62 62 ARCHITECT andINTERIORSINDIA | HERITAGE FORT TIRACOL week. This isWednesday. the after theseven daysof 2. The rooms are named Sawantwadi. of was builtby theBhonsles fort. Notmanyknow thatit 1. Abird’s-eye the view of 1 WALLS ARESEVENLITTLE-KNOWNBUTWELCOMEREFUGES THE HISTORYOFFORTTIRACOLISACLIFFHANGER,BUTWITHIN ITS SEVEN SECRET BY MARIALOUIS

APRIL 2016 W devour all the information about this slice of history that I can devour all the information about this slice of history that I can with thenorthernmosttipofGoa where thefortislocated,I from SawantwadiinMaharashtra, whichsharesitsborder with laterite–alocalstonefound abundantlyinGoa. banks oftheriverTiracolthatgives ititsname,isconstructed The majesticedificestandinginsolitary splendouronthe across therivertowindingroadleadingupfort. the jettyatKeribeach,whereaboatferriesyouandyourcar beaches ofMorjem,AshvemandArambol–tillyoureach skirt thecitiesandsnakethroughlittlevillagesalong airport takesyoupastthetownsthroughinternalroadsthat An hour-and-forty-minutedrivefromDaboliminternational other. Gettingthereisenjoyable,butquitetime-consuming. chequered history,thatitcanonlyaccommodate14adults. this heritagehotelsetwithinafortthatspeaksoflongand week... sevenroomsfordays!Indeed,soexclusiveis fort evenmoresatisfying.There’soneforeverydayofthe a comfortableroomawaitsyou,makesyour‘conquest’ofthe imagination aboutvanquishingallenemies.Buttoknowthat the locationisitsbiggeststrength,givingwingtoflightsof Being an architecture buff as well as someone who hails Being anarchitecturebuffaswell assomeonewhohails A stayatFortTiracolHeritageHotelisanescapelikeno | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com of the world. The splendid isolation of of theworld.Thesplendidisolation the wavesbelow,itiseasytofeelontop Tiracol river,withdolphinsdancingon overlooking theArabianSeaand alking alongtherampartsofFortTiracol 2

PHOTOGRAPHS: WILFRED LOUIS took over the property, the structure of the fort was still solid took overtheproperty,structureoffortwasstillsolid which 426wereChristiansandtherestHindus. - whichmentionsthattherewere486peopleinthisvillage,of discover fromAntonioLopesMendes’sbookIndiaPortuguesa tappers, andthemajorityofthemwereChristiansin1863,I lay myhandson.Theoriginalinhabitantsweremainlytoddy 3 When Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) When GoaTourismDevelopmentCorporation(GTDC)

4 under theAncientMonuments,SitesandRemains Act1978.” and Diudeclareditasaprotectedmonument ofregionalimportance a weekendholidayresort.In1983,theGovernment ofGoa,Daman and itwasonlyin1976thateffortsweremade todevelopthefortas walk downtheapproachingslope. inaugurated on1stNovember1935.Ithasitsowncemetery,justa second floor.Itbecameaparishon15thNovember1934andwas are flutedpilastersonthegroundfloorandreliefsofsaints Rococo styledcurvedgablewithcherubsandvolutes,inrelief.There has twinbelltowersonitsfaçade,withatiledroof.Thealtar the fort,wasrebuilt,inpart,1901andenlarged1922. chapel, andmadefilialtotheparishofArambol.Thisinside seeking theirpermission.Afterthisperiod,itwasreducedtoa profess theirfaithinthedomainsofSawantwadiroyalty,after church from1822to1846,sinceitwasusedbythePortuguese Fortress ofTiracol’.ItwaslaterraisedtothestatusaMission- Bhonsles ofSawantwadiandnamedthefortas‘HolyTrinity Alorna, whocapturedthisfort,on23rdNovember1746,fromthe to St.AnthonyorSantoAntonio.ItwasinitiallybuiltbyMarquesde the fort:“Insidethisfort,thereisamedium-sizedchurch,dedicated adventurous Portuguese.” possession oftheBhonslesSawantwaditillitwasoccupiedby at itsSouthWestpoint.Thus,thefortressofTerekholremainedin Terekhol [alsoknownasTiracol]villageformedoneofthedomains, the titleof‘Sardesai’Pargana(district)KudalinSouthKonkan. allegiance tohim,andforthisacthewashonoredbythelatterwith and areputationformilitarywarfare,LakhamSawantdeclaredhis Chattrapati Shivaji,thegreatMarathaKing,attainedregalstatus assassinated himandaddedhisterritoriestoown.In1650,when Desai ofKudal()Pargana(district)inabloodywar, Lakham .ThisnewchieftainofSawantwadi,capturedthe his sonSomSawant,whowaslaterreplacedbybrother mid-17th century,theAdilshahidynastywasondecline. and declaredindependencefromAdilshah,in1627AD–asthe was thesonofPhondSawant,secureddomainsSawantwadi Oosupkar DesaioftheSawantwadiprincelystate.KhemSawant,who Bijapur. “Formerly,itwaspartofanenclaveOosup,controlledby Khem Sawant,chieftainofSawantwadiandfeudatoryAdilshah head ofGoa’,tellsusthatthisfortwasmostprobablyconstructedby Historian SanjeevV.Sardesaiinhis‘FortofTerekhol-Diamondatthe A SLICEOFHISTORY “After Liberation the Tiracol Fort had almost fallen into disuse, “After LiberationtheTiracolForthadalmost fallenintodisuse, “It isbuiltintheManneriststylewithNeo-Gothicfeaturesand Sardesai alsorecountsdetailsabouttheuniquechurchwithin “After 13years,in1640,KhemSawantwassucceededby www.architectandinteriorsindia.com |

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ARCHITECT andINTERIORSINDIA to St.Anthony. statue andchapeldedicated 4. The courtyard holdsthe overhanging corner turret. feature isthebartizan– an 3. Astrikingarchitectural

HERITAGE FORT TIRACOL 63 63 64 64 ARCHITECT andINTERIORSINDIA | HERITAGE FORT TIRACOL view of thesurroundings. view of exercise andamagnificentof the rooms allow guestsaspot 7&8. Steps leadingdown from Sawantwadi. Bhonsles of took over thefortfrom the the Portuguese afterthey 5&6. The chapelwas builtby 6 5

APRIL 2016 heritage hotels of . heritage hotelsof India. with royalopulencethatwouldmake itoneofthefinest heritage hotelthatwouldboastmodern-day amenitiesalong gem, headdsthattheycouldfeel its historyandvisualiseda discloses NikhilDesai,MDofGTDC. Callingitahidden drawings, andtookthenecessary stepstorestorethem,” portions wererotten. “Westudiedoldphotomaterialand – buttheexistingwoodendoors,shadesandotherexterior Blue Star Air-conditioning/HVAC system:BlueStar Sanitary fittings:Duravitt,Grohe,Baulines by UTIDesignandfabricatedwithantiquewood Tables, chairs,sofas/softseating,etc:allcustomisedanddesigned Collection ) Paint: AsianPaints,RoyaleandAspira(LeCorbusier antique walllightssourcedatlocalmarkets Lighting/light fixtures:ChandeliersdesignedbyUTIDesign; the woodenbeamsvisible false ceilings,alloriginalceilingsinthegroundfloorroomsleaving Roofing/ceiling: RestoredhighceilingwithMangaloretiles,no Stone: Localstones Flooring: IPS;ceramictileswithfadedmosaicdesigns MATERIALS &SUPPLIERS | www.architectandinteriorsindia.com historic appearance externally, the brief for the interiors of historic appearance externally,thebriefforinteriors of built neartheforttohonourtheir memory. they werecapturedandimprisoned. Amonumenthasbeen which wasoccupiedandflewthe Indianflagforadaybefore directions –oneofwhichwasfrom theNorthtoFortTiracol, against thePortugueseruleentered Goafromthreedifferent time totime.OnAugust15,1954,Satyagrahisprotesting tion wherefreedomfightersfromGoademonstrated positions inthesubcontinentwereannexedbyIndia. trol tillDecember1961,whenthelastofPortugueseterritorial extensively revamped in 1764. It remained in Portuguese con- an importantpartofPortuguesemaritimedefense;andwas the RajaofSawantwadi,in17thcentury.Later,itbecame fort wasoriginallybuiltbyMaharajaKhemSawantBhonsle, to promoteheritagetourisminGoa.Historytellsusthatthe tique heritagehotelatTiracol,itwasreiteratingitsresolve 8 7 While the restoration of the fort had to be true to its While therestorationofforthad tobetrueits History alsotellsusthatFortTiracolwasasymbolicloca- In Octoberlastyear,whenGTDCre-launcheditsbou-

PHOTOGRAPHS: WILFRED LOUIS and Verandah(the alfrescocafe).Alltheroomshave King- of rooms,thehoteloffersanintimacy befittingitssize. comfort atravellercravesfortoday. Withitslimitednumber centre. There’sapalpablesenseof history,yetithasallthe taken abackbythe17thcenturychapel standingrightinthe tip ofGoa.Setfootinitscharming courtyard,andyouwillbe spectacular estuaryoftheTiracolriveronnorthernmost cliff enjoyingakaleidoscopicviewoftheArabianSeaand Fort Tiracolisnowcontenttospendtherestofitsdaysona flooring forahistoricappeal.” the fittings,weusedantiquewoodenfurnitureamdceramic the colonialtheme,apastelcolourpalettewasselected.For building, thedivisionofspacewasagiven.Inkeepingwith points outhotelconsultantRainerStoll.“Sinceitisahistoric the monumentalstructure-dramaticandhomelyinturns,” While therearemodernamenities,theyinkeepingwith mixed withBohemianelementsintherestaurant/lounge. Portuguese colonialmeetscontemporarylightinteriordesign with modernamenities.“Thiswastranslatedbymeansofa the roomswasan“understatedold-worldcharm”combined 10 9 11 Other facilities include Tavern (the restaurant-lounge bar) Other facilitiesincludeTavern(the restaurant-loungebar) Once anarmedfortressthatbelongedtothePortuguese, they createaworld ofdifference. as welloldoilpaintingsfromcolonial times.Together, in thehandpickedacrylicpaintings byanartistcalledVoxx just inthecarefulselectionoffabrics andaccessories,butalso satisfactorily. Artplaysabigrole in theinteriordesign-not ship andqualifiedcontractorshelped themtofulfillthebrief restore andrepairtheexistingpremises, butlocalworkman- fact thatSanyaResortsandHospitalitywereonlyallowedto Hotel transportisavailable,andthereadoctoroncall. cruising, riverfishingtripsandpicnicscanbeorganised. tronic safeandmodernbathroomswithrainshower.Coast size beds, AC, satellite 42 “ flat screen TVs, coffee maker, elec- 12 13 One of the most challenging aspects of this project was the One ofthemostchallengingaspectsthisprojectwas Date ofcompletion:December20,2015 Duration ofproject:11months Hotel consultant:RainerStollofFourSeasonsHospitality Lighting consultants:Kenkre HVAC Consultants:PSIArchitects The designers:UTIbyDesign(internationaldesignfirm) The client:SanyaHospitality Name oftheproject:FortTiracolHeritageHotel PROJECT DETAILS www.architectandinteriorsindia.com A&I |

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ARCHITECT andINTERIORSINDIA lounge barontheramparts. 13. Tavern, therestaruant- old-world charm. but have anunderstated fitted withmodern amenities, 9,,10,11&12. The rooms are

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