Sindhudurg Fort

Sindhudurg Fort stands on Khurte island in the Arabian Sea, off Malvan in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, about 450 km south of Mumbai. Shivaji had it built between 1664 and 1667, with Hiroji Indulkar supervising and Portuguese engineers from Goa assisting; work began with the laying of the foundation stone on 25 November 1664. It was meant to check the growing power of European traders on the Konkan coast and of the Siddis of Janjira.

The fort covers 48 acres inside a rampart about 3 km long, with walls some 30 feet high and 12 feet thick, and more than 40,000 pounds of lead went into the foundations. Its main gate is hidden so that it cannot be picked out from outside. A few families still live within the walls. The fort is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is closed to visitors in the rainy season because of high tides.