Short trip to Murud Janjira with my Safari
Spending almost a year and a half, struggling with the pandemic (both in my Pediatric clinic and in daily life), life had become monotonous.
With different versions of lockdown following each other, travelling anywhere out of the city became an excursion only Christopher Columbus could relate with.
Meanwhile, I got my team bhp membership and my
Mystic Stallion (Safari Adventure Persona version), during this pandemic. I was extremely happy with my steed. In small, short trips around the city, the Mystic stallion, as I call it, proved more than adequate. But deep down, I knew I had not tested the real potentials of this beast .
Reading those beautifully compiled travelogues on Team- bhp just made the itch to explore the car and different locales, even more intense.
With Covid coming under control, finally convinced the better half for a short weekend trip. And voila- got an invite for a medical conference, first physical conference after almost two years, at Kashid beach, Murud .
Let’s just go - i told my wife. And she agreed, without any hesitation.
After tapping a few shoulders, I managed to get last minute hotel bookings at the conference venue itself.
We left at around 7.15 am from Kandivali (Western Mumbai suburb), to avoid the usual city traffic in Mumbai.
From Western express highway, took exit at BKC, and at Eastern express highway, took Chembur- Deonar Road to cross Vashi. After covering 60 kms, we managed to reach Palaspe Phata at 9 am. We decided to take breakfast at Shree Datta Snacks.
Shree Datta Snacks is an old eatery, serving typical Maharashtrian breakfast items. They have centres along Mumbai- Nashik highway at Igatpuri and Mumbai Pune Expressway. Having tasted food at all the three venues, I can definitely vouch for the authentic taste .
We filled our tummies with Batata Wada, Poha, Thalipeeth and started again at 9.20 am.
We joined the
Mumbai Goa highway. The stretch between Panvel to Vadkhal naka is around 35 km. The roads, in general, are good. However you will encounter broken patches in between, on this PUC (Perennially Under Construction) highway.
Those who frequently travel along the Mumbai Goa highway, know the notorious Vadkhal naka, for the chaotic traffic snarls at this juncture. But the newly constructed flyover, has virtually eliminated the traffic.
At Vadkhal, we need to take a right, under the flyover, to join Alibaug road. This stretch is barely 23 km. However it’s a double lane road, traversing through small villages, with relatively high vehicular traffic, thus limiting the speed considerably. It takes around one hour to reach Alibaug.
Once at Alibaug, there is a road that goes to the main town and Alibaug beach. There is a left road which joins Alibaug - Revdanda road. From there, Kashid beach is just 32 km. We felt we would be able to cover this distance in 45 minutes max.
However once we took that road, we realised that the previous (Vadkhal- Alibaug) road was comparatively butter smooth. This stretch of road is winding, broken and narrow. But certain sections of the road offer such scenic views, that you feel it’s worth the trouble. Road passes parallel to the sea at times.
Finally after one and half hour of driving, we reached Prakriti Resort near Kashid beach. Prakriti resort is spread across a large area, with good facilities, spacious rooms and friendly staff.
The video link to the property:
My Mystic Stallion resting at the villa
After attending the conference sessions in the afternoon, we decided to visit the nearby Kashid beach in the evening.
After that, we visited the famous Birla Ganesh temple, on Alibaug - Roha road, just ahead of JSW Plant. It was dark by the time we reached there. Also, no mobile or camera was allowed inside the temple premises. Hence I’m borrowing some pics from Google, to give glimpses of this beautiful and peaceful temple.
The Birla Ganesh Temple in lights
The steps leading to the temple entrance
Temple entrance
We returned to the hotel by around 8.30 pm. After a long day, we relaxed and enjoyed the performances by the local branch of IAP (Indian Academy of Pediatrics)
Day Two
After breakfast, we left for the famous Janjira Fort at Murud. We passed across the palace of erstwhile rulers of Murud, the Siddi Dynasty.
However this being a private property, we could not get inside to explore. En route to the fort
Janjira fort is just 13 km away from Prakriti resort. But to reach the fort, we have to avail the ferry service. The ferries are at regular interval, they charge rs 80 per adult and rs 40 per child. It’s a seven minute long ride, followed by transfer to the main fort, via mast boat. You need to preserve your ferry tickets, as the same ferry comes back to take you to the mainland after 45 minutes.
Brief Info about Janjira Fort
Janjira fort was built in 12th century, by the African Hasham tribes who decided to settle here for the ease of spice trading. The fort is built on a single island, and took around 22 years to build it. The fort has 22 watch towers and 365 windows. It has one of the largest cannons present in India, weighing around 22 tons. The fort, completely surrounded by sea waters from all sides, surprisingly, has a large reservoir of potable water.
Despite repeated attempts by Maratha empire to capture the fort , the fort never got conquered. The main reason is its peculiar geographical location. During lowest sea tides also, the fort is surrounded by approximately 35-40 feet deep water, rendering it inaccessible from land.
Also the position of main entrance, which is designed in such a way that, no boat can gain access, till it comes at least 20-25 close to the entrance, making it highly vulnerable to attacks from inside the fort.
Let the pictures narrate the present day status of this infallible structure.
The mast boats taking us to the main door of the fort
The Elephant and Lion symbols (seal) carved at the main entrance
The ruins of the fort structure
The dried up well
The third biggest cannon in India
View from one the 365 Windows
Yours truly with the fresh water reservoir in the background
And the parting shots of the fort
We returned to the hotel by around 2 pm. After lunch, I again got busy with the lecture sessions at the conference.
In the night, there was a gala function, after which we retired for the day. Next day morning, we checked out from the hotel, after the breakfast. The return journey was uneventful. We did not halt anywhere, and reached home in exactly four hours.
About Safari
I can wax eloquent about the looks and road presence of this beauty. However that’s very obvious. But I need to mention the ride quality, the comfort it offers to the driver and passengers and the ability to just roll over bad patches of road without any ado. The more I drive, the more it feels in its elements. Also I feel that the steering is getting better with more usage, or it may simply be a matter of getting familiar with the steering wheel.
I’m not half as good as some of our distinguished friends on this forum like Dr A. D. or Samba. However they have been inspiring me to explore and share. Also pardon the image quality, as they have been shot on my mobile phone.
Cheers.
N S