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Historic Monuments:
Goa is dotted with historic forts, which are a testimony of the chequered
history of this tiny State. Many forts built in the sixteenth century are
suited at vantage points. The famous ones are Aguada, Reis Magos, Chapora
and Cabo da Rama.
Aguada Fort : | ||||||||
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Chapora Fort: Though Bardez in North Goa was ceded to the Portuguese in 1543, the security of the territory continued to be threatened by several enemies- the Bahamani kings from the north, Maratha horsemen from the east and the local chieftains in the area itself. As a result, the Portuguese built a series of fortifications including the one in Chapora. It was constructed in 1617 only five years after work began on Fort Aguada
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Reis Magos Fort:
Stands guard over a very strategic point, where Mandovi river is quite narrow, preventing the entry of enemy ships. The fort was built in the year 1551,after the north bank of the river came under the control of the Portuguese. The fort bravely faced an attack by the Marathas in 1739, when the entire north Goa was occupied and till now has the distinction of never being conquered. In 1798, the British requisitioned both this and Fort Aguada in anticipation of an attack by the French. However, after the British withdrawal, it gradually lost importance and was eventually abandoned by the military. Till recently it was functioning as a jail. The little Church which stands below the fortress walls is made all the more attractive by the imposing black bastion, which looms over it. |
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Cabo de Rama Fort : The headland of Cabo De Rama had been a fortress much before the Portuguese ever reached Goa. The fortress on this site was held by various rulers for many years, and it was in 1763 that it was gained by the Portuguese from the Raja of Sonda. It was subsequently rebuilt, and what remains today, including the rusty cannons, is entirely Portuguese. Although the fort saw no real action after the rebuild, it was briefly occupied by British troops. |
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