Murud-Janjira.

(Exploring the un-conquered)

Route: Bandra -- Sion (NH3) -- Sion-Panvel Express Hwy -- Vashi Bridge -- Palm Beach Rd -- Uran Rd -- Kochi-Panvel Rd (NH 17) – Pen -- Alibaug Rd (NH 4B) –Murud/Janjira.

 

The twin holidays in honor of Ramadan Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi gave us a chance to pack or bags and leave home to explore another one of the many weekend getaways that Maharashtra has to offer. After much debate and discussion, we decided to pay a visit to Alibaug, Murud and Janjira.



TOWARDS ALIBAUG



Murud-Janjira, famous mostly for the unconquered Janjira fort (1490-1947) is a string of beautiful, picturesque, sea-side towns located along the Konkan coast, 150 kms away from Mumbai. I’d say that the monsoon season is the best time to visit here as this is when the countryside is painted in every possible shade of green. The drive to Janjira is fairly long (mostly due to poor conditions of some roads), but it’s an experience one must not let go of…especially if you hail from a concrete jungle like amchi Mumbai. Once you get onto the Alibaug road, you get to feast your eyes on the sparkling Arabian Sea on one side and the lush, green countryside stretched out on the other.



MURUD



Since, we had very little time to spend on this particular holiday, we decided to give Alibaug a skip and drove straight on towards Murud, (42 kms south of Alibaug) which is fast becoming a hot tourist destination with a number of tourists choosing to stay in and around Murud. En route, we did stop here ‘n there to stretch our legs and to capture the surroundings through the eyes of the camera.



THE GOLDEN SWAN

On arriving at Murud our first concern was finding a place to dump our bags and spend the night. One can find many little inns and hotels lining the narrow streets on either side. We settled on what seemed like the best deal around – The Golden Swan Beach Resort, a Mediterranean style resort that is well-maintained, clean and pleasing to the eye. It consists of a couple of cottages painted a cool white and green. There are two little gazebos, a small play area for kids, hammocks to take a nap in and also some loungers for those who’d like to snooze out in the sun. Mention must be made of the restaurant run by the resort. It’s clean, the staff is alert, polite and attentive, and, most importantly, the food is very good, both w.r.t quantity and quality. A big plus point! It's a good place to stay and the room rates begin at 3000, which is worth every penny, considering the effort taken to keep the place clean, tidy and beautiful.

PALACE ON THE CLIFF

The backyard of the resort opens directly out onto the loneliest, prettiest and most breath-taking stretch of beach I have ever seen (Of course, the Goan beaches are awesome too, but this one still deserves all the praise it can get.) One also gets a direct view of the Pratapgad Fort, commonly known as Kasa Fort by the locals. It was built by Shambhaji in a failed attempt to conquer the mighty Janjira that lies a few kilometers to the left of Kasa. But before we get to Janjira, a mention must be made to the beautiful palace peeping from above the trees on a cliff to the right of Kasa.  In 1885, the ruler of Janjira moved into this magnificent palace designed with a fusion of Mughal and Gothic architecture and built on a cliff, with a heavenly view of Murud and the Arabian Sea. The external beauty of the palace tempts one to explore the beauty inside, however you can see the palace only from outside as the place is still owned by the descendants of the Nawab and is a private property.

Keeping our bags in our room, we headed to the restaurant for a quick snack, which turned out to be hot, vegetable pakodas with chutney and some grilled omelet sandwiches with salad and chilly-potato wedges. Tasty and filling! We then spent the rest of the evening exploring the vast, sandy expanse of the beach and stayed long enough to click pictures of the sunset, which didn’t work out too well as it was a rather cloudy day. The almost deserted beach with the greenery all around, a palace on a cliff, a sparkling sea and the shadow of a fort in the distance, all put together, they make for the perfect place for people to unwind and relax. It is also a good place for couples who wish to spend some quiet, quality time with each other.

COTTAGES - THE GOLDEN SWAN

Post dinner, our bellies stuffed with palak-paneer, chollay and assorted rotis and kulchas, we decided to amble out to watch the waves in the moonlight…which was non-existent that night. We settled for a brief, leisurely walk in the resort itself, which is not a very bad thing to do. The place looks very pretty with the lights in the little park and other families/couples seated in pleasant silence at the tables and chairs provided outside each cottage.

        The next morning, after a yummy breakfast (this time, it was the Spanish Egg – an omelet stuffed with cheese, capsicum & mushroom, accompanied by buttered bread, grilled tomato and hash brown potatoes…a must try!) we packed, paid our bills and drove 4 kms around the hill and headed towards Janjira, off the coast of Rajapuri. It’s history is exotic. Among the different races that have ruled in India, were the Africans (known as ‘Habshis’ or ‘Siddis’ in western India). One of the places they ruled was the state of Janjira. Today, it is no longer a state, but is part of the Raigad district of Maharashtra. Janjira is Maharashtra's most majestic and commanding fort. Its 36-feet-high walls were impregnable to everyone. Shivaji tried to take this capital of the Siddis by sea and failed.It is famous for being the only fort along India's western coast that remained undefeated despite Maratha, Dutch and English East India Company attacks.


JANJIRA-THE INVINCIBLE FORT

 As you drive up the hill and around the bend, you catch your first glimpse of the majestic fort surrounded by lashing waves on all sides. There are daily boat trips to Janjira which is not too far from the coast, but this service is shut in the rainy months of June-August. Since it was still raining, we didn’t expect to visit the fort, but Lady Luck seemed to be on our side and we hopped into the first boat of the post-monsoon season (Fare. Rs. 20/- only) and sailed off towards the fort with one of the boatmen squatting on the rim, chatting away about the history of Janjira. According to him, one main reason why the fort was never won is that it was rather difficult for anyone to locate the entrance, which is very cleverly concealed and constructed. It was still high tide when we got there and the lashing waves made it difficult for our little boat to get close to the fort. It was a wee-bit frightening, with the boat swaying dangerously close to the massive fort walls and the almost angry waves that rose and fell on every side. It took whispered prayers and many hands to half fling and half pull us out of the boat onto the steps of the fort, but it was an adventure in itself. Once inside, one sees that the fort is quite large. It houses two fresh-water ponds and was once the residence of at least 150 families. There is also a little dargah, some mosques and, the guide said there were temples too, the remains of which are nowhere to be seen. There are deep, dark dungeons, secret tunnels and the tombs of the Siddi, his family and few others who lived on the island-fort.


INSIDE THE FORT

     Around one of the ponds one can see the ruins of what once used to be the Queen’s palace. Other than that, one notices that the fort had been superbly planned and designed, with markets, ponds, houses, mosques and also sections that served as the armory, look-out points and of course, huge canons all around that succeeded in keeping the enemies at bay. From the windows to the north of the fort, you can see the Kasa fort at a distance.

Getting back into the boat was again a frightful, yet exhilarating experience. We had to get back in the way we got out. If getting out was difficult, getting in was even worse, but after much pushing, pulling and flinging we made it out alive and safe. The jetty was submerged under water, so we hade to wade a bit and get to the shore.

(Note: the guides charge around Rs. 400/- for each group to provide you a tour of the fort. Haggle. Also, do be generous and tip the boys who row the boats as it is quite a task.)

That done, we would have liked to stop at the Karlai lighthouse and fort which is along the way, but due to shortage of time, we drove straight home to Mumbai, stopping only for lunch.

For those who have more time than we did, there’s a lot to look at and enjoy in Murud-Janjira/Alibaug. The waters are clean and safe to swim in; there are plenty of temples to visit and lots of peace and quiet to enjoy. So, the next time you get a chance, don’t think twice. Pack your bare necessities and head for Murud.

Pics by Misha



Kalvintin Trek

(This particular trek began with us heading to Prabalgad, but ended with us sitting atop Kalvintini.)

Height: 2300ft.

Route: (train) Bandra →Wadala → Panvel → (bus) Vashile → Shedung Phata → (rick) Thakurwadi → (walk) Kalvintini

For Akshay, Mamma, Ashith and Asmat, the journey began with the 6.59am local to CST. I joined them at 7.02am and in a short while we alighted at Wadala station and sat waiting for the train to Panvel. From Panvel we had to get to Thakurwadi by ST bus which meant waiting for anhour at the depot. So we boarded the bus to Vashile and got off at Shedung Phata from where we caught a rickshaw to Thakurwadi. Once we alighted, we began our trek.

The path uphill has quite a few diversions and it’s easy to go off track. Ask the locals for directions, if you meet anyone, that is. At many places the path is roughly tarred and quite clear. After a while we passed what must have been a waterfall (if it was raining), the remains of an old fort and a little shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman. At this point stone steps take the place of the beaten path.

There is also a lovely, green plateau from where you get a great view of the villages in the distance. It’s a pretty sight.

Next, we made our way through a thick cluster of bushes and shrubs and found ourselves facing the little village of Prabalmaach. This is a good place to fill your water bottles, but do remember to give the helpful villagers a little…er..something.

We found two very willing little tykes to be our guides from this point on. We cut through the village and continued our climb up what we thought was Prabalgad, but, as we later learned, we somehow took a wrong turn and moved towards Kalvantini.

On reaching a cluster of rocks, our guides left us to fend for ourselves, so we stopped a while wondering which way to go as there wasn’t any clear path in sight.

After a moment’s thought, we decided on a path and climbed using both, our hands and our feet. The soil was quite loose and slippery due to the monsoons and it was very important to find a firm foothold/grip. Also, I had made the mistake of wearing jeans. As it is, they are heavy, and I’d added to their weight by frisking about in what little water was trickling down the waterfall. Now, I didn’t know whether to hold my pants up or hold a rock to keep myself from slipping.

After much slipping, sliding and climbing we finally reached the top. Almost. All that was left now was a steep flight of steps cut into the rock and the peak beyond. We first sat and ate a light lunch of parathas and cheese before Mamma and Akshay decided to conquer the final peak. I stayed back because I’m chicken. Climbing up is no problem for me, but my feet refuse to move when it comes to getting back down, especially if the climb is very narrow and steep. So, the chicken stayed back to admire the many butterflies that were flitting about while the two mountain-goats tripped up the final peak.

(I must inform you at this point that Ashith and Asmat had left us a long time ago as Asmat wasn’t feeling all that well.)

Soon, the two brave mountaineers came back looking rightly proud for having completed the trek successfully. We then re-traced our steps and headed back to the base. Somewhere along the way, Akshay’s shoes decided to die and set free their soles. Mamma managed to hold them together with kerchiefs and shoe laces making his feet look like two, very ugly Christmas presents.

From Thakurwadi we took an ST bus to Panvel station and boarded a train home.

Bhandardara.

Route:  Mumbai – Igatpuri – Ghoti – Bhandardara.

Distance from Mumbai:     163  kms.

Off we go:

Our trip began at 7am on a pleasant Saturday in March. Our destination was Bhandardara, a picturesque little village situated at the foothills of the mighty Sahyadris. As we stopped for fuel, we sat deciding the various route options available. One led through Ahmednagar, the other, along NH3, through Igatpuri, while the third cut through Shahpur, a village off the NH3.

After consulting the all-knowing, all-seeing blackberry with its ever famous Google maps, we settled on option three. And so began our pleasant, yet very long drive.

A very important bit of news for all those who think the BB never fails – well, it does. Not only did it take us off the NH3 and through Shahpur (where the roads are terribly narrow and ridden with pot-holes), it also led us through a couple of other villages with equally bad roads. We did stop at a little local stall for a fairly tasty and cheap breakfast of samosas, vadas, bread and coffee, before driving on for another 45 minutes or so. Then, we came to a checkpost where we were informed that the rest of the journey would have to be made on foot as vehicles were not permitted beyond that point. Since BB had no other route to offer, the helpful guard pointed us back the way we had come and asked us to cut through Kasara.

So, we turned back and, after asking a few villagers to guide us, we took another narrow, 26km long, rugged, deserted road leading to the village of Kasara. As luck would have it, the road led us back to NH3 (where we should have stayed, in the first place) We took the NH3 all the way through Kasara Ghat right up to Igatpuri. Once we crossed the Ghoti Toll Naka, we turned right towards the village of Ghoti. From here it’s another 25-26kms to Bhandardara. Don’t worry about getting lost - there are excellent markers pointing the way all along the highway.

The NH3 is the shortest and most comfortable route to follow if you plan to visit Bhandardara. The roads are of excellent quality, and you need only to stop at three toll nakas along the way, each charging Rs.30, 29 and 50. If you keep to this route, you can get from Mumbai to Bhandardara in a matter of around 3 hours.

Bhandardara:

From Ghoti, it’s another stretch of empty roads that snakes through fields and open plains, and winds around mountains before a sign by the road informs you that you are in Bhandardara.  You can look out for the mountains lined with wind mills. Once you spot them, you can rest assured that you’re on the right track. The village is located in the Ahmednagar district of the state of Maharashtra, about 163 kms from Mumbai.

Although there are a couple of boarding options, we had booked ourselves into the MTDC run resort which offers, by far, the most spacious accommodation…although the service isn’t much to speak of. We had chosen to spend our weekend in one of their lake-side cottages. Each of these cottages comprise of a large, clean bathroom, a fairly comfortable bedroom and a sitting room complete with a little fridge and TV. The hall opened out to a eucalyptus lined backyard that overlooked the beautiful Arthur Lake. Park benches are placed at the fringe of the yard so that visitors can enjoy the view of Arthur Lake in simple comfort.

(Although MTDC offers fairly good and comfortable accommodation, the restaurant and its service isn’t much to speak of. The waiters are extremely slow, half the items on the menu are not in the kitchen, and do remember to wipe your plate and glasses before using them.)

If you’re looking for a place to spend the weekend in peace and quiet relaxation, then Bhandardara is the place for you to head to. Bhandardara sits by the Pravara River, and is a blend of natural beauty, waterfalls, mountains, tranquility, greenery, invigorating air and pristine ambiance. The Bhandardara Lake and the Randha falls are major tourist attractions. Bhandardara is full of attractions – from Wilson Dam to Arthur Lake. As legend has it, Shri Agasti Rishi meditated here for a year, surviving only on water and air, pleased with this display of devotion, God came down to Earth and blessed Shri Agasti Rishi with a stream of the Ganga river, which is now known as the Pravara River.

Bhandardara is famous for Kalsubai (1646 m), the highest peak in Maharashtra. This little village is often visited by trekkers, but mostly during the monsoons. It is also the best time to enjoy the many waterfalls and scenic beauty of Bhandardara.

Apart from what this quiet village has to offer in terms of tourist attractions, there is something truly beautiful and heart-warming about the place.

I suppose it’s because of the quaintness of the narrow village streets lined on either side by little, brightly painted houses. Everywhere we looked, we could see the locals going about their business of living their simple yet seemingly happy lives.



WILSON DAM



Unfortunately for us, it is the beginning of summer, so didn’t see any waterfalls. Even the famous Wilson Dam was shut to visitors. Having very little time at our disposal, we skipped the tour of Bhandardara and made the most of what the village had to offer us.

The climate is extremely cool and pleasant at this time of the year and it’s a pleasure to sit by the lake and watch as the rising sun casts its rays on the water and lights up the surrounding mountains.

Returning:

The check-out time at the MTDC resort is 9am. We spent some time clicking snaps beside the lake and then, after a breakfast of omelette-pav, we began our drive back to Mumbai. This time we stuck to the NH3 and were back home in just 3 hours.