PLACES OF INTEREST

DEVGAD

Devgad (16° 23' N, 73° 21' E; p. 2,493), the head-quarters of Devgad taluka and a minor port, lies on A flat rocky peninsula about twelve miles south of Vijaydurg and 180 miles from Bombay. The nearest railway station is Kolhapur, 80 miles to the north-east. The beautiful and land-locked harbour of Devgad is at all times perfectly smooth. The cliffs, steep on the north, fall on the harbour side in steps with a slope varying from twenty-five to forty degrees. The entrance is broad, but the passage into the harbour, only three cables wide, lies close to the fort point. Here, in eighteen feet water, ships may lie sheltered during the south-west monsoon. [Taylor's Sailing Directory, 390. It is high water on full and change of the moon at eleven hours; the rise and fall is about nine feet at spring tides and five feet at neaps.]

In 1875, the head-quarters of the sub-division were moved here from Kharepatan. In 1538, Devgad under the name Tamar, is mentioned as nineteen leagues from Goa and three south of Kharepatan. It was a beautiful round bay and good harbour with a clear entrance. Galleys could enter at low tide. [Prim. Rot. da Costa da India, 23. It has been thought to be Toperon mentioned both by Ptolemy (150) and in the Periplus (247). McCrindle's Periplus, 129.] When taken by the British in 1819, it was a fine harbour, but a place of little consequence. [Malvan Resident, 31st May 1819; Bombay Revenue Diaries 141 of 1819, 2310.]

The fort on the south side, with an area of about 120 acres was built by Dattajirav Angre in the year 1729 A.D. The fort was then surrounded by water and hence was described as Janjira in Marathi records. The fort taken by a British force under Colonel Imlack in April 1818, [The particulars of the capture are: A detachment of the IVth Rifles under Col. Imlack moved on Devgad, where it arrived on the afternoon of the 7th April 1818. During the night the enemy kept a very heavy but fortunately ill directed cannonade, and early the next morning left the fort in sailing vessels, it was then occupied by the detachment. Service Record of H. M.'s IVth Rifles, 23.] protects the harbour, but perhaps because there was no place of importance up the creek, only slightly commands the entrance. At present the ditch joining the waters of the sea and the creek is filled up by mud.

After the conquest of this fort by the British, the fort was left to winds completely uncared for. However, the walls of the inner fort are as sound as before. Besides, there are many bastions especially on the eastern portion of this fort in sound condition and there are at present three old guns thereon. Other three old guns were removed under the orders of the British Government at the close of the Second World War and are now lying before the chavadi of the town.

The plateau of this fort was rightly utilised by the British Government for a light-house and an observatory. A hew light-house of latest model and five small buildings for housing the staff under the Director of the Light-houses are constructed recently by the Government at a cost of about two lakhs of rupees. Besides, there is a small building for the observatory. This fort is a living monument of post-Maratha glory. There seem to have been two forts, on the north and south ends of the hill between the harbour and the sea, joined by three or four round towers. [Low's Indian Navy, I. 296.] The walls are in a ruined state.

Devgad is the only sheltered port on the western coast; right from Karvar to Jaygad. This important factor was fully recognised by the British Government which built a small jetty as a fuel base for submarines during the Second World War at a cost of about two lakhs of rupees. Recently Government has erected a spacious jetty for steamer passengers at a total cost of Rs. 5,05,000. The work was completed in 1958.

The possibility of this fine sheltered harbour being selected for a naval base or a naval school, is not far off.

Devgad "Alphonso Mangoes" of the world fame are exported every year from this harbour. Devgad hemp of high repute is also exported to foreign markets like Manchester etc. The export of hemp is not encouraged recently and hence its production has suffered a great set-back. Good quality fish is also exported.

The volume of traffic that passed through the port in each of the following years is as stated below:-

Devgad is joined by a highway via Phonda Ghat to Kolhapur. Mango parcels from Devgad are carried to Bombay by motor trucks and by steamers. Devgad has been the taluka headquarters since 1875 A.D. and the British Government built two spacious buildings, one accommodating the office of the Mamlatdar with the treasury and prison and the other housing the Civil Court. There is one fully equipped Travellers' Bungalow, (B. & CD.) built on a fine plateau of the hill about the year 1875. Besides there are two dharma-shalas at Devgad.

The town is situated around a fine semi-circular bay of the Devgad creek and further development of this town covers a fine, spacious plateau of a small hill.

Devgad has got a comparatively fine, cool, temperate and bracing climate all throughout the year and inspire of the rather heavy coastal rainfall it remains comparatively dry owing to its special natural situation whereby all the rain water is drained off to the creek very quickly. Hence Devgad is free from constant epidemics.

New buildings at the cost of Rs. 40,000 have been recently erected for primary schools. Besides, there is a spacious building built in the year 1938 together with its recent extension at the cost of about Rs. 75,000 constructed by the Devgad Education Board wherein Seth Mafatlal Gagalbhai High School is housed.

There are two libraries, viz., (1) Umabai Barve Grantha-sangrah-alaya, and (2) Grampanchayat Library.

There is a Social Club "Snehasamvardhak Mandal" in the spacious building owned by the Mandal.

There is a sub-post and telegraph office. There is also a big State Transport Depot, wherefrom buses run every day on different routes connecting the town mainly with Ratnagiri and Kolhapur, all the year round.

There is a big Government godown for storing foodgains, recently built by the Government.

There is a District Local Board dispensary in a fine building with a special ward for indoor patients including maternity cases.

There is also a Government veterinary dispensary.

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