Inside Story - Sindhudurg

“Can you see the fort there?” We were at the Malvan beach, when we saw a two-mile-long wall of a fort standing tall against the horizon. “There are close to 15 families staying there even now. My aunt lives there…”

We had befriended a self-styled guide who decided to give us an armchair history of Sindhudurg, the fort that lent its name to the district. “Sindhu means sea and Durg is, of course, fort; hence the name,” he explained.




Built by Maratha emperor Shivaji in the 17th Century across 44 acres of land, this ocean fort located in Kurute island is home to several shrines, including one dedicated to the warrior king built by his son Rajaram. A footprint and a palm relic of the Maharaja are among the tourist attractions here.

The monsoon had just set in and none of the boatmen were willing to take us ashore to the fort, but they vied with each other to tell us stories. When Shivaji was ruling over Konkan, he was looking for a sea fort that would defend him from the onslaught of the Siddhis of Murud Janjeera.


The Janjeera fort had been unconquerable and Shivaji selected the rocky island of Kurute, and along with his commander, Hiroji Indulkar, built the fort at Sindhudurg. Built using molten lead mixed with mortar, it had 32 towers and was meant to be their naval headquarters. The fort remained with the Marathas before it was taken over by the East India Company.

I was more curious about the families living in the abandoned fort today. “My aunt stocks a lot of food until the monsoon gets over. It’s very difficult to keep sailing in the choppy waters.” The guide told us that most of the families were those of mavlas or soldiers who fought in the Maratha army. For generations, their descendants lived here; the younger generation has, however, moved to the shore in quest of employment.



Tourism seem to be their main livelihood, besides fishing. “Most of the houses are ancient as well. We cannot even sell them, and there are no facilities here; so, its like we are all cut off from the world, and continue to live in the glorious days of the Maratha empire.”

The tides recede and a private boatman offered to take us ashore. “Madam, there are ponds there which will never become dry. I will show you hidden passages. Did you know there was a coconut tree with a branch…?”

As we start negotiating the rate, I wonder about the families stuck in a time warp, cut off from civilisation. We start sailing to listen to their stories.

Published in Inside Story, Metro Plus supplement of The Hindu on September 21,2009

Musings by the sea shore

The mountains beckon some, the forests lure you, there is a charm in an old heritage monument and a certain peace in a remote town . I often get lost in new worlds, some that let me escape the mundane realities of life.

But when my mind is restless, I often seek the waves. The ebb and flow of the waters reassure me, the fury of the waves calm me down, the foam bathes my mind and the endless space of sand, water and sky give me an immense faith in life. I realize I am a microcosm in this entire universe and nothing can change the dynamics of life. The rhythm must go on..some waves are rough, some gentle , some gather around your feet,letting your toes feel the illusion of being embedded in the sand, but they let go eventually.


However the colours change as I watch the entire skyscape enact a drama in front of me . Colours of life , I call them - rose, crimson,gold, blue, grey fill the sky as it becomes an open palette.The fluffy white clouds flit in and out ,wrapping the sky in its fold, moving from one end to another. They change their shapes , gather around together to form a big white mass where little streaks of sunlight stream out. Sometimes there is a bit of a conflict in this paradise..where dark clouds throw a veil over the brighter ones, leaving the sky in a grey tone. Life I realize is a rainbow of colours, except we do not get to choose the palette.

I watch as the shore clings on to the waves, but it ebbs leaving the foam behind ..even that evaporates only to be washed away by another wave that drags a bit of the sand with it..I wonder if relationships are like that. The waves erase the memories, the shore tries to cling, the essence is absorbed by the shore and the sea as they carry a bit of each other when they embrace..only to eventually let go. The rocks at a far end are mute spectators to this spectacle. They remain silent as the waves unleash their emotions on them. Sometimes they lash at them, sometimes they embrace, but the rocks do not respond. Sometimes I wonder if this is what they refer to as being rock solid.

I see humans living by the sea, of the sea and I wonder if their understanding of life is much better than us urbanites who worry about mundane issues . As i grapple to understand my destiny and the forces that work within them, I look around and see the entire cycle play out in front of me.


I leave my footprints on the sands of time and wonder if my dreams will come true and if they would be etched for ever, when a wave flows up to me and let the foam curl around my ankles and erase those footprints away.Destiny I realize is not always written by us. We just get to think we play a role here. A little breeze blows past my face and the voice of the waves echo in my ears..Let Go...They say, you give back to the sea something that is important to you..I did just that.I left a part of me , my mind and my thoughts so that I could feel the spacelessness and nothingness inside me, and the voice still tugs in my ears..Let Go...

A speck in the horizon..

I was in Sindhudurg on the Konkan coastline last week when the dramatic skies above the Arabian Sea changed from a bright blue to gold to rosy pink to grey and black. We spent every day at a different beach, but this picture of the Tarkarli Beach stands out in my mind. It may not enter a picture post card contest, but it gave me a perspective of life..how insignificant and small we human beings are when compared to nature. It reminds of the last two lines of Keats'(my all time fav poet) sonnet, " When I have fears that I may cease to be " ..

...then on the Shore
Of the wide world I stand alone and think
Till Love and Fame to Nothingness do sink.."

What does it remind you of ?

For more wonderful skies around the world, click here

Sindhudurg - a refreshing trip

I finally satisfied my wanderlust for a new destination. Sindhudurg it was last week on the Konkan coast on the Maharashtra-Goa border. Before I take you to the sights and sounds of Sindhudurg, I had my heart fill of sharbats , vada pavs , misal pavs, kandha(onion)bhajji..The sharbats (juices-refer to the first picture)are the most refreshing,especially the kokum .Im still salivating..