A visit to Fort Aguada Jail and Museum

We then drove to Aguada Fort, originally constructed by the Portuguese in 1612 to guard against the threat of Dutch invasion. Built at the mouth of the Mandovi River, It was the most prized and strategically important fort of the Portuguese occupation. It is so large that it envelops the entire peninsula at the southwestern tip of Bardez. 

A freshwater spring within the fort provided fresh water to the ships that used to stop by. This is how the fort got its name: Aguada, meaning watery place in Portuguese. The fort has the capacity to store 2,376,000 gallons of water, one of the biggest freshwater storage tanks of the time in the whole of Asia. 

Aguada Fort is divided into two segments: the upper part acted as a fort and watering station, while the lower part served as a safe berth for Portuguese ships. 

I had booked a 12 noon walking tour of Fort Aguada Jail and Museum (the lower part) with Make it Happen - the same company I used in Panjim and Old Goa, so we went there first. I was the only customer today. My guide, Shiv, was knowledgeable, but his delivery was rather perfunctory. He did the minimum and was then off on his scooter, leaving me to explore the onsite museums by myself. It was OK, though - I still enjoyed my visit.

During the Salazar Administration, the lower part of Fort Aguada was repurposed for use as a prison primarily for Salazar's political opponents. It remained the largest prison in Goa until it was decommissioned in 2015. 

Since then, the structure has been renovated by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation along with the Goa Heritage Action Group and opened for tourists as a Freedom Struggle Museum, a tribute to the heroic deeds and sacrifices of all those who took part in Goa's Liberation from Portuguese rule and the Indians who opposed British rule and were jailed there. It was inaugurated on December 19, 2021 by PM Narendra Modi.  The museum has two particular cells dedicated to liberation fighters T B Cunha and Ram Manohar Lohia, who were imprisoned under the Portuguese regime. 

The site also contains some of the original 80 British-made cannons used by the Portuguese to defend the fort, and several monuments to Goa's anti-colonial struggle. The original statues are not in a good state, having been subject to extreme weather over the years, so reproductions have been made. These stand alongside the originals.

I was particularly interested in an informative display about Goan writers. I now have another list of books to acquire 😀.Read more