PLACES OF INTEREST

HARNAI

Harnai (Dapoli T.; 17° 45' N, 73° 05' E; p. 6,889), a minor port, about two miles south of Anjarle and fifteen north of Dabhol, lies in a small rocky bay, a shelter for coasting craft in north-west winds. [Taylor's Sailing Directory, 387.] Under the Marathas, Harnai was the head-quarters of a sub-division and here, in 1818, a station for British troops was established. It does not seen ever to have been a place of consequence. Harnai is con nected by an all weather, motorable road with Dapoli and Khed, and during the fair season, coasting steamers call regularly. There is a light-house near the port. From September to June, there is a brisk market for fish, thronged by buyers from many miles around. The only industry is, by workmen of the Sail caste, the weaving of coarse cotton robes.

The volume of traffic that passed through the port in each of the three years 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1955-56, is given below:-

Forts.

The chief objects of interest are, a little to the north, the well- known island fortress of Suvarnadurg or Janjira, [This is not the famous Janjira on the Rajpuri Creek in Habsan. Details of Suvarnadurg are given under Suvarnadurg.] and the smaller forts of Kanakdurg, Fatehgad and Gova. On the mainland opposite Suvarnadurg, and separated by a narrow channel, are the forts of Kanakdurg land Fatehgad, of little value except as outworks to Suvarnadurg. According to one account they were built by Shahu in 1710 to overawe Suvarnadurg, but were soon after taken and held by Angre. [A. Hamilton, about the same time, speaking of it as Horney Coat, says it was fortified by Shivaji, New Account, I, 244.] According to another account they were built in 1700 by Khairat Khan, the Habshi of Janjira, soon after his unsuccessful attack on Suvarnadurg, and remained till 1727 in the Habshi's hands. [The names of the Governors of the forts during this time were, Dharamray Savant, Hibrav Dalvi, Sidi Masud Khan, Sidi Masud, Sidi Said or Amaigar, Sidi Said or Vadle and Sidi Yakub. Mr. A. T. Crawford's M.S.] In 1755 on the English capture of Suvarnadurg, these forts yielded without a struggle.

Kanakdurg.

Kanakdurg, on rising ground, surrounded on three sides by the sea,  has an area of not more than half an acre. In 1862, it was ruinous, and had neither a garrison nor water. [Govt. List of Civil Forts, 1862.] Of the fort nothing is now left but two battlements, one at each end. Inside are nine small ponds, eight near each other, separated only by open cut-stone walls, and the ninth at a little distance to the west. They have plenty of water.

Fatehgad Gova Fort.

Fatehgad or Victory Fort is an utter ruin.

Gova Fort on rising ground, surrounded by the sea on its north and west sides, has an area of about two acres. In 1862, it was in good order, and had a guard of 19 constables and 69 old, unserviceable guns. Water was scanty, but food supplies were abundant. Surrendering to the British on the fall of Suvarnadurg, it was (1757) restored to the Peshva, and retaken by the British in 1817. Larger and much stronger than the other forts, it is still in fair repair, and has a traveller's and a district officer's bungalow. Like Suvarnadurg it has an image of Maruti on a wall and that of a tortoise before the threshold. The walls are about twenty feet high. The southern part of the fort is about 50 above sea level.

Besides these fortifications there are small remains on an isolated rock, an island except at low tide, that commands the bay of Harnai. There is an English grave-yard, where some of the officers of the detachment stationed here in 1818, are buried. [The principal are the tombs of Capt. Vansittart of the 44th Regiment, N. L and Lieut. Skirrow, R. E.] The large tomb near the forts was raised in honour of one of the Angres. There is also a Roman Catholic chapel and cemetery. The three chief Hindu temples are those of Ekanath, Murlidhar and Kamaleshvar. A small yearly fair is held in Phalgun (February-March).

Suvarnadurg.

Suvarnadurg, the Golden Fortress, with an area of eight acres on a low irregular island, about a quarter of a mile from the shore, surrounded by a very high wall, is perhaps the most striking of the Ratnagiri coast forts. Great parts of the fortifications are cut out of the solid rock and the rest are built of blocks of stone ten or twelve feet square. Relieved by bastions and broken by one rough postern gate just above high tide mark, the walls are so overgrown with trees and bushes, that, except at low tide, it is impossible to walk round them. Within the fort, are several reservoirs and a small step well with abundant water. On a stone at the threshold of the postern gate is an image of a tortoise, and opposite it on the wall towards the left, one of Maruti. There are two guard rooms to the right and left, and rooms also under the bastions. At a little distance is a stone building plastered with mortar, said to have been the magazine. Some very extensive foundations are probably the sites of old palaces. In 1862, the walls and bastions were in good repair, but the gateway was ruinous. There was no garrison, but the supplies of water and food were abundant. There were fifty-six old and unserviceable guns. [Govt. List of Civil Forts, 1862.]

Suvarnadurg, probably built by the Bijapur kings in the sixteenth century and in 1669, Strengthened by Shivaji, was in 1696, a station of Kanhoji Angre's fleet, and in 1713, it was formally made over to him by Shahu Raja. Under Kanhoji's successor Tulaji, Suvarnadurg became one of the seats of his power. Such damage its fleets caused, both to Indian and foreign shipping, that the Peshva's government several times proposed that the English should join them in suppressing Angres. Early in 1755, a joint attack on Suvarnadurg, Bankot, and some other Angres' forts was arranged. The siege lasted from 25th March to 2nd April, when the garrison surrendered. On the 12th April, Commodore James, according to agreement, made over Suvarnadurg to the Maratha Government. In 1802, Bajirav Peshva, flying from Yeshvantrav Holkar, sought safety in Suvarnadurg. But the fort could not be defended and Bajirav was forced to leave his family and retire to Vasai. [Nairne's Konkan, 107.] Holkar following him took the island and the Peshva's family. [Blue Book on Maratha War (1893), 350, 463.] In 1804, Suvarnadurg was, in the Peshva's interests [MS Records in Nairne's Konkan, 108.] captured by the English from a Maratha officer. The fort was in bad repairs and the garrison, about 800 Arabs and Musalmans, surrendered without fighting. [Blue Book, 128; Nairne's Konkan, 114, 116. The details of the capture are; In the end of November, a detachment of Artillery and of the Marine Battalion (XXIst Regiment, N. I.), under the orders of Captain William Morrison of the IXth Regiment, was employed in reducing the fort of Suvarnadurg which surrendered on the 4th December 1818. The Governor in Council, in General Orders of the 20th December, was pleased to express his high sense of the conduct of the detachment upon the occasion. Though opposed by very superior numbers, the energy of this small force succeeded in surmounting every obstacle, escalading and taking in open day, with a party consisting only of fifty sepoys and thirty seamen led by Captain Campbell of the IXth Regiment and Lieut. Dominicette of the Marines, the fort of Kandah (Kanakdurg), notwithstanding the heavy fire of the enemy. This gallant and successful enterprise having completely intimidated the enemy, the two other forts, of Gova and Janjira, were abandoned during the night. Service Record of H. M.'s XXIst Regiment N.I. (Marine Battalion).] In November, 1818, it was taken by a British force with little resistance. [Blue Book, 128; Nairne's Konkan, 114, 116. The details of the capture are; In the end of November, a detachment of Artillery and of the Marine Battalion (XXIst Regiment, N. I.), under the orders of Captain William Morrison of the IXth Regiment, was employed in reducing the fort of Suvarnadurg which surrendered on the 4th December 1818. The Governor in Council, in General Orders of the 20th December, was pleased to express his high sense of the conduct of the detachment upon the occasion. Though opposed by very superior numbers, the energy of this small force succeeded in surmounting every obstacle, escalading and taking in open day, with a party consisting only of fifty sepoys and thirty seamen led by Captain Campbell of the IXth Regiment and Lieut. Dominicette of the Marines, the fort of Kandah (Kanakdurg), notwithstanding the heavy fire of the enemy. This gallant and successful enterprise having completely intimidated the enemy, the two other forts, of Gova and Janjira, were abandoned during the night. Service Record of H. M.'s XXIst Regiment N.I. (Marine Battalion).]

At present the fort wall is in a good condition. There are three tanks inside the fort area, with potable water. Surrounding the tanks are bor trees. All the fort area is covered with grass. The fort is reached by boat at high tides.

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