Kelve beach on the Western Railway is famous among Mumbaikars. To reach at Kelve fort get off at Kelve station and reach Kelve village by 6 seater rickshaw. From the Kelve Shitladevi temple, standing on the north side of the beach facing the sea, you can see a clear path leading to the right. Passing through the dense tree of suru. This path leads to the Kelve fort hidden in the dense tree of suru within five minutes. The fort is shaped like a star and its bastions are triangular. Like Kelve’s water fort, this fort was also in the sea in earlier times. But due to the retreat of the sea, the fort came onto the land and has acquired the title of the ground fort. ... The fort was buried under sand a few years ago but Kille Vasai Mohim under the guidance of Dr. Shridatta Raut removed the sand around the fort and cleared the first floor of the fort in 2008-09. As the fort is buried in sand, we enter the first floor of the fort by crawling through the entrance. There is a rampart in front and another entrance in the middle. Leaning through it, we reach the back of the fort. At the four ends of the fort are four distinctive triangular bastions. These bastions have vents and barrage for firing cannons. Now the only upper part is visible. After the conquest of the Mahim fort in the Vasai campaign of 1739, on 10th January 1739, Kelve fort came under the control of Marathas. The fort is so small that it can be seen in 10 minutes.
© Suresh Nimbalkar