EP 12 konkan, Tarkarli, Sindhudurg Fort visit, Malvan | Coastal Maharashtra
Namaskar friends! Welcome to Visa2explore! This is your host Harish Bali. Right now, we are in Tarkarli, in Sindhudurg district. We reached here last night.
We had booked ourselves a room at the local MTDC resort. I am standing outside the room right now. Look at the beautiful surroundings of this place. And the rain has enhanced this natural beauty.
This looks so beautiful. The ocean is behind this resort. Right behind these trees. There is a light drizzle and the weather is really awesome! Let's go! Prasad has joined us again! Namaste! Namaste Prasad! We are going for breakfast to this restaurant called...
..."Ghar Mithbavkar." This place just 3-4 minutes away from the resort. Sir, this Mithbavkar surname is derived from the name of the village. The village name is 'Mithbav' and when 'Kar' is added to it...
....the surname becomes Mithbavkar. There are many such examples through the Konkan region... ...like Tendulkar, Vengasarkar, Kudalkar, Mangeshkar! Nice! This is an interesting piece of information! Let us go in now. We've reached the homestay of Mithilesh Ji. I really like this place. Especially the unique feeling of standing in this space.
Lovely! So, we will first see the room and then have the breakfast. The room looks comfortable. The most attractive thing about this place is the environment. He has told me that peak season tariff of a double occupancy room... ...is Rs. 2700, including breakfast. Which months comprise the season? The tourist season is from October to January.
Alright! Shall we go for breakfast now? The breakfast is ready and we are eating... ...Masala Ghavan and Normal Ghava (both are made with rice flour). And Prasad is eating Ghavan made with brown rice. They have served us four things with this. Coconut chutney! This chutney has red chili in it. Third thing is this coconut milk.
With jaggery. Oh! It has jaggery in it. Yes! And the fourth is Usal. Usal is made of Kala Vatana (Black peas). This is a main food item used in this region because...
...I saw people at many places using Kala Vatana in food. Yes, right! Very good! I am highly impressed. Let me tell you, on the first look, I confused it with Neer Dosa. But it is nothing like that. Neer dosa is mainly crispy but it is not at all crispy. Hmm, it is soft.
And it tastes delicious! It thickness adds to its taste. And what do they add to this coconut chutney, ginger? Yes! Should I dip this bite into the coconut milk? Yes! I could never imagine that one could eat Ghavan... ...dipped like this into coconut milk. Although how could I imagine that because... ...I am eating Ghavan for the first time. I am happy! When I ate Ghavan with Chutney first, I thought of trying coconut milk separately. I liked that combination so much.
But now I feel like I should continue eating it with the coconut milk. The point I am trying to make is that this taste is unique. And if you come here and don't enjoy this combination...
...your food exploration would be incomplete, in my opinion. (nods) Look at the texture of this Masala Ghavan. And it has onions and tomatoes on the inside, with green chili. Masala Ghavan has a unique taste in itself, because it has masala, of course.
But since I've tasted it with coconut milk here,... ...I am not enjoying this combination as much as I should. What I want to say is that I am not enjoying this masala Ghavan as much... ...especially after eating the plain one with coconut milk. But this dish is absolutely unique. As I try its different combinations,... ...I find myself getting lost in its flavors. It has been raining continuously for the past 2.5 hours. Though it is a light drizzle but one would get drenched in 5 minutes.
We will finish this and then taste modak. I am eating Modak for the first time. Not today, I mean ever since we started this journey... ...I have had modak for the first time on this journey. This should be eaten with Ghee! Yes Topping like this! As I eat some of the dishes, like Solkadi, or Modak... ...my mind starts recollecting the best flavors I enjoyed. You mean in the past? Yes, where I've eaten the best flavours in the past.
Still this is good! We have finished our breakfast and Mithilesh bhai is showing us some coconuts. This one is the one we drink coconut water from. Yes, it is the same. And after a few days, or say a period of 2-3 months,...
...the green one turns into this form. Yes! And it gives us dried coconut? Yes! Hmm! Good! So, Mithilesh bhai, thank you! Thank you Sir! We enjoyed the breakfast that you served. Bye bye! Let's go. Prasad Bhai, what is our next destination? Sir, we will go to Malwan Jetty to visit the Sindhudurg Fort. So how much time will it take, this visit? Sir, it will take us 15 minutes to reach the Jetty point.
It is close. After that, we will board a Hodi (Boat) for the Fort. Hodi means? Hodi means a boat in local dialect! Great!... Let's go. We are on the way to Sindhudurg Fort. For your information, Sindhudurg Fort is built on an island.
Right now, there is sea in front of us. In the distance is the island. On it, we can see the Fort's boundary wall.
I think it must be at least a KM away? Half a KM. More than half a KM? Okay half a KM. We've already purchased the boat ticket. The boat takes 20 passengers at a time.
Each ticket costs Rs. 90 and that is where we've purchased the ticket from. Now we are waiting for the quorum to be complete so that we can visit the Fort. We've reached the Fort. We have with us Hemant Bhai who will help us visit the Fort.
He charges Rs. 500 for the Fort visit. In my experience, guided tours are always a best option... ...irrespective of the amount of reading you may have done about the place. Guided tours give you a more satisfactory sense of the visit. Shall we go inside? Yes! This is the main entrance to the Fort. It was made in such a way that it wasn't visible to the enemy.
This type of construction is known as "Gau-Mukhi Vahini." On top of this door, there are holes through which boiling oil... ...used to be poured onto the enemies approaching the gate. Alright! Oil could also be used to kill the enemies trying to climb up these walls? Correct! If the walls are oily, nobody could climb up. Correct.
Very good! Shall we go inside? Yes! We've reached the temple of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Let us go inside the temple and see it from inside. Please come! Kaka, can you tell us something about this place? This is the only temple in the world dedicated to...
...Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His second son, Rajaram Ji, constructed this temple for his father... ...during 1695. When Maharaj was 14 years old, he went with his mother, Jijabai... ...to meet his father in Bijapur. This is the first sword that his father gifted him with the message... ...that he should fulfill his dream of "Poorna Swaraj" (Absolute Freedom). This sword is called "Tulja Firang". It is 3.5 feet long and weighs about 2.75 kg. Maharaj used this sword throughout his fight for Swaraj.
How many swords did he use? Maharaj used 3 swords. One is Tulja Firang, this one. Another is "Bhawani Talwar", kept in a museum in London.
This one is a replica of that sword. And a third one is, probably, in Satara, with Udayan Raje,... ...who has kept it in Jal Mandir. Alright! So one sword was taken away by the Britishers. Yes! That sword was granted to him by the divine mother herself It was made of gold and embedded with diamonds.
Alright! We have just started our Fort visit. We also came to know that this is the only temple dedicated to ... ...Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, among all his forts. Yes, this is the only one.
Very nice! Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai! We are now going to visit some ancient wells. Before that, see these houses. These belonged to the staff members of the time of Shivaji Maharaj.
You mean their generations? Yes, now, their next generations live in these houses now. Come! Before constructing the Fort, Shivaji Maharaj got these wells constructed... ...which are filled with freshwater. These wells are constructed under his rainwater harvesting project.
The soldiers posted inside the Fort used to drink this water. Second thing, the stone used to build these wells is laterite stone. This was done so that the stones could soak and filter the water... ...being fed into these wells from the lake. How many wells are there in total? There are total 3 wells here. And their names are Shakkarbao, Doodhbao, Dahibao. Since Shivaji Maharaj found freshwater in the middle of the sea...
...he was also called "Panchamriti." Alright! Where will we go next? We will go to the watchtower. We've reached the watchtower. Wow! So beautiful. The view from here is amazing! This is the highest point of the Fort, right? Yes, this is the highest point of the Fort. It looks so good, see! This is the highest point and today's weather is awesome too! Light rain! Let us see the view from here.
Wow! Magnificent! From here, we can see and make out the whole boundary wall of the Fort. From here, we can also see that the boundary wall is built right... .... at the edge of the island. Beautiful! From what you've told me, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built this Fort...
...and to collect revenue from trading ships. That must be his interest. And building this Fort in the middle of the sea has an advantage of... ...not being in either shallow or deep water. Correct! The larger vessels couldn't approach the Fort because of less depth.
And in smaller boats, the enemy couldn't make out the entrance. Even if they make out the entry gate, they would have to go through... ...a curved path. So, all these things were included in the design of this Fort.
Correct! Amazing! I got my share of knowledge standing here.... ...but the scenic views from here are awesome as well. From here, you can see there is water surrounding everywhere. This is the view we are enjoying and sharing with you as well. Lovely! So now we will go out of the Fort. Any other important point that you would like to share? I am taking you to a unique spot now.
Okay! Let's go! When this Fort was being built, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj wasn't present here. In 1666, he was imprisoned by Aurangzeb in Agra. In his absence, his mother supervised the construction. After he was freed, he visited Rajgad and from there...
...he came to visit the Sindhudurg Fort. He was happy with the construction and as a reward,... ...he distributed gold coins among the workers. But the main architect of this Fort, Hiruji Indulkar,... ...refused to accept any reward from Shivaji Maharaj. Instead he wanted Shivaji Maharaj to leave his hand and feet imprints on... ...one of the Fort walls so that the coming generations could derive... ...inspiration from him. This is the spot where his imprints were kept in wet limestone. Really beautiful! This is an impression of the left foot of Shivaji Maharaj. We spent almost 2 hours visiting this Fort.
Though I cannot say I've visited all the points but I can say that... ...I've seen the main points of this Fort. We couldn't go to some points because of the rain. Hemant Bhai, tell me do we need to purchase the Rs 90 ticket again? No, you don't need to buy the ticket again. You will go back in the same boat that brought you here.
We will have to wait for 10-15 minutes for 20 passengers to come.... ...and then the boat will leave? Yes. Our programme is to pay Hemant Bhai his fees and then sit in the boat... ...in another 10-15 minutes. We will join you on the other side of the journey.
Okay! (nods) Thank you! Thank you Sir! We've reached back to the Jetty point. Next to this point, you can see water sports activities going on. People are enjoying banana ride, jet ski, speed boat, everything. I personally like jet ski the most. Can we go to the Malwan market for a while? Sure! We are in Malwan city right now? Yes, this is Malwan city.
And the market is at a walking distance from here. Okay! Let us go. We are standing in the Malwan market right now. I think most of these shops are closed because it is noon time. They must be reopening in the evening.
Yes! We've come to this shop known as "Sapde ki Dukaan" (Sapde's shop)? Yes! We've come here to eat Khaja (local sweet). But before I eat Khaja, I must tell you about a thing... ...that I haven't observed before. There is Khaja and then there are firecrackers too. I have never seen such different items being sold in the same shop.
It has always been like this. Okay! First of all, we want to taste Khaja. What is the cost of this packet? It is Rs. 40. We will buy this packet from you. Please open it for us. Khaja is a famous dish of Malwan? Yes! So, you make it with besan (chickpea flour).
Yes, chana-besan! These sticks are made with chana besan and then... Gud (jaggery). Gud and til (sesame seeds)! Lovely! Take one! The taste is good! This taste includes the slight bitterness of til and the sweetness of gud. This stick is a bit hard to chew but that is how it is made. It can't be soft. Overall, nice! Could be a good anytime snack! At this shop, I see kaju, brown rice, laddu, some local spices and...
...Kokum sharbat. There are jackfruit chips too. Jackfruit chips. Ohh! You have a good variety. So, buddy, I need to buy two things from you. One is jackfruit chips! Okay! What is the price of Jackfruit chips? Rs. 100. Second thing I want to buy from you is that Aamras.
It is made with Haphoos mangoes? Yes, made with Alphonso mangoes. Alphonso, very good! What is its price? It is Rs. 230 for one kg. What is the best way to enjoy it? Add it to the milkshake! It tastes the best with milkshake? Yes! Please give me these two things and the bill. It is 3 pm but we haven't had lunch yet. Yes.
So, shall we go to MTDC for lunch first and then... We will go to Deobagh. ...we will go to Deobagh for sightseeing. Hmm.
There, we will see the river meeting the sea. Yes. Alright. I told you that we were staying at MTDC resort at Tarkarli. We didn't go there for lunch. Instead, we travelled a KM from there to have lunch at...
...the MTDC Scuba Centre. The main purpose why tourists come to this place is so that... ...they can get a training in scuba diving and then go diving. We will collect all that information at night when it is dark because... ...I want to spend the day doing daytime activities. So, we are going for lunch now. There is a good aspect of this place, which is these gazebos.
They look out at the sea and you can sit there, chat, or eat food as well. Great! Let us go inside now. Yes! Shall I tell you what we are having for lunch today? Where should we start from? Here? Yes! This is Karela (bitter gourd). These are eggplants.
Then there is Kothimbir Vadi and drumsticks. This is stuffed bhindi (okra). This is pumpkin.
Great! And we are eating all this with Rice Bhakri (flatbread). Though I have been using reading glasses for the past 3 years but... ...now I need to wear it many times during the day as well. Look at the stuffing inside this karela.
Earlier I thought this eggplant was whole but now I see... ...this stem is just to give it a shape. Interesting! Here, take some Prasad. Please you have it first Sir.
No problem. I will take it too. Lovely! Here! This chutney with it is what, Thecha? Thecha! Thecha! I have had this 3-4 times and I've started liking its taste. This is the eggplant. Nice! Something different.
They have roasted the eggplant on fire and after removing the outer skin... ...they mixed it with onion, tomato, coriander and green chilies to... ...make a paste, which we are eating now. Hmm! Let us taste karela separately first. Hmmm! Good! This stuffing is delicious.
Lovely! This is the first time I am eating Kothimbir Vadi here but... ...in Mumbai, it is more regularly eaten. Yes it is regular. Do you eat it regularly here? We eat it but not as much as Aru Vadi, made with Aru leaves. Alright.
Today is vegetarian food day for me. Usually tourists prefer to eat non-veg food here. Because the non-veg food here is ultra-famous. The rain has started again. The sea view is also looking wonderful.
This is the main experience of this place. You can enjoy the sea view along with enjoying the food. It feels good. After finishing the food we are going to taste the Aamras, that we bought earlier. While placing our lunch order, I had requested them to prepare... ...a local dessert to satisfy the sweet tooth. They told me that they also like to eat Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot halwa).
So we ordered Gajar Ka Halwa and also bought the Aamras on the way. Now we will taste both. Kaju (Cashewnut) is outrightly visible in this halwa. Look at this.
Hmm! Nice! Gajar halwa is usually cooked in milk. It is usually eaten during winter season. You can eat it in summer too, its your choice. But carrots should be available for that.
Kaju is also delicious. Overall, good taste. I enjoyed this halwa.
The beach that is visible from here, this is the Tarkarli beach? Yes Sir, it is Tarkarli beach as well. But this beach begins in Malvan. From Malwan to Tarkarli on to Devbagh,... ...it is a single stretch of beach 10 KM long. That means we can walk on this beach upto the Sindhudurg Fort. Yes, upto Sindhudurg Fort and in the other direction... ...you can walk upto Devbagh Sangam. Really! This whole beach is 10 KM long.
10 KM. Lovely! Time for Aamras. This Aamras is special because it has been made with Haphoos (Alphonso) mangoes. It is a famous variety of mango.
Let us taste it. This mango is delicious, no doubt. But I find it too sweet. Mangoes are sweet fruit but not this much. Therefore, I feel it also has some sugar in it. There must be some sugar in it.
I've been told that if you visit here during April-May... ...you get to eat not just Alphonso mangoes but also jackfruit, Kokum... Cashew, pineapple! Pineapple as well? Yes! Alright. It means if you have food on your mind, you must visit during April-May.
April-May! And if you want to enjoy the monsoon, come here during September-October. And if you want to... Explore beaches, you must visit during winter season. During December and January? Yes! Beautiful! You even get to see dolphins.
Dolphins too? Yes! Wow! Lovely! I think the bottle that we've opened today, we can't keep it for long. We will have to finish it within 1-2 days. Yes! No problem, we will have it again after dinner today! (Laughter) The time is 4.30 pm.
The way it is raining, I don't think it will stop for another couple of hours. We had planned to visit the Tsunami Island after lunch. We wanted to enjoy there and also see the river meeting the sea. But the way it is raining, I think it would be better if we drop this programme today. And go there tomorrow instead.
Now that we've come to the Scuba centre, we are going to their office. Let us go there and find out their charges and procedure. We are at the MTDC Scuba Diving Centre.
I've met Suraj ji here. Namaste Sir! Namaskar. Sooraj Ji is the instructor here. I want to know two things from you.
One, what is the role of this Scuba Diving Centre? I mean what are your activities? Second, do you facilitate scuba diving for tourists too? Yes Sir! Normally, we train individuals interested in making a career... ...in scuba diving as an instructor, etc. For tourists, who are interested in scuba diving as a hobby,... ....we have a D-square Scuba diving programme for them. In that programme, we have classes in which we show them...
...videos related to scuba diving to add to their knowledge. We also tell them about what role to play while doing for scuba diving. After the classes, we take them to the swimming pool,... ...to get them to have a feel of scuba diving. After that, we take them into open water, for deep sea diving...
...upto the depth of 12 m or about 40 feet. This session lasts for 35-40 minutes and a paddy instructor accompanies them. What are the charges Charges for this programme are Rs. 3500. I remember when I was on Kerala tour, I went for scuba diving for the first time. I was very scared while in the water but after coming out,... ...I was speechless for a long time. I kept thinking about that experience.
The deep sea diving experience becomes a lifetime experience for you,... ...as you see with your own eyes the life inside the sea. Definitely Sir! It is really a superb experience. The only thing is you have to overcome your fear. There is no other way to do it. Sir, when we start the dive, obviously everyone gets scared...
...because it is an adventure sport. But once they get to see the fish, colourful life underwater... ...their mind gets diverted. And the best way to observe the fish is to become one Sir. Right! So nice! It was nice meeting you and coming here. I can see scuba gear like wetsuit and what is it called? BCD. It can also be called Scuba Kit and other equipment. Specialised equipments! Nice! He already told me that they would be resuming the classes in mid-October. Because currently, it is the monsoon season.
You must approximately be closing the session during mid-May and then resuming... ...it during mid-October? Yes Sir. Good that we got to meet you and learn all this information about cost and procedure. I am ending today's episode here itself.
As you can see, it has been raining continuously today. I will meet you again tomorrow morning. New episode, new journey. Bye-bye! Thanks for your time
2022-01-11 19:36
