Vasai (Bassein) Fort

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Sight Address : Vasai (Bassein) Fort, Vasai Village, Thane, India. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Bassein Fort is located in Vasai village of Thane District. Bassein Fort, which initially belonged to the Arab Sultanate of Cambay, came under the control of the Portuguese in the early 1400’s. This fort, formerly known as ‘the Fort of St. Sebastian of Vasai’ became the headquarters of the Portuguese Captain of the North and was often referred to as the Northern Court. The Fort was occupied by the Marathas in 1739 and it was later ceded to the British in a short while. Though most of the Portuguese buildings inside the Bassein Fort are in ruins, it still retains its watch-towers and three 17th century chapels. It also retains its fortifications that overlook the Creek of Vasai.

Vasai (Bassein) Fort

HistoryEdit

Vasai fort was Portuguese control til 1739. In the 18th century, the fort was captured by Chimaji Appa after a three year long campaign. There is a statue of Chimajiappa in Vasai fort. However, in 1802 by the Treaty of vasai, it became a British possession. In 1818 it was incorporated in the Bombay Presidency. Formerly, the fort protected the province of Bassein and offered shelter to about 60,000 inhabitants, 2,000 Portuguese and 58,000 Indian Christians. The ruins of the majestic Bassein Fort can be seen here. Now what remains are the parts of the imposing 4.5kms long fort walls, two access doors (‘Porta do Mar’ and ‘Porta da Terra’) and remnants of Portuguese buildings and churches dating from the 16th Century and 17th Century. These are shaded by mango trees and palms. There are also decorative gateways inscribed with coats of arms and Portuguese graves dating back to 1558. The walls of the fort are still in a very good condition. Nine huge bastions of triangular shape named after saints project outwards from the walls.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

10 am – 5:30 pm

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

November to March.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1-2 Hours.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Ruchi Chinese ; Shop No. 1, Ground Floor, Kamu Niwas, Koliwada, Station Road ,Near Gyanodaya Multipurpose School ,Vasai West. ; Ph/M – +91-250-2301132, +91-9270005105, +91-9270005105. ; Food Serve – Chinese

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Mumbai’s taxis are allowed into Thane. The prepaid taxi service available at the airport is the recommended hassle-free way of getting to Thane. The fare you pay at the counter includes the toll you need to pay when you leave Mumbai.

BUS : There are very few BEST buses that go right up to Marathon Chowk (It is known as “Teen Haath naka”)- 399 and 496 Ltd. Once you get off, catch a TMT bus or auto-rickshaw. From this spot Thane railway station is hardly 10-12 min walk if you go by following Gokhale Road, & auto should not cost more than 10-15 Rupees. BEST bus kinglong number 700 for Borivali, from Thane railway station east, frequency every 15 minutes. early bus 6.00am last bus 11.30pm Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) also called ST bus service from Thane railway station west frequency every 15 minutes. BRTS Buses originate from Cadbury Junction for Backbay and Nehru Planetarium. Most private buses from various parts of the country will stop in Thane. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses will ply from various parts of Maharashtra to Thane. Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) commuters helpline number 1800-22-9901 to get the information about TMT buses

Train : The best way to get to Thane from Mumbai using public transport is to take the local train service. Although Andheri is the nearest railway station from the airport a better option would be to take an auto-rikshaw to Kurla or Ghatkopar station (both these stations fall on the central suburban line) and then board any suburban Northbound Local Suburban train (all local suburban trains halt at Thane) to Thane. You’ve the option to board a fast or a slow train. But better option is to board Thane Local Train which ends at Thane station. Trains can be located by Abbrevations for example T – Thane so any train with T abbrevation on Digital Train time display will end at Thane. The auto-rikshaw ride to Kurla or Ghatkopar stations would cost a little more, about Rs 60 to Rs 70, compared with Andheri which will be about Rs.40 to Rs.50 but you would end up saving about 1 hour to 1&1/2 hour. An added benefit is that you get to board a direct train to Thane thus avoiding the change over at Dadar. Thane is also well served by long distance trains, many of which stop at Thane station en route Mumbai.

Air : The nearest airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport , Mumbai. Once you get off, you will need to take a taxi or hire a car. The distance to Thane is about 36 kilometers (22 miles), the drive can take between 45 to 75 minutes depending on the traffic.

Others : Auto-Rickshaw : The most common way to get around in Thane is to hire an auto rickshaw. Payment is by meter. The amount to pay, however, is not the amount shown by the meter, but scaled up by a factor which changes whenever there is a rate adjustment. Check the tariff card for the right fare. Ensure Tariff card is stamped & signed by RTO. It is better still to know the approximate km to destination and negotiate the charge lumpsum before hand since the meters are invariably tampered with. e.g Thane to Sion is 15-18 km and fair charge would be Rs. 130-140 (latest rate) but the meter will show Rs.180-190. Thus fixing 140-150 before sitting saves you a lot of headache. Recently the government as made it compulsory for the auto-rickshaws to install an electronic meter which shows the amount and the distance traveled. However, it will take few months for all the auto-rickshaws to upgrade their meters