FORTRESS OF GREAT DAMAN, MOTI DAMAN Daman was acquired by the Portuguese from Shah of Gujarat. While several attempts were made for its possession, it was 2nd February, 1559 the Portuguese finally conquered Daman. The first Vice-Roy was D. Constantino de Braganza. Its jurisdiction extended to cover the island of Salcete, Mahim and Colaba in the south while it touched the kingdom of Surat and Rayner in the north and Sarceta in the east. |
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IMAGE COLLECTION Chippu Abraham, 2006 (Flickr) Anuj Kathuria, 2006 (Panoramio) Mahesh Kalra, 2005 (Merinews Photos) (Google Images) |
SOURCES OF INFORMATION Daman was discovered in 1523 by Diogo-de-Melo, who was heading towards Ormuz but was caught in a violent storm and his boat was blown towards the coast of Daman.[1] Soon after it was settled as a Portuguese colony and remained so for over 400 years. A larger fort was built in Motidaman in the 16th century to guard against the Mughals who ruled the area until the Portuguese arrived. It still stands today, most of it preserved in its original form. Today the majority of the municipal government offices are situated inside this fort. More... Damão (Daman em hindi) é uma cidade da Índia, e foi sede de distrito do antigo Estado Português da Índia. Tem 72 km² e cerca de 114 mil habitantes. Situada na costa do golfo de Cambaia, era um dos três concelhos que constituíam o distrito. Nagar-Aveli e Dadrá (enclaves no território indiano) eram os outros dois concelhos de Damão. O antigo concelho de Damão era constituído pelas freguesias de Damão Grande (Moti Daman), Damão Pequeno (Nani Daman) e Sé. More... The massive Fort that runs round the settlement like a girdle, dates back to 1559 AD. The Colossal structure in the present form encompasses about 30,000 sq. Meters. with 10 bastions and two gateways. The Fort is protected by a moat on the land side and also connects the river to the sea. It is basically polygonal in plan with projections at regular intervals of about 500 feet and carrying splayed angular bastions. More... Daman or Damão, a Union Territory was a Portuguese enclave for four centuries and a half till the close of the colonial rule in 1961. The first Portuguese Captain Diogo de Mello, while on his way to Ormuz, met with a violent cyclone and when all hopes were lost, suddenly found himself at the Daman coast. Daman was the battleground to oust the Portuguese and had witnessed many a wars waged against the alien powers. It had been a melting pot where races and cultures met and mixed to bring forth a multi-coloured identity. This paradise of peace, solitude and contentment with its coastline about 12.5 km along the Arabian sea (the Gulf of Khambhat) was once known as Kalana Pavri or Lotus of Marshlands. A laid back little town, Daman is divided by the Damanganga river. Nani Daman (or Little Daman) in the north and Moti Daman (or Big Daman) in the south which retains something of the Portuguese atmosphere in its Government buildings and churches of colonial origins enclosed within an imposing wall. More... O menos falado pedaço da “Índia portuguesa” é, sem dúvida, Damão. Da sua antiga glória restam dois fortes, impressionantes no tamanho e na preservação, e uma pequena comunidade que mantém algo da cultura portuguesa. More… Trata-se de uma fortaleza construída em meados do século XVI, depois da conquista da cidade aos mouros, e que funcionou como uma importante zona tampão que protegia o comércio português na Província do Norte. O interior da fortaleza, conhecido por Damão Praça, nunca foi muito habitado, mas aqui nasceu um centro de poder moderno que se manteve inalterado até hoje. More… Daman Municipal Council, a local Self Government institution established during the Portuguese regime in the year 1613. It is amongst the Oldest Municipalities of Asia. The Daman Municipal Council Known as “Câmara De Damão” having the jurisdiction over entire district of Daman till the date of Liberation on 19th Dec 1961. More… |
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