Mumbai - Visit to Bandra Fort

The Bandra Fort is at Land's End which is the southernmost tip of Bandra - right next to the Arabian Sea. The rickshaws and all stop there and we must walk past Taj (and I think Salman Khan's house) and go into the Bandra Fort area which has been converted into a park. Many walkers come (entry is free unlike in our Hyderabad parks where the elite have made entry charges up to Rs 50 in elite parks), there is a gym, park facilities, we can go up and down. The fort remains are a broken wall and maybe a gate and some steps. But one gets great views of the sea, one can go to the land's end here also and sit on the seaside and relax.

The Fort and its surrounding areas are also known as the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point in honour of the said gentleman who contributed towards building the road to the Land's End etc. As you enter you see a small hillock to the left which you can climb and to the right the sea and a walking area and sitting places. I chose to go left and found a cute amphitheatre right there - new one obviously.

Further up I saw a nice park, a couple of early morning romancers, at to the right the Jeejeebhoy ruins, parts of the fort walls etc.

The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1640, who by now it is clear, did a lot of work in their initial days and handed it all over to the British. the Portuguese called it the Castella de Aguada (Fort of the Water Point) which is named after the area's fresh water springs. A garrison of soldiers were stationed there.

The Mount Mary Church was built around that time for the soldiers.

Some stuff was going on between the British, the Portuguese and the Marathas - from 1661 the British controlled the islands of Mumbai thanks to the famous marriage between the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza and Charles II of England.

In 1739 the Portuguese were back in action and were defeated by the Marathas who were constantly attacking both the Brits and the Portuguese who had at that time split up Mumbai between them. The Marathas had also gained control of one of the seven islands - Salcette. 

The Castella was destroyed by the British to prevent it from falling into Maratha hands at one point and it lies in that ruined state.

The Land's End has a nice arm that goes into the sea and one can walk along into the sea for  a bit.