Padmagad Fort

Padmagad Fort is a 17th-century sea fort located on a small islet off Dandi Beach in Malvan, Maharashtra. Built between 1664 and 1667 by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, it served as a naval shipyard and defensive outpost for the adjacent Sindhudurg Fort. The fort features ancient stone walls, a renovated Shiva temple, and offers panoramic views of Sindhudurg across the channel. Access is primarily via a rocky intertidal causeway walkable only during low tide.

Visitors can explore the ruins of a historic Maratha sea fort situated on a tidal islet directly facing Sindhudurg Fort. The site includes remnants of fortification walls, a renovated Lord Shiva temple, and exposed rocky terrain with tidal pools. Access requires walking across a natural causeway from Dandeshwar Temple during low tide or taking a short local boat ride. The visit typically involves navigating uneven, wet surfaces and offers unobstructed views of the Arabian Sea and Sindhudurg Fort.

Constructed between 1664 and 1667 CE concurrently with Sindhudurg Fort by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Padmagad functioned as a royal naval shipyard equipped with dry docks and timber yards for building and repairing Maratha warships such as Gurabs, Galbats, and Machwas. It formed part of a defensive chain including Rajkot and Sarjekot forts to protect Sindhudurg from landward approaches. On October 1, 1812, it was ceded to the British under a treaty with the Kolhapur Sansthan.

The fort houses a renovated Lord Shiva temple that remains a place of worship and spiritual significance for locals and devotees of Maratha history. The nearby site Morayacha Dhonda features rock-carved symbols including a shivling, Nandi, Ganesha, and footprints believed to mark where Shivaji Maharaj performed rituals before constructing Sindhudurg, adding religious and historical reverence to the area.