Fort Aguada
Fort Aguada was constructed in 1612 to guard against the Dutch and the Marathas. It consists of a lower fort with bastions all around and an upper fort. It skirts the seashore and ascends the summit of the bare, rocky upland called “Aguada Point,” 260 feet above sea level. The upper fort was built as a strategic point to serve as a fort and a watering station for the ships. While the lower fort offers a safe berth to Portuguese ships. The upper fort comprises a moat, an underground water storage chamber, a lighthouse, a gun powder room, and bastions. It was built to hold a series of batteries, which allowed two hundred guns to work at a time for the defence of the coast. It protected the older capital of Goa, Old Goa, from potential seaborne enemies. The walls are 5 metres high and 1.3 metres wide. This is the only fort that was not conquered by any invaders during the 450-year rule of the Portuguese empire in Goa.
The word “agua” means water, and “aguada” means watering place in Portuguese. The storage capacity of the water tank is 23.76,000 gallons. It has five divisions, a support of 16 huge columns, and a staircase to descend. a lighthouse that is circular in shape and 42 feet high. It’s a 4-storey structure. It was built in 1846, and it was Asia’s first lighthouse. In its initial stages, it used to emit light once every seven minutes. In the year 1834, it was updated to emit light, creating an eclipse every 30 seconds. However, it was abandoned in 1976. Now a new light house is built. It’s quite impressive to see the fortifications of this old fort.
Fort Aguada is at a distance of 18 kilometers from Panjim. Currently, at one end of the fort, the central jail of Goa used to be situated, which has now been converted into the Fort Aguada Jail Museum. Next to the fort and along the Sinquerim beach are two of the world’s best luxury hotels.
