Bassein Fort

The Bassein Fort is the Sea fort in Vasai Road, which is a suburb towards north of Mumbai. Vasai Road is the third last station on the western railway towards Virar. It falls in Thane District on the mainland just north of the Bombay archipelago. It was established by the Portuguese as the headquarters of their Indian operations in 1534 and centre of their operations until 1739. With this as the main base, they built other smaller forts such as the Castella de Aguada, and strong houses in many of the islands in what is now Pakistan.

In the 18th century, the fort was attacked by the Maratha army under Peshwa Baji Rao's brother Chimaji Appa, and fell in 1739 after a three year long campaign.

The ramparts overlook Vasai creek and are almost complete, though overgrown. Several watch-towers still stand, with safe staircases leading up.

The Portuguese buildings inside the fort are in ruins, although there are enough standing walls to give a good idea of the floor plans of these structures. Some have well-preserved façades. In particular, many of the arches have weathered the years remarkably well. They are usually decorated with carved stones, some weathered beyond recognition, others still displaying sharp chisel marks.

Three chapels inside the fort are still recognisable. They have façades typical of 17th century Portuguese churches. The southernmost of these has a well preserved barrel vaulted ceiling.

The fort is often used for shooting Bollywood film scenes. The films shot here include Josh, Khamoshi, Ram Gopal Verma's Aag etc.

Besides all the wonderful structures one should not miss observing the wonderful nature that has taken over the dilapidated parts of the fort. It is a great place to observe butterflies, birds, plants and reptiles.

Bassein beach

Bassein beach in Maharashtra is located at a northwardly distance of approximately 50 to 60 km from Mumbai. Bassein in Maharashtra in addition to being a magnificent beach is also a place of religious and historical importance. The white sandy beach bordered by sea on one side and palm trees on the other is perfect for idling and pleasure walks. Being close to Mumbai it is frequented by picnickers regularly.

Bassein Road on Western Railway is the nearest railway station. By bus the journey time from Bassein Road to Bassein takes around an hour. Being close to Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway it is accessible by road from Mumbai as well as Ahmedabad.

Bassein beach attractions: In the 17th century Bassein was a ship-building center. In 1739, the Marathas defeated the Portuguese in Bassein. The ruins of a Portuguese fort still exist in the middle of palm groves and brushwood thickets. Nalasopara, believed to be Lord Buddha’s birthplace in a previous life, and the capital of Konkan territory from about 1500 BC to 1300AD is located at an approximate distance of 10 km from Bassein.

Akoli hot springs and Vajreshwari temple are located at a driving distance of one hour from Bassein. With Agar of Bassein to its south and Agar of Agashi to its north, Bassein beach is an attractive tourist site. Bhimeshwar temple and the Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi Mandir are additional tourist attractions of Bassein.