Murud Janjira Travel Map

Murud-Janjira is a fort located on an island, just off the coastal village of Murud, in the district of Raigad. The name of this fort has been derived from Arabic word Jazeera, which means island; and the word Murud was originated from the Marathi language and means 'of Habshi' or Abyssinian. The ancient fort of Janjira was constructed around the 12th century, by the Siddis, who were actually businessmentraders turned rulers, from the region of Abyssinia. The fort is situated 165 km to the south of Mumbai, near the port town of Murud and the Arabian Sea. The fort has a main gate that faces the Rajapuri on the shore and has a the small gate that opens to the sea, which was used for escape during emergencies. The fort consists of 19 rounded bastions, which are still standing. One can still see the ruins of palaces, quarters, mosques, water tanks and more in this fort.The fort is surrounded by 40 ft high walls, which protect the fort from high tides. It is said that the fort was never conquered by enemies for over 350 years and it is the only impregnable fort on the 720 km long Maharashtran coastline.The fort is spread over in an area of 22 acres and houses two water tanks and a well offering clean water. There are 19 towers and many turrets in the fort, most of which house a cannon.