For your ‘fort’ nightly visit
In spite of being in ruins, Bassien fort has not lost its charm, says Samreen Samad
Bassien fort, also known as Vasai fort, is a sea fort in the the north of Mumbai. The fort was Built by Bahadur Shah to guard the coast against foreign powers, but later, ironically it fell to a foreign power and became the power center of the colonial rule.
The fort, in spite of being in ruins, has not lost its charm and it’s still very appealing. It’s far away from the noise and pollution you usually have in the city. It’s a great place to spend the day with you family or a big group of friends. You can enjoy your clichéd picnic here with blankets, picnic baskets and beach balls!
The fort is surrounded by greenery on all sides and you can find here beautiful flowers, butterflies and exotic insects. It’s a good place for photography, sketching and some adventure. The structures of the fort have weathered beautifully. The ruins are really interesting and take you back in time. It’s fun to explore remnants of the forts old chapels and watch towers which still have some designs and carved stones. The watch towers still stand strong and have safe staircases that lead on top. The view from the watchtower is picturesque. You can see a railway bridge, the vast sea, ships and the beautiful blue sky. It’s a quite a pretty sight.
Adjoining to the fort is a dock, where you can just sit and watch the sunset or talk to the fishermen and enquire more about fishing. You may even find some movie shoots happening as it’s a popular place for shooting movies.
Also there are other places of interest around Bassien fort. Theres Vajreshwari temple and famous Akoli hot springs. An hour away by bus.is Nalasopara village, where you can find Buddhist relics.
So this time, go check out Bassein Fort.
WhereVasai, 55 kms from Mumbai by road, 77kms along the Mumbai- Ahmadabad highway.