At a distance of 19 km from Ganpatipule and 42 km from
Ratnagiri, Jaigad Fort is coastal fortification that is located near Jaigad
village in Maharashtra.
The meeting point of the river Shashtri and Arabian Sea is
called as the creek of Jaigad. For the protection of this creek two forts were
constructed, one is Vijaygad at the north direction and the other is Jaigad at
south. Situated on a cliff, Jaigad has a commanding view of the bay and the
open sea. A jetty port and a lighthouse are located nearby.
It is believed that the construction of Jaigad was initiated
in 14th century and completed by Sultan of Bijapur and was named after Jayba
Mahar's sacrificing his life for building the fort. It was conquered by Kanhoji
Angre, the commander-in-chief during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja's regime.
Although in ruins, most of the fort's outer wall and
ramparts still intact. Spread across an expanse of 4 acres, the fort is
surrounded by a moat and strong bastions on the southern end of the Jaigad
stream. In the middle of the fort lies the palace of Kanhoji Angre, a Ganpati
temple and three wells to store water. There is also a government rest house in
the premises of Jaigad Fort.
Now, the fort comes under the Archaeological Survey of India
and most of the ruins are studied by them.
