Vasai Fort - Maharashtra - India

The Vasai Fort was built by the Portuguese and was called The Fort of St. Sebastian of Vasai. From the Portuguese, the Marathas won it over by King Baji Rao Peshwa, in 1739. From the Marathas, it went over to British Raj who called it Bassein Fort. 

Vasai, also called Bassein, lies about 48 kms north of Mumbai. It is famous for the ruined Portuguese fort that overlooks the confluence of the Ulhas River.

Vasai was known as a place for ship building in the 15th Century. Due to its strategic location on western coast, the Portuguese settled here and Vasai having been granted to the Portuguese in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat.

The ruins of the majestic Bassein Fort can be seen here. Now what remains are the parts of the imposing 4.5kms long fort walls, two access doors ('Porta do Mar' and 'Porta da Terra') and remnants of Portuguese buildings and churches dating from the 16th Century and 17th Century. These are shaded by mango trees and palms. There are also decorative gateways inscribed with coats of arms and Portuguese graves dating back to 1558.

One can enter the fort through two wooden doors at the entance. The main door was held by three bamboo beams posted between the doors right on top at the entrance. The wooden doors were encrusted with iron knobs on the door.

The Vasai fort is a good weekend trip from Mumbai and the neighboring regions. It is an interesting visit. It is not that well maintained, but you can still see the remnants of a glorious past. 

How  to Reach

By Road - The Vasai fort can be reached by ST BUS or by Share Auto from the Vasai Railway Station (West Side). The distance from Vasai Station to Vasai Fort is around 14 Kilometers.
By Air - The Nearest Airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Code : BOM)
By Rail - The Nearest Railway Station for Vasai Fort is Vasai Road Railway Station (Western Railway)

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