Rachol Fort, Goa
Address
Salcette, South Goa, India, 403719
Year Built In
1461-1481
Built By
The Brahmani Sultanate
Getting There
Rachol Fort can be reached by taking a ferry from Shiroda or by taking a bus from Margao.
Things To Do And See
- Visit Rachol Seminary
Ticket Price
No entry fee
Visiting Time
Geo Location
15.308571 N, 74.000912 E
Rachol fort is situated to the northeast of Margao. It is located adjacent to the Rachol Seminary, about 4 kms away from the town of Margao. This fort is well known for its battles between the Vijayanagar and Bijapur empires after the collapse of the Kadamba dynasty in Goa. In the fifteenth century the Hindu Vijayanagar took it from the Sultan of Bijapur and it was then ceded to the Portuguese in 1520 in exchange for military help against the Muslims.
It was only when the Portuguese took control of the fort that the firepower was immediately enhanced and the fort was protected by more than 100 guns. The fort was fully built out of laterite stones. The Rachol fort is not known for its architectural delight but is significant for its scenic beauty. The area around had rice fields, rivulets shrimp farms and sluice gates which control the flow of water from the nearby river into the shrimp farms. When the Portuguese abandoned the fort, the fort fell into ruin. Unfortunately most of the fort has been destroyed by the ravages of time. The only thing that stands till date is the gateway which leads to the seminary.