RACHOL STRONG

Not much remains of one of the oldest forts in Goa, located on the left bank of the Zuari River. A few ruined walls, the fort gate and the Portuguese royal coat of arms, a footbridge and a pathway. It was built during the Bijapur Sultanate period in the 15th century to defend the west bank of the river. King Krishnaraya of the Vijayanagara dynasty seized it in 1520 and immediately handed it over to the Portuguese in exchange for protection against Muslim invasions from northern India. The first Christian church in the region, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, was built near the fort in 1565. In 1604, the Portuguese added two bastions and undertook major renovation work. They stationed a hundred pieces of artillery there, which was very useful during the siege led by the Maratha lord Sambaji in 1684. After this siege, new modifications were undertaken, as well as in 1745, date of the last architectural reorganization led on the fort. At that time, it housed a small chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist and an imposing citadel. With the pacification of the region and the British takeover of the rest of the country, the fort was gradually forgotten. One can still admire the entrance arch of the fort which has been renovated, some walls and the dried out moat. A detour can still be interesting, because from the top the view on the surroundings is simply superb and the surroundings are very pleasant to discover.