SSC
The Janjira Fort, situated on an island in the Arabian Sea, lies off the coast of:
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Answer: Option A — Maharashtra
Detailed Solution
The Janjira Fort (Murud-Janjira) is an island fort in the Arabian Sea, off the coastal village of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.
About the Janjira Fort:
- The name "Janjira" is believed to come from the Arabic word "jazeera", meaning "island".
- It was originally a wooden fort built by local fishermen (Kolis) in the late 15th century.
It was captured and rebuilt in stone by the Siddis, people of African (Abyssinian) origin, who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. The present stone structure dates mainly from the 16th-17th centuries.
The Siddis of Janjira ruled the fort and the surrounding area as a princely state until India's independence.
The fort is oval in shape and has walls about 12 metres high, with 19 or more rounded bastions (towers).
Its main gate faces the shore but is hidden from view until one comes very close.
It has freshwater tanks, even though it is surrounded by sea water.
It has large cannons, the most famous being "Kalal Bangadi", "Chavri" and "Landa Kasam".
The fort is famous for never having been conquered. The Portuguese, the British and the Marathas all tried to capture it.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj attacked it several times but could not capture it.
His son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, built the "Padmadurg" fort (Kasa fort) on a nearby island to challenge Janjira, but also failed to take it.
It is reached by sailboat from Rajapuri jetty.
Other sea forts of Maharashtra:
- Sindhudurg Fort: Malvan, Sindhudurg district; built by Shivaji (1664-67).
- Vijaydurg Fort: Sindhudurg district; called the "Gibraltar of the East".
- Kolaba Fort: Alibag, Raigad district.
Other forts of Raigad district:
- Raigad Fort: Shivaji's capital, where he was crowned in 1674.
- In 2025, twelve Maratha forts, including Raigad, Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site ("Maratha Military Landscapes of India").
Why not the other options?
- ✗Goa has Fort Aguada.
- ✗Karnataka has coastal forts such as Basavaraj Durga.
- ✗Gujarat has the Diu Fort.
Quick tip
Remember: Janjira Fort = Murud, Raigad, Maharashtra (island fort of the Siddis; never conquered; Shivaji and Sambhaji failed; Padmadurg built to challenge it); Sindhudurg = built by Shivaji.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.