Durgadi Fort

Kalyan, India, Maharashtra, India

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Durgadi Fort in Kalyan, Maharashtra, was constructed during the reign of Shah Jahan and completed under Aurangzeb around 1694.

Situated beside the Kalyan creek, it served as a key naval dockyard where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built the first Maratha navy, employing Portuguese craftsmen to help construct ships. The fort originally belonged to the Adilshahi Sultanate and was captured by Shivaji Maharaj in 1654. The city surrounding the fort was fortified with walls, gates, and bastions, protecting Kalyan, an important trading port at the time.

The fort was named 'Durgadi' after a temple dedicated to Goddess Durga was built within its precincts, though the idol was stolen in 1876. It changed hands multiple times in history, including brief Mughal control and defense against the Portuguese. The fort today is a historical landmark symbolizing the maritime strength of the Maratha Empire and the strategic importance of Kalyan in regional trade and defense.