The name ‘ Devgad’(or Devgarh) of the
city and tehsil are derived from this historic fort lying at the confluence of
Arabian Sea and Devgad creek. Kanoji Angre, chief of Martha admiralty, was
instrumental in erecting this elegant looking fort in 1705. Devgad is a natural
harbor and well guarded port town. Earlier big ships used to dock at the port
jetty.
When the fort was built it was
surrounded by water from all the sides so at the time it was called as
"Janjire Devgad"(Janzira means an island in Arabic). It has been
spread in 120 acres. There is a Ganesh temple in the fort. Port office is
situated in the fort. The lighthouse is situated here.
How to get inside the Fort:
One broad road takes you directly
inside the fort till the lighthouse. There is also a beach at the rear side,
which lures tourist by its towering cajurina trees.
In Devgad, one can visit a windmill
plateu. Though the windmills are not in operating condition, one can have a
panoramic view of Devgad beach, Devgad fort and stretch of Arabian sea up to
Kunkeshwar from here. A magnificent sunset can be seen from this point.
Accommodation
:
Accommodation facility is not
available on the fort but hotels and resorts are available in devgad.
Getting
There :
·
By Air
:
Nearest airport is dabolim.
·
By
Rail :
Nearest railhead is Nangaon and
Kankavli, on Konkan Railway.
·
By
Road :
Mumbai–Devgad, 546 k.m.
Kolhapur–Devgad , 150 k.m. State transport buses ply From Mumbai, Kolhapur and
Pune. Private vehicles are also available.
Places
to see nearby :
Bhagavti Temple , Dajipur Sanctuary ,
Tarkarli beach , Bhalchandra maharaj ashram , Kunkeshwar temple