Another discovery by my friend Vijay Menon. This time the Baobab's at Fadnavis Waada, Wai, Satara district.
This is one of the few discoveries in which Baobab fruit is seen. The fruit has high nutritious content and can be preserved for a long time. Apart from the fruit, it's leaves and bark have herbal properties and used for various health conditions.
Built in the XVIII Century, Fadnavis Wada is a historical monument. I'm quoting it's description verbatim from Nana Fadnavis Wada website: This palace (wada) at village Menavli was constructed by Rajamanya Rajashri Nana Faadnavis in 1770s and is situated on the banks of Krishna River. The 250+ year old wada structure comprises of the main stone plinth above which rises the two storeyed wooden framed structures with walls made of bricks and dried mud, hay and lime mortar. The wada has some excellent specimens of art in the form of well-carved wooden ceilings, and cypress pillars with cusped arches and Maratha style wall paintings, that are adorned with faunal and floral motifs.
Baobab originates from the African continent. Between the XIV and XVII Centuries CE, groups of Sufi ascetics travelled to the Indian subcontinent carrying Baobab seeds & saplings. The Sufis planted them wherever they camped which was usually for months at stretch. Baobab, though a rare tree in our country, thousands of trees are said to have survived in the western parts i.e. Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. Baobabs made their way interior regions i.e. the Deccan plateau and even down south to Tamil Nadu. For the reader's benefit, below is a list of known Baobab trees of India-
Little more than a month after discovering Baobab trees of Vasai, Vijay Menon discovered the Baobab near Korlai fort. The Baobab is situated next to Revdanda-Murud road. Not sure if this the only Baobab here or if it's more than one.
Thanks to Vijay for noticing this living heritage and for sharing its photo.
Here's the list of Baobab trees compiled over a few years of research:
On the 30th of December 2022, Vijay Menon, my friend from Thane had shared pictures of the Baobab tree at Shirala fort. On the 1st of February 2024, Vijay surprised me with pictures of four Baobab trees at Vasai fort. The fort is situated on the northern side of Vasai creek and the Baobabs are opposite Mandvi Darwaza of Vasai fort. Here are the pictures, I'm very happy to be adding another Baobab site to the steadily growing list of Baobab trees in India.
Of the four trees, three are in one cluster bang a stone's throw from the fort doorway. These trees remind me of the Baobab of Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Begaluru. Lalbagh's Baobab is probably one tree which looks like three trees and it could be the same with Baobab of Vasai fort. Maybe it's two trees since there's a date palm in between.
A zoomed out view of the trees.
View of the trees from the gateway.
The fourth Baobab is within 100 meters of Mandvi Darwaza. Going by the looks of the trees, they seem to be relatively young, maybe 150 years. That's my guess, they could bee younger or older.
The sight of these trees is a bitter-sweet feeling. Bitter because of the conditions they are in. Local people ignorant of this tree, for that matter any tree, have dumped construction waste close to it. The pavers around the tree are choking the tree's base. Baobabs grow continuously hence they need open ground around their bases. I hope some local realizes that and removes a few pavers exposing the earth below.
Within the fort are several places of interest such as Vajreshwari Mandir, Hanuman Mandir, Saint Joseph Church, Gonsalo Garcia Church, Saint Anthony Convent, and other ancient ruins. Around Vajreshwari Mandir are a dozen or more sculptures of which Brahma idol is the most eye-catching one. Below is a collage of three sculptures. Extreme left is Brahma and the other two I'm unsure.
Thanks to my friend Vijay for sharing pictures of Baobab trees.
Before closing this post, I would like to add the list of Baobab sites compiled over the past few years:
On the morning of December 30, 2022 I happened to share the link to "Baobab trees in Karnataka and Telangana" with Vijay Menon, an acquaintance through this blog. Vijay Menon and a few of his friends are fort experts - the group has visited 580+ forts, 500 in Maharashtra itself. The group is undertakes regular expeditions to forts, explore them thoroughly identifying the key spots within, participate in restoration work and conduct photo exhibitions. Having shared the link, I fely Vijay might have seen a Baobab or two during his explorations. My intuition was right. Vijay responded that he would read the post and a few moments later he shared pictures of a Baobab with a caption "In our recent trip ...boabab tree in Shirala fort- Sangli district." I was elated. We spoke over phone, I wanted to know more about the new discovery. During the chat I learned about Vijay's interest in Banyan & Peepul trees... basically huge and rare trees.
Shirala is a town in Sangli district of Maharashtra state. The ruins of the fort marked as "Bhuikot fort" is situated on the southwest side of the town. According to Vijay just a couple of bastions and rampart walls remain of the fort. Besides the fortification, there are couple of shrines and an ancient well in the fort area. One of the shrines is a Shiva Mandir close to which is this Baobab tree.
I zoomed into the picture to get a closer look at the bark and compared it with barks other Baobabs. They are almost same, any difference seen could be due to different lighting. Going by this Baobab's form, it is closer to the Baobab of Ogapur near Vijayapura. As to its age, it could be 200 to 300 years old.
In the fort area are offices of forest department. I assume the round platform around and benches around the tree are forest department's contribution. People can sit under / near the rare tree and appreciate its beauty. However, the round platform around the tree's stem might restrict the tree's growth. Unlike other trees, Baobabs grow newer stems which merge with the main stem thereby increasing its girth over time - this is the reason for their long life spanning 1000 to 3000 years. Perhaps it would be wise to remove the round platform altogether, create open space around the stem and fix a fence so that people do not step on the open space.
Hoping the people of Shirala and the forest department take good care of their town's living heritage. Thanks to my friend Vijay Menon for discovering this rare tree.
Before closing this post, I would like to mention that Baobab is originally from Africa. Between the XIV and XVII Centuries CE, groups of Sufi ascetics who travelled from Africa to India carried Baobab saplings and planted them wherever they camped for long periods. Baobabs though a rare tree in our country, thousands of trees are said to be existing in the western parts i.e. Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. Baobabs made their way interior regions i.e. the Deccan plateau and even down south to Tamil Nadu. For the reader's benefit, below is a list of known Baobab trees of India-
Having begun the day at Belgaum fort, followed by Kakati fort, Hunnurgad and Vallabhgad. Next was Samangad, we will be entering Maharastra. From Sankeshwar we head towards Gadhinglaj, rain was pouring. By the time we reached the busy town Gadhinglaj, rains had stopped and it was lunch time. We got directions for Samangad and also for a veg restaurant with ample parking space. Sai Prasad restaurant was on the town outskirts, on the road towards Samangad. It was a satisfying meal, we resumed out journey.. terrain was hilly. We passed through sloping fields dotted with ponds, cattle grazing and people going about their chores. As we neared Samangad the terrain changed again, fields made way for woods and the road got steeper. These woods were planted by forest department. A 15 minute drive to the summit, it's not really flat at the top. The hill itself is Y-shaped when seen from air, the fort is situated on the northern fork. A narrow road leads to the fort. That's Mahadwara of Samangad Kille formerly known as Prasiddhagad.
Few known historical events of this fort-
Built in XII century by King Bhoj II of Shilahar dynasty
1667 - Adil Shahis loose the fort to Chatrapati Shivaji
1676 - Chatrapati Shivaji improves fortifications
1688 - captured by Aurangzeb
1704 - captured by Marathas
1884 - captured by British army
Samangad fort in plan has no particular shape. On this screen shot are marked few points of interest.
The fort was developed for tourism since it has an ambiance of a hill station. It's an ideal place for trekking. Within the fort places are marked and a large board shows what's to be see with directions.
The place was peaceful. Weather was cloudy and warm. We parked our cab and Prakash the driver took this opportunity to doze off. I went walking along the western edge, walls were concealed behind vegetation. I could hear peacocks in the vicinity.
Finally a glimpse of the rampart wall :)
The path lead to the northern tip - Vetal Burj. Again much of the rampart walls are hidden. I walked to the center - a point from where the 3 tips of this fort diverge. At the center are several points of interest- Ambabai temple, Hanuman Vihir and Andhar Vihir. The temple is a modern structure, rituals are performed regularly. Hanuman Vihir is an open well. Andhar Vihir is another well- deep, dark and scary. The well is also known as Kaman Baav.
A bridge across the well offers a good view of the well. However, October isn't the right time to be visiting this fort because of plants conceal most walls and view of structures as this is limited.
This well is no ordinary well, it has steps descending into it. Steps were wide and slippery..
This passage is hacked out from the laterite bed, it's a monolith. This isn't a place for people who are claustrophobic.
That's the first landing and also the first turn. Builders have created a platform too, which can be used in more than one way.
The tunnel is much narrower and steeper at the second stage. I decided not to descend since the ground was slippery with water. At the bottom of this tunnel is the second landing and there's water. This well is really deep, I was told there are seven such landings! Perhaps the well is 100' deep. Just try to imagine how the engineers designed and executed it - truly amazing.
After the tour of the well, I walked to the western tip - Konda Burj. I met two men from a nearby village. They told descendants of people who served Chatrapati Shivaji live in a village at the base of this hill. Their family name is Kadam. If interested, tourists can meet the Kadam family.
I followed them to the eastern tip. The surrounding plains were green fields.. a good part of it was sugarcane. It was time to leave, I had another fort on my itinerary. When I mentioned my plan to reach the highway, I was asked to take the short cut via Halkarni and Ullagaddi villages instead of going via Gadhinglaj. This route will save us considerable distance and time. I thank them and leave.
With one last look at the Konda Burj I bid bye to Samangad fort.
The road flanked by grassy plains.
That's the other end of this hill's fork. Fabulous place for trekking in this season.
We drive down the hilly road, pass by an ancient temple.. I wish I had more time :( The route suggested by my friends was good, we reached NH4 pretty fast.
With some research on Samangad fort, I came to know some places I missed seeing- Chor Darwaza, Rama's cave and Shiva's cave temple. Tourists visiting this fort must make their own arrangements for food and water, on the hill there are no such facilities.
Apart from Sindhudurg, Malwan's other attractions are Ganesh Mandir, Rock Garden and Chivla beach. Afternoon 4:30 we started with Ganesh Mandir located at the end of the main market street. The temple is small, well maintained.
That's the Garbhagudi entrance.
The golden idol of Lord Ganesha.
Rock Garden was about half kilometer. We chose to walk.
Rock Garden is an interesting place. No sand, just rocks and lawn. The garden also has a toy train but sadly it hasn't been working for months. Even though lot of people were here it did not feel crowded. Its a nice place to relax, fresh breeze from the sea, sounds of waves lapping at rocks, setting sun... Crabs scampering among rocks were an attraction for kids and few grown ups too. Teenagers were busy taking pictures of each other. I happened to notice an urbane girl in green dress, accompanied by her mom and granny, busy taking her own pictures with a mobile phone. Perhaps she wanted a good picture for her Facebook profile.
Sun makes the sky honey color.
I like watching crabs, especially the way they move. Of 20+ pictures this was the only decent one. I wonder how many eyes this crab has. The face looks like a hood of a futuristic car and the eye are like headlights.
Sun was out of sight after this.
Next morning we were on Chiwla beach by 6:30. Tourists can choose between the 3 beach resorts here. They looked pretty decent from the outside. Mom found a nice stone and stayed there watching Durga play in sand. Dipi got into the water. I took off for a walk. I wanted to see & shoot and then get into water.
A short video-
The bow shaped Chiwla beach is about 1.2km long. At one end is Rock Garden and on the other end is Sarjekot fishing village. Folks were busy in various activities- some preparing to into the sea, while some had just returned and untangling their catch from the nets.
Two fishermen arrive at the beach, they had spent the night fishing.
This short video shows how a boat is moved from sea to beach.
I went beyond the village but stopped a 100 meters shy of the rocks marking the end. Not a good idea to venture beyond the fishing village i just passed by. I turn back.
A crab hole being washed over.
It takes in water and sand.
And still remains open. Amazing!
I joined Deepak in the sea. We were about a 100 feet into the sea water was only till chest. I spent a good 30 minutes in the water. I felt the beach was pretty safe, of course one should know the limits. With not much of shells Durga was little disappointed.
If we had more time we could have visited two more forts, Devghad and Vijaydurg about 70km and 100km.
We head back to Kiran's home-stay, have fresh water bath, have breakfast at small joint serving baji-paav, puri-bhaji and tea. Durga enjoyed the breakfast. We drive back the same way non-stop until Belgaum. After lunch we stop again at Kittur Fort. We were back home by 5PM.
We had struck a deal with a boat operator for Rs.600 for four of us, onward and return. The beach was already busy with carts and rickshaws hauling fresh catch.
I'm quoting few points from a booklet on Sindhudurg published by Pravin Vasantrao Bhosale. Chatrapathi Shivaji, the Maratha warrior king constructed Sindhudurg between 1664 and 1667. It is said that the king himself selected Kurte island as the site and monitored progress closely. Foundation for the rampart walls was laid in lead. In addition to stones on the island, stones were brought from mainland for construction activities. Workers was paid on a daily basis. It is said that 100,000 gold coins were spent on having this fort built.
View of the fort from the boat. That's the point of landing, right in front of the fort entrance. But the door is not visible, in fact one cannot make out where the entrance is.
Google map grab-
A - Mahadwara (main entrance)
B - Shivaji's hand and foot print
C - Mahapurush Tank
D - Broken wall
E - Ranichi Vela (queen's beach)
F - Nishan Burj (flag bastion)
G - Bhagavati temple
H - Sweet water wells
I - Shiva temple
J - Shivaji temple
A curved path leads to the fort door. This lever design helps conceal the entrance. Yellurgad Fort features similar entrance.
Main entrance is called Mahadwara. These walls are 10 to 20 feet thick and stand 30 to 40 feet tall. Perimeter of the fort is 4500 meters i.e. 4.5km.
These walls are well finished, no gaps between stones to be found which means no chance for anyone to climb these walls without ropes or ladders.
Atop the wall flanking the curved entrance. These walls have been standing for almost 350 years.
A raised platform to watch out for vessels approaching the Mahadwara.
Looking towards the south-eastern corner of the fort. Bastions are strategically positioned to provide adequate security from the inside.
I was headed in the anti-clockwise direction while Durga, Deepak and mom were headed in the opposite direction. I turned and joined them for breakfast- bread & jam -at the north-east corner bastion where Shivaji's hand and foot prints are preserved in two little enclosures.
It was warm and the temperature rising steadily. Durga was showing signs of boredom. We were less than quarter the way along the perimeter. The fort has natural protection ...rocks in the sea are an deterrent to boats and ships. Only experienced people are allowed to navigate boats around the fort. The bastion you see at the end of this wall must be the north-western corner of the fort.
Building straight walls is one matter but curved walls is something else. See how smoothly this wall curves and how well it is finished. The other reason for smooth walls is to let water run off. Cracks and gaps allow water to seep in and walls weaken.
Steps like these are provided at frequent intervals. I'm trying to imagine the fort during its heydays; no weeds, Maratha flag fluttering in the breeze, guards manning their posts, soldiers training, food grains arriving on boats, boats full of soldiers sailing around the fort, probably the army had few horses also.
That's Mahapurush tank- designed to catch & store rain water. Back then even this tank would require regular cleaning. What I saw was green colored liquid. These are the days of bottled water.
This where Durga and mom ended their walk and took a short cut towards the center of the fort. Durga was very thirsty, she and mom went in search of shops. Deepak and I continued our walk on the wall.
Now we were approaching the broken section of the fort. Wall here has a raw look, mortar used to fill gaps has eroded.
That's the gap in the wall. I could not find the cause for this damage; was it a natural or man-made. It looks as though waves batter the wall continuously. Perhaps the battering would be intense during high tides.
As seen from the outside. I wonder how the workers managed to move such big boulders and place them so neatly. I'm totally bowled over at the workers' ability to shape heavy stones of no particular shape and size. Each one of the stones have been fit in so neatly. What kind of energy and skill did these people have? Present day builders can neither design nor build anything as strong and beautiful.
Deepak turned back to join Durga and mom. It was hot now but I carried on, wanted to see as much as possible. See the steps leading down to a door in the wall? Rooms were built into these walls, for guards watching over the fort during nights. How on earth did the designer convey such details to the workers? Did they have detailed drawings?
I went past the queen's beach to the Flag Bastion and called Deepak.
Gave him the location and asked him to join me- I just found something interesting for Durga. We all grouped together and I lead them to the tiny little beach. A small rectangular opening in the wall lets out of the fort, on to the beach. Durga was thrilled at the sight. After all she did find something of her interest in a boring fort. The sand here is extremely coarse, almost little pebbles. When waves wash over you hear the sound of pebbles rubbing over each other. This short video will let you see and hear-
We collected lot of colorful pebbles, what ever shells we found were broken. I felt refreshed after cooling my feet at the beach. Time to move on, we still had few more places to see.
I visited Bhagavati temple, then the 3 wells- sweet water well, milk well and curds well.
Close by is the Shiva temple, the Garbhagudi is below ground level. According to legend a underground tunnel start here leading to the main land.
Stones throw from Shiva temple is a bigger temple dedicated to Shivaraya aka Shivaji Maharaj. The Garbhagudi had a small statue of a stockily built Shivaraya. A replica of the sword used by Shivaraya encased in a wooden-glass case is kept here for display. Photography inside the temple is banned.
I was thirsty now. We had some cool drinks and called the boatman to pick us up. While we waited at Mahadwara, I went exploring and got a shot of the northern wall.
Our boatman wanted us to try snorkeling but we weren't interested. Instead we asked him to take us for a ride around the fort. This is another damaged part of the fort- outer layer of the rampart wall has collapsed here.
The boatman had to navigate with lot of care, he looked pretty experienced and confident. I just coulf not take my eye off the fort. What an amazing creation!
These massive walls have been in sun, salt water, wind and rain for three and half centuries ...amd still managed remain solid. To provide security for Sindhudurg, 3 forts on the mainland were built- Padmagad, Rajkot and Sarjekot.
A unique temple on the beach. I asked for the name and promptly forgot.
We were all tired, not because of walking, the hot and humid air sapped our energy. We headed straight to our home-stay, have bath and headed to Chaitanya. Our lunch bill was a bomb ...sea food is expensive, make sure you check prices before ordering.
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