TheDongri Fort, or theDongri Hill Fort, locally known as the Janjire Dhavari Fort, is afort inMumbai,India.[1] It is located in theDongri area. It came underMaratha rule in 1739. Since then, the locals and the church have been looking after the maintenance of the fort, which was once repaired. Every year, during the month of October, the feast ofOur Lady of Fatima is celebrated there. Many people from far-off villages come to offer their prayers there. One can take a 360-degree view of the surroundings from this fort, with theArabian Sea to the west, theVasai Fort to the north, theSanjay Gandhi National Park to the east, and theEssel World and Water Kingdom to the south.[2][3]
TheDongri Fort was originally built by thePortuguese around 1701 as part of their defenses after conqueringVasai (Bassein) and the northernKonkan coast. According to regional histories, the Portuguese realized the Dongri’s strategic importance after takingVasai Fort, and so constructed the "Dongri Fort" (locally calledDharavi Fort) on the hilltop to guard the approach.[4][5] It thus formed one link in the chain of coastal forts held by the Estado da Índia (Portuguese India).[6] During the 1730s, the fort repeatedly changed hands in conflicts between the Portuguese and the risingMaratha Empire.[7] Maratha generalChimaji Appa led the first capture of Dongri Fort during his campaign against Vasai (then the Portuguese capital) in 1737. The Portuguese governor (viceroy) quickly counterattacked in May 1737 under a new commander (Viceroy D. Joaquim Jose da Cunha, nicknamed “Kadin”), retaking the fort from the Marathas. Intense skirmishing around Vasai and its satellite forts continued through 1738, but ultimately, the Marathas prevailed. By 1739, Dongri Fort was again in Maratha hands and formally fell underPeshwa sovereignty. The capture of Vasai and its fort network (including Dongri) ended Portuguese control ofSalsette and the northern islands.[8][9]
19°18′36″N72°47′34″E / 19.309887°N 72.792885°E /19.309887; 72.792885
