Korlai Light House and Fort near Revdanda in Maharashtra

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Korlai Light House and Fort are located on a hill near the Korlai Village. It can be accessed by the Alibag-Murud Road. It is 6 KM away from Revdanda.

Korlai Fort on the hilltop

 After exploring Revdanda Beach and Fort yesterday, we decided to visit Korlai Light House and Fort. I had been to the Light House, in the past. During the Murud Road trip with my family. But due to shortage of time, I couldn't visit the fort.

As decided we set out at 7 AM the next morning to Revdanda ST Bus stop, to board any bus plying to Murud. We were informed that we were just 5 minutes late, else we would have been on the bus to Murud. Buses ply every 30 minutes to  Murud. These buses do a pit stop at Revdanda ST bus stand before leaving for Murud. 

The rocks at Korlai Beach

We decided to ask at the Rickshaw stand for fare to Korlai. Rs.150 for a one way trip to Korlai. The distance was just 6 KM. The price is too high and not negotiable. We headed back to the Revdanda Bus stand. 

Luckily we bumped into a rickshaw driver who had come there to drop some fisher women, he informed us that he could take us to Korlai Village located on the Alibag-Murud Road at a cost of Rs.15 each. To which we readily agreed. In about 15 minutes we were at Korlai Village. Form there we had the option of either walking out the 2 KM road to the base of the fort or board a rickshaw. 

Fortification of Korlai Fort

As it was early in the morning, we decided to walk it out. We crossed by the brightly painted houses of the fisher folk, the fishing boats parked near the shores, the blue colored fishing nets at the side of the road. The fisher folk looked at us as we walked with suspicious eyes. Not sure why, and we didn't bother asking either. 

It took us a little more than an hour's time to reach the Light House. The road is not in very good condition, it is made of uneven stones, making the journey difficult. So if you are coming by car, get a car with a good suspension kit. 

Revdanda Creek from Korlai Fort

The road, offers a wonderful view of the fortification of the fort on one side and the rocks near the shore, the sand and fishing boats in the waters on the other side. It was low tide and the waters were calm.

We finally reached the Light House. The caretaker showed us around the Light House at a cost of Rs.30 each. He enriched us with the history of the Light House. To know more about the history read my Murud Road trip. 

Manohar and Me at the Maha Darwaza of Korlai Fort

He then informed us to follow the steps to reach the entrance of the fort. Narrow step lead to the top of the fort, they are thorny shrubs near them, which might hurt you, we took a lot of care while climbing    up the stairs. Though they are steps the climb is exhaustive and with the heat, it was making the climb even more difficult. Finally we reached the top. 

The fortification had a small door, it didn't look like the Maha Darwaza or Main Entrance to the fort. I believe we were at the midpoint of the fort. From here, we we take a left then we go down to the rocks near the shores, there are some dilapidated structures there. The grass was waist high and swaying in the wind. Walking in it, gave me a experience similar to the one I had at Peth Fort in Karjat and Goa Fort in Harnai. As we were wearing shorts, walking in the grass was not comfortable, as we felt as if something, in the grass was continuously biting into our skins. That irritating feeling. "We should have worn shorts", Manohar said to me. 

That's Manohar near the fortification of Korlai

The hill offers a breath taking view of the Arabian Sea, and Light House on one side, the Revdanda Beach and Fort on the other. The long bridge over the creek, which we crossed to reach Korlai. 

The Korlai Fort called Morro or Castle Curlew, was built by the Portuguese in 1521. It was built to keep a watch on the Arabian Sea and the Revdanda Creek. It was built on the island Morro de Chaul. 

One of the many emblems atop Korlai Fort

The fortification, is still intact on this fort. Though certain portions are inaccessible due to thick grass growing  all around. The fort has a Church like structure atop it along with a temple for the religious, along with a couple of bastions, cannons and a rain water harvesting tank. 

As we walked inside the fort, we realized that the fort has a Maha Darwaza or Main Entrance, but it is on the other side. Not sea facing but creek facing. It has a couple of stone steps to reach it, but beyond that it is a narrow walk in the wild. I guess, the  way up from the Light House is a better way of reaching the top. 

A couple of emblems on stone are located in the fort premises, not sure what they mean. No translator available either. 

The Church like structure atop Korlai Fort

It took us around an hours time to sea the fort, we then walked down the stairs to the light house and from there to the main road to board a shared rickshaw to Revdanda Rickshaw stand at a cost of Rs.15 each. Had come refreshments and boarded a ST bus to Alibag. At a cost of Rs.38 each. It took  us around an hour's time to reach Alibag. 

We decided to have lunch as it was around 12:15 PM on my watch. We then rushed to the ferry booking office. Two of the operators informed us that the ferry is houseful and to check with the third one being Ajanta. What Luck. They had tickets available for us.

We boarded a tum tum at 1:10 PM. I inquired with the tum tum driver, if we would get the ferry as it departs at 2 PM. He informed us that the ferry will leave only after we board it. The Tum Tum reached us at Mandwa Jetty in 40 minutes flat. The bus which dropped us at Alibag the previous morning took about an hours time to reach. Hmm. "Tum Tum was faster that the bus." I said to myself.

Finally in the ferry and on our way to Mumbai. Again the waters were calm so it was a smooth ride. This journey was fun I should say, without the car, but with good connectivity of public transport we were able to cover two forts. I would recommend you to go visit these forts. All inclusive it cost us just Rs. 1000 each for a two day trip. Now that is what I call a budgeted trip.   

P.S. The fares of rickshaw and bus are subject to change. LOL

Other sea forts visited by me, which are built on islands are Arnala Fort, Sindhudurg Fort, Kelve Fort, Murud Janjira Fort, Kulaba, Undheri and Khanderi Fort in Alibag. 

Revdanda Fort at Revdanda near Alibag in Maharashtra

Monday, October 12, 2015

Revdanda Fort built by the Portuguese, is located on the shores of the Revdanda Beach near Alibag. Revdanda is around 17 KM away from Alibag and can be accessed by the Alibag Murud Road. It is located very near to the Fort and Light House at Korlai in Maharashtra.

Revdanda Fort at Revdanda Beach

I have been to Alibag and places around it in my previous trips. I have seen most of the forts it has in its vicinity. The only ones remaining to be conquered were Sagargad, Revdanda Fort and Korlai Fort.

As decided Manohar and I set out to visit the three forts on a overnight trip to Alibag. We boarded the first ferry to Alibag at a price of Rs.95 each. Note. there are three operators plying ferries to Alibag, the rates differ and so do the timings. 

 

Fortification of Revdanda Fort

Though it was the first ferry, it was quite empty.  The weather was gloomy, the sun had risen but the rays of the sun couldn't penetrate through the thick clouds to reach us. The waters were calm in the morning so not many ups and downs in the start of the day. 

In an hour's time we were at Mandwa Jetty, from there we boarded the bus to reach Alibag. Note. The price of the ticket (includes the price of the ferry and the bus ride). In another hour's time we were at Alibag. 

Tower within Revdanda Fort premises

We alighted here and headed off to the nearest eatery to have some breakfast. A strong meal at the start of the day. Though the time was just 8:15 AM on my watch, the heat was killing us. 

We then took some Rava cakes from a nearby Iyengar Bakery, food for us to eat on the way to Sagargad. Like Chinese Fast Food, Rava Cakes is become a must on most of our travel expeditions. 

Cannons within Revdanda Fort premises

Luckily we got a ST bus which was plying to Sagaon which stops at Khandale Village. We boarded the same and in a matter of 15 minutes we alighted at Khandale Village. The ticket cost us Rs.12 for two. This is the base village, from where the trek trail starts. 

Fortification of Revdanda, but couldn't access due to low tide

We inquired with a couple of locals in regards to the fort and the time it would take for us to reach the same. They informed us that it would take around 3 to 4 hours to reach the top of the fort. Though the climb is not difficult, but the trail is exhaustive. At 9:15 AM the heat was unbearable. We had to make a choice if we wanted to climb up or abort the plan. As the heat would kill us anyway. We decided to abort the plan. 

View of Korlai hillock from Revdanda fort

We then boarded a ST bus to Alibag Bus station. Note: the ordinary buses (Lal Dabba) stop here but not the Hirkani  ones. Tum Tum take around Rs.15 each. The later are forever packed with people. We opted to board the ST bus to Alibag. Again at a cost of Rs. 12 we were at Alibag Bus Depot. 

Structure in Revdanda Fort premises

Inquired with the locals. There are buses plying to and plying by Revdanda Bus Depot to go to Murud. So one can board any one of the two buses. There is a good frequency of buses here. They ply every 20 minutes. 

Emblem within the Revdanda fort premises

The bus journey is about an hour long and it cost us Rs.19 each. Again the driver will drive as if he is driving a formula one car along the narrow and curvy roads full of vehicles. It was a bumpy ride. I even wet my tees while trying to have some water. LOL.

A couple of KM away from the Revdanda Bus depot, we  started to see the fortification of the fort. I understood that the fort is huge and has got people living within its premises. Something similar to Vasai Fort near Mumbai. 

St Francis Xavier Chapel within the fort premises

We alighted at the Revdanda Bus Depot. Sadly there are no food eateries near the Bus Stand apart from the Shared Tum Tum and Private Rickshaw Stand. There are very few options available for overnight stay here. We got ourselves a room at a cost of Rs.600 for the night at Swagat Niwas located next to Raut Bungalow. The room was average. No TV and No Fridge. Hot water available in the morning, with Anglo Indian commode. 

Again there are only two eateries near the Revdanda beach and Fort. Though they are both on the main road.  Both are bars, one being a cheap one and the other catering to families. Surbhi Family Restaurant and Bar. Food is okay here. 

Ruins of old church in Revdanda fort premises

Note: In the rains it is common to have a electricity cut. So the village will not have electricity but Surbhi Restaurant and Bar has a generator so it is business as usual for them. 

After having lunch here, we inquired with a couple of locals and headed off to see Revdanda Fort. We climbed up the broken down walls of the fort to access the fort from the inside. The sea facing entrance can be accessed during low tide. The tide was high, hence we had to climb up the walls. 

A little bit of history. This fort was built by the Portuguese Captain Soj in 1558 and had named it Santa Maria de Castelo. It was later named as Rev Danda by the locals. 

Bus timings at Revdanda ST bus stand

The fort is densely populated with coconut trees and betul nut trees. Outside the fort premises the beach area has casuarina trees. So maybe the Portuguese planted these trees within the fort premises. 

The fort premises, it has a 4 storey tower and a couple of cannons within its walls. It also houses an old structure similar to that of a church, though it is in ruins now. It houses a Chapel of St. Francis Xavier. It is said that he delivered his earliest sermons while in India here.   Apart from it there are a couple of other ruins also. Not sure what they are, though they have emblems on them, which are not in English. It took us around 2 hours to explore the entire fort. 

Another structure in Revdanda Fort premises

We then headed off to the Bazaar area, which is around 2 KM away from Revdanda Beach. ST buses and share Tum Tum are available to go there. After picking up water we headed to the hotel. The water here is bore well water. 

We headed off to the beach to watch the sun go down on us. There was hardly any crowd at the beach.. We could see the Korlai Fort in a distance on a neighboring hillock. Sat on the sand to watch the calm waters. Soon  it was dusk and in a couple of minutes it was dark. There is a flood light put at the entrance of the beach. If you are wearing shorts, then apply Odomos (Mosquito repellent cream) else the mosquitoes will suck the blood out of you. They attack in huge nos. I was attacked. 

Bus timings at Revdanda ST bus stand

There was lighting but no thunder in the skies. The mosquito attack was unbearable for me and so we headed off to Hotel Surbhi at 7:30 PM to have dinner. The moment we entered, it started pouring heavily. Had we been at the beach, we would have been soaking wet by now. Due to the rains the power was cut in the village. The hotel has generator so we had electricity. Had a couple of beers along with chinese fast food. We then waited for the rain to reduce so that we could reach Swagat Niwas. Finally around 11 PM the rains reduced to a trickle and we made our way to the Niwas. 

The rain was so strong, that it filled some of the potholes on the road. 

Had to catch up on sleep as we had to leave for Korlai Light House and Fort the next morning.  

Elephanta Caves and Cannon HIll near Mumbai and Navi Mumbai

Monday, August 11, 2014

Michael and I were planning an outing since a long time, so that we could take some good snaps.  As it was summer time we didn't want to do a difficult trek so we settled for Elephanta Caves.

We decided to meet the next morning at 8:15 Am at Churchgate station, from there we were going to board a Taxi to The Gateway of India. We wanted to be in time to board the 9 AM ferry.

Now we had asked another friend Elroy to join us too. But sadly he couldn’t make it, so it was the two of us.

We met at Churchgate at 8:15 AM and decided to walk it out to Gateway of India.

As it was a Saturday morning, there was less traffic on the road plus it was not that hot so it was a pleasant walk to Gateway.

At 8:45 AM we were near Hotel Taj. The sky was clear and we managed to get beautiful photos of Hotel Taj and The Gateway of India.

I had read in the newspapers a couple of months ago that the Caves would be shut for maintenance purposes, but they never mentioned a date. I was hoping that it would be open.

We started asking around for the ferry to Elephanta, we managed to spot the one going to Alibag, again there was a huge crowd to board it.

Finally a man yelled in a distance, “Elephanta chi ferry aata sutnar ahe, lavkar ya” meaning the ferry to Elephanta will leave now, so if you want to board it, hurry.

We immediately rushed to the ferry, as we were right on time, no idea when the next ferry was. The ferry leaves from the front of the Gateway of India. As soon as we stepped on the ferry, it departed.  The caves are shut on Monday. The first ferry from Gateway of India to Elephanta is at 9 AM and the last ferry from Elephanta to Mumbai is at 5:30 PM

The ferry ticket cost us Rs.150, for a return trip. The ferry was packed with people, mostly locals and a few foreigners. The upper deck will cost you Rs.10 extra.  There is less shade on the upper deck, but if you want to get baked then that is the place to be.

Initially we crossed small ferry boats anchored in the waters, awaiting their turn to ferry people to either Alibag or Elephanta. Soon it was just water all around us.

To our left were some naval ships parked in a distance. I wanted to take snaps of it so rushed to the end of the ferry to which, one of the crew members advised me not to take photos of them. There is a board put up, advising you not the snap when on the ferry.

Looking as us clicking photos, a few of the people on board also started clicking photos with their camera phones. I told Michael, that we inspired the people on the ferry to take snaps.

In an hour time we were at Elephanta Jetty. From here it was a walk for around 25 minutes to reach the base of the Caves.

Elephanta Caves are also called Gharapuri Lenee, Lenee means Caves in Marathi language are located on Elephanta Island. There are two groups of caves here, the big ones as we enter are the Hindu Caves followed by the Buddhist Caves on the other side.

There is an entry fee to Elephanta Island, price being Rs.5 each. People come up with strange ways to earn a living. There is a mini train service here, which drops you to the base, but for a price. We decided to walk it out, hoping to we some good photos of the surroundings. 

It was fruitful to walk, we managed to snap, the waters, the hills and also the city of Mumbai to our right hand side and Navi Mumbai to the left.  Though there are skyscrapers on bought side, it was a bit difficult to tell what is what.  As the ferry left from Mumbai, we knew which way the city was.

We managed to get snaps of fishes in the waters and also crabs on the rocks, when we were clicking photos a family came there.  The guy introduced the crabs as kachua meaning tortoise to his family to which they readily agreed. “Tortoise, from which angle does the crab appear like a tortoise” top which we both burst out laughing.

There were shops all around selling, food articles, cold drinks and caps to beat the summer heat. We then reached the base of the caves, there are hotels here catering to the food needs of the tourists.  From here the climb begins uphill. There are neatly carved stairs which lead till the entrance of the caves.  The way up in nicely covered as there are shops on either side of the stairs, selling t-shirts and stones. None of them were of interest to us and so we headed to the top.

There are chair cars available for people who find it difficult to climb till the top. So the person has to sit on it and another two people will carry him till the top.

There are monkeys around too, I was telling Michael about an incident that happened when I went to Matheran, where I did an eye contact with the monkey and he refused to let me go. I dared Michael to do the same. To which he laughed and said “Are you mad.”

Finally we reached the entrance of the caves. Again there is a ticket to view them. Cost being Rs.10 for Indians and Rs.250 for Foreigners.  Wonder why such a big difference in price.

We took our tickets and headed off to see the first and the biggest cave in Elephanta. There are sculptors of Hindu Gods carved in it. Don’t ask me the names of the Gods, as I don’t know them myself.

Please refer to Wikipedia for history about these caves, there were huge pillars that were carved and holding the structure and the walls are carved with photos of Gods. As the caves are dark it is advisable to take a camera which is good in taking low light images to take photos. My digi camera didn’t have the feature but our smart phones did have it and so was put to use. Michael got amazing snaps with his phone, not me :(

One of the sculptures is that of the Trimurthi, now how I know this. Is the question in your mind? Simple it featured on our history books in my schooling days.

There are security guards placed all over the caves, so that people don’t get too close to the carvings. Also we are aware about a few ignorant people who love to write their names on the walls. So it’s best to have guards here to keep a watch on such people.

The sculptor in the caves was very similar to the ones I saw at Cave 16. At Ellora in Aurangabad.  The caves also feature two Shivling’s , The temples are carved in rock, one has lion like  structure outside it, guarding it and the other has huge sculptor of Gods guarding it.

In the initial days, when they were discovered these caves were not maintained and so certain sculptors have broken. But it is a good thing that ASI and UNESCO are working on maintaining what is left of them.

After checking out the caves here we then headed off to the other side to see the Buddhist Caves.  I have been to a couple of them all over Maharashtra.  The resemblance is the same.  They don’t have many carvings to display and size wise they are very small. 

Again they have a couple of pillars, this is something new I discovered, as I haven’t seen much pillar construction on Buddhist Caves.  Maybe the makers were influenced by the Hindu Cave makers. 

One of the security guys was driving the dogs and monkeys away, 

when I asked why, he informed me that the Director of ASI was going to pay a visit to these caves and they have been given strict instructions that animals are not to be seen. How can you drive an animal away when it has been there for most of its life?  Both Michael and I burst out laughing on seeing the demands of the Director of ASI.

In fact we saw a guard hurling a stone at a dog, now what if the dog turns around and catches the stone and throws it back at the security guard, I know that it is just a thought, but it will be a amazing comic sight to see, to which we both burst out laughing.

There are loo’s placed at the end of the Buddhist  Caves, though they are not in good shape, but at least you can pee there if not poop.

There is also a museum located at the ticket counter, but it was closed so we headed to see the Cannon on Cannon Hill.

After walking uphill for around 20 minutes we were finally at one of the cannons. The cannon is placed at such an angle, from where it  gets a commanding position of the land and the sea around. The cannon are not in use. But offers a wonderful of the hillside, sea and Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in a distance.

We then headed to the other identical cannon a few minutes away. Again it offers a good view of the surrounding.  After exploring both cannons we headed downhill for some lunch.

It was around 1 PM and people we climbing up in large nos. Wonder how many will reach the top with a lot of breaks. All the best to them.

We headed to Elephanta Port for lunch. Our lunch comprised of Aloo Sabzi and Chapati. The chapattis were hot and soft. Made to order. The vegetable was nicely prepared. Had a sumptuous meal here, feeling full.

We then walked our way to the ferry jetty to board a ferry to Gateway of India.

First time outing trip was Michael, great fun. What say Michael?

Alibag Watertrip (Kulaba Fort)

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Alibag is known for its beaches, but very few know that it is home to around six forts, most of them being sea forts.

So I sat down and designed an itinerary to visit Khanderi and Undheri Forts in Alibag. I had been here before, but the re-visit was for the benefit of Alhad Patil, who I had met via my blog. He had shown keen interest in visiting these forts. To our misfortune, we could not see these forts as the boat service had been booked for the entire day. So we decided to visit Kulaba Fort and Sagargad Fort instead.

Kulaba Fort

Kulaba Fort is a sea fort close to the town of Alibag. It is 3 km away from the shore and can be visited only when the tide is low, that too either on foot or on a horse cart. I had been here before around 6 years ago when I didn’t even know what blogs were. Sagargad, on the other hand, is a Hill Fort from where one can see all of Alibag. This was the first time I was visiting a hill fort in Alibag.

I had put up my plans on FB, hoping that some more people would join me on my water trips. Nine agreed to come, but only three actually made it. Hithakshi and Urvashi, who had accompanied me to Chinchoti Waterfalls, also joined me on this trip. 

Group Photo - Allhad, Urvashi, Hithakshi and Me, on the ferry to Mandwa Jetty

We met at 6.45 am at the Gateway of India. Alhad had arrived much earlier. He was very excited to visit these forts and was equipped with his camera. Alhad is a very good photographer. I had checked out some of his close shots and I was amazed at the quality of his work. 

There was a generation gap between us and Alhad, who we called Uncle. I wondering how we would get along as our mindsets would differ. 

We on the Boat to Kulaba Fort, with the Fort in the background

Hithakshi had a calf injury on her right leg, but she had made up her mind to visit this place. Her love for trekking caused her to ignore the pain from her injury.

Urvashi had joined us because she wanted an outing. But she was not dressed for the occasion at all. She carried a jhola on her shoulder and wore chappals. I wondered if she would be able to climb the hills at Sagargad Fort. 

Extension to Kulaba Fort

Nevertheless, we carried on with our plans and boarded the 7 am ferry to Alibag. We made it just in time. The ferry took off as soon as we stepped in.

 There are three ferry service providers whose services one can avail of to reach Alibag. These are Ajanta, Maldar and PNP. Ajanta is the cheapest whereas PNP, with its AC coaches, is the most expensive. We boarded the Ajanta ferry that departed from Gateway at 7 am. The cost of the ticket was Rs 75 each. The ferry was a double decker boat with seating arrangement on both levels. We rushed to the upper deck to get an open air view of the place around. 

Fortification

At around 8.45 am, we were in Alibag. We spent our time in the ferry clicking photos of ships, boats, trawlers. The lovely sunrise offered us amazing pictures. We asked the locals on board which fort we should go to first. We had no idea how much time Sagargad Fort would take.

We got mixed answers from the people around, so we decided to have breakfast at an eatery at Alibag first and then check the tides at Kulaba Fort which was at a distance of around 20 minutes on foot.

Two Men with Two Fishing Rods

On the way, we picked up some oranges and some Indian berries. (I am not sure if berries is the right word. They are called bor in Hindi.) Urvashi picked up a pair or fluorescent yellow chappals with blue straps at Rs 40 a pair. She immediately changed to her yellow chappals and headed off to see the fort.

 Around 10 am, we were at the beach. I noted that the locals had started a boat service to take visitors to the fort, irrespective of the tides. The cost of the ride is Rs 100 for a return journey, but if you have a big group you can bargain on the rates too.

The Bone

During my last trip here, I had walked through waist-deep water, that too during the low tide, to reach the fort. It had taken us around 1½ hours to reach the fort. The ferry service took us there in 20 minutes. Since we had planned to see two forts in a day, we had to save time. The boatman told us that he would return in an hour to receive us. We readily agreed.

 Without wasting any time, we got busy with our photo session on the fort. The water levels were going down in the meantime. The low tide was setting in. 

One More Group Photo

A visit to the fort calls for an entry fee of Rs 5. I misheard the ticket vendor and assumed that the fee was Rs 500. I was taken aback. When he corrected me, I heaved a sigh of relief. 

We got our tickets and walked away. Just a few steps away, there is a skeleton of a huge fish kept on display. No information is provided. 

Fort from the inside

On the fort, there are stone tablets recounting the history of the fort in English, Hindi and Marathi. There are many temples on the fort. There is a sweet water well too. I wondered how sweet the water might be. After all, we were surrounded by salty water.

 There are many bastions on this fort but only three are in good condition. There are two entrances to the fort, one via Alibag beach and the other via the sea.

Two Cannons

The entire fort can be viewed by walking over the walls of the fort. There are two cannons on wheels on the fort and many without wheels too. We tried to pick one up. They were really heavy. I could shake it in its position but could not move it.

The locals stay in the fort. The fort houses a shop that sells refreshments, for the benefit of those who forget to carry any. We had carried out quota of food and water, but we were so busy in exploring the fort that we forgot to eat and drink. Strange, but true.

Ruins on the Fort

There is a big temple on the fort, beautifully carved on the outside, with a small pond. The day being very sunny, some guys were enjoying a nice swim in it. After spending three hours to see the fort in its entirety, we decided to depart for Sagargad.

From Kulaba Fort, Sagargad can be seen on a hillock in a distance.

Temple

We called the boatman to come and pick us up. After making us wait for around 40 minutes, he arrived to take us back to Alibag city.

In order to board the ferry, we needed to walk through knee-deep water. I saw a guy roll up his pants but he didn’t seem to think too highly of his shoes because he didn’t take them off. How silly is that!

A Boat in the Sea

Finally after 20 minutes we were onshore again. Since Urvashi had worn chappals, she had sand all over her pants, and she immediately got to work, cleaning up her pants.

We decided to have lunch at one of the Pure Veg joints near the beach. Alhad and I feasted on the Punjabi thalis that we had ordered, Hithakshi ate some tomato uttappa and Urvashi had some Jain Vegetable biryani. 

Temple premises

After filling our tummies, we decided to go to Sagargad Fort. We hired a rickshaw at the Rickshaw stand near the ST bus depot. The rickshaw driver told us that it would take around 30 minutes to reach there and 3 hours to climb it. Since it was already 3 pm, it didn’t make sense to go ahead with our plan. But we didn’t want to return to Mumbai so early either.

We made enquiries about the last Alibag to Mumbai ferry. We didn’t want to miss it. Anyone who has been caught in a traffic jam while travelling by road will surely understand our anxiety in this regard.  

The Sun Effect

We then got our tickets via Ajanta ferry and decided to take the bus to Mandwa beach from Alibag City and spend some time on the beach there.

We had golas on the beach. Urvashi and Hithakshi had the lemon flavored ones, Alhad and I had the Kala Kutta (Cola) ones, which made our tongues red in color. This encouraged us to shoot pictures of ourselves. We looked like Draculas there. After enjoying our golas, we headed straight to the beach.

That's Me

On Mandwa beach, there are banana boat rides and other water activities, but the fee quoted was Rs 350 per head, non- negotiable. So instead of wasting our money on it we decided to do something new, something I had never done on any of my trips.

We wrote our names on the sand and stood next to it for photo sessions. After that we headed to the water to wet our feet a little bit, then went to the jetty to board the 5.15 pm ferry to Mumbai. 

Feet in the Sand

Onboard the ferry, we were met by seagulls. They flocked all over the place. Urvashi and Hithakshi started feeding them. After about 30 minutes, the seagulls stopped following us. Maybe they had had their full or maybe their territory ended there.

We then sat on the open air deck, enjoying the sunset and the rise of the yellow coloured full moon. It was the day of the eclipse, and the effects had started to show by the time we reached the Gateway of India.



Our names Engraved in the Sand



Another Group Photo




Sea Gulls

After alighting there, we headed off to the Mafco store near Gateway to celebrate our enjoyable trip by having a round of rose milkshake.

Eclipse

After that, we headed back home. We had all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, even though we had not been able to see Sagargad Fort. Anyway, there’s always another time.

I had clicked 350 photos and one video on this trip. Despite the age difference, we had all got along very well. We had fun and that is all that matters.

Other sea forts I have visited are Murud Janjira, Arnala Fort and Sindhudurg in Malvan.