Chapora Fort gives a glimpse of Goa’s vibrant past

Precious RongmeiPrecious Rongmei/TIMESOFINDIA.COM/TRAVEL TRENDS, GOA/ Updated : Dec 4, 2023, 18:46 IST

Chapora Fort gives a glimpse of Goa’s vibrant past

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Chapora Fort, situated in North Goa, has a history dating back to the 17th century. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1617, with an intention to serve as a strategic military outpost. Located on the banks of the Chapora Rive … Read more

Chapora Fort gives a glimpse of Goa’s vibrant past

Goa’s Chapora Fort, nestled on top of a hill, overlooks Vagator Beach and stands as a testament to the state's rich history and cultural heritage. But let’s be honest, today if we know about Chapora Fort, it’s mostly because of the Bollywood blockbuster movie Dil Chahta Hai. The movie may have given this lesser-known fort a global recognition, but before this fort site became one of the most popular selfie-points in Goa, this was and still is an important part of Goa’s history.

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In an effort to overthrow the Portuguese control, several powerful kingdoms overpowered this fort. Over the centuries, control of the fort came under powers such as the Marathas and the Bhonsles. But eventually, it fell into a state of disrepair. At present, there’s very little that’s left of the fort, but despite its tumultuous past and a brief stint with Bollywood, the fort has retained its charm and continues to attract visitors.

While exploring the fort, one comes across remnants of military barracks, wells, and gun turrets. Back in the day, they all must have had strategic importance. Even today, one can clearly see that the fort was no doubt an important military site, but it was also blessed with a serene atmosphere. There’s something very special about being near a river bank.

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Coming back to the Dil Chahta Hai fame, Chapora Fort gained widespread recognition beyond its historical circles because of the movie. It is safe to say that post 2001, after the movie’s release, fans of the movie flocked to the site of Chapora Fort.

The famous scene from the movie where the characters of Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna posed at the fort with their backs towards the audience, that scene was filmed here. It didn’t take people very long to pose in the same way. The fort's dramatic cliffs and commanding views of the Arabian Sea are just too good to ignore.

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In the movie, the fort played an important part. It was seen as a symbol of friendship and self-discovery, and that won people’s hearts. It was easy to fall in love with the movie and in that, we learned how to love the fort too.

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