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Castella
de
Aguada
(corruption
of
Castelo
da
Aguada,
Portuguese
for
"Fort
of
the
Waterpoint"),
also
known
as
the
Bandra
Fort,
is
a
fort
located
in
Bandra,
Mumbai.
"Castella"
is
a
misspelling
for
Portuguese
"Castelo"
(castle),
although
it
seems
its
Portuguese
builders
actually
called
it
Forte
de
Bandorá
(or
Bandra
Fort).
It
is
located
at
Land's
End
in
Bandra.
It
was
built
by
the
Portuguese
in
1640
as
a
watchtower
overlooking
Mahim
Bay,
the
Arabian
Sea
and
the
southern
island
of
Mahim.[1]
The
strategic
value
of
the
fort
was
enhanced
in
1661
after
the
Portuguese
ceded
the
seven
islands
of
Bombay
that
lay
to
the
immediate
south
of
Bandra
to
the
English.[2]
The
name
indicates
its
origin
as
a
place
where
fresh
water
was
available
in
the
form
of
a
fountain
("Aguada")
for
Portuguese
ships
cruising
the
coasts
in
the
initial
period
of
Portuguese
presence.
The
fort
lies
over
several
levels,
from
sea
level
to
an
altitude
of
24
metres
(79
ft).[1]
Castella
de
Aguada
has
been
featured
in
several
Hindi
films,
such
as
Dil
Chahta
Hai
and
Buddha
Mil
Gaya
The
Portuguese,
who
had
established
a
base
in
the
area
in
1534
after
defeating
Bahadur
Shah
of
Gujarat,
built
several
sea
forts
along
the
western
Indian
coastline.
Castella
de
Aguada
was
one
such
strategically
located
fort,
overlooking
the
Mahim
Bay
to
the
south,
the
Arabian
Sea
to
the
west,
the
islands
of
Worli
to
the
south
and
the
town
of
Mahim
to
the
south
west.
The
fort
also
guarded
the
northern
sea
route
into
Mumbai
Harbour.
This
sea
route,
a
large
estuary,
was
later
reclaimed
from
the
sea
in
the
nineteenth
century.
During
the
Portuguese
rule,
it
was
armed
with
seven
cannons
and
other
smaller
guns
as
defence.[4]
A
freshwater
spring
in
the
vicinity
supplied
potable
water
to
passing
ships,
thus
lending
the
fort
its
name.[1]
After
the
decline
of
the
Portuguese
in
the
early
18th
century,
the
Marathas
became
the
largest
threat
to
British
possessions.
Sensing
an
impending
Portuguese
defeat,
the
British
partially
demolished
the
fort
as
a
precautionary
measure.
The
demolition
would
obviate
the
possibility
of
the
fort
being
captured
by
the
Marathas,
with
the
possibility
of
it
being
used
as
a
forward
military
base
to
attack
British
Bombay.[5]
In
1739
the
island
was
invaded
by
the
Marathas;
it
was
ruled
by
them
until
1774
when
the
British
gained
possession
of
the
area
during
the
First
Anglo-Maratha
War.
In
1830,
the
British
donated
large
parts
of
Salsette
Island,
including
Land's
End
(Click
to
view
the
Photosphere),
to
Byramjee
Jeejeebhoy,
a
Parsi
philanthropist.
Jeejeeboy
then
established
his
residence
on
the
hill
where
the
fort
is
located,
and
the
cape
was
renamed
Byramjee
Jeejeebhoy
Point.[
2003,
a
conservation
program
was
started
by
Bandra
Band
Stand
Residents’
Trust
to
save
the
fort.
It
was
spearheaded
by
a
local
Member
of
Parliament
(MP),
Shabana
Azmi,
who
funded
part
of
the
effort
from
her
allotted
funds.
The
brick
arch
of
one
of
the
gateways
on
the
verge
of
collapse,
and
the
foundation
masonry
of
the
fort
wall
that
was
in
danger
of
tidal
erosion
were
repaired.
The
nearby
Taj
Land's
End
hotel
is
responsible
for
maintenance
of
the
fort,
having
inherited
it
from
the
previous
owners.[1]
The
fort
is
owned
by
the
Archaeological
Survey
of
India
(ASI).
Included
in
the
fort
makeover
are
the
preservation
of
the
natural
rock
formations,
providing
pathways,
and
the
creation
of
an
amphitheatre.
The
architect
for
the
makeover
was
P.K.
Das,
who
had
earlier
redesigned
the
Carter
Road
area
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