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Vasai Creek

Estuaries of MumbaiGeography of Thane districtThane district geography stubsUse Indian English from July 2017
View of Vasai creek from the fort's watch tower
View of Vasai creek from the fort's watch tower

Vasai Creek, previously Bassein Creek, is an estuary and one of the two main distributaries of the Ulhas River, in Konkan division of Maharashtra, India. The Ulhas splits at the northeast corner of Salsette island into its two main distributaries, the other one being the Thane creek, both of which empty west into the Arabian Sea at the Bombay Harbour. The creek forms the northern boundary of Salsette island and separates the island from mainland of Konkan, on which lie the twin cities of Vasai-Virar. The creek separates the northern most part from. To the south of the creek lies Bhayandar suburb of Mumbai (Bombay) district& to the north of the creek lies Naigaon in Vasai (Bassein). Two rail bridges pass through Panju Island which lies in between the satellite cities of Vasai-Virar and Mumbai (Bombay). The old railway crossing bridge was supposedly built in British Bombay, and has been closed since it was declared too dangerous to cross. The two new bridges are functional and has 4 tracks, 2 on each bridge. The Bhayander side of the creek has a lot of outdoor activities and recreational areas which includes joggers park, playground, puja area and visarjan area for idol immersion on the east side. On the west side there are small garden benches. There are also small paths heading down into the sea where the waves can be watched hitting the shoreline.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Vasai Creek (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Vasai Creek
Mumbai Metropolitan Region

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Wikipedia: Vasai CreekContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 19.315 ° E 72.875 °
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Address

Bhayander East


401105 Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Bhayander East
Maharashtra, India
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View of Vasai creek from the fort's watch tower
View of Vasai creek from the fort's watch tower
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Nearby Places

Ghodbunder Fort
Ghodbunder Fort

Ghodbunder Fort is a fort located in Ghodbunder Village, Thane, Maharashtra, India, on the hill just south of the Ulhas River. It was built by the Portuguese, occupied by the Maratha Empire, and became the East India Company's district headquarters. The place was called Ghodbunder because it was where the Portuguese used to trade for ghode (horses) with the Arabs. Hence the name Ghodbunder: ghode (horses) & bunder (port). In 1530 the Portuguese came to Thane, and they began fortifying the hill area about 1550, but completion of the fort in its current form was in 1730. The Portuguese name for the fort was Cacabe de Tanna. It was under Portuguese rule until 1737. The Portuguese built a church in the fort that still stands, and is now used as a hotel. Two angels engraved on the inside wall of the church still remains. The old church can be seen clearly in the background of the courtyard photo. There are many old maps and texts which mention continual attempts by the Marathas to capture this fort. The Portuguese were able to defend Ghodbunder Fort from these attacks successfully for many years, including the attack in 1672 by the forces of Shivaji. However, the Marathas under Chimnaji Appa successfully besieged the fort and took it over from the Portuguese in 1737. Following its capture, Sambhaji ordered the strengthening of the fortifications, initiating the construction of the tower.In 1818, the British occupied the fort and made it the headquarters of the district administration for the East Indian Company, with a district collector stationed in Thane.Although the fort currently lies in ruins, the government of India has started its renovation. The fort itself is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).