Mahim Fort

India, India

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Mahim Fort is a historic coastal fort located in Mahim, Mumbai, Maharashtra, built between the 12th and 13th centuries by descendants of King Bimbdev (also known as Bhimdev or Pratap Bimba) to guard the Mahim Bay and the water route between Salsette and the mainland.

Strategically positioned so that it overlooks Worli to the south, Bandra to the north, and Mahim to the east, the fort has been repeatedly contested and modified by the Sultans of Gujarat, the Portuguese, and the British, playing a key role in the control of maritime trade and military movements in the region.

The original structure was further developed by the Sultans of Gujarat, then captured by the Portuguese in 1534, who rebuilt and adapted it, and after the Portuguese ceded Mahim as part of a dowry to England in 1661, the British strengthened it, adding features such as the main gate still in good condition and later capturing it during the First Anglo-Maratha War.

Today, Mahim Fort is recognized as one of the oldest forts in Mumbai and a protected monument under the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments Act, but it has suffered from administrative neglect, tidal erosion, and long-term encroachment by slums, with many of its outer ramparts damaged or collapsed due to continuous sea waves.