given the name 'Revdanda', which is still popular today.
- Chaul was a major port during the Satavahana, Shaka, Kushan, Vakataka and Chalukya dynasties.
- Evidence of direct trade with the Roman Empire is found.
- Roman coins, beads, pottery, and archaeological remains have been found here.
- Arab and Persian traders used to come and go in and out of Chaul regularly.
- Chaul exported spices, cotton, cloth, gems, ivory, and aromatics.
Chaul was not only a trading port but also an important religious center.
- During the Buddhist period, stupas, monasteries and caves were built here.
- Temples were built during the Hindu rule.
- Later, Islamic and Portuguese influence led to the coexistence of various religions.
The Portuguese arrived in India in the 15th century and recognized the importance of the Chaul.
- The Portuguese established their colony in Chaul in 1507 AD.
- They divided the Chaul into two parts: “Chaul de Baixo” (Lower Chaul) and “Chaul de Cima” (Upper Chaul).
- They built many churches, forts and trading warehouses and spread Christianity. Even today, the remains of Portuguese architecture can be seen in the Chaul-Revdanda area.
History of Korlai Fort
- The Portuguese built Korlai Fort in 1521 AD.
- The Portuguese named it "Morro de Chaul".
- The main purpose of the fort was to protect the port of Chaul.
- Between 1657 and 1660, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj launched campaigns against the Portuguese.
- An attempt was made to conquer Korlai Fort around 1665 AD, however, due to its strong fortifications and protection from the sea, the fort could not be completely conquered.
- In 1739, Chimajiappa sent Subhanrao Mankar to Korlai, and within a year the fort was captured. The Marathas changed the names of the forts, renaming San Diego as Pusti Buruj, and San Francisco as Ganesh Buruj.
Korlai = “Kor + Lai (or Lai/Lai)”
Kor → Edge / Tip / High Cone
Lai → Place / Terrain (Old Native Word)
Meaning:
----------
A high ridge / place on a tip by the sea.
This meaning fits geographically very accurately, because Korlai Fort is located on a high ridge adjacent to the sea. 👉 Go to the top of the page
Korlai Fort Tour
We started our tour of the fort, moving from history to the present. The entrance and the bastion of the fort are in a dilapidated condition, needing some repairs and the willpower of the archeology department. There are inscriptions and some symbols in Portuguese on the arch of the entrance.
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| South entrance of the fort |
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| Royal insignia and inscriptions at the main entrance |
Information about the symbols and inscriptions in the photo above
1. Symbols: Portuguese Heraldry
1. Symbols: Portuguese Heraldry
This carving is a classic example of Portuguese imperial iconography.
Royal Crest: The square frame in the center once held the official coat of arms of Portugal.
Seven Castles: On the right side of the main frame, you can clearly see the "castle" symbol. These represent the Moorish cities that Portugal reconquered.
Ornamental Leaves: The leaf-like carvings on the left and right sides of the frame are ornamental features of the 17th-century Portuguese "Manueline" or "Baroque" architectural style.
2. Inscription
The text is in ancient Portuguese and many abbreviations have been used to save space on the stone. The text of the inscription appears to be worn out and is therefore unreadable.
The term “ Del-Rei ” was used for the Portuguese king.
“ Anno ” is a Latin-influenced date system.
The words “ Fortaleza / Castelo ” refer to military architecture.
After going inside the entrance gate, turning left and climbing a few steps, we reached the top of the fort. Right in front of us, we see a very large building, this building is the old church. This building is still standing. There is some carving on the entrance arch of the church. We took pictures and moved on.
In front of the church is a castle gate, and at the back of the church is an entrance, which also has a royal coat of arms and text written on it.
The symbol of the spherical astronomical device seen in the picture above is called an 'armillary sphere' .
Royal Crest: The square frame in the center once held the official coat of arms of Portugal.
Seven Castles: On the right side of the main frame, you can clearly see the "castle" symbol. These represent the Moorish cities that Portugal reconquered.
Ornamental Leaves: The leaf-like carvings on the left and right sides of the frame are ornamental features of the 17th-century Portuguese "Manueline" or "Baroque" architectural style.
2. Inscription
The text is in ancient Portuguese and many abbreviations have been used to save space on the stone. The text of the inscription appears to be worn out and is therefore unreadable.
The term “ Del-Rei ” was used for the Portuguese king.
“ Anno ” is a Latin-influenced date system.
The words “ Fortaleza / Castelo ” refer to military architecture.
After going inside the entrance gate, turning left and climbing a few steps, we reached the top of the fort. Right in front of us, we see a very large building, this building is the old church. This building is still standing. There is some carving on the entrance arch of the church. We took pictures and moved on.
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| Church on the fort |
In front of the church is a castle gate, and at the back of the church is an entrance, which also has a royal coat of arms and text written on it.
 |
| Coat of arms |
The symbol of the spherical astronomical device seen in the picture above is called an 'armillary sphere' .
Meaning: This was the personal emblem of King Manuel I of Portugal . This emblem is considered a symbol of the Portuguese's worldwide maritime expeditions and navigation.
Text of the inscription
----------------------------
The lower text is very worn, but the text below can be roughly determined by comparison with similar inscriptions on Portuguese forts.
GOVERNOR AND CAPTAIN GENERAL
FROM THE STATE OF INDIA
MANDOU FAZER
THIS FORTRESS
IN TIME
KING D. JOHN
AS GOVERNOR
AND CAPTAIN GENERAL
...
Text of the inscription
----------------------------
The lower text is very worn, but the text below can be roughly determined by comparison with similar inscriptions on Portuguese forts.
GOVERNOR AND CAPTAIN GENERAL
FROM THE STATE OF INDIA
MANDOU FAZER
THIS FORTRESS
IN TIME
KING D. JOHN
AS GOVERNOR
AND CAPTAIN GENERAL
...
YEAR 1XXX
From the entrance of the building / bastion we went to the other side (the southern end of the fort). On the left side there are two guns and on the right side there is a temple / temple-like structure. Walking a little further, we reached the end of the fort. We spent some time there and then returned and came back near the church. We spent some time near the church and went to the door in the opposite direction (northern side). When we went there, there was a large inscription on the ground, which is as follows.
The stone is placed horizontally, later broken (probably during the Maratha period or later during reconstruction), the text is engraved in Latin script. On the right side is a decorative floral / vellum motif with text engraved in Latin script. A square hole (for hanging a wooden beam / door)
This stone is originally an inscription of an entrance or administrative building . It is a Royal Foundation Encryption type inscription . It is an official inscription of the Portuguese king , and the full script was used only on political/government inscriptions.
Text of the inscription
-------------------------
From the entrance of the building / bastion we went to the other side (the southern end of the fort). On the left side there are two guns and on the right side there is a temple / temple-like structure. Walking a little further, we reached the end of the fort. We spent some time there and then returned and came back near the church. We spent some time near the church and went to the door in the opposite direction (northern side). When we went there, there was a large inscription on the ground, which is as follows.
.jpg) |
| Official inscription of the Portuguese king |
The stone is placed horizontally, later broken (probably during the Maratha period or later during reconstruction), the text is engraved in Latin script. On the right side is a decorative floral / vellum motif with text engraved in Latin script. A square hole (for hanging a wooden beam / door)
This stone is originally an inscription of an entrance or administrative building . It is a Royal Foundation Encryption type inscription . It is an official inscription of the Portuguese king , and the full script was used only on political/government inscriptions.
Text of the inscription
-------------------------
The text below can be roughly determined by comparison with similar inscriptions on Portuguese forts.
DOM IOANNES
PORTVGAL ET ALGARVES REX
MANDOU FAZER
THIS FORTRESS
Full meaning
------------
This fort was built by order of Dom João, King of Portugal and the Algarves.
After seeing the above inscription, we moved on to the northern door. There is also an inscription on the arch of this door with text engraved on it. There is also another small four-letter inscription on the right side of the door, which is mounted on a stone back, as follows.
.jpg "Royal Inscription of the Portuguese Monarchy - Coat of Arms") |
| Royal Inscription of the Portuguese Monarchy - Coat of Arms |
Explanation of the image above
---------------------------------------
Upper part – Coat of Arms
Crown → Portuguese King
Shield → Political power
5 small shields (quinas) in the shield
5 dots in each small shield (Christian faith and royal legitimacy)
Creepers carvings around → Royal/political monument
Text on the stone – reading by letters
-----------------------------------------------
The lower text is very worn, but the text below can be roughly determined by comparison with similar inscriptions on Portuguese forts.
SOBRE O REINADO DE
DOM JOÃO
REI DE PORTUGAL
E DOS ALGARVES
SENDO GOVERNADOR
E CAPITÃO GERAL
DO ESTADO DA ÍNDIA
...
MANDOU FAZER ESTA OBRA
(The middle lines contained the governor's name and the exact year, but those letters are now completely worn away.)
Complete Meaning
----------------------------
This fort was built by order of Dom João, King of Portugal and the Algarves, while he was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Empire in India.
Although the above letters are no longer clearly visible, the letters S and R are clearly visible. As mentioned in the Gazetteer of the Department of Archaeology, the letters SPQR were engraved on the Korlai Fort as evidence of Portuguese administrative power.
Meaning of SPQR: These letters stand for SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus). This symbol was used as a symbol of power in the Portuguese Empire.
Portuguese Usage: The Portuguese Empire had adopted the ideological heritage of the Roman-Christian tradition. Therefore, they used the Latin language, Roman-style abbreviations, symbols indicating imperial authority on their forts around the world (Korlai, Vasai, Diu, etc.), administrative buildings and inscriptions.
We took photos of the inscriptions and went to the third part of the fort, there is a dilapidated structure on the left, ignoring it as there was nothing inside, we went ahead, and there are steps to the bastion on the right. In the distance, we saw a Tulsi Vrindavan, behind it is the tomb of an unknown hero and in front of the Tulsi Vrindavan is the Ratneshwar Shiva temple. We turned back a little and walked up the steps and went to the bastion. A cannon is placed on the bastion. The area of Revdandya looked beautiful from the bastion and the structures on the guard looked like Drona Viv. While descending from the bastion, a tourist was seen drawing water from a bucket with the help of a rope, this is the same structure that we had ignored. There is a water tank in this structure. The tank is tied up from above to prevent water evaporation. The water is clean and suitable for drinking. After washing our face with water, we freshened up and went to see the rest of the fort. 👉 Go to the top of the page
Although the fort is small in width, it is quite large in length. After crossing each gate, another part of the fort comes in front. After crossing another gate, we reached the fourth part of the fort (from south to north). There are no buildings in this part, although it may be black, this part currently looks empty.
Another entrance is visible in front, probably a building / watch tower. The length of this entrance must be approximately 12-15 feet, which makes it seem like we are going through a tunnel. There are towers on both sides of this building and guns are placed on it. Immediately there is another entrance. As soon as you exit this entrance, you have to climb some steps (dilapidated). The width of the fort decreases from this part (this is the fifth part of the fort). After going some distance, you can see a lighthouse on the left. A path from the fort leads to the lighthouse, due to lack of time, we avoided going to the lighthouse.
We went some distance further and thought that the fort tour was over, but it wasn't, we saw another entrance. But now it felt like we were done. Abhishek and I crossed this gate and went to the other side, but due to fatigue, we didn't dare to go further (the sixth part of the fort). While we were both sitting near the gate and resting, Kavita came and left saying that she was coming to see what was next. After some time, Kavita called us and called us. We went further and reached another gate. However, we avoided going to the lower and last seventh part due to lack of time. We inspected it from above, there are also guns placed on the bastions there. And here, after finishing the fort tour, we turned back.
On the way back, another inscription was found near the entrance, as follows.
The name " S. FRAN. XAVIER " (St. Francis Xavier) is engraved on it.
Reference : Saint Francis Xavier was a famous Christian missionary who came to India during the Portuguese period. The fort's bastion was named after him.
When Subhanrao Mankar conquered the fort in 1739, he gave these forts Marathi names:
San Diego gate was renamed Pusti gate.
San Francisco gate was renamed Ganesh gate.
* The Portuguese were exhuming the body of this same Saint Francis Xavier and praying, when Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj invaded Goa in 1683.
We thought we could explore Korlai fort in an hour, but the fort is so long that it took us two hours. We had to visit many places, if we had more time, we would have visited remaining part. We reached the fort at around 2:40 pm. It took only 7-10 minutes to reach Korlai village, at the base village of the fort. We visited the Shiva temple at the base. We had prayer at Mahadev temple and spent some time in the temple. We saw a Satishila in the bushes in front of the temple, took photos of the Satishila and headed towards the Korlai bus stop. 👉 Go to the top of the page
The Satishila is an important monument in medieval Indian history, erected to commemorate the act of 'Sati' committed by a woman after the death of her husband.
The important features and meanings of the Satishila are as follows:
Structure of the Sati stone
Shield → Political power
5 small shields (quinas) in the shield
5 dots in each small shield (Christian faith and royal legitimacy)
Creepers carvings around → Royal/political monument
Text on the stone – reading by letters
-----------------------------------------------
The lower text is very worn, but the text below can be roughly determined by comparison with similar inscriptions on Portuguese forts.
SOBRE O REINADO DE
DOM JOÃO
REI DE PORTUGAL
E DOS ALGARVES
SENDO GOVERNADOR
E CAPITÃO GERAL
DO ESTADO DA ÍNDIA
...
MANDOU FAZER ESTA OBRA
(The middle lines contained the governor's name and the exact year, but those letters are now completely worn away.)
Complete Meaning
----------------------------
This fort was built by order of Dom João, King of Portugal and the Algarves, while he was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Empire in India.
.jpg "Stone wall on the right side of the door") |
| Stone wall on the right side of the door |
Although the above letters are no longer clearly visible, the letters S and R are clearly visible. As mentioned in the Gazetteer of the Department of Archaeology, the letters SPQR were engraved on the Korlai Fort as evidence of Portuguese administrative power.
Meaning of SPQR: These letters stand for SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus). This symbol was used as a symbol of power in the Portuguese Empire.
Portuguese Usage: The Portuguese Empire had adopted the ideological heritage of the Roman-Christian tradition. Therefore, they used the Latin language, Roman-style abbreviations, symbols indicating imperial authority on their forts around the world (Korlai, Vasai, Diu, etc.), administrative buildings and inscriptions.
We took photos of the inscriptions and went to the third part of the fort, there is a dilapidated structure on the left, ignoring it as there was nothing inside, we went ahead, and there are steps to the bastion on the right. In the distance, we saw a Tulsi Vrindavan, behind it is the tomb of an unknown hero and in front of the Tulsi Vrindavan is the Ratneshwar Shiva temple. We turned back a little and walked up the steps and went to the bastion. A cannon is placed on the bastion. The area of Revdandya looked beautiful from the bastion and the structures on the guard looked like Drona Viv. While descending from the bastion, a tourist was seen drawing water from a bucket with the help of a rope, this is the same structure that we had ignored. There is a water tank in this structure. The tank is tied up from above to prevent water evaporation. The water is clean and suitable for drinking. After washing our face with water, we freshened up and went to see the rest of the fort. 👉 Go to the top of the page
 |
| Ratneshwar Shiva Temple |
Although the fort is small in width, it is quite large in length. After crossing each gate, another part of the fort comes in front. After crossing another gate, we reached the fourth part of the fort (from south to north). There are no buildings in this part, although it may be black, this part currently looks empty.
Another entrance is visible in front, probably a building / watch tower. The length of this entrance must be approximately 12-15 feet, which makes it seem like we are going through a tunnel. There are towers on both sides of this building and guns are placed on it. Immediately there is another entrance. As soon as you exit this entrance, you have to climb some steps (dilapidated). The width of the fort decreases from this part (this is the fifth part of the fort). After going some distance, you can see a lighthouse on the left. A path from the fort leads to the lighthouse, due to lack of time, we avoided going to the lighthouse.
We went some distance further and thought that the fort tour was over, but it wasn't, we saw another entrance. But now it felt like we were done. Abhishek and I crossed this gate and went to the other side, but due to fatigue, we didn't dare to go further (the sixth part of the fort). While we were both sitting near the gate and resting, Kavita came and left saying that she was coming to see what was next. After some time, Kavita called us and called us. We went further and reached another gate. However, we avoided going to the lower and last seventh part due to lack of time. We inspected it from above, there are also guns placed on the bastions there. And here, after finishing the fort tour, we turned back.
 |
| Ganesh gate(St. Francis Xavier gate) |
The name " S. FRAN. XAVIER " (St. Francis Xavier) is engraved on it.
Reference : Saint Francis Xavier was a famous Christian missionary who came to India during the Portuguese period. The fort's bastion was named after him.
When Subhanrao Mankar conquered the fort in 1739, he gave these forts Marathi names:
San Diego gate was renamed Pusti gate.
San Francisco gate was renamed Ganesh gate.
* The Portuguese were exhuming the body of this same Saint Francis Xavier and praying, when Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj invaded Goa in 1683.
We thought we could explore Korlai fort in an hour, but the fort is so long that it took us two hours. We had to visit many places, if we had more time, we would have visited remaining part. We reached the fort at around 2:40 pm. It took only 7-10 minutes to reach Korlai village, at the base village of the fort. We visited the Shiva temple at the base. We had prayer at Mahadev temple and spent some time in the temple. We saw a Satishila in the bushes in front of the temple, took photos of the Satishila and headed towards the Korlai bus stop. 👉 Go to the top of the page
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| Traditional Konkani Kavalaru Shiva Temple (Gad Paitha - Korlai Village) |
 |
| Sati Shila in front of the Shiva temple |
The Satishila is an important monument in medieval Indian history, erected to commemorate the act of 'Sati' committed by a woman after the death of her husband.
The important features and meanings of the Satishila are as follows:
Structure of the Sati stone
The sati stone is usually in the form of a standing stone, on which certain symbols are engraved:
Blessing Hand : The stone depicts a woman's hand raised from the elbow. This hand is in a blessing position, palm facing forward.
Bangles and lemons : The hands are seen adorned with bangles, which is a symbol of being a lucky woman. The hand is often shown holding a lemon between the ring and index fingers.
Moon-Sun : The moon and the sun are carved on the top of the stone. This means, "As long as there are moon and sun in the sky, the virtue and memory of this woman will remain immortal."
Couple : The lower part often has a figure of a husband and wife (a woman who has committed Sati) carved in it.
While going towards Korlai bus stand, we saw a lighthouse on the way. We stopped there to drink water and saw an auto rickshaw. We were going to go to Revdanda by bus, but to save time, we decided to go by rickshaw. When I asked the rickshaw driver, Mansi said Rs. 40. Without thinking, we got into the rickshaw and reached Revdanda fort in just 10 minutes. 👉 Go to top of page
We got down near Revdanda rickshaw stand. We walked for 5 minutes and reached near the 7-storey tower. I came here in 2023, at that time I did not know much about history, but this time I came after studying a little.
Revdanda Fort (also known as Chaulcha Fort) is a very important and historical water fort on the Konkan coast. Its history mainly revolves around the conflicts between the Portuguese, Marathas and the Angres.
Some of the major milestones in the history of Revdanda Fort are as follows:
1. Portuguese foundation (16th century)
Blessing Hand : The stone depicts a woman's hand raised from the elbow. This hand is in a blessing position, palm facing forward.
Bangles and lemons : The hands are seen adorned with bangles, which is a symbol of being a lucky woman. The hand is often shown holding a lemon between the ring and index fingers.
Moon-Sun : The moon and the sun are carved on the top of the stone. This means, "As long as there are moon and sun in the sky, the virtue and memory of this woman will remain immortal."
Couple : The lower part often has a figure of a husband and wife (a woman who has committed Sati) carved in it.
While going towards Korlai bus stand, we saw a lighthouse on the way. We stopped there to drink water and saw an auto rickshaw. We were going to go to Revdanda by bus, but to save time, we decided to go by rickshaw. When I asked the rickshaw driver, Mansi said Rs. 40. Without thinking, we got into the rickshaw and reached Revdanda fort in just 10 minutes. 👉 Go to top of page
Revdanda Fort
History of Revdanda / Chaul Fort
Some of the major milestones in the history of Revdanda Fort are as follows:
1. Portuguese foundation (16th century)
Construction (1524): The Portuguese made an agreement with the Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar and built their warehouse and fort here.
Trading Center: At that time, Chaul was a major center of international trade. The Revdanda Fort made it easier for the Portuguese to control this port and trade in the Arabian Sea.
Architectural Style : This fort is magnificent and its walls and towers are built in European style. The remains of many churches, palaces and administrative buildings can still be seen inside the fort.
2. Conquest of the Maratha Empire (1739)
Chimaji Appa's Campaign : In 1739, the Marathas launched a major campaign against the Portuguese. After the victory of Vasai, the Marathas' attention turned to the forts of Revdanda and Korlai.
Subhanrao Mankar's achievements : Chimaji Appa sent Subhanrao Mankar to conquer Revdanda and Korlai. After a long struggle, the Marathas captured this fort from the Portuguese.
Changed name : After the Marathas conquered this fort, its name became more popular as 'Revdanda'. This victory ended the Portuguese rule in North Konkan. 👉 Go to top of page
Revdanda Fort Tour
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| Sharab sculpture on the banks of Revdanda fort |
The last time we came, we missed seeing the cannon on the bastion . This time, we had decided to see the cannon, but we couldn't find a path to the bastion. When we asked the locals, they said that there was a path on the other side and that we could also go through the broken rampart. The sea water had reached the plate, so we decided to go through the broken rampart as our shoes would get wet. The large sharp stones of the rampart, the small canals on it, made walking on this a bit difficult, but there was no other option. After some effort, we reached the bastion, but the cannon was not visible, the cannon was right in front of us, but we were wandering around as if in a daze. After a 10-minute search, we did find the cannon, but seeing the liquor bottles lying on the side made my heart hurt. Currently, this fort has become a hideout for the Talirams. Anyway, we took photos of the cannon, we had heard that the cannonball is still in the cannon, but the cannon is currently rusty and it was difficult to move it. So the temptation to watch the cannonballs was overcome. The view of the vast sea and the coastline from the tower is amazing. Another thing I saw from this tower was that there was a way for soldiers to move around inside this fortification . This was the first time I had seen such a structure. I knew that horses could be ridden on the fortifications, but moving around inside the fortifications was the skill of the Portuguese engineers of that time! 👉 Go to the top of the page
Shri Hareshwar Temple
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| Hareshwar Temple |
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| Hareshwar Temple Pushkarni |
Shri Rameshwar Temple (Chaul)
We reached Rameshwar temple in just 15 minutes at 5:15 pm. We entered the temple from the footpath, the first thing we saw was the Ganapati temple (Vairagi Ganesh). The temple has idols of Shri Ganesh and Shri Dattaguru. After having darshan, we headed towards Rameshwar temple. Rameshwar temple is a traditional Konkani style wooden structure with wooden beams and a Kavalaru. The two bells built outside the temple prove the antiquity of the temple.
.jpg "Shivling and ancient bells") |
| Shivling and ancient bells |
On the right side of the hall is the temple of Shri Narayana and on the left side is the temple of Ganapati. A large Shivling was made from small Shivlings in the assembly hall, which is mainly called 'Parthiv Shivling Mandani' . When many small Shivlings are arranged in a specific shape (e.g. in the shape of a large pindi), it is also called ' Sahasraling' Puja . We came out with the darshan of Rameshwar.
.jpg "Parthiv Shivlinga (Sahasralinga Puja)") |
| Parthiv Shivlinga (Sahasralinga Puja) |
We went to Vitthal Rakhumai Temple, which is adjacent to the assembly hall of the temple, and had darshan. There is a Navagraha Pata on the right side of the Rameshwar Temple, seeing that, we found the temple of "Ashapur" Mata, which is adjacent to the nearby temple, had darshan of the Mata and spent some time exploring the temple premises. The large Pushkarni in the temple premises further enhances the beauty of the premises. It was 5:40 pm, so we took a break and headed towards the "Sundar Narayan" Temple. 👉 Go to the top of the page
.jpg "Navagraha Pat") |
| Navagraha Pat |
.jpg "Ashapura Mata") |
| Ashapura Mata |
History of Rameshwar Temple
Construction and Restoration: The exact date of the original construction of this temple is unknown, but it is estimated to be at least 400-500 years ago.
1741: Srinivas Dixit Baba renovated the temple with the help of Nanasaheb Peshwa and Manaji Angre.
1769: Visajipant Sarsubhedar built Deepmal and Tulsi Vrindavan.
1816: The temple's Nagarkhana was built.
Folklore : According to a folktale, this temple was built by the Pandavas in one night, but it could not be completed. It is also said that Kanhoji Angre later completed the work.
Architecture and Features
Temple Structure: This temple faces east and has a Konkani style sloping roof. The temple's nave is of stone construction with a 7.62 m high spire.
Swayambhu Shivling: There is a brass-plated shalunka in the nave. Unlike other Shiva temples, this place does not have a tall linga but a Swayambhu Shivling in a square pit. Women are not allowed to enter the nave.
Three tanks (Agni, Vayu and Parjanya): There are three special tanks in the assembly hall of the temple
Agni Kund : It is in the middle.
Architecture and Features
Temple Structure: This temple faces east and has a Konkani style sloping roof. The temple's nave is of stone construction with a 7.62 m high spire.
Swayambhu Shivling: There is a brass-plated shalunka in the nave. Unlike other Shiva temples, this place does not have a tall linga but a Swayambhu Shivling in a square pit. Women are not allowed to enter the nave.
Three tanks (Agni, Vayu and Parjanya): There are three special tanks in the assembly hall of the temple
Agni Kund : It is in the middle.
Vayu Kund : It is located in front of the idol of Ganesha.
Parjanya Kund : It is located in front of the idol of Narayana. It is a custom to open this 'Parjanya Kund' to bring rain in case of drought (e.g. there are records of this kund being opened in 1731, 1941). 👉 Go to top of page
.jpg "Parjanya Kunda") |
| Parjanya Kunda |
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| Rameshwar Temple Complex and Pushkarni |
Sundar Narayan Temple
Coming out of the Rameshwar temple area, we came to the main road, i.e. Alibaug - Revdanda road, when we asked the rickshaw pullers at the intersection, they told us to go to the right (towards Revdanda - Murud). We reached the temple in just 8 to 10 minutes. The temple is adjacent to the road but a little inside, so it is not usually noticeable. We found the temple after reading the name board. Currently, the temple is under renovation. The idol of Shri Narayan in the temple is different, the moment we saw the crown on the idol, it seemed to be in Indo-Nepal or Indo-Tibetan style . The idol is very beautiful and attractive as the name suggests. Out of the 24 main forms of Lord Vishnu (Chaturvimshati Keshav Naame), 'Sundar Narayan' is considered a very charming and peaceful form. According to the iconography of Vishnu, the name of the idol is determined by the order of the weapons (conch, chakra, mace, padma) in his four hands . Eight avatars of Vishnu are shown on the side of the idol. We can remember which six of the eight incarnations are, but it is not clear which two of the statues belong to. Perhaps the sculptor could not have carved them in the right position or our study may be lacking.The detailed features of the beautiful Narayan form are as follows:
1. Weapons in the hands of the beautiful Narayan form
In the forms of Vishnu, the order of weapons is measured 'clockwise', starting from the lower right hand, and moving to the upper right, upper left, and lower left.
The order of the beautiful Lower right hand: Conch, Upper right hand: Mace, Upper left hand: Padma (lotus), Lower left hand: Chakra
2. Main features of the idol
The beautiful Narayana Murthy is recognized not only by the arrangement of her arms, but also by her expression:
- Gentle Pose : As the name suggests, this form is very 'beautiful' and pleasant. It has a smile on the face of the Lord and compassion in the eyes.
- Ornaments : This idol is usually adorned with all kinds of ornaments. There is a crown on the head, a Kaustubh bead around the neck and a Vajrayanti garland.
- Standing idol (Sthanak): The beautiful Narayana form is usually depicted in a standing position (Sthanak idol), symbolizing his readiness to bless devotees.
- Prabhaval : Behind the idol is a beautifully carved praavaval, which may have other avatars or ten avatars of Vishnu carved in it.
3. Differences between the forms of Vishnu
A total of 24 forms are created by the interchange of Vishnu's
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| Lord Sundar Narayan |
We had darshan of Shri Narayana and to go back to Mumbai, we came near Tita (three road crossing). It was quite late, it was 6:00 PM. The last boat from Alibaug Jetty leaves at 7 PM and it would take us 30-40 minutes to reach Alibaug Bus Depot (if there is no traffic). So instead of taking the boat, we decided to take the bus. Since Abhishek's relatives were in Alibaug, he was staying in Alibaug. We had decided to go to Alibaug Depot by share rickshaw and catch a bus to Panvel. By that time, the " Murud-Borivali " bus arrived, and we reached Mumbai by that bus. 👉 Go to top of page
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