Sion Hillock Fort

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Sion Fort
Sion, Mumbai, India
Sion Fort, Mumbai.png
View of Sion Fort from the base of the hillock
Site information
Type Hill Fort
Owner
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionDilapidated
Location
Sion Hillock Fort
Coordinates 19°02′48″N72°52′03″E / 19.04667°N 72.86750°E / 19.04667; 72.86750
Site history
Built1669–1677
Built by Gerald Aungier
Materials Basalt and Lime mortar
Official name
  • Whole hill fort of Sion together with all ancient Portuguese remains of buildings situated to the north, east and south-east sides of the hill at its toe
Reference no.N-MH-M6
Old map of the region (post 1805). Bombay map 18c.jpg
Old map of the region (post 1805).
The outer wall of the fort External Wall of Sion Fort.jpg
The outer wall of the fort

The Sion Hillock Fort is a fort in Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was built under the regime of the English East India Company, between 1669 and 1677, atop a conical hillock when Gerard Aungier was the Governor of Bombay. It was notified in 1925 as a Grade I Heritage structure. [1] When it was built, the fort marked the boundary between British-held Parel island and the Portuguese held Salsette Island that lay to the north across the creek. [2]

Contents

The hillock is situated 500 metres from the Sion railway station. [3] At the base of the hill is the Mumbai Circle office of the Archaeological Survey of India, [4] and a garden – the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyan. Nearby forts include the Riwa Fort and Sewri Fort.

The fort is dilapidated and a collection of broken stone steps, scattered walls and ruins, overrun by trees and ground cover. The fort wall has a small room on top. A series of pathways lead to it. The fort offers a panoramic view, overlooking the salt pans in the Thane Creek. However vandalism and apathy have taken their toll on the structure. Restoration of the fort had begun in 2009 but was stopped mid-way due to paucity of funds. [2]

See also

References

  1. Documentation Update: April 2005 to March 2006. Equitable Tourism Options (Equations). 2006. p. 136.
  2. 1 2 "Plan to beautify Sion Fort hits roadblock". Hindustan Times . 28 July 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  3. "Sion fort to get back old glory". The Times of India . 27 February 2008. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  4. "Mumbai Circle". Archeological Survey of India . Retrieved 10 September 2014.

19°02′48″N72°52′04″E / 19.0467°N 72.8677°E / 19.0467; 72.8677