Chapora Fort, Goa

Chapora Fort, located 10 km away from Mapusa, is undeniably one of the most famous forts in Goa. Built by the Portuguese in 1717, Chapora Fort has a long and fascinating history attached to it. More popularly known as the 'Dil Chahta Hai Fort', its claim to fame was the 2001 Bollywood blockbuster shot here. A scintillating escape, it offers beautiful views of the sea and Chapora River.

The fortifications around the current location of Chapora Fort existed long before the Portuguese even landed in Goa. It was originally built by Muslim ruler Adil Shah and was called Shahpura. The fort was later reconstructed by the Portuguese who named it Chapora, after the Chapora River that flows right alongside it. The highlight of the fort is the breathtaking view of the adjoining Vagator beach overlooking the Arabian Sea, especially at sunset. However, reaching the top of the now-ruined fort requires a steep 10-minute climb.
Chapora Fort has passed through the possession of numerous rulers over a long period, right from the Portuguese to the Marathas and the ruins tell a story of their own! You can still see the entry points of the two tunnels that were built by the Portuguese to use as an escape in times of emergency.

History

The Chapora Fort has passed onto many rulers in history. King Shahpur built this fort, but later it became a stronghold for the Sultanate of Bijapur. Over the 17th and 18th centuries, this fort saw a new revolution and a battle for ownership for Bardez. By 1737, the Hindu king of Pernem, a Maharaja of Sawantwadi and an enemy to the Portuguese took control of this fort for two years.
The province of Pernem was exactly on the opposite side of the fort and hence, it became the first target for the rulers to conquer and capture the Portuguese. By 1939, this fort came back into the hands of Marathas. However, the Portuguese’s main motive to use this fort was to seize the opportunity of the Indian rulers who were trying to get their control over Goa. The battle for control over the Chapora Fort and Goa surged to new heights during the Maratha-Portuguese war.
After the war, the Portuguese simply acquired the whole province of Pernem with a counter-attack. They didn’t take control over the fort again, but they did everything that they could do, to reduce their dependence on military force. By 1892, Chapora Fort lost its significance when Portuguese men were successful in changing their strategy. However, that couldn’t last long when in 1961 they were forced to leave Goa. And after Goa’s independence, hippies started surrounding Vagator, Anjuna, and Mapusa; the villages and towns in the vicinity of this fort.

Architecture

This laterite fort is quite steep and slanting for non-hikers or for those who have difficulty in walking because of health or age problems. Though, with time, there were proper carpeted roads just below the steep beginning of this fort.
The walls of this fort earlier had large and strong bastions. Between these bastions, soldiers used the narrow embrasures to hold canons and fire against the raiders to win battles. There are still large towers to back the remaining of those bastions. The entrance gate of the fort on the hilltop is iron wrought and is slightly rusted. Earlier, there used to be a church named after St. Anthony but now, hardly any ruins remain resembling that church.
At the commence of the 18th century, there were proper barracks and office quarters for the officers who were on duty to patrol but nothing of that sort remains now. The most interesting thing to observe and explore at the fort are the mouths of the tunnels which were used by the Portuguese for their quick escape. Travelers do hike to the hilltop for viewing the beautiful sunset and to spend some leisure time with their loved ones.