Belapur Fort

Belapur Fort is a 16th-century hill fort located in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, overlooking the Panvel Creek. Originally built by the Siddis of Janjira between 1560 and 1570, it was subsequently controlled by the Portuguese, Marathas, and British. The fort served as a strategic military outpost for monitoring maritime trade routes. Today, it exists in a partially ruined condition under CIDCO jurisdiction but remains accessible to visitors for trekking and historical exploration.

Visitors can expect a short 20-30 minute trek up a hillock to reach the fort ruins. The site features surviving basalt stone walls, bastions, and masonry wells within a dilapidated structure. From the highest point, visitors can view Panvel Creek, mangroves, Parsik Hills, and the Navi Mumbai skyline. The area is surrounded by vegetation and offers a quiet environment for photography and sightseeing, though some sections are unsafe due to structural damage.

Constructed by the Siddis of Janjira around 1560-1570 to control maritime access through Panvel Creek. Captured by the Portuguese in 1682 who renamed it Belaflor do Sabaio. Recaptured by Maratha commander Chimaji Appa in 1737, after which it was renamed Belapur following a vow involving beli leaves at Amruthaishwar Temple. Seized by British Captain Charles Gray in 1817 during the Third Anglo-Maratha War and partially demolished to prevent future military use.

The fort houses the Govardhani Devi temple established after the Maratha victory. The nearby Amruthaishwar Temple is linked to the Maratha vow that gave the fort its current name. The site holds cultural importance for local Agri and Koli communities as part of their ancestral heritage and maritime history.