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