Images from Sindhudurg: The Fort Itself

On the second day of our trip (saturday), we visited Sindhudurg sea-fort and Tarkarli beach. About 75 kilometers from Dajipur, the road goes through mountains, valleys, cashew farms and tiny villages. The moutain road was lined with mango trees in full bloom, resulting in our bags full of kairis (green mangoes) :-).

Above, you see the Sindhudurg fort in the background. A 15-minute ride on a dingy boat takes you to this big fort (45 acres) in the middle of the sea. The walls of the fort are wide and still in good shape (as wide as being able to walk the whole perimeter on the walls). Apparently, it was unconquered for 200 years before the British came in. A walk around the fort gives you only one impression: grandness. It is smartly designed (traps and good defences everywhere) and at its time had full ameneties (there are fresh-water wells and biiig store-rooms). People still live inside the fort and sell lime juice.

The most popular points of the fort are, of course, the footprint and handprint of Shivaji, the first maratha king (the man who broke the 200-year Islamic supremacy in India). The fort also has the only temple dedicated to Shivaji, which holds many of his belongings.

On the day, the place was windy and hot, as is the coastal region in summer; and so we were sweating profusely. But the grandness of the fort made up well for it. It was also Sanju's first boat ride and her first time at sea. And she was quite sturdy, although I can say she's not very good at hiding emotions ;-).