Volunteers get together to clean and restore Underi Fort

Fort conservation volunteers from Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai have risked their lives to
successfully restore the ramparts of a watchtower and a Tulsi Vrindavan (a podium with a Indian basil plant often worshipped in households), cleaned the weeds from its entrance and cannon, at the Underi Fort (Jaidurg), Alibag, after using a boat to get there. The boats often capsized after hitting the rocks inside the sea in this high risk stretch and hence visitors avoid going to this sea fort.

After obtaining permission from the state directorate of archaeology and museum the 15 member group ventured into the sea during high tide time on Sunday. The fort has not been cleaned for around a decade or so due to the accessibility problem to the sea fort.

Only experienced coxswains of fishing boats dare to ride to Underi fort, which is smaller than its companion fort ‘Khanderi’. The Khanderi fort located nearby draws a large number of tourists daily. The island forts remain most attractive. The Underi fort was built by Kahim of Siddis in 1680.

The group stayed in the fort around 4 hours to conduct the cleaning drive keeping in mind the high tide hour and darkness. No staffer of the department had accompanied the volunteers.

The team head Sujit Khaire said, “A historian with wider fort cleaning experience, Jaikant Shinkre had accompanied us to guide us during our volunteering work. Another broken Tulsi Vrindavan structure remains invisible under the weeds. A major portion of the fort from the entrance, around the watchtower and the canon were cleaned.”