Janjeera May 2014

Trip to Murud Janjira – May 2014

Hero of the trip :)

Jamaat members: A very sweet group of some close F.R.I.E.N.D.S, who also happen to be my X-colleagues. 

From left Shalaka vahini, Sunil sir, Sharvari, Shilpa, Om and yours truly behind the cam :)

A week of 12-16 hours a day at the office is all it takes to make even Konkan, the coolest place to be in Mid of May. But it was not a last moment decision. We were planning and discussing this trip for over more than a month. And when you plan something like this, way in advance, you mentally cross out each day that goes by and all you think about is that day when you will start packing your bags for the trip. So every time you chat among the group, the discussion starts with the trip and revolves around it :)

So finally after crossing almost 40 days on mental calender, there we were waking up early morning on Saturday (waking up early morning can be exciting only on such events for most of us), getting ready for a relaxing awesome trip ahead. This time we decided to extend the trip to more than a weekend. So we had booked the Sandpiper Hotel at Murud for 2 nights and 3 days (weekend + Monday). We planned to meet at Sunil sir’s place, which is central to the city and our locations, at 7 a.m. (sharp :P :D). We met around 7:30 and we all started around 7:45 with me, Om and Shilpa in my Liva (imagine they had to bear all my richly poor jokes all the way and back) and Sunil sir and his family in his Santro (they weren't spared at the hotel) :P :D. We had planned so many things for the trip. Our cars were jam packed not just with clothes but with so many things to entertain our taste buds. Snack items were packed as if it was a delivery van loading at a wholesale food store. Not just ready made snacks, but we were enthu enough to pack a barbeque pot with us, although we never even took it out from the car in the whole trip. Few fishes must be thanking their Gods for that :)

After a light breakfast at the Khalapur food plaza, we reached the Pen road. We understood that there were many like us planning for Alibag/Goa  that weekend. We said hello to all these buddy travellers at this point and thus the stretch of around 6 kms, which was supposed to be a 10 mins drive, took us nearly 1.5 hrs to pass by.  Traffic tested our patience and we passed out with flying colors. We did not let the jam take away our joy. It was almost noon and this was the best time to break the seal of some homemade snack dabbas. Shilpa’s (mer)maid had helped her cook some really mouth watering parathas and theplaas early morning. The taste made us forget the honking cars, trucks and buses all around us. The road after that was free flowing. The twists and turns of the roads, the shady trees bending from both sides, forming a welcoming umbrella over the road, gave me immense pleasure of driving. After Nagaon, all you can see on your right is the greenish blue Arabian sea. Hotels charges extra for sea-view rooms. I wouldn't have mind paying an extra toll for driving on this sea-view road :) We soon reached our destination and were hungry again :P

Sandpiper Resort

Sandpiper Resort is located on a small hill just opposite the sea. We just had to cross the road to get to the beach. But to get to the road was a little tiring. It's a small hilly road as the hotel is almost at the top of the hill. So walking to the beach and back was a bit of a exercise :P. This just added to make us more hungry. The hotel is beautifully crafted as if a small portion of the hill is cut out and replaced with bricks and glasses. The swimming pool is carved out in way where you can have the hill view overlooking the hotel on one side and the open sea with small kasa fort on the other (this fort was built half way to capture the Janjeera by Sambhaji. But they couldn't complete it). I could imagine if the place looked so beautiful in this season, what would it do to us if we were there right after rainy season. It’s exactly like any location taken out from a Karan Johar movie.

First day we just relaxed after our lunch in our AC rooms playing scrabble with Sharvari. These kids are getting so smart these days. They know how to bend the rules of the game in their favour, especially when the other players are new to the game :P :D. At sunset we visited the beach across the hotel. Black sand, the melting sun getting swallowed by the glossy water, the gushing waves running to hold your feet and gently pull you towards them, as if they are welcoming you to their territory. What else could you want on a Saturday evening? And if this wasn’t enough, a dip in the hotel's swimming pool followed by the home made bhel out of the snack pack was enough to put me to sleep like a baby that night.

The next day, we had originally planned to visit Janjira fort early morning. But Sunil sir wisely advised that as it was a Sunday, it would be a terrible rush around the fort. So we spent the Sunday at the resort. Early morning breakfast next to the pool was so enticing. Afternoons went by playing Math scrabble (ouch.. this was a tough one :P), carom and posing for photos. We were playing lazy all through the day. We visited the Patil Khanaval for lunch which is neary by our hotel. A strict personal recommendation for fish lovers. This is the best fish thali I have ever tasted so far. It will make even the non-fish lovers fall in love with sea food. We tried this with Sunil sir but I don't think the smell works for him :) A small restaurant placed in front of the sea shore, open air tables surrounded by shadowy coconut trees, cool breeze and awesome food with a special coconut water jelly as sweet dish. It’s simply heaven. Do not try any other place if you are around Murud.  You will surely miss a lot if you do that :P Sorry we couldn't take the pics because we were so busy eating :) :P :D

In the evening we decided to go to the Kashid beach instead of our front yard beach. This one is white sand and more populated and thus more polluted. But they had hammocks placed all over the border of the beach under the tin shades. That was the only thing attractive and innovative over there. Water sports like banana ride and speed boats were also an added attraction. We just clicked around the beach and returned to the resort to take another dip into the pool. 

Finally (the usually dreadful) Monday arrived. It was a rear feeling as we are used to the rush hours of Monday mornings. This is a time when we usually think if we can rewind our lives just 2 days back and here we were actually waking up enjoying breakfast at pool side and clicking pictures as if we were on the verge of retirement :P :D :). Monday never felt so good. We were ready to go to the Janjeera fort. The boat ride was very interesting and adventurous for few of us. We had to shift to a smaller boat from the main ferry near the fort’s main entrance gate as that was the only way we can get on the fort’s stairs. The waves were playing mischief and the ladies in our group were having their own adventure time shifting our commutes :) Next we entered this 22 acres fort which is not just huge but an engineering marvel. Our guide (wasn't Navneet for sure) was pouring out his ancestral knowledge onto us and we were soaking in heat, sweat and information. 

kalak bangadi cannon

Making something so strong that not only withstands the roaring sea but also the fist of time is beyond our ability to fathom. The fort is actually made out of the rocks present on that island with sand and lead and were carved and cut to make the marvel. 
The rocks were welded by melting lead. This fort holds hundred plus cannons but the main attraction is the kalak bangadi cannon, which weighs over 22 tonns (Our guide added 10 tonns from his home I suppose as wiki mentions the cannon to be 12 tonns). This cannon was impossible to be carried onto the fort so it was made on the fort, with rings of ‘panch dhatu’ (like bangles and thus called bangadi) and welded with melting lead. This not only makes the cannon strong but the best part is it never becomes hot at any time of the day even after standing right under the sun for 12 hours a day. This also avoided the cannon ball to explode inside the cannon and could bre reloaded immediately. Our heads were burning under the sun, but the cannon was as cool as a meditating saadhu. 

The vibration proof technology of the cannon, the 72 inch slab of the 3 floored fort, windows with lengthy view only from inside and seen always dark from outside, the sweet water ponds inside the fort surrounded by salted sea are all a part of the amazing thought process, which was implied while making the fort. Small techniques from using the water gained while cutting rocks for the fort ponds, to building a tunnel under the sea from fort to the nearest port, tells us why this fort was never won over. The view from the top most point of the fort is breath taking.

This fort, which was once a small village for around 500+ families is now neglected by our government and is lying to bear the brunt of nature, which is breaking the inner walls one by one with growing plant roots. Also the moss and empty water bottles over the pond waters add to its depriciation. But the outer walls are determined to stay put and protect the fort from whom so ever or what so ever comes its way. May it be the attacking waves, the pouring rains, the shameless inefficient administration or we the littering tourists.

With a heavy heart we returned back to our hotels to freshen and pack up for the return journey. Our return journey was a mixed feeling as usual. Happy for being in such a place with such good company and sad for having to see the fun coming to an end soon. My Liva, which was floating over the highways above 100 kms/phr while the onward journey, was hardly crossing 60 km/per hour while returning. With our last fish thali (of the day) at Nagaon, we dispersed with a bye bye tea at Sunil sir’s place.

But that does not stop our bhatkee jamaat from lowering our spirits. We always plan the next trip even before our current trip ends :) We have already sorted out a vacation at Aurangabad during September. September seemed a bit too far for me, so we also have a Lavasa visit as a warm up (read as cool up) trip during July. So await more such travelogues from me with our bhatkee jamaat.  Till then enjoy the photos from the link below :)

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114702086921512698045/albums/6013182609305259889?authkey=CK_v6r6mhKm7IA