Located
on the northern tip of Goa at the mouth of Terekhol river, the Terekhol
fort was a lynchpin of the Portuguese efforts to protect their coastline
from invading armies. Originally built by Maharaja Khem Sawant Bhonsle,
the Raja of Sawantwadi, in the 17th century, the Terekhol fort was
extensively revamped in 1764 after the Portuguese Viceroy Dom Pedro
Miguel de Almeida captured it.Perched atop a on a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Terekhol fort was a massive structure with sturdy fortifications and turrets. In 1825, when Dr. Bernardo Peres da Silva, the first Goan born Viceroy of Goa, led an uprising against the Portuguese colonizers, the Terekhol fort served as a hideout for the rebels.
The Terekhol fort is in a state of ruins and the remnants of the original structure have now been converted into a hotel, the Terekhol Fort Heritage. The fort houses the century old Church of St. Anthony in its courtyard. But it is not open to the general public except on certain occasions such as the annual feast that is usually held in May.
How to Reach Terekhol Fort
The tiny enclave of Terakol, the northernmost tip of Goa, can reached by a clapped-out car ferry from the hamlet of Querim, 42-km from Panjim.
