Dronagiri Fort in Uran

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Dronagiri - The Delayed Trip

The Dronagiri Hill on which the fort is located, sadly the fortification can't be seen from here

Now you would be curious to know, why I am saying so. Read on.

The temperature was rising by the day so wanted to do a easy trek. I started my research on Google for the same. I came across a fort named Dronagiri in Uran. There is not much information available on it. A blog on Dronagiri by Ashutosh Bijoor helped me with directions to visit this fort.

As always I didn't put the event on Facebook, I like travelling in a small group, so I ask my friends. Manohar Chari volunteered to join me.

Manohar is an avid trekker who has been trekking the Sahayadri's for the last 20 years.

We decided to take the services of the train and ST bus to visit Dronagiri.

I decided to board the harbour line train to Panvel from Andheri. As there is no direct train to Panvel in the morning, I had to switch trains at Vadala Station. I boarded the 6:05 AM train to Vadala Station from Andheri, to reach Vadala Station at 6:34 AM.

I was on time at Vadala Station, but the harbour line trains were delayed by 10 minutes. I was to board the 6:38 AM train to Panvel. Manohar was to board the same train at Chembur at 6:53 AM.

Fortification and Entrance to Dronagiri Fort

Now there was another train scheduled for Panvel at 6:42 AM from Vadala Station. As the trains were running late, the Station Master made an announcement that, the 6:42 AM train will depart first. The moment he finished with the announcement the train had already left the station.  

How stupid on the part of the motorman, at least he should wait for one to two minutes, so that the people on the other platforms can make it on time. I went running over the bridge from platform no.1 to platform no.2. But before I could alight on platform no.2 the train had already left. First count of delay. Grrr.

This was the start of the delayed effect. Before I could convey my train status to Manohar, he had already boarded the train to Panvel. So we decided to meet at Panvel. The train I was in, reached Panvel at 7:44 AM.

We finally met, face to face at Panvel. Without wasting any time, we headed off to the ST bus stand as we had to board the bus to Uran.

Panvel ST Bus Stand is a crazy place. Always full of people as there are buses plying to various places across Maharashra from there. It is a prime junction.

We made inquiries at the reception in regards to the bus to Uran and as to where it is going to depart. The time was now 8 AM on my watch.

Church like structure in the fort premises

The crowd was gathering, but there was no sign of the bus.  The time was 8:45 AM on my watch, the bus finally arrived, people rushed to board the bus. Looking at the crowd outside and the crowd inside we had to take a decision, whether to board the bus or not. We exercised our decision to board the bus as we were not sure when the next bus would come. Second instance of delay.  There was not much crowd inside the bus and we managed to get a place to stand and later a place to sit.

As we were unaware as to where to alight we decided

to ask the bus conductor, for the closest stop to the fort. He too was unaware about it, but later asked the people around and told us to a light at the Uran Bus Stand. The hill next to it was the Drongiri Fort hill. The ticket cost us Rs. 60 for two.

Manohar was suggesting travelling by car to Uran. Five of us would have made the journey economical and saved time. As it was just the two of us, we traveled by ST bus.

I got the window seat, The view was nice. The first thing I noticed was the blue sky. I could find no trace of clouds. The next thing I noticed was the container trucks. They were all over the place.  The JNPT port is nearby hence the population of the trucks was on the rise. In a distance we could see huge go-downs where most of the trucks were heading.

The area around Uran has been taken up by CIDCO, who is looking into the development of this place. The quality of the roads is good and they have erected bus stops all over the place. The bus stops were crowded with people.

The driver as always rode the bus as if he was driving a Formula One Car making it difficult to take photos as we were swaying in all directions. Finally we reached the Bus Stand at Uran at 9:25 AM.

View of Uran and Mumbai City in a distance from atop the fort

The area we were in is called Dronagiri. Though we were near it, we could see no fortification.

We had snacks in the form of Masala Dosa and Sada Dosa. Sugarcane juice to beat the heat. The breakfast expenses came up to Rs. 60.

We inquired with the locals for directions to the fort. They all gave the same instructions. We crossed the base village and in a matter of ten minutes we were climbing up the hill. The time was now 9:50 AM on my watch.

There are no indicators for directions uphill. Most of the time we were walking on the edge of the hill. The walking path was a feet wide but comprised of loose soil or mud or rocky patch. The climb was not steep but was steadily rising. We were circling the hill as we were climbing up. Termed as "pai wat" by the villagers.

As there was neither sign of human nor any indicator we kept climbing. Finally we were lost. It was now two hours and it hardly takes around 45 minutes to reach the top. Third instance of delay.

We sat there overlooking the ONGC chemical plant. When suddenly I heard voices. I couldn't see anyone. "I am not hallucinating" I said to myself. After a couple of minutes we could locate people.

When inquired with them, they informed us that we had taken the wrong route.  "Wrong route, then which is the correct route" I asked them. To which one of the guys replied that we need to start climbing uphill and not circling the hill.

Temple created in one of the walls of the fort

Frankly speaking all the pai wat's appeared the same. So we were not sure. I then asked them if they were going uphill to which I got an affirmative answer. "Lay avgad ahe, tumhala nahi zamnar" meaning the route is difficult and that we could not be able to make it to the top. The villagers were cutting trees with axes for firewood.

We again started our journey back to find the place where the road divides into two. We took our chances and decided to climb uphill and finally came across a group of black colored wires going down the hill. We decided to follow the wires and in a matter of 30 minutes we were atop.

We could locate a check post. The checkpost was manned by two CRF jawans who are constantly in touch with the ONGC base. The view from the checkpost was amazing. One can see the ONGC plant, Uran village, the sea and city of Mumbai in a distance.  In earlier days we had a watchtower which is now replaced by checkpost but the prime reason why it was constructed is the same. To keep a watch.

We had a good chat with the jawans and inquired about the places to visit atop the fort. To which they replied that there is a structure that resembles a church and a temple atop it with a few broken down walls around.

The fortification can be seen from the checkpost. There was a small entrance to the fort. In the premises of the fortification I could locate a small church like structure which had graffiti all over it. Still not able to understand what sadistic pleasure people get in writing their names on these structures. The structure was made primarily of stone with a few bricks used in its construction. Again it offered a good view of Uran and the city of Mumbai in a distance. 

We then walked on the walls of the fort to see it. Though there is nothing much to see up here. We then reached the temple which was carved in one of the walls of the fort. A few stairs from there lead to nowhere. We walked for a couple of minutes, a series of pai wat's all over the place. The time was now 1 PM on my watch. We headed back to the church like structure to take our much needed rest before we alight.

As we sat there we discussed, how the city of Mumbai and Uran would have looked had we come here 20 years ago. How I wish to travel back in time to see it then.

The walls of the well that be fooled me to think it is the fortification

The journey downhill was fast. Soon we noticed that the pai wat divided into two. One going straight down and the other wining around the hill. Like always we took the wrong path and walked on. Fourth instance. 

As we were walking I suddenly saw Manohar jump in the valley. The sight of it had my heart racing. I immediately rushed in, he managed to hold on to the branch of a tree. He was surrounded by thorny shrubs and loose rocks which made his climb upwards a bit difficult.

Finally he did come up by himself. I just gave him a helping hand as he was surrounded by cactus and thorny shrubs. He then told me that he didn't deliberately jump in the valley but he was pushing aside a branch of a tree, so that he could pass through but when he let go of it, it bounced back and pushed him off the track. 

We continued with our journey, after a couple of minutes we met up with the same people we had met while we were climbing the cliff. They told us that again we are descending the wrong way. O God. Not again I said to myself. As they were heading back to the village they told us to follow them.

Most of them had a bundles of wooden sticks stacked on their heads. They were bare footed and they walked down the pai wat. They were so fast that we lost track of them. Again we were lost.

Finally we met up with the black colored wires. Refuelled our bodies with food and water and then headed downhill.

For a change, we were on the right track. In a matter of 30 minutes we were at the base of the cliff.

We were enjoying the nice shade of the mango trees and the breeze. In a distance we could locate a stone structure. I thought it is the fortication; we immediately headed off to see it.

To my surprise it was a well. It was very deep and I saw a few village girls drawing water from it. There was no wall around it. So if you taking photos, be careful. 

We then headed off to the ST bus stand to board a bus to Panvel. Now there were two buses there, one plying to Dadar and the other to Panvel. I boarded the one to Panvel while Manohar boarded the one to Dadar as his knees had given up. The time was 4 PM on my watch.

Fifth Instance. The Panvel bound bus, it got stuck in traffic. I was stuck in traffic for around an hour and a half . Finally at 6:15 PM I was at Panvel ST Bus stand. 

Finally in the train to Andheri. Had I not been late on those five instances then I would have been home by now. But it is okay, I have learnt from my mistakes.

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.

Church of Our Lady of Piety

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Very close to the Tribal Museum on the road to Sayali stands a grey coloured structure called the Church of Our Lady of Piety.

This church is made of stone and is painted grey in colour. The border on the stone is white. Most Portuguese churches are made of mud, but this is the first one I had come across that was made of stone.

Church of Our Lady of Piety

The church was constructed in the year 1897. A hundred years later, in 1997, an extension was added. The church is very small and has no pulpit; the main altar is small and beautifully carved out of wood and varnished in brown. A huge main altar, and side altars and a pulpit are a constant in all Portuguese churches. I wonder why this one was constructed differently.

The road outside is abuzz with heavy traffic, but all the noise and cacophony just fades out once you step inside this church. Sitting here is so peaceful that I feel totally cut off from the outside world.

Church of Our Lady of the Sea

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

In the Nani Daman Fort, or more accurately, the St Jerome Fort, lies the Church of Our Lady of the Sea.

Perched in one corner of the Fort, protected by its thick, strong, more-than-a-storey tall walls, the church is almost invisible from the outside. The Church itself is a small structure painted beige; the pillars are painted green and to complement the overall look, the doors of the church are painted brown. The name of the Church is written in Portuguese, “Virgen Do Mar,” literally meaning Virgin of the Sea.

Church of Our Lady of the Sea in Nani Daman Fort premises

An inscription, “C 1901 R 1966,” is placed right above the main door of the church. I guess C refers to construction and R to renovation. This might possibly refer to a section of the church which might have been built at a later date, because the main church and the fort on which it resides are nearly 400 years old.

Outside the Church stands a beautiful Grotto of Mother Mary. There is also a statue of Our Lady of the Sea nearby besides a Cross, painted red, atop the Church.

There are two beautifully painted bells, silver coloured, on the right hand side of the Church. These bells have a little artistic work adorning them. These bells are rung to announce the commencement of prayer services and to intimate the community about the death of one of the residents.



Grotto



When I visited the Church it was afternoon. Since no services are held in the afternoon, the bells remained silent.

A part of the Church is used as a school. I had no intention of disturbing the students studying inside. I inquired at the School Office if I could get to see the Church from the inside.

A lady named Odeth accompanied me to see the Church. As I stepped inside the Church, I felt relieved from the strong heat outside. The atmosphere was soothing and nice. It felt really nice to visit a church so beautiful.  

Church of Our Lady of the Sea

I guess the clay tiles, also known as Mangalore tiles, which were used to roof the church had played their part in keeping the place cool.

Inside I saw paintings displaying the events that are commemorated in the Way of the Cross. These 14 paintings were placed in wooden frames painted dark brown. The Way of The Cross prayer services commemorate the key events that took place as part of Christ’s death and resurrection.

In the church there is a pulpit. A pulpit is a speaker’s stand in the church. In the old days, the Priest used to stand in the pulpit and preach to the people. It serves as a mini gallery suspended from the walls of the church. The pulpit here was made of marble; the edges were painted golden. Its roof had a dove and other decorations carved in it. The Church also has huge chandeliers hanging inside.

The Church Bell

The Church had statues of Mother Mary and Jesus placed in Canopy Altars on the right and left hand sides of the main altar. These were made of wood and painted golden and were beautifully decorated. The carving must have taken years to be completed. 

The main Canopy Altar, placed behind the altar of the Church, was also made of wood and stood around two storey’s tall. Like most of the other standout elements here, it was painted golden. All the pillars were beautifully carved and even the minute details were clearly visible from where I took this photo. One could clearly see the image of Our Lady of the Sea in it.

Inside the Church

The locking system of the doors was old too, as I remember having the same kind of locking system on the main door of our ancestral house in Goa. It consisted of a huge wooden beam, known in Konkani as an adam, which is more than a metre long and with a thickness of 4 x 4 inches. This beam, with a large knob on its head, rests within a cavity in the wall on the inside of the structure. When one wishes to latch the door, one pulls this heavy beam, holding it by the knob, out of the cavity and stretches it across the door. Most old houses in Goa are equipped with this mode of door latching system. You might find it quite outmoded, but try pushing a heavy wooden door, that is barred using one of these huge beams. It is very difficult, I assure you.

Masses and other prayer services are held at this church every day. Prayers are held in English and Portuguese. I have been to Goa so many times but I have never attended a Portuguese prayer service. 

The Pulpit

In fact, Portuguese is actually spoken here. Odeth told me that she herself is very fluent in the language. However, the language is not widely spoken by the younger generation.

If you ever visit the Nani Daman fort, make it a point to visit the Church. It is right inside the fort; there is no way you can miss it. If the church is closed, ask the school office and they will open it for you.

The visit to this church introduced me to the Portuguese way of designing churches.

Church of Our Lady of Remedies

Friday, June 1, 2012

On the outskirts of the Moti Daman Fort stands the Church of Our Lady of Remedies.

One glance at the Church brought memories of the churches of Goa to my mind.  Once again, the same whitewashed walls and wooden doors.

Church of our Lady of Remedies

This church was built by Rui De Mello De Sampaiyo, the Governor and Captain of Daman in 1607 AD.

There is a lovely white cross outside the church. It features a plant bearing flowers with names written in Portuguese. I have no idea what the words mean but this is the first time I have seen a Cross bearing names.

Grotto

A beautifully carved bell, suspended from a wooden stand, hangs outside near the entrance of the Church. The bell has been re-painted brown to match the doors and windows of the Church. The paint job was a bad one. The painters had managed to paint over and completely obscure the design on the bell. I guess they should have let the bell be the way it was.

Cross made of Flowers

A small grotto of Mother Mary stands next to the Church, adjoining one of the walls of the church. Next to it stands a beautiful cross made of flowers, live flowers growing from the cross. I have been to many churches before, but this concept of having a cross made in the garden truly stands out.

Church Altar

I met the Parish Priest, and requested him to show me around the Church. The Priest was in a hurry but he still decided to show me around. A big thanks to him. The church is painted blue on the inside. It had a pulpit, canopy altar and the 14 paintings of the Way of the Cross.

I liked the paintings done on the pulpit and the altars. Truly commendable. A salute to the great artists whose work they were.

Church of Our Lady of Augustia

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

As you exit from the Fort of Moti Daman to Moti Daman, very close to the football stadium lies the grave of Agostinho Xavier de Silva Vidigal, who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and expired in Daman. A Church has been built over his grave.

Based on its size, I mistook it for a chapel, but it is in fact a Church.

According to the caretaker of the Cathedral of Bom Jesus, this Church is closed to the public as it is under renovation.

Church of Our Lady of Augustia

The church has been whitewashed with the artwork done up in blue. The edges of the door and the Church are painted blue.

Somehow I liked this combination of white and blue. Perhaps they should have used the same combination in the Cathedral too.

Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary

Monday, May 28, 2012

Walk straight on from the Cathedral of Bom Jesus and we reach the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary.

This chapel reminds me of the chapels in Goa, called “Copel in Konkani.” In Goa, there is one chapel in every village, but this was the first one I had found in Daman.

The architecture of the chapels in Goa and Daman is remarkably similar, but that is not surprising, considering that both places have a strong Portuguese influence.

Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary

It appeared to me that a chapel feast had recently been celebrated here as there were buntings and festoons hung at the porch of the church. This church is not accessible to public. So I couldn’t see it from the inside. But I did learn that it was built in the 17th century.

Next, I headed off to see The Church of Our Lady of Augustia.

Cathedral of Bom Jesus

Friday, May 18, 2012

Looking at the window pane, you would never believe that this Cathedral, completed in 1603 AD, is around 450 years old. It seems like it was only just put in place. It is only when you take a look at the entrance that you realize that the Cathedral is really very old.

The walls have been painted beige in colour with white borders. The wooden glass windows have been painted dark brown while the door is dark brown in colour. 

Entrance to the Church

I wondered if the painters had forgotten to paint the entrance of the Church. Or maybe they had been paid just to paint a few portions. Or perhaps the painters did not know what colour combination to be used for the pillars and the art work created 450 years ago.

The main door is painted brown in the beautifully carved arch. The work on the pillar next to the arch and the other art work next to the door is amazing. This I have noticed is common at all Portuguese churches. There is a beautifully designed logo above the main door of the Church.  

View of the church from the side

Again as in all Portuguese Churches, this too had a pulpit, canopy altar and the 14 paintings of the Stations of the Cross. The pulpit of this church was beautifully carved; the minute details were clearly visible as was the image of Christ carved on it.

The main altar and the side altars were also beautifully carved and painted in blue, white, red and golden colour. All the altars were made of wood.

The Main Altar with Canopy Altars placed next to it

The roof of this church was very high and there was a mezzanine floor to accommodate additional crowds in the Cathedral.

The walls inside were also painted beige. The painters who had worked on it have done us a favour by leaving the old artistic work made by the Portuguese artisans as it was to ensure that we would be able to see the splendid work for ourselves.

The Pulpit

They made a mistake in painting the outside though. They should have kept it the way it was to represent its past glory. Or at best they should have painted everything white, in the manner of the Churches in Goa which were also built by the Portuguese.

The inside ceiling was whitewashed and supported by wooden arches. At the entrance of the Church there was another crest painted on the ceiling.

The caretaker of the Church told me that he had been posted in Daman for 25 years and looked after the historical sites here on behalf of the Daman Municipal Council. Services are held in the Church in English and Portuguese.

Inside the Church

The caretaker introduced me to Frankie, who used to stay in Mumbai a long time ago. Twenty-five years, to be precise. Once he came here to visit his in-laws. He liked this place so much that he decided to settle down here. He lives on the outskirts of Moti Daman Fort.

Frankie told me that the current generation is not interested in looking after the church but is in fact interested in making money far away from Daman. The caretaker and Frankie and a few others usually come here to kill time.

I felt nice being inside this Cathedral. The art work on the pulpit, main altar and the side altars was amazing. Even the minute details were taken care of. And the best part of it was that it has remained intact for 400 years. 

Erangal Jatra

Friday, March 9, 2012

Ever since Shawn and Flature had told me about this Fair which takes place at Erangal Village at St Bonaventure Church, I had made up my mind that I would go see this Fair. I go to the Bandra Fair every year. But this fair was new to me.

 The Erangal Fair is held every year on the second Sunday in January. To read about the Erangal Church and Village   http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2011/12/madh-fort-erangal-village-and.html

St. Bonaventure Church

I had gone to visit Matheran with Shawn, Perpetua, Savio and Flature on Saturday. To view my writeup on Matheran, click on this link, http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2012/03/matheran-four-points-and-lake.html

The relentless walking that we had done in Matheran had caused blisters on my leg but I didn’t want to miss the Erangal Fair. So despite my foot injury I decided to go to the fair.

 I asked Hithakshi to accompany me to the fair. We decided to meet at Malad Railway Station at 2 pm. As it was a Sunday, the frequency of the train services had been affected on account of maintenance work. We were able to reach Malad station only at 2:30 pm.

THe Erangal Jatra on the Beach

Bus no. 271 plies to Madh. Since Erangal Village is on the way to Madh, we boarded this bus. On this day BEST runs special buses to take devotees to the Church. Each bus carries a banner, reading Erangal Jatra - Reserved especially for the Fair (Jatra). The bus ride lasted for 35 minutes and cost us Rs 12 per head.

 At the bus stop, there was a big traffic jam, with police bandobast (police for patrolling the fair) and devotees in large numbers.

Giant Wheel

We added our numbers to the crowd. Both sides of the road were crowded with vendors selling sweets, toys, curtains, religious articles and foodstuffs. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the Church.


The church, built in the 15th century, was whitewashed and beautifully decorated both from the inside and outside with lighting and other décor.

Statue of St. Bonaventure in the Church

Statues of St Bonaventure were kept for people to pay their respects. People came in huge numbers to pay their respects here. We too joined them in the queue.


The Church is near the shore and as it was a time of low tide, the waterline was far away. It was the perfect opportunity for vendors to set up their stalls.

The Well of Death

Flature had left a comment on my earlier post on Madh Fort, Erangal Church and Mandapeshwar Caves that the fair was usually meant for East Indian communities who used to cook, play music and eat in the shacks they used to build on the sea shore. But that was the past.

To view my post on Madh Fort, Erangal Church and Mandapeshwar Caves, click on this link http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2011/12/madh-fort-erangal-village-and.html

As I entered the Fair (jatra) I was reminded of the depiction of fairs in old Hindi B&W movies that I used to see as a child. This fair was exactly like those shown in those old films.

Local Tattoo Artist

The tall giant wheel ride, the merry-go-rounds, and small car rides for the children, the Well of Death where daredevils drove their cars and bikes, the ice cream and cold drink stalls on the beach, the toys prepared by the local artisans, the tattoo artists with their tattoo machines and designs, the clothes kept for sale on the beach, the sweet marts, toy shops, the balloon shooting galleries – all these things took me back in time.

There were horse carts too on the beach, where people were enjoying joyrides for a price.

The Erangal Jatra

As we walked through the fair, we saw a number of people sitting about in small shacks and listening to songs played on their car stereos while eating food cooked on a slow fire. These family get-togethers were a nice sight to see.

Later we headed off to the rocks to enjoy the cool breeze. We sat there and enjoyed the quiet sea and the huge crowd in a distance at the fair and later decided to head back as that was the only way in and out of Erangal Village. 

Families enjoying on the Beach

The bus stops were extremely crowded so we decided to walk for a while. Before long, we noticed that other people were also doing the same. We walked for a long time, without sighting an empty bus or rickshaw. Finally having walked for two hours we reached the junction from where one road goes to Manori and the other to Madh.

 At this point my legs began to protest against the strain they were being subjected to, but I could not indulge their need for rest. I still had to walk to get to some mode of transport. We decided to go to Manori and catch a bus there. Apparently the other people who were walking also had the same idea, because they all landed up at Manori.   

BEST Bus to Erangal Jatra

Now it was around 8 pm. We sat on the banks of the Manori Creek enjoying the view of the Pagoda in the distance. It was truly amazing. There was darkness all around with just the Pagoda shining as if it was made of gold.

 We had no luck with buses and rickshaws even at Manori. So we decided to walk to Malad station. It was a 1½-hour journey on two feet. To add fuel to the fire there was a traffic jam along the road, which made the movement of vehicles and humans difficult. As motorists started clambering on the footpaths, we humans found it increasingly difficult to walk.

 At last after walking for about 45 minutes, the traffic jam showed signs of moving so we immediately hopped on to a bus and reached the station in 30 minutes.

 I was extremely tired with all the walking and the blisters on my leg didn’t make matters any easier for me. Finally we boarded a train and headed home.

 In spite of the pain, I still enjoyed the jatra a lot. It brought back old memories.

 Thanks, Hithakshi, for accompanying me on this trip.

Map to St. Bonaventure Church from Malad Station



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