Konkan- Malvan- All Sea Forts (22) Trek :)

Reason to Smile: The plan itself was exciting when I heard it from a friend - All sea forts of Konkan and Malvan side in just about 4 days! Woow.. Amazing isn't it? :)

Yes, the plan was all set to move around and cover about 16 forts with 14 crazy members in the long weekend that came up. Guess what ? We, Trek ways Sahyadri participants, in the excitement of running around in the scorching heat, landed up covering 22 forts by the end of the 4th day!! ;) Here's how -

After a nice and sweet introduction while we are on the way to Harnai, our first destination, Kumar, our trek leader decided we will always discuss our plan and next steps daily by the end of the day. This would help us understand how we can try and adjust to the schedule and cover as much as we can. This was a brilliant idea I thought. It would not only allow us to remain flexible but also help us to know our own stamina better. And so did we !

Suvarnadurg, Goa Fort, Fattegad Fort and Kanakdurg - All done as per the schedule :)
Suvarnadurg is covered with dense growth of thorny bushes. Fattegad is now covered with colony of fishermen.The fort is situated on a small rocky island located about 1.5 km off the main land. The fort is a one of the group of forts in Harnai which has been an important port on Arabian sea since hundreds of years. Other forts are on the mainland and named Kanakdurga, Fattegad and Goa Killa (no relation to the state of Goa). Kanakdurg has a lighthouse. A nice visit to Anjarle Ganesh Temple, nearly 1000 yrs old with peace and tranquility and we call off the day :)

I was faced by an unusual incident at Anjarle though. At the temple I kept observing a 6 months baby crying and feeling irritated probably. He was in the hands of an elderly member of his family continuously trying to pacify him. I kept watching till I couldn't resist and walked up to him and asked 'What happened? Why is he crying so much?' The mother wasn't around I realized and may be he was hungry. So I started playing and took him to me. I don't know what happened but the moment I took him to me and played with some sound, the baby burst out laughing !! The man was surprised to the core and so was I ! The baby was so irresistible with his looks and cuteness that when my group joined me after the Darshan, they all just made him a celebrity ! :)

Some bonds are made, some are felt. I guess I found mine :)

It was also time we did some travelling. The tempo traveller that we filled up had some ugly songs to our delight ;) Imagine listening to a song that goes - 'you are my love, you are my life, you are my cuddling pudding pie; tere kadmon mein sir rakh dun untill I am gonna die' - LOLz :D

So with songs like these and some real dancing numbers, we reach Gopalgad. Three types of forts can be seen in Konkan region. First type of forts are built on islands in the sea e.g. Kille Sindhudurg. Second type of forts is of those which are built near the sea coast or creeks but on mainland. e.g. Kille Vijaydurg. Third type are hill forts e.g. Kille Gopalgad. The fort is in poor condition with many walls crumbling. There is one well in the fort almost at the centre around which there are remnants of palace. Some canon balls can be found in the fort. There is a private Mango orchard in the fort. The fort is surrounded by deep trenches which are now filled again with soil at many places. There are many view points on the fort walls which offer views of creek and Dabhol port. One can easily imagine while looking at them, how the guards used to keep a watch on ships passing through creek and activities which were taking place on the port.

Purnagad fort is situated on a mountain which is at the origin of Muchakundi creek. This fort is having a small area but the bastions are having a very strong construction. One can view the entire fort premises in a sight.

Jaygad: Nestled on a cliff, it overlooks a bay formed where the Shastri river enters the Arabian Sea. It has a commanding view of the bay, the nearby power plant and the open sea.

Reddy Yashwantgad: It is a sea side fort constructed on a high ground. The fort is all constructed from laterite rocks which are available in the area.

Terekhol: Fort Tiracol, sometimes known as Terekhol Fort, is a fort in Goa, India. It is located on the northern tip of Goa at the mouth of the Tiracol River. Now, in a state of ruins, Fort Tiracol has been converted into a hotel - the Fort Tiracol Heritage. The church is not open to the general public except on certain occasions, such as the annual feast that is usually held in May.

Nivati Fort: This dialapidated fort by the seashore impress upon the visitor by its range of rocks situated at its bottom. From this fort, one can observe Bhogave's allevaing beach. Nivati was built by Shivaji for the protection of his empire. He built many such forts for the same purpose. Sarjekot, Rajkot and Padmagad to name a few.

Devgad: This fort was built by Kanhoji Angre, the brave warrior of Knkan coast, in 1705 AD on a highland of the sea port of Devgad. It was used as a surveillance centre.

Bharatgad, Bhagwantgad, Ramgad also has a 5 to 10 mins climb to offer to reach the base of the fort. Siddhagad has no remains of the fort and is totally covered in a jungle area.

The Dutch Factory is a treat to watch. It looks like as if it is on the verge of a collapse yet offer such powerful and magnificent structure. It is purely a  monumental neglect located at Vengurla, the Goa-Maharashtra border.

The journey to all the forts, palaces, and districts has been one big roller coaster ride. To mention about all the information in detail, this is indeed a clamp-shell space for it. 

But not to avoid the fun that we had, I can try and share some 'new' introductions we formed for some nasty members of the trek - 

• Sagar - popularly known as Kumar's 'pillu' (baby) was the center of attraction for most. He would say or share one thing and we would all pounce on it to see if it can be made fun of. A sweet person at heart, he was no less a bully too :P
• Santosh - got his name 'Santy baby' especially after the girly pose that he made for one pic with the Portuguese look hat I bought :P
• Akshata - the most active, loud and the most indecisive too :P She would just be up and ready to go anywhere to see the forts except to decide which route to select to go home! :P A wild life specialist for 8 years, she was the 'culprit' for Kumar to be late ;) Her 'Unch Mazha Boka' got famous for Santy :P (Those who read it correct would know what it means;) )
• Vikas - The guy who has a sense of humor. Doesnt miss a single chance to give his special comments that would make people laugh. 
• Anjali Maam  - Apparently the most senior member and a trekker in the group. 
• Sai - All we can call her is 'sleeping beauty' literally. She would miss no chance to sleep the moment the TT would begin. God knows if she explored the forts with eyes open or closed :P
• Shailesh - The Black man in the group guarantees an active and an opinionated personality. 
• Pooja - She had a voice that no one could resist imitating:P Thin, but loud, yet very babyish. 
• Ajinkya - Oops, should I call him Ashwin or probably Dhananjay ! Yes, he was only referred with these names especially by our very own Santy baby :P He would call him with all names but his own - Ajinkya :)
• Gole family - They came, they conquered and they left - all on their own in their car ! :P
• Prajakta Madam - The last one to enter the group but yet left a solid mark by giving us an idea to cover Siddhagad as an add on. 
• Veda - Panchi Sky is her name on FB is what I learnt. She was the one who had a 'Hindi Smile' too ;) Basically she couldnt understand Marathi so while most would interact in Marathi, she would only respond in Hindi :)

Last but not the least Kumar Goudse - The trek leader and the instructor to all our schedule. He was also a patient listener and probably a bearer to some crazy and wild comments too ! Kumar has done a fantastic job of conducting this trek wonderfully. Thanks Kumar for such a lovely trip !

Total Forts & Places covered: Suvarnadurg, Goa Fort, Fattegad, Kanakdurg, Anjarle Temple, Gopalgad, Vijaydurg, Vijaygad, Bharatgad, Bhagwantgad, Ramgad, Purnagad, Yashwantgad, Reddy Yashwantgad, Jaygad, Deogad, Siddhagad, Sindhudurg, Sarjekot, Rajkot, Nivati Beach & Fort, Vengurla Fort, Dutch Factory, Terekhol.

All pics on FB loaded and ready for fire ! ;)

Keep Smiling :)