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Fort Tiracol

Fort Tiracol

heritage site · Goa

Fort Tiracol sits on a hilltop at the mouth of the Tiracol (Terekhol) River in North Goa, roughly 40 km from Panaji, reached via a ferry crossing from Querim.

State
Goa
Type
Heritage Site

Fort Tiracol sits on a hilltop at the mouth of the Tiracol (Terekhol) River in North Goa, roughly 40 km from Panaji, reached via a ferry crossing from Querim. Originally a Maratha-era fortification, it now operates as a heritage hotel and includes the active Church of St. Anthony within its walls.

Fort Tiracol is known for

heritage hotel inside a working fortSawantwadi-Portuguese battlegroundChurch of St. Anthony1954 Satyagraha flag-hoistingTerekhol River ferry crossing

A short history

Sources give differing construction dates: one account attributes the fort to Khem Sawant Bhonsle, Raja of Sawantwadi, in the 17th century, while another states it was built between 1627 and 1640. Under Portuguese Viceroy Dom Pedro Miguel de Almeida, Portuguese forces defeated the Sawantwadi navy on 16 November 1746, and the fort surrendered on 23 November 1746. The structure was extensively revamped in 1764. During a Portuguese civil-war-era uprising led by Dr. Bernardo Peres da Silva (dated 1825 by one source, 1835 by another), rebel forces occupied the fort. On 15 August 1954, Goan Satyagrahis occupied the fort and flew the Indian flag for a day before being overpowered, as part of the movement for Goa's liberation. The fort was formally ceded to India by the Portuguese in 1961. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Tiracol; Source: goa-tourism.com/fort/fort-tiracol/]

Why Fort Tiracol matters

Tiracol Fort is remembered nationally as a site of the 1954 Satyagraha flag-hoisting protest during the movement for Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule, a symbol of India's freedom struggle in Goa.

When to go

Open daily 9 AM to 7 PM

How to reach

Fort Tiracol is about 40 km from Panaji at the mouth of the Tiracol River; access requires taking a ferry across the river from Querim.

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