Vasai Fort (Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Baçaím) - Town of Vasai (Bassein)

Vasai Fort  (Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Baçaím) -  Town of Vasai (Bassein)

If you are planning to visit the best places in Mumbai then definitely visit Vasai Fort.  So friends let's know why this fort is famous and what is different about it and what exactly is the history of Vasai fort.

Fort Name	Vasai fort
Place	Vasai (palghar , maharashtra, India)
District	Palghar
Historical Name	Bassein Fort
Fort Type	Grounded Fort
Creation Year	Year 1536
Creators	Portuguese
Area of Fort	110 Acre
Places to See on Fort	Church, Court, Hospital, wells, shiva temple, Hanuman temple, Chimaji appa statue, Vajreshwari Temple.

Personal Experience :

I have been to Mumbai many times but I realized what a fort this is at Vasai after staying there for 3 months. I was very excited to visit this fort, and finally I took time off from work and chose Sunday as a day off.  At first moment this fort seemed a bit scary to me because it was also because this fort was established in 1184. That means in 2022 this fort is 838 years old. Vasai Fort is romantic, inspiring and steeped in history, some factual, some - mythical. By the way now the construction here is ruined but if you are choosing a place for video shoot, photo shoot or film shoot then you can definitely choose Vasai fort.  The surrounding area is very scenic.  But here you will find accommodation and food facilities very less. Vasai Fort is such a beautiful fort. You have to walk inside the fort.  There is no vehicle facility.

History: 

When Mumbai was still a marshy collection of seven islands, Vasai was a thriving Portuguese city, famous for the extravagant lifestyle of its rulers.  The Portuguese came to India, it is said, for their crowns, crosses and trade.  After establishing their stronghold in Goa, they were looking for a base in the north and the fort of Bux , later built by the Arab Sultanate of Cambay, Gujarat, seemed a suitable place.  Unlike other forts built for the sole purpose of storing munitions and soldiers, Basen Fort Vasai was an entire town.  It housed churches, hospitals, administrative units and was used by the Portuguese to control Mumbai and the surrounding region.  A formidable fleet protected the coastal fort, and a strong wall on the land side made it impregnable.

On December 23, 1534, the Treaty of Bassein was signed between Sultan Bahadur and the Kingdom of Portugal.  This agreement was to change the history of Mumbai not only then but forever.  The Portuguese Empire gained control over the city of Baqaim along with other Sultanate territories, islands, seas and most importantly the Bombay Islands.

After a three-year long campaign, they were finally defeated by the British-backed Marathas in 1739, and the fort was then handed over to the  Marathas and eventually fell into disrepair .

 

                                                                                    

Vasai Fort Timings and Entry Fees : 

Entry to Vasai Fort is free and it is open throughout the year.  And you can visit anytime during the day.  However, as it is a secluded place, it is not advisable to visit Vasai Fort at night.  So, Vasai Fort opening time is between 6 am to 6 pm.

How to reach Vasai Fort?

 You can reach Vasai Fort by road or by local train.  Vasai Road Railway Station is 10 km from the fort.  From the station you can get an auto rickshaw or bus to Vasai Fort.  You can book a cab from the top car rental companies in Mumbai to reach Vasai Fort from anywhere in Mumbai.

The easiest way is if you are coming from Dadar side then you have to come by Weston railway line and from Dadar you have to take train to Virar.  Both slow or fast trains stop here.  After getting off at Vasai station you will need MSRTC bus stand near west side la railway station from where you can catch a bus.  Also, there is a market nearby, from where you can take a rickshaw or you can take a private bus.

Distance: 

Dadar To Vasai Fort 

By Car  : 2 hr 28 min (60.6 km)

By Bike : 2 hr 23 min (59.7 km)

By train : 1 hr 47 min (dadar to vasai station      distance) 

Vasai Station to Vasai Fort Distance

By Car  :  25 min ( 7.7 km)

By Bike :  22 min ( 7.7 km)

By walking : 1 hr 35 min ( 7.7 km)

Interior design of Vasai Fort

Inside the fort are two main gates and a river gate leading to the harbor on the St John Bus side. The fort has special buildings like court, three churches, hospital, jail, liquor store etc. and remains of other buildings can also be seen.  The fort has stealth and dark wheel staircases. There is also a temple of Mahadev and Vajreshwari. After the conquest of the fort by the Marathas, the fort was given a Marathi name.

Current condition of Vasai fort : 

 Even in the post-independence period, the ruins of the fort and the system of the fort were not well maintained. This fort remained neglected for many years. Due to the lack of proper arrangements, the condition of the fort was worsened due to scattered forests, tree roots and swamps on the banks. 15-20 years ago human interaction was not possible in most parts of the fort. Over the years, the Chimaji Appa Statue and Memorial and the Archaeological Survey of India took over the management of the fort and did some renovations and forest clearing.A lot of effort is needed to make this historically important fort a tourist destination near Mumbai. It is possible to attract people's attention to the fort and preserve the important historical heritage by repairing the remains of the fort, cleaning the ramparts, towers, putting up historical information boards at various places and arranging tourist recreation.

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