Konkan Calling - Sindhudurg

Konkan Calling - Sindhudurg

Heading out from Wildernest towards Thivim station which is a small railhead in Goa that was teeming with tourists catching a train to Mumbai when we arrived.

A train delay of an hour meant we caught up with some hot phulke, sabzi and chaas at a home eatery closeby.The journey to Kudal is about 50 minutes by train.

We arrived at Kudal at about 6 pm and made our way towards "Mayekar Holiday Home" in Malvan bang on Chivla beach. Malvan is a small town with very narrow roads. Driving was made difficult due to the evening market rush.

Mayekar holiday home is a Home stay right on the beach with windows opening out to the seas!

We spent the evening strolling on the beach and then helping ourselves to a very well cooked homely Malvani dinner.

The room though small was freshly painted and the furniture was new.The family was nice and made us feel at home.
We spent some time talking with the owners planning the next couple of days for Sightseeing.

 

Day 2 started off with a short walk towards the Malvan Jetty. The plan was to go to the Sindhudurg fort - a half an hour boat ride in the sea.
We got our tickets and some 30 odd people assembled and got into the smallish diesel powered boat that ferries people to the fort.
This was an amusing experience. I felt as if though I had traveled back 50 year's in time.The "Swades" experience. Old fashioned boats filled the harbour giving the whole area a rustic feel.
 



It was amazing to say the least. And then seeing the fort looming up ahead in the middle of the sea was an amazing experience.
The fort took nearly 30 years to build stands as a testimony to the foresight at that time to keep foreign powers at bay.

There's not much to explore inside the fort, but the fort itself. There's a watch tower, a Shivaji temple etc.



 A coral reef was discovered just beside this fort a few year's back by Dr Sarang Kulkarni. This discovery changed the lives of the residents here and catapulted Sindhudurg as a tourist destination. A lot of private operators offer guided snorkeling tours of the reefs.
Snorkeling is probably the highlight of out trip!. We got into a boat and put on our snorkeling gear and were helped into the water by a guide who was kind enough to answer all our questions on marine life.
It was an experience of a lifetime to see life underneath the sea, the school of fish swimming and moving together, fishes of different colors and sizes as well as the beautiful multi-colored corals that adorned the sea bed.

After a refreshing snorkeling experience we headed back to the mainland in the swades style boat. Another intriguing aspect to mention here is that tea is unavailable on the island fort.

It was time for lunch and we sought the highly recommended Chintamani lunch home. The restaurant was packed with tourists and after a bit we finally had a table for us and Malvani Thali to grub.
After some rest in the afternoon we walked towards the Rock Garden by the sea to catch the sunset.From there on we walked towards the well known Ganesh temple. The temple is beautiful and is a must see for everyone visiting Malvan. The only problem is that the streets are not well lit and there are very few people on these inner roads.

Day 3 was spend exploring the beaches of Sindhudurg. A Tata Sumo was hired and we made our way towards Deobag. Deobag is an amazing location, triangulated with the sea on one side and the Karli river on the other. The two merge forming an extravaganza of blue and green. What was more fascinating was that this entire patch of beach was empty.

This place is a photographer's paradise. If you like solitude, the blue seas and your camera then you should visit this place!

Tarkarli is another beach close to Deobag and is known for its fascinating white sands and blue sea. And so true are the stories!. Tarkarli is indeed as beautiful as the fables say!.

Casuarina trees flank the beach making it look even more beautiful. The MTDC resort at Tarkarli hidden among the casuarinas is the place to stay! We were unfortunate to not stay in this place due to non availability. Recommend booking this resort months in advance!.

There are options of a boat ride from Deobag to explore the surrounding area. It is recommended if the day is not too hot. A backwater ride is also enjoyable if you have not been to Kerala already!

From there on we drove towards Vengurla port and Sagareshwar. Nothing much of note here except the natural splendor.



Article source by :- Weekend wanderings

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Sindhudurg - Malvan & Tarkarli

Sindhudurg - Malvan & Tarkarli

While we started from Ratnagiri to Malvan, we saw three men walking on the road; they were foreigners so we stopped out of curiosity. I was amazed to find that they were walking from Mumbai to Goa. I asked them what made them walk such long distance in a climate; which they are not used to. And one of them replied “We are not walking for Charity; but we are walking for Clarity”. We were amazed to hear that; but it is true. Almost 10 years back; I had walked in the mountains of Himalayas visiting Vaishnodevi-Yamunotri- Gangotri-Kedarnath-Badrinath; with my colleague and friend Nitin Joshi in just 9 days(109 kms). We had walked during the worst period i.e. August. There were heavy rains and we completed our journey facing landslides; often getting drenched in very low temperatures. Our biggest discovery was that; travel in tough terrains and long exhausting walks are a spiritual experience. We wished them good luck.

We took the coastal route and first went to Kashedi. There is a temple of Kanakaditya here. It is very old sun temple and is famous for is interiors. The pillars made of wood so strong that hundreds of years of saline weather could not damaged them. Roof is of interlocked wooden beams, in the ceiling are statues of gods carved in wood. It is amazingly intricate work and don’t miss to visit this temple.

We also went to Purangadh, it’s a nice spot but the sea is rocky and if you wish privacy go there else nothing much to see.Purangad

We reached Malvan; towards late in the evening and I tried to locate my friend of school days,

Rahul Pantwalawalkar. Going against the popular trend; Rahul had learnt Ayurvedic Medicine and settled in Malvan; leaving behind is big home at Dadar- Hindu Colony; one of the most prime and popular localities of Mumbai(people who are from Mumbai can appreciate magnitude of this change). I had no clue as to where he stays and I decided to speak to Chemists as they would most likely know a Doctor. I found first chemist and he told me that his clinic is at the other end of the town; but also told me not to worry and keep asking direction for Dr Pantwalawalkar’s clinic; which everybody would know. I was skeptical, but to my surprise everybody knew it. I amazed by his popularity.
I reached clinic and filled the slip; which is given to every patient and waited in the queue. I entered his room and he asked “yes, what is the problem?” I looked at him and smiled and he stared back at my face for few moments; and screamed “arey, you Kishor!” after so long time. We hugged each other spoke for few minutes and then again I waited again outside for him to complete his work.


We then chatted for till late in the night, he is one of the most popular doctors in the town. Meeting him is a pleasure as he radiates tremendous energy(he even speaks too fast).
I had visited Malvan before and stayed at Tarkarli, one of the most popular beaches of Malvan. However, Rahul told me that I should try Chivala Beach this time. We went to Chivala beach and stayed with Prof. Prasanna Mayekar. By the time we reached it was dark, I could see the waves hitting the beach in front of his home and could hear roar of the sea.

We went out for dinner and came back and slept. The next day morning we got up at 5.30 a.m. and decided to go on the beach for a stroll, as soon as I stepped out; what I saw was one of the most beautiful scenes in front of my eyes.

The beach was not more than 50 mtrs from our room, it was a 2 km long stretch of the sand, in form of an arch; with not more than 10 fishermen. I had stayed at Tarkarli before; but this was something very different. We were staying at 15 minutes walk from heart of Malvan town and still the beach was so secluded and private. Only seasoned travelers know about this beach; the rest go to Tarkarli.

Chivala Beach

If you are a family and wish to avoid crowd, especially if women of the family want privacy while

going in the sea; then this is the most recommended beach. If you are a honeymoon couple; then lso this is the most recommended place. Entire stretch of 2 km is at your disposal with white sand and clear water and absolutely no human beings making it as good as your private beach. Do stay at Mr Mayekar’s or Mr Ram Patil’s place they are right on the beach
We moved to Sindhudurg fort after breakfast. It is an amazing fort in the middle of the sea. Rocky surroundings make it difficult for enemy boats to reach giving added protection to the fort.
This is among the last of the big forts in the chain almost 65 forts (small and big- ranging from North to South) that Chhatrapati Shivaji built along the coast of Maharashtra. The fort sprawling over 45 acres was built in record time of 3 years (1664 to 1667).

There are 42 bastions to the fort along the boundary wall. The wall is built with Mixture of jaggery, lime, udad dal(lentils) and molten lead. It is so strong that after facing strong waves for centuries they are still intact. There are three sweet water wellss namely Dhudhbaon, Dahibaon and Sakharbaon (baon means “well” in Konkani the native lanugage). Besides there are temples of Bhawani, Mahadev(Shiva), Mahapurush and Shivarajeshwar. Shivarajeshwar, is temple of Shivaji, built by his son Rajaram. This is also the only fort where palm and foot print of Shivaji, taken in lime mortar are preserved. These were taken when he came to visit the fort after its completion.
In front of the Mahadev temple is a small well and apparently there is a secret tunnel from inside the well(local legent). This tunnel goes few Kilometers under the sea and comes out on land. It was used as escape route, in times of trouble. But where exactly it leads; is not known as excavation is yet to be done.
This fort again shows foresight of Shivaji; who had predicted that enemy will not only come from land but also from sea and hence building forts is necessary. Given the fact that, later British used the same route speaks of this wisdom.
Our guide told us very interesting story about construction of the fort. While this fort was being constructed, Shivaji had to go Agra to meet Aurangzeb who put him under house arrest. The reins of kingdom were with his mother in his absence. But obvious in such situation; money was falling short and his mother Jijabai gave token currency to workers with a promise that once Shivaji is back, everybody would be paid. Later the money was paid. But the saying came that “ye killa(fort) Kavadiyon ke Mole mein bana hai”

We came back and had lunch. We then moved on to see the surrounding area. We went northwards on coastal road to Aachare and then to Kunakeshwar.

There are some very interesting places on the way; which not many tourists know about. Once you leave Malvan at approx 5 km is Ozar. Don’t miss to spend time at Brahmanand Swami Samadhi here. It’s a small valley with a fresh water pond, a cave where swami stayed and some very old trees. The environment is blessed with absolute tranquility and is prefect for meditation.

We spend some time over there and then moved on to Aachare to see Rameshwar Temple. It’s more than 600 year old temple of Shiva with wooden pillars and ceiling. The pillars are big and carving is delicate. The pillars are painted and hence at first glance you don’t really understand that they appear to be cement or stone ones. We spent some time in the temple; speaking to the priest. He was delighted to know that we are travelers and not tourists. Even, he was fond of travelling and just few months back he had come back from Kashmir. The beach at Aachare is nice and secluded so if you are want to read/write a book or generally ponder on life then this is a recommended place.

We then moved on to Kunakeshwar. The temple here is famous and was undergoing renovation. The town is like any other temple town; with crowded roads, lot of noise and dirt. I personally did not like this place much. It was already dark and we did not spend much time there. We started journey back to Malvan.

The next day we got up and went on a stroll on the beach. We then met people from the town who are running Homestays. Ghar Mithbawakaranche is the oldest operator here and is famous for food. They chatted with us for some time. We then went on to meet Balu Padwal of Visava. Later we met Mr Khanvilakar of Ya-hoo hometel and many others. Their stories are worth reading. They are mentioned here and I urge you to read on; as it not only the Beach and sea that make a place interesting but tourism is about people and knowing their stories; is to know real India.
MTDC started effort of marketing Tarkarli with setting up a resort. At that time there was nothing in that town. Mr Mithbavkar, a locale from the village started as canteen contractor. MTDC resort became famous for two reasons one its location and second its food. Mithbavkar operated the canteen till 2007 but in 2008 the property was privatized and his contract was discontinued; it is also suspected that there was political interference in the deal. Thus, the man who helped develop tourism and is a local lost his job and somebody outsider got it courtesy government body which was supposed to protect them. He is now operating his homestay and the food is still a big hit.
Balu, is absolutely forthcoming and blunt; which is why I liked him. If you go to Malvan make it

a point to meet him. He started his life with selling Jambhul(Jamun) in a crate in front of MTDC resort gate. He started interacting with tourists and came to know that they need somebody as guide. He then started working as guide to them. This made him understand tourist psyche and preferences. From little money he had; he then started a homestay. He has now bought a boat and he plans to start backwater cruise(what a dream for guy who is not trained by anybody).
Mr. Khanvilkar was working working at Mumbai. There was lock-out in his company; he went back to Malvan to start a homestay as means of livelihood. He knew benefit of getting organized and hence formed association of homestay operators. They regularly meet and learn from each other.
Homestays are thus symbols of grit, survival instinct, innovation and commitment. It is better to support their dream of the future; than to throw money at some resort and buy luxury; raw material to which is cheap labour of locals, exploitation by people in power and dirty capital.
We spent evening on Tarkarli beach with plans to start for Vengurla in the morning…..

article sources by :- Travelling in India

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Sindhudurg Fort, Maharashtra

Sindhudurg Fort, Maharashtra 

Historic Monuments, Maharashtra, Sindhudurg  

India is full of interesting historical forts. A beautiful and well preserved example is the spectacular Sindhudurg Fort in Maharashtra, looking out over the Arabian Sea.

HISTORY

 
Sindhudurg Fort was built in 1664 by King Shivaji. The strategic rocky island location was carefully chosen to counter foreign forces, and to keep the nearby villages in check.

Located 510kms south of Mumbai and 130kms north of Goa the construction was done under the supervision of Hiroji Indulkar, an able architect. It is said that Shivaji invited 100 Portuguese experts from Goa for the construction of the fort and that 3000 workers were employed round the clock for three years to build Sindhudurg.

After Shivaji, Sindhudurg passed through the hands of Rajaram-Tarabai, Angres, Peshwa and the Bhosales of Kolhapur. It was briefly captured by the British in 1765 Ad And was renamed by them as ‘Fort Augustus’. Later in 1818 AD, the British dismantled the fort’s defence structures.

STRUCTURE

  
The 48 acre Sindhudurg fort has a four km long zigzag line of a 9 metres high and 3 metres wide rampart with 42 bastions.

The fort is approachable from the Malavan pier by a boat through a narrow navigable channel between two smaller islands of Dhontara and Padmagad. The main gate, flanked by massive bastions, faces the city.

One of the most interesting features of this port is that the design of main door is an enigma, a hallmark of Maratha Architecture of fort building so that the entry can’t be located by attacking forces. The technique was so deceptive that the entrance was concealed due to blind curves. The zigzag pattern of outer wall was so built that the enemy would be visible from any point inside the fort and the troops inside could fire their guns and cannons effectively.

INTERESTING FACTS AND ATTRACTIONS INSIDE THE FORT

Shivaji’s palm and footprints are preserved here on dried lime slabs in a tower. Inside the Fort, temples of Bhavanimata, Shambhu Mahadev, Jirimiri, Mahapurush and Shivajeshwar are worth seeing, all of which are in good condition. Chatrapati Shivaji’s younger son Rajaram in his remembrance built this temple. Shivaji’s idol stands in a boatman’s attire inside the temple and probably only one of its’ kind in the country – where the image of Shivaji is without a beard. Outside the southern wall there is a small beach, called Ranichi Vela (Queen’s private beach), where Queen Tarabai, daughter-in law of Shivaji, used to enjoy her sea-bath. Inside the fort there are three wells of drinkable water, which is a nature’s marvel as sea surrounds the fort on all four sides.
On a rocky island between Sindhudurg and the coast stood the small fort of Padmagad, now in ruins. It acted as a shield for Sindhudurg and was also used for shipbuilding
The fort also houses a coconut tree which has a branch and also gives fruit. (No other coconut tree has a branch.)
There is a hidden passage that starts in a temple that looks like a water reservoir and goes under the island for 3 km, under the sea for 12 km, and from there 12 km to a nearby village. The tunnel was used as an escape route for the women if the enemy entered the fort. However, the British partially closed this passage after the fort was abandoned.

Article by :- Mahindra Homestays

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Rajasthan to promote tourism around its salt lake Sambhar

Rajasthan to promote tourism around its salt lake Sambhar

Jaipur, April 15 :-  To attract more tourists, the Rajasthan Government is working on innovating new products in the sector such as salt tourism.

“Sambhar (salt lake) is the largest inland salt lake in the country. The State Government is taking steps to restore basic tourist infrastructure to promote it as a unique destination,” Rajasthan Principal Secretary (Tourism) Rakesh Srivastava said.

He was talking to presspersons on the sidelines of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) being organised here jointly by the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Tourism (Rajasthan) and industry chamber FICCI, which has been organising it here since 2008. It is a pan-India international platform for inbound Tourism.

Srivastava said in the short run, the State Government would focus on restoration of British-era infrastructure including Heritage buildings, the Salt Museum, Circuit House and rail tracks.

In the long run, public sector undertakings Hindustan Salts and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) will further create tourism infrastructure and promote it.

The State Government is also mulling over the creation of new tourist circuits such as Jaipur-Sambhar-Ajmer and mega tourist hub with Jaipur, being at the heart of it.

Other new tourism products that are being considered by the State include ecological, Sports and Adventure tours.

“We have plans to change the face of tourism in Rajasthan which is known as a Cultural destination, by developing other tourist attractions such as adventure, ecological, archaeological, sports, rural and tribal tours in the State,” Bina Kak, Rajasthan Tourism Minister said while inaugurating the sixth edition of GITB.

“The State Government is working on ways to promote and implement these new segments in the State’s tourism sector,” said Kak.

The Minister added that the State’s tourism sector will not be able to achieve its full potential if it is only known as a Heritage destination and does not focus on new emerging sub-sections.

Articles source;- thehindubusinessline
 
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Sindhudurg Fort

The name of this fort is given to Sindhudurg district. Tourists from all over the world visit this great sea fort.  Sindhudurg was built with the help of huge rocks on the ‘Kurte' island, which amazes people, and one appreciates the vision and foresight of Shivaji.

History: 

In 1664-67 AD, Shivaji erected this fort on 48 acres of   island. Shivaji Maharaj personally selected this site, a rocky island, Kurte. It took 500 stone splitters and stonebreakers, 200 black smiths, 3000 laborers and 100’s of skilled artists who toiled very hard to complete this fort in three years. A notable feature is that the foundation stones were laid down firmly in molten lead. This is evident from the stone inscriptions. One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, the 48 acre Sindhudurg fort has a four kms long zigzag line of 9 meters high and 3 meters wide rampart with 42 bastions.

SHIVRAJESHWAR TEMPLE

Initially, 3 kms. long outer wall (Tat) was built. Average height of wall is 10 meters and breadth is 2 to 4 meters. The design of main door is an enigma. It has been a hallmark of Maratha Architecture of fort building. It defies detection of its location to the attacker. The technique was so deceptive for the enemy that they could not even realize where the entrance was due to blind curves. Zigzag pattern of outer wall was so built that   the enemy would be visible from any point inside the fort and the troops inside could fire their guns and cannons effectively and humble the enemy. Cores of hones (gold coins) form Surat bounty, were spent to built this wonderful fort.

How to get inside the fort:

The fort is approachable from the Malvan pier by a boat through a narrow navigable channel between two smaller islands of Dhontara and Padmagad. There is even a guide to take you around inside. Fort is completely cut off during the monsoons.

What to see:

Shivaji’s palm and footprints are preserved here on dried lime slabs in a tower. Inside the Fort, temples of Bhavanimata, Shambhu Mahadev, Jirimiri, Mahapurush and Shivajeshwar are worth seeing, all of which are in good Condition.

Shivrajeshwar Temple:

Chatrapati Shivaji’s younger son Rajaram in his remembrance built this temple. Shivaji’s idol stands in a boatman’s attire inside the temple and probably only one of its’ kind in the country – where the image of Shivaji is without a beard. Outside the southern wall there is a small beach, called Ranichi Vela (Queen’s private beach), where Queen Tarabai, daughter-in law of Shivaji, used to enjoy her sea-bath. The fort also houses some twenty Hindu-Muslim families, who have been living there for generations. Side the fort there are three wells of drinkable water, which is a nature’s marvel as sea surrounds the fort on all four sides. On a rocky island between Sindhudurg and the coast stood the small fort of Padmagad, now in ruins. It acted as a shield for Sindhudurg and was also used for shipbuilding.


Getting There:

By air: Nearest airports are Goa, Mumbai.

By rail: Nearest railhead is Kudal, 45 k.m. on Konkan Railway.

By road: Mumbai–Malvan, 546 k.m.  Kolhapur–Malvan, 160 k.m.

State transport and private buses ply from Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur.

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Source: Konkan Online