Bhiwandi was a major port in medieval times and was directly connected to the sea by sea. The Kamwari River, a tributary of the Ulhas River, used to have direct shipping to Bhiwandi. To protect this sea route, the Portuguese built many small forts like Kharbav, Firangkot, Nandurkhi, Junandurkhi, Kambe kot, Karivali. One such small fort is Nandurkhi Kot, built by the Portuguese near Junandurkhi village between Bhiwandi-Vasai. One can reach Nandurkhi Fort by visiting Kharbav and Firang fort on Vasai-Chinchoti-Anjurphata-Bhivandi route and from there one can go to Kambe Fort. The distance to Junandurkhi is 10 km on Bhiwandi-Parol road via Bhiwandi and from Bhiwandi one can reach Junandurkhi village by private rickshaw. The distance from Kambe village is about 2 km. If coming by bus, get off at Nimbsar fork next to Junandurkhi fork on the main road. ... After coming a little further along the main road from this fork, the high wall of the Fort can be seen on the left side. The distance from Junandurkhi fork to Nimbasar is about 2 km. Locals don't know much about this Fort but if you ask about the “Pandava’s Madi”, they bring you to this place. Most of the structures built by the Portuguese look similar and of the same size. It is a two-storied fort measuring about 30x20 feet and the upper part of it is completely destroyed today. Stone and lime have been used in the construction of this fort. Grooves are visible in the wall of the Fort for the installation of the foundation for the floor above. 10 minutes is enough to see the fort. This fort must have been constructed for observing the nearby Kamwari River. It was supposed to be used to monitor the waterways of the bay and protect the ships. Located between Vasai and Bhiwandi, these forts are built on both sides of Ulhas Creek and Kamwari Creek. 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. Using all these small-sized forts, watchtowers, the Portuguese established their empire in North Konkan. It is recorded that the Marathas under the leadership of Pilaji Jadhav conquered Kambe Kot in 1730 AD. As it was nearby at that time, this fort might also have come under the control of the Marathas. Later, in the Maratha-Portuguese treaty, this fort again came under the control of the Portuguese. In this Vasai campaign of 1739 AD, 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 for the purpose of seeing a fort is likely to be disappointed, but if you want to see the Portuguese watch post on the sea trade route and its geographical importance, you must visit this place.
© Suresh Nimbalkar