Worli Fort is one of the elusive tourist places in Mumbai. The iconic fort is situated at the very tip of Worli. There is a densely populated fishing village of historical significance right before it. The lonesome fort has seen dying activity because of the inaccessibility of its location.
Nonetheless, the fort has stood on these grounds for a few centuries now. Even after being neglected by the government, for the most part, it holds its significance. Of the tourist places in Mumbai, there are seldom any like the fort, ironically not seeing many tourists.
The tall structure and organically weathered construct of its walls, the culture shock of visiting the vicinity. The gratification that stems from visiting the Fort and its surroundings is hard to ignore.
A historical overview of Worli Fort in Mumbai
The fort was built in the 17th century, under the British Imperial Rule. Acting as a lookout for enemies on the seafront and pirates that might set foot on the land to pillage and plunder. There is some debate over its origin lying in the Portuguese rule a century prior to the British.
This lonesome building existed even when Mumbai, as we know it today, didn’t even exist. When it was simply an archipelago struck by ravaging waves on the seafront. The fort brought in some stability and strategic footing to the Brits trying to guard the western coast.
Together with Bandra Fort and Mahim Fort, it is a part of the trio of forts built in the British Era, overseeing Mumbai. Although concretely speaking, just Worli Fort might have been built by the Brits and the other was acquired.
Prior to the construction of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, it was largely neglected. By all means, it was overshadowed by the dense Worli Fishermen Village, a clan of fisherfolk that has existed for the longest time in history. The densely populated region made the fort inaccessible for the most part.
As the sorry state, it was in, it brought to light the neglect and lack of effort by the government in its upkeep. This is another reason why the fort was almost not in the conversation for a while whenever the tourist places in Mumbai were discussed.
Some lesser known facts about Worli Fort
The fort played a pioneering role in starting a conversation about neglected places of archeological and architectural significance. It was largely neglected due to the dense slums surrounding it and the presence of no major routes inside.
There is a gymnasium running inside the fort now. There were disturbances in and around the fort for a while. There were reports of the locals moving in the fort and using it for some illegal activities. In order to keep the places from being completely stranded- there is a gym there now.
There have been reports of drug peddling on the premises and it became a place for crashing after drinking. The rooftops saw illegal squatters taking shelter there. In conclusion, seeing that the fort was rather abandoned, it was immediately taken over by some opportunistic people.
The Worli Fort has been a common shooting location for a lot of television and film projects along with adverts and dramas. Its scenic view of the Arabian sea and the sunset driven ambiance in the evenings is unmatched. The smell of salt in the air is evident from the very entrance of the fort.
Despite a fair bit of efforts- the Worli Fort still hasn’t been declared an archeological conservation site, or national heritage site. The government and the archeological survey of India seem to be sleeping on the fort and no decisions have been made in this regard. Although there have been some efforts in this direction before.
There are interesting remains of the British Era and their naval activities in and around the fort. None of these articles and relics have been conserved and some of them might as well be lost soon. The deteriorated state of the fort almost makes it seem like it’s a part of the slums surrounding it.
Recently, the locals have started using the fort as a dumping ground as well. From plastic, dry, and wet waste to even fecal matter can be found both in, around and outside the fort and its state is really sorry. If major conservation efforts aren’t made soon, this historical monument is as good as lost.