Outside Bombay in the Arabian sea lies a deserted Island Fort. The fort was made by Sidhi Salur Khan, an Abyssinian in 1511. Reinforced with lead and granite, it was a fort which could not be captured by any one. The Abyssinian captain and his Sidhis provided safe package to various Hajis going to Mecca and were rewarded by the Adil Shahis. Emperor Jahangeer also gave the Sidhis the authority to govern the place.
The palace of Sidhi Salur Khan is known as Mah Ruba or the Fort of the Moon. There are mosques and inscriptions still on it. But everything is deserted. No one even comes near it and it is difficult to visit by any one. Fishermen row their dhows past the place in loving memory of a time gone by. The famous Hindu warrior Shivajee tried to conquer the Fort many times but could not succeed. He even unsuccessfully tried to dig a tunnel to the Fort but of no avail. It was a Fort which legends say was the strongest Fort of its kind. Today it is an island of solitude and peace.
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