The Sion Hillock Fort is located in
Mumbai, the
capital city of the
state of
Maharashtra. The hill fort is located near the
Sion railway station. In
British India, Sion marked the boundary between
Salsette Island under the
Portuguese and Parel Island under the
British East India Company. The site is currently open to visitors. The
Sewri Fort and the Riwa Fort are situated near Sion Hillock Fort.
History of Sion Hillock Fort
The
fort was built under the regime of the British East India Company. The construction of the structure started in 1669 and completed in 1677. In 1925, it was notified as a Grade I Heritage structure. It was founded by Gerard Aungier on the top of a cone shaped hill. Aungier was the first Governor of
Bombay Presidency which was one of the three Presidencies in British India.
Architecture of Sion Hillock Fort
The Sion Hillock Fort consists of a small room at the top. It has a wooden trussed ceiling of old
tree trunks. The room is connected with the main fort with a series of pathways. The site provides a panoramic view of the
salt pans in the
Thane Creek. The branch office of the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is located at the foot of the hillock. At present, the fortification is in a dilapidated state due to indifference and vandalism. The ruins of the walls and stone steps cover most of the fort premise.
Visiting Information on Sion Hillock Fort
The Mumbai Central station is the nearest
railway station at a distance of almost 11 km from the fort and the
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the closest
airport at a distance of 9 km from the Sion Hillock Fort.
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