Day 2 (31-Dec-2009):
We woke up at about 7.30 AM to the sound of the waves and immediately went to the seashore. The calm sea was gleaming in the early morning sunlight. Some small boats had returned from their fishing trips and the catch was already carried to the market. The boats were now pulled on the sand and the fishermen were cleaning and inspecting their fishing nets on the beach. One large boat was being pushed to the sea from the shore. It was a mammoth collective exercise and a large group of people was busy in the activity.
Over the breakfast, we decided to take the day easy and to visit nearby beaches of Tarkarli and Devbag in the morning and Sindhudurg fort later in the evening. We got ready and set out on the narrow road passing thru the villages with houses on both the sides. Two cars would not pass on this road. And guess what… we encountered a ST bus coming from the opposite direction. Because of the driving skills of our team and the ST bus driver, the situation was resolved quickly. We were soon on Devbag back waters.
The spot was quite scenic. A large, clean creek with lush green hills on the backdrop. There were many boats in the area and the place also had a boating centre. But the activity was limited and the tranquility was undisturbed. There were a couple of good hotels right in front of this spot and we envied the tourists staying in there. We enquired for accommodation and were told it was available. Strangely, none of the hotels we went to in Malvan and the vicinity was fully booked during the year-end period. While that was good news for us, I was slightly unhappy because we could not use the tent that we had carried with us.
We went further down to Devbag Sangam, the spot where the creek meets the Arabian Sea. It’s a unique experience where you are standing on white, shining sand and see the creek on one side and the sea on the other. Actually you have water on all the three sides. A small tea and snacks stall serveed local food (Ghavan and Chatni) with local drinks (Kokam sherbet, et el
).
After spending some time at the beach, we went to MTDC at Tarkarli for lunch. The venue of their restaurant is just great - right on the beach, in the shadows of tall trees. Having food while watching and listing to the waves was an out of the world experience. The food was OK, but the location made it great.
We came back to the hotel from Tarkarli and left immediately for Sindhudurg fort. The hotel manager escorted us to the Malvan jetty from where we took a boat to go to the fort.
The boat ride to and fro the fort is pretty enjoyable and worth every penny. You see the fort on one side and the Malvan beach on the other. Big fishing trawlers are also moving around near the jetty. The ride is generally steady but it becomes jerky in some particular area. The sea is very shallow and rocky here hence the boat goes thru the predetermined route.
Sindhudurg fort was built by Shivaji Maharaj in 1664. A very elaborate and strong structure, it has three sweet water wells too. It has strong outer walls on all the sides and the only entrance to the fort is very well covered, rather camouflaged, so that the enemy cannot get to it easily. A 7 km long tunnel was built joining the fort and the land as an ‘emergency exit’. The fort boasts the only temple of Shivaji Maharaj and the idol is dressed as a fisherman. Impressions of hand and foot of Shivaji Maharaj are preserved on the fort.
The guide informed us that about 20 odd families stayed inside the fort and they had no means of transport in the monsoon and they become confined to the fort area. The school going kids had to make accommodation arrangements in Malvan during these 3-4 months of rains.
The sun was now closer to the horizon giving a great golden tint to everything. The fort, the sea and the seashore all started looking interestingly different. We had a great glimpse of the sunset while riding back to the jetty.
We reached the jetty at dusk. The jetty was busy with movements of people and boats, but it wasn’t like Churchgate station during rush hour in Mumbai. It was interesting seating there peacefully watching the hustle-bustle. It was end-of-business-day for many boats and they were being pulled out on the sand. Many trawlers were returning back from their trips. Interestingly, a large boat was getting ready with all the decoration and lighting for the new-year celebrations. We even saw a band, complete with their musical instruments, boarding the boat.
We too wanted to enjoy the New Year eve. On return to the hotel, we checked for the best restaurants in Malvan, and vroom… we were celebrating until early morning of 1st January.
Photos: (C) Milind