Khanderi Fort (Kanhoji Angre Island)

🏰 History & Maratha Island Naval Warfare

Rising majestically out of the deep waters of the Arabian Sea approximately 4 kilometers off the rocky coastline of Thal Beach in Raigad district, Khanderi Fort (officially designated as Kanhoji Angre Island) is one of the most celebrated, fiercely contested, and legendary maritime fortresses in Indian naval history. In August 1679 CE, **Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj** recognized that establishing a naval fortress on Khanderi Island would grant the Maratha Empire absolute tactical control over the mouth of Mumbai Harbour, effectively blockading the British East India Company in Bombay and checking the maritime raids of the Siddies of Janjira.

Shivaji dispatched his trusted naval commander **Maynak Bhandari** with a garrison of 300 soldiers, stone masons, and artillery pieces to fortify the rocky island.

Alarmed by this bold move, the British dispatched a powerful naval squadron comprising the warships *Revenge*, *Hunter*, and armed grabs to bombard and starve the island garrison.

In the epic **Naval Battle of Khanderi (October 1679)**, Maratha gallivats and rowing fleets outmaneuvered the heavy British vessels in shallow waters, forcing the British to retreat with heavy losses.

In the 18th century, Khanderi became a premier naval bastion under Grand Admiral **Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre**, who used its natural sea defense to establish undisputed Maratha naval dominance across the Konkan coast.

In 1818, following the Peshwa's defeat, the British East India Company occupied Khanderi, erecting an imposing 75-foot octagonal stone lighthouse on the island's highest summit in 1867.

In 1998, on the 300th anniversary of the Maratha Navy, the island was officially renamed **Kanhoji Angre Island** by the Government of India.

🏛️ Architecture & The Ocean Bastion Blueprint

Khanderi Fort represents a masterwork of Maratha island fortification adapted with colonial navigation engineering:

1. The Massive Basalt Curtain Walls & Bastions

The island is enclosed by a continuous ring of dressed black basalt stone ramparts measuring over 1.5 kilometers in circumference, reinforced by semi-circular gun bastions that break the pounding waves of the Arabian Sea.

2. The Historic 1867 British Lighthouse

Rising from the island's central summit is the magnificent **75-foot tall octagonal masonry lighthouse**, constructed in 1867. Fitted with a modern revolving optic, it emits two white flashes every 10 seconds, visible up to 24 nautical miles at sea.

3. 17th-Century Mounted Iron Artillery Cannons

Dozens of preserved heavy iron cannons remain in situ along the battlements, pointing across the sea channel toward sister fort **Underi** and the Mumbai shipping fairway.

4. Shri Vetal Temple & Rock Cisterns

The interior houses the ancient **Shri Vetal Temple**, worshipped by local Koli fishermen, the shrine of Daud Pir, and perennial rock-hewn rainwater cisterns that provided sweet water to the garrison.

🛡️ Present Condition & Alibaug Coastal Tourism

Khanderi Fort is jointly maintained and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Mumbai Circle) and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL). The lighthouse grounds, stone pathways, and landing jetty are actively maintained.

Travelers hire motorized fishing boats from **Thal Beach or Navgaon Jetty** to embark on an exhilarating 25-minute sea voyage across the open ocean, landing on the island's stone slipway (subject to calm sea conditions).

Khanderi is an essential highlight of the **Alibaug Island Forts Trail**, easily combined with **Underi Island Fort (2 km by boat)**, **Thal Beach (4 km)**, **Kolaba Sea Fort (7 km)**, **Varsoli Beach (6 km)**, and **Kihim Beach (8 km)**.

From the top of the lighthouse gallery, visitors enjoy awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the Arabian Sea, passing container mega-ships, Underi Island, and the Alibaug coastline.

🧭 Visitor Guide: How to Reach, Timings & Logistics

Essential visitor details for exploring Khanderi Fort:

• Location: Located on Kanhoji Angre Island, Arabian Sea off Thal Beach, Raigad district, Maharashtra 402207, 4 km off Thal shore, 7 km from Alibaug, and 16 km from Mandwa.
• Timings & Fee: Open daily from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM (Daylight hours only). Entry to the fort is free (Lighthouse viewing fee approx. ₹20 per head). Boat hire from Thal Beach ranges from ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per boat for a round-trip excursion.
• Boat Access Season: Best visited from **October to May** when sea waters are calm. Boat journeys are suspended during monsoon months (June to September).
• Nearby Attractions: Combine your boat trip with Underi Island Fort (2 km), Thal Beach (4 km), Kolaba Fort Alibaug (7 km), Varsoli Beach (6 km), and Mandwa Jetty Watersports (16 km).

🚌 Transportation & Transit Logistics

❓ Frequently Asked Questions