Versova, Mumbai

Versova is an upmarket neighbourhood in the north western Mumbai. It is known for its beach and the Versova Fort. It was part of Portuguese India, which was part of the Portuguese Empire, until 1739, when the Portuguese lost this part of their empire to the Maratha Empire.HistoryVersova is originally a small fishing village of the Kolis, situated to the north of the old Mumbai city.Britishers used to call this vis-a-vis and locals gave it the name Vesave.The original name of the village is "Vesave", which derives from the Marathi word for "rest" (as in resting place). In 1694, a fleet of Arabs from Muscat landed in Versova and massacred every person they could find in the village. The village is mentioned in the writings of Gemelli Careri in 1695.Versova came under the Portuguese rule in the medieval period. The Portuguese constructed the Our Lady of Health Church in Versova, and a number of Kolis converted to Christianity during this period. By 1720, it had emerged as a small town, with a small fort and a growing trade in dry fish. In 1739, the Portuguese lost the area to the Marathas, who strengthened the fort. A British force led by Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Keating defeated the Marathas in 1774.