Tiny and tillu fort – Bankot aka Himmatgad aka Fort Victoria

The way to Velas goes through village Bankot, where the little tiny fort Bankot, really this is the smallest fort that I have seen in my trekking life !!! as u enter inside  it ends !!

As the history says Marathas fought with Portuguese and took over the fort under the leadership of Kanhoji Angre. The Marathas renamed the fort as Himmatgad

You may please read complete history of this fort on wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankot

While you visit Velas for turtle festival you get plenty of time throughout day (since turtle check is done only in morning and evening) .. do walk down to this nearby place so as to enjoy beautiful sea views as well as to get some appetite 🙂

North facing Mahadarwaja (from here u can look at sea)

Watch guards dug out (Devdya) on both sides with some pits being dug out in the right Devdi

A deep well (now dry and filled) occupied the centre of this bastion earlier and the adjacent water tanks too are dry and obsolete now. One can leave the Buruj via a small exit that leads to the surrounding moat and a beautiful “Revni” (moat) lying nearby. On the sides of Bankot fort, there is a dry moat (Revni) dug out in the Jambhya stone. Jambhya stone is peculiar type of stone adorning a purple shade and peculiarly it is incapable of storing water as the water invariable percolates through it owing to its much porous nature

Fresh sea food …  a mouth watering catch …

Look at the beauty of river Bankot .. u can get this view before u enter village Bankot from the ghat section … honestly I could not capture beauty of this panorama .. i think i need a fish eye prime lens for this shot …

So .. enjoy the visit to the little tiny .. tillu fort bankot aka Himmatgad aka Fort Victoria during your visit to Velas …

cheers !!