History of Chapora Fort
- 1612- Built by Adil Shah of Bijapur dynasty
- 1683- The Marathas takes control. There is an interesting tale that Sambhaji climbing the fort clinging on to monitor lizard. Though I am not going to claim its veracity. During this seige the Mughals joined hand with the Marathas
- 1717- The Portuguese was prepared and took control of the fort from the Maharaja of Sawantwadi and the quest for contol started
- 1739- The Bhonsles’ conquered the fort back from the Portuguese.
- 1741- Within 2 years again the Portuguese regained control
- 1892- The Portuguese abandoned the fort as it did not required the fort from millitary
- 1961- The fort was formally passed over to the Govt of India
The Chapora fort used to be a military barracks, bastions with cylindrical turrets and a church of St. Anthony. There were 2 secret passageways, one to the sea, and a second to the riverside for an escape in case there was an attack.
Mode of Transportation :
- The best mode to reach the fort is by road and the GPS guides directly to the Parking. One person is clearly disturbed by the number of enquiries as evident in the picture below
- For the adventorous soul it might be tempting to hike up 700 metres from the Vagator beach. I prefered to give my back a break and instead drove straight to the Fort
Important points to note:
- Timing: 0930 AM- 0530 PM to enter. But ideally stay back till Sunset or as long as one wishes. Though better to leave the place after sundown as it is frequented by unscrupulous elements during the night
- Recommended duration- 1 hour, but if the intention is to trek further to the triangular land beyond the Fort boundary then it would take 2 1/2- 3 hrs
- Best time to visit: October to February either early morning or just before sunset.
- Wear comfortable shoes than slippers or flipflop as the rocks can be slippery especially during monsoons.
- Please carry your own water bottle and avoid buying from the vendors as it will reduce littering
- Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must
- Paid Parking available
My first memory of the Chapora fort goes back to the late nineties on a Goa Tourism North Goa darshan bus. In those days the tourist buses were parked quite far from the fort resulting in an arduous trek. I remember being provided 45 mins to look around and given the terrain I was in two minds whether to even attempt it or not. Thankfully I did, though huffing and puffing but what a beauty behold when I reached the Pinnacle!
I was contemplating giving the bus a miss and stay there till sunset but a fellow passenger interrupted my state of trance. I would have looked back with disdain as I could see his smile disappear. He simply pointed to his watch to indicated that its time to return back to the bus. I disclosed my intention and requested him to move on and went back gazing at the ocean.
In a few minutes, I was heckled by a large group of fellow passengers gathered by my new admirer, who interpreted my intention asinine and literally escorted me back with a strong vigil. The sheer disappointment of invading my privacy brought a caprice, leaving me stunned in silence for the remaining part of the trip. I kept wondering the reason for this ludicrous affection of not allowing me to stay behind!
After all of us were seated and counting of passengers done the bus resumed on its journey. The magical Chapora fort was slowly passing away from my peripheral vision. Thus, I took a final long look and in true Bollywood style promised myself to visit Chapora fort during every Goa trip. True to my word, the Chapora fort continues to be a permanent fixture of my Goa escapades.
I was narrating this story to my German friend, Adelais during my last trip to Chapora on 15th August 2021, while we were walking from the parking to the Fort entrance. curious to enquire the reason for such an adverse reaction by the bus passengers. So I revealed my secret while walking towards the fort from the parking.
That was a beautiful sunny day with an equally cerulean sky, making an unforgettable spectacle in front of my eyes. I was standing on the boundary wall with my eyes closed and with open arms. It was quite a windy day and thus I was slightly swaying to keep balance on the narrow and dilapidated wall. Beyond the wall was a steep fall albeit not dangerous enough to lose a life.
This filmy pose caught the attention of my fellow passengers who perceived this as an attempt to suicide. They ran to my rescue completely ruining the fun I was having! Adelais burst into a peal of snorting laughter and kept giggling every time his eyes met mine. Feeling mortified I decided to temporarily remain furtive and stayed behind him, till we reach the Main gate or whatever remains of it.
In 2001 the Bollywood blockbuster, ” Dil Chahta Hai” caught the attention of one and all. One of the scenes was shot inside the fort bringing instant fame, resulting in a multifold increase of footfalls. Some antiquated folks like me do complain that the movie resulted in converting a hidden gem to a bustling commercial tourist spot. But, I beg to differ as tourists lead to the growth of multiple temporary makeshift shops selling various articles and thus making a livelihood. Also, the fort is now easily accessible by a 5-10 mins trek instead of 20 mins of the past. Everything happens for the good!
It was the first trip of Adelais to the fort and I was keenly observing him. I somehow enjoyed his reactions of awe due to the beautiful power of nature. The location of the fort is unique and make it so special. Straight is the ocean which relentlessly sends a series of waves to the beach making it a sight to behold. The beautiful beaches of Anjuna, Vagator and Chapora can be seen together. On the right is the Chapora river overflowing to the Arabian sea beside the beautiful Morjim coastline?
For a change, I will reserve writing about the beautiful landscape instead let my pictures do the talking. I hope you will love it and will make a visit to this wonderful fort if not done already. I am also leaving behind a video for your eyes only. Enjoy!
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