English
Fort
Dahanu [Danu], Guzerate, India
Military Architecture
The small port of Danu is located on the north bank of the bar of the river with the same name, about 50 km south of Daman. The pragana of Danu, a subdivision of Daman district, was occupied by the Portuguese in 1559. The main function of the coastal position was to defend the surrounding territory from predatory pirate attacks. As such, in about 1635 it comprised a fortified house protected by a small wall, as well as a projecting bastion with some artillery pieces. Beyond the defensive structure, nearby was the Church of Our Lady of the Anguishes, attending to the village’s small resident Christian population. There are few references to Danu during the various conflicts with the Marathas from 1683 to 1739. During the Maratha period the structure was remodelled, and the English found it as such in 1817. The current structure essentially dates to that phase, when it was used as a police barracks: a rectangular perimeter defended by four redoubts in its corners, with several dependent buildings and a well in its interior.