Sion Hillock Fort

Sion Fort
Sion, Mumbai, India
View of Sion Fort from the base of the hillock
Site information
Type	Hill Fort
Owner	East India Company (1677–1947) Government of India (1947–Present)
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Dilapidated
Location
Coordinates	19°02′48″N72°52′03″E / 19.04667°N 72.86750°E / 19.04667; 72.86750
Site history
Built	1669–1677
Built by	Gerald Aungier
Materials	Basalt and Lime mortar
Monument of National Importance
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).

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]

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]

Gallery

• 
  The fort together with all ancient Portuguese remains of buildings situated to the north, east and south-east sides of the hill
• 
  Fort walls
• 
  Fort walls
• 
  Fort walls
• 
  fort of Sion ancient Portuguese remains at Sion Fort
• 
  The fort
• 
  A Canon at the Fort
• 
  The fort on the hill

See also

• History of Bombay under British rule
• List of forts in Maharashtra

References

1. Documentation Update: April 2005 to March 2006. Equitable Tourism Options (Equations). 2006. p. 136.
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