Ponda Fort

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Ponda Fort
Forte de Pondá
Part of Portuguese India
Village of Farmagudi Near Ponda in India
Ponda Fort
Ponda Fort Location of Ponda Fort Show map of Goa Ponda Fort Ponda Fort (India) Show map of India
Coordinates	15°24′46″N 73°59′21″E / 15.41278°N 73.98917°E / 15.41278; 73.98917
Type	Hill Fort
Height	40m
Site information
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Renovated
Site history
Built	1546
Built by	Muslim forces of Adil Shah.
Materials	Laterite stone and mud
Garrison information
Current commander	none
Past commanders	Francisco de Távora

The Ponda Fort is located near Ponda, in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. The present structure is a modern reconstruction on this location and converted into a park. In 2017 the lower walls of the fort had collapsed, due to neglect and also due to the use of poor quality materials during a previous (1977) renovation. The original structure was constructed of stone and mud, and left bare, the new structure contains stone, concrete and is plastered and painted red.

In the early 16th century, the region around Ponda was ruled by the Adil Shahi Kingdom. They wanted a defense against the ever-expanding Portuguese Empire to the west, and had built a fortification on a hillside at Farmagudi. Shivaji Maharaj I led a failed raid on the fort in 1665. Due to their recent skirmishes with the Portuguese, the Sultan's forces were weakened and the fort was badly damaged due to the artillery bombardment. Shivaji Maharaj tried again, this time successfully, to capture the fort later in 1675.^{[citation needed]}

After chhatrapati Shivaji's death, his son chhatrapati Sambhaji raje succeeded to the Maratha Empire. In 1683, he launched a surprise attack on the Konkan territories of Portugal. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the Portuguese offered to pay off the local Maratha governor named Naik to take control over Ponda Fort. This peace offer was refused, since Naik was expecting the arrival of Sambhaji reinforcements from Rajapur. He had along with him an army of 11,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry. The Portuguese Viceroy, Francisco de Tavora, led an artillery attack on the fort to weaken it. In this battle, the Ponda Fort was badly damaged and there were high casualties among the Marathas but the fort remained under Maratha control. The war ended with a general retreat of the Maratha forces from Portuguese territories. Following dharmaveer Sambhaji maharaj's execution by the Mughals at Tulapur in 1689, the Peshwas gained control over the Maratha Empire which also included Ponda Fort.

In 1783, the fort, along with the rest of the Novas Conquistas regions was ceded to the Portuguese by the Maratha Kingdom of Savantvadi under Ramachandra Savant I Bhonsle, as they needed assistance against their rival Sambhaji II of the Kingdom of Kolhapur. It stayed under Portuguese control for more than 175 years until the Invasion of Goa by India. During this time, it fell into disuse and crumbled off due to neglect, as there was no hostile forces left, to defend against.

The Indian government took control of the fort after 1961, and renovated it into a park in 1977. During this time, a statue of chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was erected by Shashikala Kakodkar of the pro-Marathi Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

• Bradnock, Robert W.; Bradnock, Roma (2001). Goa handbook (2nd ed.). Footprint Handbooks. p. 85. ISBN 9781900949453.

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