source: traveholic.wordpress.com
This time round the drive to Mumbai was direct. My driver drove from 4:15 hrs to 9:00 hrs continuously without a break. We had breakfast at VRL at Chitradurga and moved on to Hubli. Stopped for a packed lunch for 15 mins and hit the road again. We had aching asses by the time we reached home at 20:30 hrs. The 16.15 hrs drive is tiring! The return too was exactly in the same time. However we stopped at Patan for breakfast and lunch time break of 30 mins before Hubli. Rathish, my driver was rewarded with a brand new T-shirt by Dad.While the first week was about spending time with family and Faral making for Diwali, in the second week we decided to go to Murud Janjira.
Murud Janjira, is a sea fort off the coast of the small town of Murud, hence the name. We took a yatch to the fort from the shore. The magnificent walls standing strong the lashing of the rough waves. This is the only fort which the Maratha's were not able to conquer. It is surrounded by sea and the clever Siddi's have dumped the surrounding sea with huge rocks. So when ships passed by they hit the rocks and the Siddi's looted the goods and captured the people.
The rock walls are worn out to some extent but the joints are still impregnable. The secret is lead is mixed in the binder. The exterior has stood the test of time. However inside the fort all you see are ruins neglected by the government. Wilderness and dilapidated structures one more time. Maharashtra Govt should learn from Karanataka Tourism Board.
We saw the onsite manufactured Kalal Bangadi Chavri and Landa Kasam cannons. Even in the hot sun the cannon were cool. Metalurgy was an advanced science then one notes.
We roamed around the towers, the hallways and tunnels, the open water tanks and the fresh water well overgrown with plaktons and algae.
We exited through the grand door. It is built in sideways and unless the boats go in front of it the door is not visible. This archetural genius made the Fort impregnable until the imposters did a Trojan horse like attack.There is not much left inside the fort but visted it for Pranav's sake to show him our heritage and to refresh a fading memory.
Do it once, atleast for the grand exterior and the history bit.
