Sindhudurg Fort

This fort is situated on a rocky island known as Kurte barely a kilometer from Malvan. This fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahraj in the 17th Century when all his trials to win the Janjira Fortress proved to be useless. The main building material was sand that too was brought down from Gujarat. The main strength of this well- preserved fort are the thousands of kilograms of iron used here. The architect under whom the construction took place was known as Hiroji Indulkar and the king also took the advice of hundreds of Portugese experts whom he had invited to his court. A number of people were put to work round the clock for three long years to build this fort. The most attractive feature of this monument is the stretch of zig- zag walls and the pillars and bastions. Inside the fort still live twenty- thirty hereditary Hindu- Muslim families and there are also a number of temples inside. The most important out of all these is the temple where you will find the painting of Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahraj without a moustache. This painting is unique and is not found anywhere else in the world. Nearby this fort, you will also see the Padamgad Fort which is now in ruins.