Fortified Glory

As the dilapidated forts of the city gear up to become tomorrows tourist destinations i.e. after the completion of the restoration projects taken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Sion fort situated atop a conical hillock is already attracting numerous visitors. Moreover, the recently repaired steps leading to the fort are likely to increase the number of sightseers as walking up to the fort is no more a task now.

Where decaying walls, encroachments and anti-social activities are what most of the city forts have been reduced to, Sion hillock fort rises above these deals. Due to the fort being free from encroachments and drugs peddling menace, the visitors make their way to the fort in large numbers. For this the credit also goes to the well-maintained garden by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and vigilant security around the fort.

Contradicting the common belief, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Mumbai circle, GS Narasimhan says, "This fort is frequented by many visitors especially on weekends and due to the tight security measures unlawful activities are kept away from the monument. As the boundary of the fort is clearly demarcated there is no question of intrusions."

The British Governor of Bombay, Gerard Aungier built the fort between 1669 and 1677 at the hillock, which is barely few meters away from the Sion railway station. At the base of the fort there is a branch office of ASI and the garden- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyan, which was handed over to the civic administration in 1960.

Although, time has taken its toll on the fort, reducing it to a rundown monument, it still has small rooms and pathways intact. Sion hillock fort is one of the few forts that offers panoramic view of the city.

"We have spent about Rs 16 lakh in the steps repair work and are contemplating to allocate additional approximately Rs 20 lakh for the conservation of the monument, which will take around two years," says Narasimhan.

This fort with its maintained standing should be setting an example for the other forts of the city that are plagued with numerous problems, most of which go unattended.

Source: mumbaimirror.com