Arnala beach in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra

Monday, November 5, 2018

Arnala beach is located in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra. Arnala Fort is located very close to the beach.

Arnala beach in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra

 We decided to travel to Virar station by a local train and from there board the State Transport bus to the beach. One can also travel to the beach via a private vehicle or rickshaw. Directions to Arnala beach are tagged on google maps. 


Refreshments are available near the beach premises.

Waves lashing onto the black sands of Arnala beach in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra

We reached the beach around 5 PM like always. The sun was shining with cool breeze blowing. The waters appeared like glittering gold due to the sun. There were a couple of locals who were out for a swim in the waters. We didn't venture in the waters. 

Garbage and people at Arnala beach in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra

Sad to say but there was a lot of garbage on the shores of Arnala Beach. Hopefully beach cleaning needs to be undertaken. i guess it was high tide due to which the garbage would have landed on the shores.

Arnala fort on the island

Arnala is a black sand beach. We clicked a couple of photos and then waited for the sun to set. Got some wonderful photos here. We could see the island of Arnala which houses the Arnala fort in a distance. 

Fathima and Me at Arnala beach in Arnala near Virar in Maharashtra

We then decided to head back home. 

Tungareshwar in Vasai

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

We have been planning to visit Tungareshwar for quite some time now but none of our plans were working out. 

Ketaki outside Vasai Railway Station

Last minute plans work well with me. So on Thursday we decided to visit Tungareshwar on Saturday. Johnson, Michael, Vivian and Dominic decided to accompany me. Dates? I believe we visited Tungareshwar two weeks ago.

Misal Pav

As decided I met Michael and Johnson at Andheri Station at 6:45 AM. We boarded the 7:03 AM Virar Fast train to alight at Vasai Rd Station at 7:42 AM. For a change the train was empty and we managed to get ourselves a place to sit in the train. In Rush Hour it is madness travelling in trains. 

Tungareshwar hill range

Vivian couldn't make it. Dominic met us at Vasai Rd. Station at 7:50 AM. On time. Managing time is very important while travelling. 

We decided to break for breakfast at Hotel Ketaki as advised by Dominic. This hotel is located outside the station in the east and serves amazing Misal Pav. After having our stomach's full and then gulping down some hot tea we sat in Dominic's car zoomed off to Tungareshwar.

Gren Tungareshwar base

Tungareshwar is located on the Mumbai Ahmedabad Expressway. It is the highest point in Vasai. Tungareshwar is located around 2177 feet above sea level. Atop the hill is the temple dedicated to   Shiva.

One of the water crossings

It took us around 25 minutes to reach the base of Tungareshwar. As per Dominic this place is jam packed on Sunday. We were lucky that we decided to go on a Saturday. Three's Co. As Dominic couldn't make it to the top. As he had other priorities. A big thank you to him to make time to drop us to the base of Tungareshwar. 

Tungareshwar can also be reached by boarding a rickshaw from Vasai and Virar.  Cost approx Rs. 150 from Vasai, Not sure about the fare from Virar. Had Vivian come we would have known. Tungareshwar can also be reached by private mode of transport. 

Stoney Road to Tungareshwar

We picked up some bananas for a healthy snack and water to keep us hydrated till the top. 

Johnson was trekking up the hills for the first time so we kept a slow pace. a broad stoney road leads all the way till the top. Wth lush forest on either side of it. The uneven road is filled with stones of all shapes and sizes. Rickshaws ply till the top. Not sure how they manage to do it. People in it sure have a bumpy ride.  

Angry Birds Bike

On our way we had to cross a knee length nala (dirty water stream) and two more clear water bodies. It was fun crossing the ice cold water bodies. Leg Freeze.  the water bodies uphill we so clear that we could see the rocks below it. 

Merwyn, Micheal and Johnson - Group Selfie

As the trek starts, parallel to the stoney road runs the water body. The water comes down from the hills. So there are many waterfalls and mini waterfalls on the way. 

The weather was pleasant. Not rainy nor sunny. Thank God for the amazing weather. 

Road to Tungareshwar

On our way we noticed this bike, I guess the owner is a big fan of angry birds. The bike had angry birds stickers all over it. 

It took us 1 1/2 hours to reach the temple on top. The stoney road offers a amazing view of the surrounding hill ranges. As it had rained the hills were covered with thick forest. Michael expressed his wish to climb them. To this I replied, "Ya right"

Waterfall

Finally we reached the top. All were exhausted as our water supply had depleted and we had consumed the bananas also. 

Outside the temple premises are vendors selling Gola, Corn, Cold Drinks and light snacks. 

Stoney Road

We breaked here to refresh ourselves with some cucumber and Lemon Water and  Gola.  

We rested for a couple of minutes here and then decided to head back to start point. On our way we decided to take time out to do Insect Photography. Something I have never done in my travel expeditions. 

Selfie

We stopped at one of the mini waterfalls on the way to cool our feet in the flowing waters and to take some DP pics for Facebook and Whatsapp. There were tiny fish in it who gave us a Fish Massage. Fish Massage is free said Johnson. Else we will have to shell out 100 bucks or more just for one in the mall. 

After resting here for a while we decided to move downhill.  

Shiva Temple in Tungareshwar

Also I managed to take good selfies of us and myself on this trip. I could have tried this earlier. I never occurred to me.  

Michael, Johnson and I stopped by each and every insect we could lay our eyes on to take photos. Johnson managed in fooling us and we ended up taking pics of a dead frog. I was like how come the frog is not moving when we are so close to it. I was a feet away from it. Later I realised that it was dead.

Another view of Shiva Temple in Tungareshwar

Captured a couple of good pics of chameleons,  butterflies, moths crabs, grasshoppers, dragonflies and crickets. Maybe I should apply to Nat Geo for a photographer post. LOL. Please refer to the next post for photos on the same. 

Another Warter Crossing

Finally in an hours time we were at the base. Now we could see the crowd moving in.

Group Selfie

It was a nice and easy trek though the trip took it's tool on Johnson. But he will get over it soon and join me on another trip.

People packed Rickshaw crossing a waterfall 

From the base we boarded a rickshaw at a price of Rs.70 per head to Vasai Rd Station. In a matter of 30 minutes we were at Vasai.

Had Lassi and then headed home. 

Clear Waters

Damages were just Rs. 130 per head. Cheap and Economical Trip in the wild, I should say. 

To view Lifeforms Photography at Tungareshwar at Vasai

To read about my adventures at Chinchoti Waterfall at Vasai.  

Other waterfalls in have been too around Mumbai are Zenith , Kalote and Jawahar-Dhabosa. 

Markings on Rock

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

I noticed this rock near the Tum Tum stand on the Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway. Near the road leading to Nandanvan Resort near Virar.

What caught my attention is the markings on it.

Simply amazing. Looked like something pre historical. Though it ain't. Some frustrated person had made the markings,  waiting in despair for a ride to Virar.

Unconquered Kohoj

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Palghar is known for many forts, mainly sea forts and hill forts.

My last trek was to Kaldurg Fort, it was my second attempt and I was successful. So I planned to do Kohoj which was nearby to Kaldurg.

I gathered information online about the whereabouts of the fort. The fort can be identified by a human like rock formation atop the fort. Reminded me of the movie “Behind Enemy Lines featuring Owen Wilson, which had a statue of an Angel up the hill and how the enemies destroy the statue with gun firing.” This fort is located in Wada. Now the question you have in your head is how do I get to Wada?

Wada is near Manor which can be accessed from Palghar either via a ST bus or rickshaw. But the bus is faster. The distance is approx 32 km from Palghar Railway Station to Vaghote Village which is on the Wada Road, where the fort stands.

Kohoj fort in a distance

Now this was a short notice trek meaning Nelson spoke to me a day before and within 16 hours we decided to go to Kohoj Fort. As it is the month of May, the hottest month of the year I advised Nelson to carry atleast 3 litres of water. After all trekking Kohoj we were nearing the sun.

Nelson who stays in Mulund had boarded the 407 hours train to Dadar and from there switched to Western Railway and boarded the 504 hours Virar fast which arrived at Andheri at 519 hours. I got my tickets at Rs.15 one way.

It was nice to meet Nelson after a long time and we chatted on women who were a part of our lives. Haha.

At 610 hours the train reached Virar and so we hurried to board the 615 hours shuttle to Palghar.

Finally in the train and a place to sit, we started off. We were lucky that there was no fish being transported unlike last time to Kaldurg when the entire train smelled fishy.

In the train Nelson told me that he didn’t have a ticket to Palghar as the train booking counter was closed. I was surprised to hear that as the train counters open 15 minutes before the first train starts. I had my ticket with me. Only problem is Ticket Checker. If we caught then we would have to pay a fine. But it is strange that no tickets were sold at Mulund.

My worst fears came alive. A ticket checker was there inspecting tickets. We were lucky enough to sneak out of the station without getting caught. It is always advisable to travel with valid tickets else pay a fine.

We had breakfast at a Hotel Lokmaya near the station. Our Breakfast comprised of two plates of Medu Wada and two tea's costing us Rs.70. Though the food is not big shake but having a breakfast is always good. We didn’t know when lunch would be served.

We then boarded the 730 hours bus to Manor. Manor is around 24 km from Palghar. In 30 minutes we were there at a cost of Rs. 14 each. The view from the bus was scenic. The hill ranges that stretched across the backdrop were amazing. One hill range followed by another, like a chain of them. But no sign of Kohoj.

The dried fields in a distance stretching till the hill ranges with a few houses and trees to make it a beautiful scene.

We alighted at Manor at 800 hours and later found out from one of the shopkeepers that we should not have alighted from the bus as it was going via Wada and we had to alight at Vaghote Village.

Manor was a small town flooded with shops on either side of the narrow road leading to Palghar at one end and Wada on the other. There was chaos.  There are shops selling everything here. This is also a major bus stop junction.

So we had to wait there for another bus, finally at 850 hours we boarded another bus at a cost of Rs.14 per head and we reached Vaghote Village at 915 hours. While travelling we could see Kohoj and it appeared to grow bigger and bigger as we were nearing it. The road does a traverse to reach Vaghote Village. There is a human shaped rock formation atop, and it appears as if a human is standing there.

Vaghote Village consists of around 25 houses but no shops there. So if you need to collect food or water Manor is the place. The trek starts from here keeping the fort on your right hand side. We inquired with a few locals and they showed us the way to reach the lake from where the trail leads to Kohoj.

The lake was beautiful. Saw women cleaning clothes in the water and a few children playing next to eat. I noticed that shell fish is available in plenty in the lake. I make this statement based on the no of shells I located near the lake premises. I saw some boys enjoying a swim in the water to chill in the hot sun.

It was just 930 hours and the heat was unbearable. Nelson said if this is the condition now what will happen when we reach the top. Hot Hotter Hottest and to top it the no winds. So sweat like pigs in the hot sun.

The villagers are very friendly in giving directions and so we took it and followed the trail. There are stones marked with arrows on the way so that we are on the right part. But they disappear as we start climbing up the hill.

Don’t know if they vanished in the rains or if they were never marked so we had to find our way up the hill. But as per the villagers the way up is from the backside so we started to climb in that manner. There are many trails on the hills so had to follow them to some extend just to find if we were on the right track.

Finally the worst happened. We were lost and we decided to climb up there via the waterfall route. Though now there was no waterfall just huge rocks’ standing there with thorny bushes for company.  The way up was bad luckily I didn’t slip thanks to my new Action High Ankle Trekking Shoes. But the thorny bushes made the climb very difficult. Both of us were bruised on our legs and hands. We had cuts and blood flowing through it.

My rucksack strap broke. Shit climbing was a pain and now this. It was nice of Nelson to carry the bag up via the rocky and thorny patches. We were just 20 feet away from the top and the climb was getting steeper and steeper with thorns for company.

I checked my phone for signals got none. So I told Nelson that it is better to get down. As there was no way we could communicate with anyone and we didn’t know if we were on the right track. That is the problem with waterfalls.

The climb down was going to be difficult and we had to do it in order to get down.

With ample breaks midway we decided to head back from the hills at 1230 hours. We prayed all the way down till we crossed the thorny bushes and till we reached down the hill.

Finally at 1430 hours we were back at the lake. We jumped into the water to cool ourselves from the hectic climb we had up the hill. The water was refreshing and it cooled us out completely and we felt fresh to head home. All our tiredness disappeared in a jiffy.

After having a Jacuzzi for around an hour we headed off to the Wada Road from where we were to board a bus to Palghar.

Rickshaws are available to take you to Manor and Palghar but the journey is more perilous. As they fit as many people as possible in the rickshaw and it is difficult to sit in one position for more than 15 minutes without stretching.

So we boarded a bus to Palghar after waiting for it for about 45 minutes. Finally got our tickets at a cost of Rs.28 per head. It took us around an hour to reach Palghar.

As we were hungry we headed straight to Hotel Lokmanya to have Puri Bhajji’s and Masala Dosa and gulped it down with cold drink. After having our full we decided to board a train to Virar with a valid ticket. 

After we knew the train would be crowded and we had no other option than to adjust.

We boarded the 1855 hours Valsad Bandra Passenger. It went slow till Virar and from then did Borivali and then Andheri. Finally I reached home at 2045 hours and Nelson at 2200 hours.

The trek was difficult primarily because we climbed in the summer and to top it we got lost in the hills and had to climb up via the waterfall route filled with thorny bushes that bruised us. But the trek was a learning experience for us and thank God I didn’t get dehydrated on the hills like I did in Mahuli.

But I will come again to conquer this fort. A promise I made to myself.

Kaldurg Fort

Saturday, August 25, 2012

The last time I visited Kaldurg fort, I could not reach the top. 

To read about Unconquered Kaldurg Fort Trek in Palghar

What a shame! But someone has rightly said, “Try, try, till you succeed!” I therefore decided to make yet another attempt to climb Kaldurg Fort.

This time I planned my trip with Aashish Chawla. I had met Aashish via my blog. He loves to read my posts and visit the places that I have visited.

We met a day before the trip to discuss the train timing and other details. We planned to board the 4.54 am train to Virar which lands at Virar at 5.50 am. This would give us enough time to board the Virar Dahanu shuttle at 6.15 am. In case we missed the 4.54 am train, we had a backup train to Virar at 4.58 am. These two trains are slow trains. I had told Aashish about the 5.20 am fast train to Virar which arrives at Virar at 6.10 am. But he put off the suggestion, saying that it would be a race against time to reach the Virar Dahanu Shuttle. If we missed this connecting train, we would have a long wait in store. The next train is after a gap of 1½ hours. So we decided to board the 4.54 am train.

I had told him that I had been to this fort before and that we had to discontinue the climb midway and so I had planned to do it again.

It appeared that things were not going to work out according to our plan. Read on to find out just how.

The next morning at 4.40 am, I was at the station near the ticket booking counter. I decided to call Aashish to confirm whether I should book the tickets. So I called him up. The phone rang and rang and then got disconnected. Had Aashish changed his mind about going on this trip? Why hadn’t he called me? I would not have woken up so early. I began to grumble to myself.

Kaldurg Fort in a Distance

Within two minutes, Aashish called back to say that he had just woken up and that he would reach the station within 15 minutes. He told me to book the tickets. The only hitch was that we would end up missing the 4.54 and 4.58 am trains. Our only bet was the 5.20 am train, which we had decided against because of the little time it would afford us between disembarking from one train and boarding another.

Nevertheless, I bought the tickets at a cost of Rs 15 per head and waited eagerly on platform no 4 where the fast train was supposed to arrive. How the guy managed to do it, I do not know, but he showed up just as the train arrived, and we managed to board the train after all.

Now we were hoping that we didn’t miss our Virar Dahanu Shuttle at Virar.

Our train arrived at 6.05 am at Virar. Aashish got out and began to run towards the platform. I followed suit. We had a lot of running to do. It was a close call. Finally after a lot of running, we boarded a decidedly ‘fishy’ smelling train and managed to get ourselves a place to sit.

Only to find out that the train left at 6.20 am. I told Aashish that we were destined to board the fast train, to which he readily agreed.

Aashish is 48 years old but has the spirit of a teenager. He was very active and I was shocked that he started trekking just a year ago. It was a privilege to trek with him.

At 6.47 am, we landed at Palghar station. We managed to get morning tea and vada pav for breakfast and then started off to the share-a-rickshaw stand to board our ride to Wagoba Mandir on the way to Manor.

 At 7 am, we were in the rickshaw, waiting for the rickshaw to be full so that we could have a head start. Finally after a 20-minute wait, the rickshaw was full. We were all cooped up like cattle, and the rickshaw driver was clearly bent on piling in more passengers than his vehicle could properly accommodate.

After a 20-minute ride in the congested rickshaw at a cost of Rs 15 per head, we were at the Wagoba Mandir.

Luckily there were few monkeys here; compared to the last time I was here. We wasted no time and decided to start with our trek.

Aashish and me up Kaldurg Fort

It was 7.45 am on my watch. We started climbing. The climb is vertical. Aashish told me that he has been to at least 25 to 30 forts and never has the climb been so vertical at the initial stage.

But we managed to motivate ourselves and kept going, taking small two-minute breaks in between and finally reached the basalt rock plateau in a record breaking 50 minutes.

Aashish immediately assembled some stones to mark the place as everything looked similar here. Trekkers’ instincts, I should say.

The last time I came here, we had reached this spot in two hours time, because we had gone down the wrong path. But this time we decided to take only the road going upward, ignoring the other roads.

The rock patch offers a good view of the land, the water bodies, the curvy road leading to Manor from Palghar and the Fort of Kaldurg up on the hill.

Now we had another question in our minds. There was a small gap in the rock that led to the top. We were hoping that it would not be the way to the fort. It looked difficult from here. Imagine what it would be when we neared it?

But that did not stop us; we took a 30-minute break and started on the tricky journey upwards.

Walking on the narrow trails, mainly comprising loose mud, we finally reached the place where we had given up.

From there we followed the up-down, inside curve, outside curve, mud, stones and loose mud trail to the top of the fort and at 10 am we were at the top.

This is the highest point in Palghar. All the other hill ranges were far below this one.

View fo Palghar from Kaldurg Fort

The feeling of accomplishing something that we couldn’t do is truly amazing. Its only after you fail once that you appreciate the true meaning of achievement.

Not much remains of this fort today. A wall comprising five stone bricks is all that can be called a fortification. The top part is made of huge rocks that appeared to us as the fortification from the basalt plateau. I guess the shape and the colour is what made us think of it as the wall.

We could locate three rectangular shaped cutouts in the rock. These are water tanks which had dried up. They were not too deep. There is no water supply on this fort. So if you are planning your trip in the summer, carry at least three litres of water.

Unfortunately, some ignorant fools had written their names all over the rock surfaces. Idiots. When will they learn?

This is actually a watchtower as it provides an amazing view of the land below. The water bodies nearby, the roads from Palghar to Manor and the factories in Palghar.

We sat on the rocks and ate Aashish's egg parathas, while enjoying the cool breeze.

Then it was time for the climb down. While the ascent was difficult, I realised that climb down would be even more treacherous. Somehow I am not too confident when it comes to walking on loose soil.

Aashish was there, supporting me and guiding me down the cliff as we started the descent at 10.30 am. We reached the basalt rock plateau at 11.20 and after taking a 15-minute break we were down at the temple at 12.20 pm. We had managed to climb up and down in four hours. Kudos to us.

At the temple we had a splash in the water from the hand pump. After refreshing ourselves, we saw an ST bus approaching. We signaled it to stop and boarded it and alighted at Palghar station. The fare of the ST bus is cheaper than the rickshaw, as it cost us just Rs 14 (for both).

The frequency of the ST bus is lesser than the rickshaw, so people commute more by rickshaw and travelling in that congested rickshaw is a pain. Travelling was so much fun in the empty bus.

Me atop the Fort

After having our lunch, we were at the station waiting for our train which was scheduled at 2.45 pm. It was the Virar Dahanu Shuttle that was going to take us to Virar.

We killed time talking to fellow passengers. They could not believe that we had come to Palghar to see a fort. Then Aashish pointed out the fort to them. Why this fort, was their next question. Aashish told them that we love to do such stuff that involves breaking of hands and legs; it gives us great joy. Ha-ha

Finally the train arrived and we were at Virar and from there boarded a train to Andheri and from there - home.

We got everything right on this trek. We didn’t get lost on the hills; we boarded the train that we had planned to board, and everything went smoothly. The heat was not that strong to exhaust us so we managed to pull off this trek in half a day.

A big thank you to God who was with me on this trek.

Finally I can say that I have conquered Kaldurg with Aashish. Next in the line of fire is Mahuli. Why? Because it remains unconquered.

Arnala Fort

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Arnala Fort is built on an small island which can be accessed by a ferry from Arnala village. Arnala Village is located 10 KM away from Virar Railway station and around 14 KM away from Vasai Railway station on Western line. St. Peter's Church is also located here.

Old lighthouse near Arnal Fort

I saw the photos of Arnala fort on the Internet. The fort was in good condition, so I decided to pay a visit to it. This fort is also known as Jaldurg (literally sea-fort in Hindi) or Jangire- Arnala. This fort was built by a local chieftain from Gujarat and later owned by the Portuguese colonials.

St Peter's Church at Arnala Village

I asked my friend Hitesh to accompany me, I met Hitesh when I was in the 10th grade. Since both of us like trekking I asked him to join me in exploring the fort, and he agreed. So we decided that we would go to see the fort on a Saturday.

Lighthouse and Arnala Fort in a distance

Come Saturday morning, we boarded a fast train to Virar from Andheri Station on platform 4, alighted at Virar and boarded the ST bus to Arnala Village. Share and private rickshaw's also ply to the fort.It took us 35 minutes to reach the village. Alternatively Arnala Village can also be reached by ST bus from Vasai ST bus stand located outside Vasai railway station. No share rickshaw's are available from Vasai station.

Bastion at Arnala Fort

Arnala Market was the last stop for the bus and that is where we alighted. The market was packed with people. Smell of fish lingered all around. There was a Church nearby. St. Peter's Church. We entered the church, sat inside silently for some time and then headed out to see the fort.

Entrance to Arnala Fort

Fortification of Arnala Fort

We had to walk through narrow gullies surrounded by the houses of the local fisher folk on our way to the ferry wharf. Arnala fort, being a sea-fort, is in the middle of the water. This fact was not known to us earlier and it took us by surprise to know that we would need to go through waist-deep water to board the ferry. Our trousers were going to be wet. But we had not come all this way just to be put off by the fear of getting wet. As a lot of people stay on the island, the ferry was packed with more people than it could carry. But it was just the two of us who made it to the fort. Clearly the fort is not a must-see item on the agenda of tourists.

Fortification of Arnala Fort

Finally after 20 minutes, we reached the entrance of the fort. The fort was in very good condition. It has a hexagonal shaped water reservoir, temples and tombs. The main door of the fort is carved. It has a few bastions on it. It took us around 2 hours to see the entire fort along with photo shoots, of course.

Light House at a distance from Arnala Fort

Water tank at Arnala Fort

There is a lighthouse nearby which is around an hour’s distance from the fort. Unfortunately, there is no proper entrance to it. So we had to satisfy ourselves with looking at it from the outside.

Temple within Arnala Fort

Arnala Beach from Arnala Fort

The trek had tired us out considerably. Finally at the end of the day, we boarded the ferry and headed back to Arnala village and from there headed home.

Other sea forts I have visited are Murud Janjira, Alibag Fort and (Khanderi and Undheri )Forts in Alibag and Sindhudurg in Malvan.