Kalyan was an important port in ancient times. Ships used to travel from the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Ulhas. Ghodbunder and Naglabandar were ancient ports on this waterway. To protect these ports and waterways, four forts namely Ghodbunder, Naglabandar, Gomukh and Ovale Kot were built in the south of Ulhas Bay, while small forts Nagle, Kharbav, Firangkot, and Kambe Kot were built in the north of Ulhas Bay. Kharbav fort was built on a small hill between Vasai creek and Ulhas River. The fort was built by the Portuguese at the mouth of the bay to protect the Vasai Bay and the Ulhas River. Kharbav village can be reached from Vasai-Chinchoti-Anjurphata-Bhiwandi route. Kharbav Fort is situated on a small hill and locals do not know anything about this being a fort. ... Kharbav Primary Health Center is located in this fort and if you inquire about this center you can easily reach the fort or the water tank that supplies water to Kharbav village which can be seen from a distance is also in the premises of this fort. If you remember this sign, you can easily go to the fort. Kharbav fort is roughly square in shape and only a bastion and ramparts wall remain today. Talking to the locals here, it is known that until the health center was reconstructed, one more bastion and most of the abandoned ramparts of this fort were intact a few years ago, but they were demolished during the new construction of the health center. The bastion of fort, which is still standing today, is two-storied and has a small entrance door. On the bastion there are holes for firing cannons and guns. Kharbav fort has a few remains in form of bastions and ramparts, but trees have grown on the walls of the bastion, whose roots have penetrated deep into its walls. Carved stone, clay, lime are used in the construction of this fort. Based on the size of this fort, this also must have been an administrative post and army and logistics and not just a fort for surveillance. The fort is small and can be seen in fifteen minutes. There is a temple of Jarimari Devi outside the ramparts of the fort. Even though the fort is not fully extant today, its exact geographical location and strategic position to guard the Vasai Bay and Ulhas River can be seen. The Portuguese established their empire along the northern Konkan sea route, using small-sized forts, watchtowers and long-range cannons. Built by the Portuguese around the 16th century, the main purpose of these lookout forts was to protect waterways and provide necessary logistics to small and large forts in the province. In 1739 AD, in the Vasai campaign of the Marathas, the area of Kharbav, Kambe, and Firangipada came under the control of the Marathas and the Portuguese left this area forever. A person who comes here with the purpose of seeing a fort is likely to be disappointed, but if he wants to see the Portuguese watch post on the sea trade route and its geographical importance, he must visit this place.
© Suresh Nimbalkar