Devgad Port

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

We headed out of Devgad Fort on the staircase that led us to the Customs House. From here the road goes straight to Devgad Port. 

Fortification around the Devgad Port

 The Devgad Fort was erected by Kanoji Angre in the year 1705. The Fort was built at the confluence of the Devgad creek and the Arabian Sea. The fort is accompanied by a Harbor at the base where once a upon a time big ships used to dock.

Even near the Port the fortification still exists. I guess the Port and the Fort were constructed around the same time. My assumption is based on the stone walls. Thought the port is no longer in existence.

We met an elderly fisherman Chinappa, who has made the jetty his home for a few months. He told us that he has come here from Karnataka to catch fish and to make a living as he has a family of five at home out of which he needs to get two of his daughters married off. I was touched when I heard his story. He offered us coconut to eat. After having the coconut we told him that we plan to explore the port.

Chinappa, who has made the Devgad Port his home

We saw a few cannons here. As it was a port I guess trading was in full swing and so for security reasons the cannons were placed here.

As per the inscriptions on the walls the port was built somewhere in the 17^th century.

Fishing boat in the waters which are made by the confluence of Devgad Creek and Arabian Sea.

He told us that it is not safe for the two of us to hang around alone in the portside. There were many houses here and they looked as if they have been vacated for quite some time now, making them appear like haunted houses. We took his advice and headed off to Devgad Beach.

Devgad Fort

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Hithakshi inquired at the ST bus stand regarding the whereabouts of the Devgad Fort.

At the inquiry counter we were advised that the Fort is at an hour’s distance from here. There are no buses plying there. But rickshaws would land us there in no time, but we would miss out on the beauty around us. We then decided to walk it out to the beach hoping to get some wonderful shots.

The road was narrow with houses located near it. These houses were quite old, I guess around 100 years and above. There was a masala making factory near the road so we decided to check it out. As we were tourists here, everyone around looked at us with a suspicious eye though they were very helpful in guiding us to the Fort. 

Entrance to Devgad Fort.Staircase is from Customs House  in near Devgad Port

It was around 1500 hours and there was not a soul on the road. Guess too many people don’t visit this place or maybe it’s the heat that’s keeping the people away.

This is a fishing village with fishing boats all over the place. Some were on their way back collecting the day’s catch of fish. The view of the boats in the water against the green hills was simply amazing.

The Devgad Fort was erected by Kanoji Angre in the year 1705. The Fort was built at the confluence of the Devgad creek and the Arabian Sea. The fort is accompanied by a Harbor at the base where once a upon a time big ships used to dock.

A staircase near the Customs House Devgad leads us to the entrance of the Fort. Drinking water is available from a tap near the Customs House. 

View of the green waters of the Arabian Sea from walls of Devgad Fort

In no time we were at the entrance of the fort. The walls of the fort were not very high. As the fort was on a cliff they didn’t require high walls I guess. The walls were made of black stone with bordering of white.  The stones were huge and were placed one above the other with no adhesive to lock them.

The fort offered a good view of the sea, that’s the reason a light house has been built here. It offers a good view of Devgad Beach and the Windmills in a distance.

Three bastions that are accessible to public offer a good view of the sea and the area around us.

I noticed that there is no thrash or graffiti on the walls of this fort. This is good. I guess too many people haven’t heard of this place.

In the premises of the fort are temples dedicated to Ganesh and Hanuman. 

View of the Fort from the inside, the light house in the corner and the remains of the houses with stone boundares and dried water cistern

There are stones which I guess were a part of the walls of the houses here which no longer exist.

There is also a well up here which is around 5 to 6 stories deep. And bathing ground which was dried up.

The entire fort can be done by walking on the walls of the fort.

I could not locate single cannon on the fort. Now this is strange as this is a sea fort and the danger of being attacked from the sea is always there and there are no cannons for security. What happened to the cannons, where did they go, where they stolen or did they never exist here were some of the questions running in my head.

One can view the lighthouse, daily between 1600 to 1750 hours. The entry fees are mentioned on a signboard and they are very economical. We were unlucky that day, as the person in charge had not reported and so we couldn’t see the light house.

The part of the fort in the premises of the lighthouse is in accessible to public for security reasons.

After enjoying the beautiful view around and the strong breeze on a sunny afternoon we headed off to see the Devgad Port.

Malvan Beach in Malvan

Monday, February 24, 2014

Standing on the Malvan Jetty gave me an amazing view of the land and the sea.

The Sindhudurg Fort parked itself in a distance clearly visible to my naked eye. The Front of the fort was so wide; I could gauge how big the fort actually was standing at the Jetty.

Malvan Beach was very colorful. Photos shot here are good enough to be kept as desktop wallpapers. 

Beautiful view of Malvan Beach. 

 The beach had white sand with green waters lashing on it. I missed the heavy rush of water gushing on the shores here. This place was like a haven for fishing boats. They were parked both on the white sands and the green waters of the sea . The white sands were covered with coconut trees so dense that I could hardly see through it.

The seas were very clear as I managed to see the bottom of the sea. A few rocky patches too could be seen in the sea. What I liked most is the color of the water in the sea. The green colored water was very refreshing to my eyes. It was basically because of the vegetation.  

Another view of Malvan Beach

There is a jetty erected on the Malvan Beach, boats plying to Sindhudurg Fort ply from here.

In the evening this place is packed with people, who come to see the sun setting in the waters, boys playing volleyball on the beach and the local fishermen pulling their boats out of the water after a hard day’s work. 

View of the massive Sindhudurg Fort from Malvan

Standing at the jetty gave me a commanding view of the sea and the land. I almost thought as if I was a General here looking after the territory I had. Imagining I had the fort, the sea and the land in my kitty.

But that was my imagination but the reality is that this place is truly beautiful. Do come here in the evening to spend it with the sea.

Malvan - Journey Mumbai to Malvan

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Blue waters of the Arabian Sea lashing against the clean white sands of Maharashtra with light blue skies above makes a photo truly beautiful.  Fishing boats parked on the white sands waiting to be sailed in the blue sea and a few fishing boats out for a good catch makes our photos even more interesting. Yes this is Malvan.

I always wanted to visit the Konkan stretch so had planned the same with Hithakshi, remember Hithakshi, she accompanied me to Chinchotiwaterfalls.

We decided to do Malvan, Devgad and if possible Vengurla in the eight day trip, considering two days for travelling we had six days for sightseeing.

I inquired with the Sandeep the bus agent and he told me that there are no Volvo’s, AC buses and Sleeper buses plying to Malvan. The only mode of transport is a 2 X 2 seater bus or a private vehicle or ST bus. The later cannot be booked there.

He also told me that it would take around 14 hours to reach Malvan. “14 hours, I takes 12 hours to reach Goa, then why 14 hours to Malvan?” on this replied that for 4 hours the bus keeps moving in Mumbai city itself in order to collect commuters and then heads out of the city.

I got our tickets for a 2 X 2 seater bus. These buses are slightly smaller than the regular buses. Why are these buses smaller, is what I was wondering, never the less we had a place to sit in the bus and that is what matters.

The bus took off at 15:30 hours from Gokul near Borivali and I boarded the bus at 16:30 hours at Andheri. One hour just to travel from Borivali to Andheri. And to make it worse at 18:30 hours we were still in Bhandup in Mumbai. I lost my cool as it was three hours and we were still circulating in Mumbai picking up commuters.

And to top it, it took 4 halts on the way, ranging from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. Which made me very uneasy.

No wonder it takes 14 hours. These private buses are a pain up the a**. Next time I’ll take the services of the ST bus as they will at least save me time commuting.

Finally next morning, when my eyes opened I saw small narrow tar roads cutting through the fields. The red tiled roofs of the beautiful colored houses of various shapes and sizes and the temples adorning the land. The private farms growing mango and jackfruit. “I am in Malvan” is what I said to myself.

Now I know why the size of the buses is smaller than the regular ones, because to the roads.

I finally alighted on the Malvan soil.

The roads throughout the city are narrow, wondering what a tough time the vehicle drivers will have trying to drive on these roads with the people and cattle for company.

Soon we were a part of the roads either walking on them or travelling by ST buses and rickshaws.

Malvan is famous for Sindhudurg Fort which can be accessed from the Malvan Jetty, The beaches of Malvan and the historic temples of Malvan.

We boarded a rickshaw from the market at a cost of Rs.50 to take us to Samudra Hotel on the frontiers of Kolamb Beach. The rickshaws here don’t work on the meter; the prices are expensive in comparison to the ST bus but better than walking it out at least.

Finally in around 30 minutes time we were at the Hotel, Samudra Hotel.

Daman

Monday, June 11, 2012

Whenever one thinks of Daman, what is the first thing that comes to one’s mind?

If your answer is liquor, then you are absolutely right. Daman is supposed to be a haven for people who love to drink. Most people visit Daman to drink liquor as it is available a cheaper cost, compared to Maharashtra and Gujarat.

There are liquor shops all over the place. Every third shop is a liquor shop plus most of the hotels too serve liquor. I guess this is the reason why it is a haven for all drinkers. But of course the price of liquor is cheaper in Goa than in Daman. Then why do people head here? I don’t know.

Daman was a Portuguese colony like Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Vasai and Mumbai. For a history buff, Daman has loads to offer, including old churches, forts and old houses.

Daman is located near the confluence of the Daman Ganga River and the Arabian Sea. As history states, Daman was acquired by the Portuguese from the Shah of Gujarat. For 400 years, it was ruled by the Portuguese until in 1961 it was integrated into India after the Indian Army, the Navy and the Air Force joined hands to make it a part of India.

Daman consists of Moti Daman and Nani Daman. Moti Daman is older than the other. But both are old enough. Moti Daman and Nani Daman are connected by two bridges, one meant for heavy traffic and the other for pedestrians and cyclists. Though the water in the river recedes when it is low tide, one cannot cross via the water. The fishing boats parked at both Moti and Nani Daman do not allow passage between the two.

Daman has many historical monuments. The forts that guard the coast are St Jerome Fort in Nani Daman and the Fort of Moti Daman. As Daman is a Union Territory, all the government buildings are located in Moti and Nani Daman. It is also famous for its beaches, Devka Beach and Jampore Beach.

There are four churches here. The Church of Our Lady of the Sea is situated in St Jerome Fort, and the other three are located in the Fort of Moti Daman. These are the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, the Church of Our Lady of Augustus, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary and the Cathedral of Bom Jesus.

Moti Daman Fort also houses the New and the Old Lighthouses, the Dominican Monastery and the House of Bocade and offers a spectacularly beautiful view of the fishing boats parked in the creek that divides Moti and Nani Daman.

The streets near the beaches are very narrow and mostly deserted. But these streets lead to beautiful and old houses. These houses are either ground-floor structures or a storey tall with tiled roofs. They are brightly painted and provide good material for photographers. Most of the houses have a small porch ahead of them, but nothing like the houses in Goa. Even though both Goa and Daman were earlier ruled by the Portuguese, the architecture and design of the houses is markedly different.

The windows of these houses are what caught my attention.  Though all of them are made of wood, each one appears to have been designed in a different and unique manner.

The markets here are flooded with goods, both Indian and Chinese makes of almost everything. Daman offers accommodation options to suit everyone. There are options for the budgeted traveller, businessman as well as those willing to shell out more for luxuries. In terms of food too, there is something for everyone. North Indian, South Indian, Moghlai, Gujarati food, take your pick. Sadly, Daman does not seem to have anything special to offer by way of its own particular cuisine.

There are mini buses, taxis and rickshaws which cater to travel needs within Daman, other than the private vehicles. But they leave from various locations across Daman. There is no common point for public transport here. Daman is so small that you can view all the sights here in two days.

Most travel websites talk about Daman and Diu together. I guess this is so because of long-ago history lessons in which we learned to speak of Goa, Daman and Diu in the same breath. I too made the mistake of assuming that Daman and Diu were near each other on the map. In reality, you have to undergo a ten-hour journey just to reach Diu from Daman by road or rail transport. So don’t be fooled the way I was into thinking I could tackle both places on the same trip.

As for how I got here, I alighted at Vapi and got in a shared taxi, which took me to Nani Daman.

Daman is very close to Vapi railway station. Outside the station there are shared taxis which charge Rs 20 per head, rickshaws which charge Rs 150 for a special trip and Gujarat State Transport buses. I don’t know the price of the bus ticket. One can reach Daman by road, rail and air as a mode of transport.

So do plan a trip to Daman. There is much to see and do here.

Hanging Garden

Monday, March 26, 2012

Recently I had a pleasant time at Hanging Gardens, also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Garden, and Kamala Nehru Garden, perched on the top of Malabar Hill. From here one can get a view of the Girgaum Chowpatty Beach, the Arabian Sea and Marine Drive, that shimmering stretch that is so well-known as the Queen’s Necklace. The closest railway station is Grant Road on the Western railway line.

Starting off from home, I bought a train ticket to Grant Road. As always, the trains were crowded. I had a tough time getting into the train. It was certainly very difficult. I alighted at Grant Road station. Since the last time I got off at Grant Road station, there have been a number of changes here. One major change that directly helped me was the construction of a skywalk, which connected directly to the overhead bridge connecting the east to the west. The bridge saved me a lot of legwork, I can tell you that.

Entrance to Hanging Garden

Skywalks have been built outside many stations in Mumbai, but I haven’t seen many people using them. They are mostly filled with couples, drug addicts and, you won’t believe this, even cows. I once saw a cow on the skywalk outside Andheri station on the east which connects to Gokhale Bridge.

Anyway, I certainly made use of the skywalk and reached Grant Road Bridge. I crossed over and walked on the right hand side. I came across two bus stops there. One of them caters to buses going to Kamala Nehru Park. Bus numbers 41, 42 and 105 ply to Kamala Nehru Park. Alternatively there are taxis and private vehicles that can take you there.

When I travel, I always prefer to use public modes of transport like trains, buses etc as I get an opportunity to interact with people. Plus you get to really experience a place.

View of Hanging Garden

I bought a ticket to Kamala Nehru Park at a cost of Rs.7. As the bus rumbled along the narrow roads, I saw many old buildings there had been built in the British era. I saw Wilson College, Girgaum Chowpatty. Now we were going up the hill and on my right-hand side, I could see a hillock behind the buildings. “Is that Malabar Hill?” I asked the bus conductor. He replied, “Yes.”

I noticed that the bus was going to Walkeshwar. I had been to Walkeshwar before when I visited Ban Ganga. So I inquired again with the bus conductor and he told me that the bus goes via Walkeshwar as there is no direct turn for buses and heavy vehicles on the way to Malabar Hill as the road is very narrow.

Flowers

Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park are directly opposite each other. I entered Hanging Gardens. There was no guard positioned at the entry point nor was there an entry fee to view the Garden.

I started my photography session with a bed of flowers there. The flowers were in white, light and dark pink shades and looked lovely amid the bed of green leaves surrounding them.

The park was really well maintained. A round of applause for the keepers of this garden.

Me amongst the Flowers

A memorial stone in the garden stated that the reservoir was laid in 1880 and was extended to hold 30 million gallons of water in 1921. The park is open from 5 am to 9 pm every day.

It was around 3 pm, and the garden was not so crowded. I saw a few couples who had come to spend some time in the park. Also a few families seemed to be out on a picnic. Most of them seemed to be out-of-towners who had come to see Mumbai. They were having lunch. It was certainly the most perfect ambience to enjoy lunch, sitting on the green grass below with the blue sky above and having your lunch surrounded by greenery. A few people were having a short nap.

Animals pruned out of the creepers

There were various types of flowers growing there. I immediately got busy with my photo session. There were flowers everywhere all around. For a moment I felt as if I was in a valley of flowers, somewhere outside Mumbai. The feeling of being one with nature was truly beautiful and I was making the most of it.

There was a watch tower in the garden which gave the time — the correct time. The garden was beautifully cut and pruned, and the green grass, the flowers and the bushes were a nice sight to see.

Old Woman's Shoe vs Me and my shoe

Bushes were trimmed in the form of animals. Creepers were made to grow at the entrances of mini gardens. These creeper doors looked quite nice as the creepers had been neatly trimmed.

The benches were vacant as it was afternoon. Some portions of the park were being redone, and I am assuming that the next time I am back; they too will be as beautiful as the ones that are currently on display.

Chowpatty Beach from Kamla Nehru Park

After shooting plenty of flowers, I decided to head to Kamala Nehru Park on the other side of the road.

Kamala Nehru Park is similar to Hanging Gardens in terms of the maintenance of the park. It is smaller than Hanging Gardens. Occupying an area of 4000 square feet, the park is named Kamala Nehru after the wife of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

View of Kamla Nehru Park

There is an Ashoka Chakra placed on a narrow cylindrical stand in the garden. A little ahead is a huge shoe, a storey tall, looking exactly like the boots I was wearing? This place is very popular for school picnics.

The shoe is known as the Old Woman’s Shoe. I had a tough time climbing up the spiral ladder. It was very narrow and I am huge, and of course the shoe is designed for small children to play in. Somehow I managed to climb up the ladder and then back down. The view from up was not that amazing. All you get to see is the garden in front. The shoe from the inside is subject to the graffiti of some losers who had been here, who have sketched their names all over the inside. Children of course aren’t bothered with such things, and they were having a grand time in the shoe.



Children in the Park



I then headed off to the stretch from where I got the best view of the day. I could see Girgaum Chowpatty beach with the water lashing out on the shore, a few fishing boats in the water, and the beautiful Marine Drive.

I then moved on to see the kids section of the Park. A board states, “Only for children below 12 years of age,” but I saw grownup boys playing on the rides here. In fact they broke it as they were playing.

After seeing these gardens in their entirety, I admired the way they had been maintained. Again a round of applause for the keepers of these parks. The walk in the park was nice and refreshing for me and I enjoyed myself here. I recommend this park to everyone in Mumbai.

Ganpatipule Roadtrip (Jaigad and Ratnadurg Fort trek)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Maharashtra is home to a number of beautiful places. One such place is Ganpatipule, located in Ratnagiri district.

My family reached Ganpatipule at 4 in the evening. We had snacks at MTDC Resorts - Narang Hotel and then decided to hit the beach. One good thing about MTDC Resorts is that all the cottages give you a great view of the sea. That evening we spent the day at the beach. 

That night We enjoyed dinner at Abhishek Resort at Bhandarpule which is an upcoming place. The authorities are constructing a highway around here which will connect Ganpatipule to Ratnagiri city and save both time and gas.

The ambience at Abhishek Resort was quite nice but since it was far away from the main city of Ganpatipule, there was no one there to have dinner except for the people staying in the resort. We had dinner and headed back to our resort.

Beach at Ganpatipule 

DAY 2: We decided to go and see Jaigad Fort. The fort was around 40 km from the MTDC Resort. It took us two hours to reach it. Although the entire fort is in ruins, the walls of the fort still stand strong. This 17th century fort, perched on a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Sangameshwar River and the Arabian Sea, offers spectacular views of the village and the sea.

There is a moat which surrounds the fort from the land entrance. Inside the fort there is a temple, a few ruins of houses and a resting place for the soldiers. There were two square shaped wells, around five storeys deep, inside the fort. They had some water in them. I shudder to think of the fate of anyone who would happen to fall into the wells. It would not be easy to get out and help would be miles away.

Darwaja to Jaigad Fort

I was hungry again so we decided to head back to Ganpatipule. We had lunch at Krishnali Resort at Bhandarpule. This place was deserted as it is far from the city. Once again we ate alone.

Krishnali Resort serves the most wonderful fish thalis. The fish slices in my thali were gigantic. It was also served solkadi after lunch. After a heavy meal, We decided to head back to our resort where we rested for some time and then enjoyed the evening at the beach.

DAY 3: Ratnagiri city is around 45 km from Ganpatipule. Here we saw Ratnadurg fort which is around 10 km from the main city. This fort was built by the Bahamani rulers way back in 1350 AD. In 1670 Shivaji conquered the fort from Adilshah, the ruler of Bijapur. The fort traded hands a couple of times and at last landed in the hands of the British.

The fort is 1300 metres long and 100 metres wide. It has steep cliffs on all sides. The fort is rather well maintained. It consists of a temple, a few houses and away in a distance, there is a lighthouse.

Ratnadurg Fort

Another attraction there is the Thebaw Palace which was built in 1910-11. The King and Queen of Burma stayed there during their exile. The British let King Thebow build the palace the way he wanted. The palace looked like an Old Portuguese bungalow. The King and the Queen spent a major part of their lives there. A part of the palace has been converted into a museum and old stone sculptures dating back to the 10th century have been kept. It also has the throne of the King and the Queen. The place also includes the tombs of the royal couple. 

Thebaw Palace

All that exploration makes a man hungry. I took leave of the palace and went off in search of some place where I could eat. We had lunch at Hotel Vivek. Everything about this place was good. The ambience was soothing and the food was delicious. The place was crowded and there were still more people waiting outside for their turn. After a heavy meal consisting of fish and chicken, We decided to check out the local bazaar at Ratnagiri.

With any luck, I’d be able to lay my hands on the famous Alphonso mangoes, known locally as Hapus mangoes. But it seemed that lots of hard cash, not luck, was what was needed. The prices were exorbitant. We came away without buying any.

On the last day of our trip, I decided to try some of the water sports that the resort had on its own premises. I had great fun in the speed boat and on the motor scooter.

DAY 4: We left early on Sunday morning to come home. It had indeed been a most exciting and refreshing holiday