My Thoughts on Alibag

During the time that I was living in Pune for my studies, I was doing an English class. My university planned a trip to Alibag. New to India, I was having some doubts about travelling with classmates but I decided to go after all and it was not a bad Idea.  Alibag is located is a coastal town and a municipal council in Raigad District of Maharashtra. It is the headquarters of the Raigad district. It is located about 100km from Mumbai.

Alibag was founded approximately 300 years old ago; it was capital of Shivaji’s admiral Kanoji Angre, founder also of the city, and home to a Jewish Synagogue and cemetery. It is the only place in the konkan to have a Portuguese and a Maratha sea fort on opposite banks of the same inland waterway.  It is also famous for the Kolaba fort in the sea.  It is said that a rich Muslim named Ali Owned many plantations, which gave the town the name Alibag. The name Kolaba was due to a Sea Fort Kolaba built by Shivaji the great, in 1680 to fight the mighty naval prowess of the Siddis' (Abyssenians) of Janjira and the British of Mumbai. Kolaba fort is famous for many battles, between Siddis and Kanhoji Angre, the British and the Portugese.

The Kolaba Fort is accessible only at low ebb through a 1 km long land strip that is covered during high tide. The fort has sweet water well in the middle, temples, fortifications and guns facing the sea.

 

 

We went to the city by bus, and arrived to the beach. We did some jet ski, and rode horses. The city and the beach was quite beautiful, old but beautiful in his own way. There is a restaurant not really far from the harbor, where we stop to eat some great sea foods and then took a small boat for the fort. I have to admit that was one of the best experiences that I had here in India, visiting the architecture which reminded a sort of Prince of Persia i.e the game not that really horrid movie with Jake Gyllenhal. I will definitely advise you to go visit there and visit the fort, that need to be seen at least once.