Castella de Aguada Castella de Aguada ( Portuguese : Fort of the Waterpoint ) , also known as the Bandra Fort , is a fort located in Bandra , Mumbai . " Castella " is a misspelling for Portuguese " Castelo " ( castle ) . Properly , it should be called Castelo da Aguada , although it seems its Portuguese builders actually called it Forte de Bandorá ( or Bandra Fort ) . It is located at Land ' s End in Bandra . It was built by the Portuguese in 1640 as a watchtower overlooking Mahim Bay , the Arabian Sea and the southern island of Mahim . The strategic value of the fort was enhanced in 1661 after the Portuguese ceded the seven islands of Bombay that lay to the immediate south of Bandra to the English . The name indicates its origin as a place where fresh water was available in the form of a fountain ( " Aguada " ) for Portuguese ships cruising the coasts in the initial period of Portuguese presence . The fort lies over several levels , from sea level to an altitude of . Castella de Aguada has been featured in several Hindi films , such as " Dil Chahta Hai " and " Buddha Mil Gaya " . History . The Portuguese , who had established a base in the area in 1534 after defeating Bahadur Shah of Gujarat , built several sea forts along the western Indian coastline . Castella de Aguada was one such strategically located fort , overlooking the Mahim Bay to the south , the Arabian Sea to the west , the islands of Worli to the south and the town of Mahim to the south west . The fort also guarded the northern sea route into Mumbai Harbour . This sea route , a large estuary , was later reclaimed from the sea in the nineteenth century . During the Portuguese rule , it was armed with seven cannons and other smaller guns as defence . A freshwater spring in the vicinity supplied potable water to passing ships , thus lending the fort its name . After the decline of the Portuguese in the early 18th century , the Marathas became the largest threat to British possessions . Sensing an impending Portuguese defeat , the British partially demolished the fort as a precautionary measure . The demolition would obviate the possibility of the fort being captured by the Marathas , with the possibility of it being used as a forward military base to attack British Bombay . In 1739 the island was invaded by the Marathas ; it was ruled by them until 1774 when the British gained possession of the area during the First Anglo - Maratha War . In 1830 , the British donated large parts of Salsette Island , including Land ' s End , to Byramjee Jeejeebhoy , a Parsi philanthropist . Jeejeeboy then established his residence on the hill where the fort is located , and the cape was renamed Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point . Conservation . In 2003 , a conservation program was started by Bandra Band Stand Residents ’ Trust to save the fort . It was spearheaded by a local Member of Parliament ( MP ) , Shabana Azmi , who funded part of the effort from her allotted funds . The brick arch of one of the gateways on the verge of collapse , and the foundation masonry of the fort wall that was in danger of tidal erosion were repaired . The nearby Taj Land ' s End hotel is responsible for maintenance of the fort , having inherited it from the previous owners . The fort is owned by the Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI ) . Included in the fort makeover are the preservation of the natural rock formations , providing pathways , and the creation of an amphitheatre . The architect for the makeover was P . K . Das , who had earlier redesigned the Carter Road area .