Gowalkot (Govindgad)

Gowalkot is a small fort on the south bank of the Vashishti River, about 10 km from Chiplun. Water protects three of its sides, and a dug trench the fourth. It was built by the Siddi Habshi of Janjira; Shivaji won it in 1660 and renamed it Govindgad, and Sambhaji later lost it to the Siddi.

The two-acre fort is now dilapidated, with trees, old buildings and a dry well about 22 ft deep inside, and a temple of the goddess Karanjeshwari at the foot of the hill. Some 22 cannons once ringed the fort; in May 2017 archaeologists moved 10 of them up from the port area, the longest measuring 7.5 ft. These British-made guns are thought to have been used by the Maratha army. From the small hill inside, the view takes in the Vashishti and the rolling valley, and a visit takes about an hour.