Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

After visiting the INS Kukri Memorial, we travelled to Gangeshwar Mahadev temple located a couple of KM away. 

Shivlings in the water

Provision of food and refreshments is available here. 

There are a couple of shops here, selling articles of worship.
There were many people who can come to venerate the Shivlings. It is said that the temple was constructed by the Five Pandavas. The five brothers had constructed five shivlings. The five shivlings are of different sizes. The shivlings were built at the bottom, in a cave. The sea waves directly lash onto the shivlings, keeping it submerged most of the time when the tide is high. 

Shivlings in the water

Many people got down to get a closer view of the shivlings. But force of the waves is so strong that, it can pull you in the waters, so it is best to stay far and see.

View of the sea from Gangeshwar mahadev temple in Diu

The tourism department had built a couple of seats facing the sea on the cliff. We sat there as we watched the sun go down. Water was all that I could see in a distance. The sea breeze kept us cool.
We then headed back to our Hotel in Diu. We had covered most of the places on our itinerary. Beaches were not on the list, but we still managed to sit atop a cliff, and enjoyed the sun going down the water I regret we didn't get to dip our happy feet in the water. 

Diu Bus Stand

We inquired at the Diu Bus Stand if there was any bus that would take us to Junagadh. Yes there was a bus going to Junagadh. As the booking office was closed, we still managed to book tickets from a third party vendor for a cost. Reserved seats are always better than travelling unreserved. The booking agent had informed us that it would take us around five hours to reach Junagadh as the bus travels across various small towns before reaching Junagadh. The bus departs from Diu Bus Stand at 7 AM.

INS Kukri memorial in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Monday, March 20, 2017

After visiting the Naida caves, we headed over to see the INS Kukri Memorial, located a few minutes away from here via the same rickshaw. 

INS Kukri memorial in Diu

The memorial is built atop a small hillock. There is provision for food and water here. 

The miniature version of the INS Kukri looked amazing. Though it is put in a glass casket. Information about the ship and the name of the soldiers who gave up their lives , is displayed here. 

List of Martyr's at INS Kukri memorial in Diu

The time was around 5 PM on my watch. The sun was shining, but the cool breeze didn't let us break a sweat. The weather was just pleasant here. The water lashing onto, the hillock. Water was all that I could see as far as I could see. 

From there we headed to our last place on our itinerary. The Gangeshwar Mahadev temple aka Shiva Temple.

Naida Caves in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

When I saw the website of Diu on the internet, the first image I saw was of the Naida Caves, they were just beautiful. 'I have to visit Diu' is what I said to myself. I then checked to see the other historical sites I can see in Diu.

Naida Caves in Diu

After visiting the Diu Museum, the rickshaw driver brought us here.

There is no entry fee. But point to be noted here, is that these caves need to be seen in sunlight. Light should be in plenty.

Naida Caves in Diu

There was hardly anyone at the caves, just the two of us.

The caves were all identical to each other. One can get lost in the cave premises you don't follow the signs. Like always we too got lost.

I have been have been either Buddhist, Jain or Hindu Caves. But these are totally different.

Naida Caves in Diu

The rays of the sun falling on them, made them even more beautiful. I initially thought the photos, on the Diu website were a product of Photoshop. But these are for real.

Naida Caves in Diu

It was calm and quiet in here. Had Buddha been here, he tool would have fallen in love with them and mediated here.  

Sunrise and Sunsets were beautiful, but now these caves too have made it to the list, thanks to the rays of the sun.

Naida Caves in Diu

It took us almost an hour to explore all the caves in the premises.

Fathima and Me at Naida Caves in Diu

Again there is no food and water available near the Caves premises. 

We then headed over to see the INS Kukri Memorial located atop a small hillock a few KM away.

Diu museum in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

The St.Thomas Church is now the Diu Museum. After visiting the St. Paul's church, we sat in the rickshaw and the rickshaw driver brought us here.

Diu museum in Diu

Artifacts at Diu museum in Diu from the inside

The church was converted into a museum in the year 1992. The artifacts in its premises are around 400 years old. The museum visiting timings are from 9 AM to 9 PM all days.

Diu museum in Diu from the inside

The museum is very small in size. The inside is painted white. The color common in all Portuguese built churches. The color has pealed off in certain portions. The museum is not very maintained.
There are plenty of religious statues in its premises.They are kept in a orderly manner. But there are too many of them, and most of them don't have any details about them. So if I would like to know more about a particular statue, I don't know who to ask? There is no curator either. 

Artifacts at Diu museum in Diu from the inside

It took us 10 minutes to see the museum. 

Artifacts at Diu museum in Diu from the inside

There is no food and water available outside the Museum premises
From there we headed off to see the Naida Caves. 

Saint Paul's Church in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Monday, March 6, 2017

After visiting the Diu fort ,we travelled to St. Paul's Church in Diu. The church is dedicated to our Lady of Immaculate Conception. It was founded in 1600 AD. by the Jesuits. 

Saint Paul's Church in Diu (Union Territory in India)

The design of the church was very similar to the ones I have seen in Old Goa in Goa and Daman.  After all these churches were constructed by the Portuguese. 

Most Portuguese churches are painted white in color. Not sure the reason why they were painted white. The front of the churches beautiful design, with emblem in them. It had three doors, the center one being the main door. It had three window lanes atop the door. This is something similar in most Portuguese constructed churches.

History of Saint Paul's Church in Diu (Union Territory in India)

The inside of the church was also painted white. The ceiling was high up. The design on the ceiling was also wonderful. Sometimes I wonder, how they might have designed them, without any gadgets. 

I said Fathima, and it echoed within the church walls. I was happy as there was no one around to ask me to maintain silence. Though I didn't do it on purpose.

Saint Paul's Church in Diu (Union Territory in India) from the inside

The altar and the palpit was beautiful. Though both are made of wood. The art work on them is truly beautiful. It might have taken the artisans years to complete both the structures. 

There is also a first floor, where people used to attend services.it was currently closed saw we had come in the off hours. 

The visiting hours are from 8 AM to 530 PM. There is no entry fee. But one has to keep footwear outside while entering the church premises. 

There is no food and water available outside the church premises
We then headed over to see Diu Museum.

Diu fort in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Diu fort, was our first stop on the rickshaw tour of Diu. To read about our bus journey to Diu, click here. 

Diu Fort in Diu (Union Territory of India)

The first glimpse of the fort was just amazing. The sun shining on the walls made it even more attractive. As we had too many places to cover in a short span of time, we decided not to waste any time, but to start exploring the fort.

The fort walls are short in height. There is open space near the fort premises. How I love to sit there sipping on some ice cold beer in the hot weather. In its glory days ships might be halting here, hence it appeared like a port. There are a couple of cannons here. No inscription on them. 

Fathima and Me at Diu fort in Diu (Union Territory in India)

The fortress of Panikota is clearly visible from here. The fortress is not accessible to public. Not sure as to why entry to it is denied. By the look of it, it was beautifully constructed structure in the middle of the waters. Though it was far and I possessed just a mobile phone, couldn't get clearer photos of it. 

History of Diu fort in Diu (Union Territory in India)

Other beautiful sea forts I have visited are Murud Janjira near Alibag and Sindhudurg in Malvan, Vijaydurg near Devgad.

Atop the entrance of the fort, are places two symbols, which appear to me like lions, not sure what they symbolize. The door is made of wood, painted black with a small chor darwazain it. It was made for people to pass through. Most forts have a chor darwaza.  I guess the big door is only opened when there is a occasion. 

There is a jail in the fort premises, which is still in service, entry in it restricted.

Near the jail are places many cannon balls. The cannon balls are placed around a soldier like structure. They are also places around a Cross and a small bell next to the cross. The cannon balls reminded me of my trip to Vijaydurg near Devgad in Maharashtra. They had plenty of cannon balls for display.

Please refer to the photo for the history of the Diu fort.

The fort visiting hours are from 8 AM to 6 PM, everyday. There is no entry fee. 

There are a couple of ruined structures within the fort premises.
We decided to walk on the walls of the fort to get a better view of what is inside and outside. 

Some of the cannons on the fort are beautiful. They reported a wonderful design.They even had a royal emblem on them.
Fort of Daulatabad, Naldurg and Solapur in Maharashtra, Moti Daman in Daman and Reis Magos fort in Goa, have beautiful cannons in their premises.

Entry to certain structures on the fort premises is restricted. 

I saw a different type of cannons sitting within one of the structures in the fort. These destructive toys looked like the ones which were used in the world wars. Not sure as to how they landed in the fort premises. 

There is a church in the fort premises. It is currently under lock and key. Not sure if it is still in service. 

There are a  couple of under ground dungeons in the fort premises. Entry to them is currently restricted. I have seen dungeons even at Srirangapatna near Mysore in Karnataka . And in Goa.

The ruins of St. Tiago Bastion and Chapel is beautiful. They offer a wonderful view of the sea. They are airy too. 

There is a light house. Not sure if it is still in service. As it was closed when reached it. There are a couple of cannons here. These cannons are beautiful. This the the highest point on the fort. The view from here is amazing. 

There are a lot of unnamed structures on the fort premises, but they are completely in ruins. How I wish, I had a time machine, I could travel back in time to marvel the beauty of this fort.

There is food and water available outside the fort premises.
We then headed to St. Paul's church.

DIU Road trip, Bus journey to Diu (Union Territory in India)

Monday, February 27, 2017

Diu is a Union territory located not very close to Mumbai. Total travel time is around 18 hours away, no matter which mode of transport you take. 

Bus to Diu

When people say Daman and Diu it gives one the understanding that they are close to each other but in reality they are around 9 hours away from each other. One of the reasons why people use the two of them together is because the official govt offices are in Daman. 

There are three ways of reaching Diu. Either travel by road, which is tagged on google maps. Or travel by train to Verangal and from there travel by bus. Or the last is by a flight to Diu airport. The air travel is the shortest, the other two modes of transport take more or less the same amount of time. 

After researching all our options we decided to travel by bus. That too a sleeper bus to Diu. 

Remember Fathima, she had accompained me to Chinchoti waterfall near Tungareshwar, joined me on my trip to Diu. We booked bus tickets to Diu, just a week in advance. We booked bus tickets from OP Travels, which is located on the Western Express Highway near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SNGP). Buses to major towns in and around Maharashtra are available here. We got the tickets at a cost of Rs. 700 each for a non ac sleeper bus. Please note, that ac buses don't ply on this route. 

I boarded the bus at 1:30 PM at Andheri near the intersection of the metro line and the western express highway. Thanks to the traffic jam, we reached Vasai around 4 PM. The bus was full and travelled by the Mumbai Ahmedabad highway. 

As the journey is long, you can do two things, either sleep all the way to Diu or play around on your phones. If you choose the later then do carry a power bank along for charge. One more thing, one can read a book too.

Day turned to Night and the weather changed, it started growing cooler in the bus too. Had to close the windows so that we don't feel the cool breeze. But the very next morning it became hot again.
The bus will take sufficient breaks at hotels for eating and refreshment purposes.

We stopped for breakfast the next morning and all I got to eat was this Fafda Jalebi. Jalebi I enjoyed as it is one of my favorite sweets but not Fafda. Hot tea to gulp it all down. 

Fafda and Jalebi

The road passes through fields. The color brown was all over the place. The roads were in good condition, which made the journey a pleasant one. 

The roads are tagged on google maps. 

Our bus broke down somewhere near the outskirts of Diu, hence we travelled by a auto rickshaw to reach Diu. This is the first time I have travelled by this mode of transport and it was fun. 

Though it is slow it will still get you to your destination.
First glimpse of Diu and it is a beautiful. Beautifully constructed roads which are totally deserted. The view of the sea in a distance was also amazing. 

We were dropped near the Diu Bus stand, from here buses ply to many towns in Gujarat. Buses ply to Mumbai too from here.
We got our self a place to stay near the bus stand premises. We got ourselves rooms at Hotel Galaxy. It cost us around 1200 bucks plus taxes each for non ac rooms. The ac ones cost around 1500 bucks plus taxes.  Which is pretty expensive. I guess it is the location that commands the money. It has a eatery in its premises, where food and liquor is available. Remember Diu is a Union Territory.
We freshened up in the room, had lunch and off course beer and then headed out to see Diu. 

As you go away from the Diu Bus Stand, the hotel prices drop. But then commuting to the Bus Stand, again will be a task. 

Diu has a lot of historical sites one can visit. I had made a note of the places I wanted to visit on the trip. I had St Paul's Church, Diu fort, Fortress of Panikota, Gangeshwar  Temple, Maida Caves, Diu Museum, Shell Museum, Church of St Francis d Assisi, INS Khukhri.

I didn't have the beaches on my list, as they don't amuse me much. It is just the names and the color of the sand of the beach that changes.

Our mode of transport to Diu from where the bus brokedown

Auto Rickshaw are available outside the Diu Bus stand on hire. One has to negotiate the rates with them depending upon the places one wants to cover. The rates differ from place to place 

We negotiated and got a rickshaw at a cost of Rs. 500 to see the places mentioned above.

The time was now 3 PM on my watch. We had to hurry if we wanted to cover all the places. 

The rickshaw driver first took us to Diu Fort.

Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary in Dadra and Nagar Haveli (India)

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary is located in Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Union Territory). It is located very near to Silvassa and Khanvel. One has to travel on the Khanvel road to reach it. 

That's us at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

Indragad was around 35 KM away from here. It took us a little more than an hour's time to reach thanks to the narrow roads. 

Directions to the Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary are tagged in google maps, so follow the instructions.

Entrance to Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

There was a crowd gathered outside the Sanctuary premises. We got ourselves tickets. It costs us Rs. 100 for four. Outside vehicles are not allowed in the Sanctuary premises. 

This is my first trip to a wild life sanctuary. I have been to zoo and national parks before. So I was very excited. 

Sambar at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

We waited our turn and finally traveled by the bus to reach the spot where the Deer were. 

This is the closest I have been to the Sambar Deer and Chital or Cheetal aka Spotted Deer with no barring or fencing between us. The experience was just thrilling as I was not sure how the animal would react with us humans all around them.  

Sadly the animals kept walking in the woods thanks to some idiotic animals who got dangerously close to them to shoot selfies. No prizes for guessing who these animals were?

Sambar at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

There are more of sambar here, in comparison to the spotted deer. To this Raj added, again thanks to the humans, the animals are not getting any privacy, hence they can't mate. Lol.

After spending an hour here. We decided to head  back to Dadra and Nagar Haveli to have some lunch. I hope Raj and Martina had some good time clicking some amazing snaps of spotted deer and sambar. 

More Sambar at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

We stopped at a local bar to have late lunch and drinks. As Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union territory, liquor is cheap here. The quality of liquor is better than the one served in Daman. 

Spotted Deer at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

Four near bottles of 650ml costed us just Rs. 310. You read it right. We payed a bomb, around Rs. 800 bucks for starters and chinese food. Now that is a expensive deal. 

Lone Sambar at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

Now it was a long way back to Mumbai. 130 KM to be more precise. That would take us roughly around 3 hours to reach taking into consideration the traffic. 

The journey was smooth wall the way. The moment we were nearing Hotel Fountain the traffic jam started. It was a mad traffic jam. It ate around 30 minutes of our time. 

The woods at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

Finally at 9 PM, Raj dropped me at Borivali, from there I boarded a train to Andheri.

Spotted Deer at Satmaliya Deer Sanctuary

Long distance travel on the bike is painful. My back and legs were in pretty bad shape. An experience similar to the one I had while travelling to Indurigad near Pune. But then I was happy that I got to explore new places. They bought a smile on my place.
Now you too can read it and go a exploring places over the weekend.

Udvada

Sunday, July 15, 2012

For many, Udvada is a small town located in Gujarat, but for the Parsi Community it is the place where it all began.

After the Parsis left Iran, they landed on Indian shores at a place called Sanjan in Gujarat. From there on they moved to Udvada.

Houses in Udvada

As I entered the narrow streets I saw beautiful old Parsi houses. Most were ground-floor structures with extended porches. A few were a storey tall with balconies protruding out. Most of the houses were closed, the windows and doors tightly barred and a huge lock hanging on the doors. The houses had photos of Ahura Mazda prominently positioned at the entrance. Each of the houses had a well outside. I guess the well played a very important role in their culture.

As I crossed the bylanes, all I saw were houses and more houses but not a soul on the streets. Surprising, I said to myself. So many houses but not a single person here. I moved on to see more locked up houses.

Houses in Udvada

Finally I met an elderly Parsi lady named Mahrukh. I decided to have a conversation with her to know more about the place. I asked her, “Why is it that all these houses are locked up?” to which she replied, “The people who used to reside here are now in Mumbai. They live there and come down here in the month of May, as it is holiday season there. Alternatively they do come down for Parsi festivals too.” She then pointed out the Iranshah Atash Behram and said to me, “The Iranshah Atash Behram is the most important Fire Temple for all Zoroastrians across the globe, and all Parsis pay it a visit.” She then added that though the Fire Temple was established only around 400 years old, the fire in it is 1,280 years old. I found this very fascinating.

I thanked her for the information provided by her and headed off to see the Iranshah Atash Behram. The fire temple is beautiful. The following words are engraved on the entrance: “Homage unto Thee Oh Fire of Ahura Mazda” As I am not a Parsi, I was not allowed entry inside.

Houses in Udvada

But I spoke to Mr. Dastur who resides just outside the Fire Temple. He sells articles of worship.

He told me about the history of the Fire Temple. The information he gave was the same as given to me by Mahrukh. He told me that the priest stays next to the fire temple and that there are around 150 Parsi households here but only a few houses were actually occupied.

He told me that there are no schools and hospitals in Udvada. Also, he added, there was no way to earn an income so people had no option but to leave this place and head over to Mumbai for education and other facilities. He told me that most people do come back in the month of May for their holidays and that the streets were bustling with people then.

Houses in Udvada

Globe Hotel is located very close to the Fire Temple. The tariff at this hotel is Rs 1500 for a day’s stay, inclusive of three meals.

As I had finished viewing the streets of Udvada, I didn’t see any point in staying here any longer. Also, I wanted to head over to Silvassa, my next destination.

Iranshah Atash Behram

Don’t be surprised if someone questions you on taking pictures of these beautiful houses the way I was interrogated. I was questioned about where I came from, my profession and reason for visiting Udvada. I should have asked for prior permission of the house owners before taking photographs.

Udvada can be reached by both rail and road. Gujarat Express and Saurashtra Express halt at the Udvada railway station. If you are travelling by road, you have to take the NH8. Exit for Udvada instructions are given on the highway sign boards.

Razzberry and Icre Cream soda, the local cold drinks, too good

I enjoyed roaming around the streets filled with old Parsi houses. Each of the houses was unique. The windows, doors, balconies, porches and the wells outside the houses were an amazing sight to see. Not a single soul occupied these houses and there was not a soul on the steets. All about me wore a deserted look. I felt as though I was a cowboy visiting a ghost town. Only thing that was missing was my cowboy costume and my horse.

If you love Parsi cuisine, then Globe Hotel, Adarsh Hotel, Ashsisvang Hotel and Irani Inn are the places to enjoy a hearty Parsi meal.

Udvada

I then headed off to a small hotel to have raspberry and ice cream soda. Having thoroughly enjoyed both the drinks, I headed off to see Silvassa, my next pit stop.

St. Jerome Fort in Nani Daman

Monday, July 9, 2012

Standing atop one of the bastions I could see the horizon at one end, the fishing boats parked in the Damanganga that divides Moti and Nani Daman on another end and the silent fishing village of Nani Daman in yet another direction.

Entrance to St. Jerome Fort in Nani Daman. Above the Door is a statue of St. Jerome with many inscriptions and carvings on the walls of the fort.

No wonder that the St Jerome Fort was built here to keep a watch on the vessels that ventured in via the sea and also to keep a check on the enemies of the state.

Fishing Boats parked on the banks of Nani Dman

St Jerome Fort has two entrances. The main entrance is near the sea; it is placed opposite the fort of Moti Daman on the other side of the Damanganga creek. To read more on River Damanganga http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2012/05/bridge-over-river-damanganga.html The other entrance is a small one which connects the sleepy village of Nani Daman to the fort.

View from the main entrance of St. Jerome Fort. The fishing boats parked on the banks of both Nani Daman and Moti Daman. with River Damanganga flowing through it in the Arabian Sea

At the main entrance is a huge statue of St Jerome, a renowned Catholic priest. A few inscriptions in Portuguese are placed below the Portuguese emblems on either side of the statue.  Atop it is placed the Cross. As I cannot read Portuguese, I cannot enlighten you on what those words meant. If you can read the language, I’d appreciate it if you could translate it for me. There are two huge human figures carved in the walls near the entrance. Carved around 400 years ago, they are still in good condition.

Within the premises of St. Jerome Fort. It encloses the Church of Our Lady of the Sea, a school, a graveyard and an open ground.

The huge main door has developed cracks in it, but it continues to adorn the entrance of the fort.

Though the fort is around 400 years old, the walls of the fort are intact. There is no sign of any breakage around the fort.  But the fort is covered by graffiti, which ruins its splendour and reflects badly on the narrow mindsets of the people who have visited this place and left destruction and ruin where once there was only beauty.

Portuguese cemetary in the premises of the Fort.

The entire fort can be covered by walking across the thick walls of the fort. It takes around an hour’s time to see the entire fort. The fort offers a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea, the Fort of Moti Daman http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.com/2012/06/fort-of-moti-daman.html ,and the colorful fishing boats parked in the waters of Damanganga.

The fort comprises the Church of Our Lady of the Sea http://merwynsrucksack.blogspot.in/2012/06/church-of-our-lady-of-sea.html, which has now been converted into a school. A cemetery and an open ground also stand on the premises.

One of the many Crosses erected on the walls of the Fort

The walls of the fort have holes to support guns that were used to protect the fort. I could not locate any cannons on this fort. I found this strange, particularly as the fort is near the sea. There was always a possibility of the enemy attacking the fort. So did the Portuguese guard the fort with the guns they had and the infantry or was there more to it, which has been lost to us somewhere in the last 400 years?

A structure on the walls of the Fort spoiled by graffiti

Standing atop the fort, I felt as I was the Commander of this Fort, keeping a watch on the walls to check that we were not in danger of being attacked by our enemies.

There are a couple of broken down structures atop the walls of the fort along with the open spaces near them. I wondered what they were. 

This narrow staricase leads to nowhere, one upon a time it lead to somehere but now nothing exists there



Another well carved entrance within the fort premises takes us to the walls of the fort. These entrances were neatly carved as arches in the thick walls of the fort with emblems above them.

Church of Our Lady of the Sea in its premises

There are these two big rooms in here to which gates have been newly constructed. I guessed that these rooms were being misused. There were beer cans and broken beer bottles lying around on the walls of the fort, making it clear that people come here to drink.

The other entrance to the fort from land with a few gigantic rooms in its premises

Guys, this is a historical monument and not a place in which to drink and to do graffiti. Do you do the same at home? I don’t think so. Then why here? This is an ancient monument, a heritage structure, which needs to be protected by us, not destroyed.

One of hte large rooms in the fort premises now guarded with a gate as it was misused by the people. Inside I noticed waste paper, beer bottles and graffiti on the walls. Its good that this is kept closed.

So please do not drink or do graffiti on the walls of this fort or other forts anywhere.