Since the Portuguese ruled North Konkan for a long time, they built several small and large structures along the Ulhas Creek between Vasai and Bhiwandi–Kalyan for defense and administrative purposes. Most of these structures are now in ruins, with only a few remaining in fragmentary form. I have explored most of these forts, but the most unusual one I have seen is the Sasunvghar fort. To this day, I am not entirely sure whether this is actually a fort or some other kind of structure. Though located on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway, this fort is little known. While traveling from Mumbai towards Vasai, near Sasunvghar village on the right side of the highway, one can see a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. About 1,000 feet further along the same side, near Anand Dhaba and close to a bridge towards Vasai, a small path descends toward a stream. ... A signboard here indicates that the property is privately owned. After descending this path, the stream appears on the left, and a little ahead lies a cremation ground. Further along, the Portuguese-built stone dam on the stream becomes visible. This dam was constructed using stone and lime, with a one-foot-diameter outlet pipe at one end. Today, the dam is mostly silted up, and the inner side of the pipe is buried. Even now, some water collects in this dam. On the right side of the dam, on the slope of the hill, numerous ruins of old structures can be seen. At the topmost point lies a large water tank measuring 30 x 50 feet. Below this, and alongside it, are several smaller enclosed tanks, with channels that carried water from one tank to another. Some of these tanks feature arches and doorways for access, and their interiors are lined with lime plaster. The water from the lowest tank eventually flows back into the dam via a channel. In addition, there are ruins of several residential structures in the area. Could this site have been used, like Goa’s Aguada fort, to supply water to ships? This seems plausible because Vasai fort itself lacks any large water reservoirs, and Vasai Creek is only about 4,500 feet from this place. Perhaps the Malji fort was built specifically to protect this location. Whatever its exact purpose, it is essential to study this site and its architecture before it completely collapses. Observing the dam and the surrounding ruins carefully takes about an hour. Though quite different from a typical fort, this site is worth visiting to understand its historical and architectural significance.
© Suresh Nimbalkar