Mirjan Fort – The Pepper Queen’s Fortress

Originating in the lush green western ghats, river Aghanashini gains tremendous momentum as she descends from the ghats. Upon reaching the plains near Kumta, the rapids transcend into a calm and serene waterbody where the riverbed becomes its widest near Mirjan. It even forms several large and small islands on the river. It is at this juncture, where a mighty Fort was built once upon a time to protect the spice interests of the region.

The region was and continues to be rich in cultivation of various spices, primary being black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, etc. that was grown abundantly in these parts. It was the lure of this spice that attracted many Europeans and Arabs to the spice trade, fight over exclusivity and subsequently led to colonization of India by many European countries.

The fort at Mirjan stands tall and strong even today after approximately 500 years. The strong walls, the narrow entrances, rows of ramparts and thousands of bastions with limited visibility to the invaders while giving a clear shot to the occupants of the fort made Mirjan fort a formidable defense. A deep excavated moat once surrounded the fort with water brought in from the nearby River Aghanashini to fill the moat through the aqueduct. Today, the moat runs dry, and you would be walking into the fort through the trenches of this moat.

Within the premises of the fort, various quarters can be made out including the ammunition store, the watch towers, the soldiers’ quarters and the royal enclosure. Several deep tube wells can be seen in the fort that once supplied fresh water to the inhabitants of the fort even in case of a long siege. Today, these tube wells are covered with metal meshes to avoid any accidents, visitors are advised not to step on these meshes.

There is a very old tree and an open-air temple of Goddess Durga under this tree. The statue of Goddess Durga is in the posture of Mahishasuramardini. There is a lion seated opposite the Goddess’s statue and the statues feel worn out due to weather and erosion. The Tulsi plants besides this open-air temple have grown tall over the years.

According to the local lore, the fort was built by Rani Chennabhairadevi – the Queen of Gersoppa – popularly known as the Pepper Queen. Gersoppa is situated on the banks of river Sharavati and at a distance of about 60km. The queen had sway over good part of present-day Coastal Karnataka including Mirjan during the 16th century and was a vassal of the Vijayanagara Empire. The Fort at Mirjan helped in strategic defense of the land and prevented the foreign invaders from making inroads keeping them at bay.

Mirjan was also an important trading port and the goods from the inlands could have made their way to this trading post via the river channels or the roads. While many spices were traded throughout the West Coast of peninsular India, pepper was the primary goods. 

The fort may have changed hands and fallen into Adil Shahis of Bijapur (present day Vijayapura) after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire towards the end of 16th century.

Today, the fort is a protected monument and is being restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. It witnesses decorations and lighting on special occasions but given the unpredictability of State Government policies around tourism and tourism festivals, it would be wise to check once with the local tourist office or ASI office.

The fort is open for visitors and would take approximately at least 2-3 hours to navigate through the fort. If you are a keen observer and a student of history or archaeology, you can spend a whole day in and around the fort and still not be exhausted.

Kumta to Mirjan Fort: Mirjan Fort is situated at a distance of 16km from Kumta – the Taluka headquarters. There are buses that ply regularly from Kumta and the town of Miraj falls on Panvel-Kochi-Kanyakumari Highway. Once you get off at the Mirjan town bus stand, the fort is about 900 metres from the highway and the bus stop. You can avail local autorickshaws or commute this short distance by walk.

Gokarna to Mirjan Fort: Gokarna – the popular tourist town known for its pristine beaches and temples of religious significance is mere 21km away from Mirjan by road, much of which follows the same Panvel-Kochi-Kanyakumari highway. There are buses plying between Gokarna and Kumta which will make a stop at Mirjan bus stop.

Distance from other prominent nearby towns to Mirjan Fort:

• Karwar to Mirjan Fort by road: 57km
• Ankola to Mirjan Fort by road: 27km
• Honnavar to Mirjan Fort by road: 30km
• Sirsi to Mirjan Fort by road: 59km
• Yana Caves to Mirjan Fort by road: 28km
• Murudeshwar to Mirjan Fort by road: 58km

Mirjan town has a railway station on the Konkan Railway route. The prominent route follows the west coast of India from Mumbai, passing through Goa to coastal Karnataka and Kerala. The train route along Konkan Railway is scenic and some of the views from the train windows, especially during late-monsoon months can be spectacular.

Mirjan is a relatively smaller station on this route, so check if the train you plan to take would have a stop at Mirjan railway station. Alternately, you can get down at Gokarna Road station or Kumta station on either side and take a bus or private auto/taxi to Mirjan Fort.

Visitors to Mirjan Fort generally are tourists who stay put in Kumta or nearby Gokarna and make Mirjan Fort a part of their itinerary for a day visit. Hence, neither tourists need elaborate facilities, nor are there many.

There are few refreshment shops and toilets at the entrance of the fort. The approach road to the fort is in good motorable condition but occasionally may see some monsoon related potholes.

• Gokarna (21km) – the beach town, home to Mahabaleshwar Temple. A temple of religious significance and several pristine beaches make Gokarna a beautiful place to visit.
• Yana Cave formations (28km) – A trek through the trodden path in dense jungle is worth your effort for the breathtaking prehistoric rock cave formations of Yana.
• Sirsi Marikamba Temple (59km)
• Murudeshwar Temple (58km)