From every beach in Malvan, one can view the majestic and monumental Sindhudurg Fort. Named after the region and commissioned by the great Shivaji Maharaj, this fort is an architectural marvel. Standing in the middle of the ocean above coral reefs, the construction of this fort started in the 16th century and it is the only fort which has Shivaji's temple inside the fort with a palm imprint of the King himself.
Tip:Boat ride - government - at your own risk !
The water is turquoise blue and reefs surrounding everywhere. the views were majestic in every direction we could see.
We hired the help of a local guide who showed us the entire fort including the palm and foot prints of Shivaji. He showed us the sword of Shivaji kept inside a temple on this fort. The residents of this fort have grown used to the daily crowd that throngs and sell many knick-knacks and cool sherbets to travellers.
Here is an interesting unique tree native to this island only..
This is the northern most point of the fort with a watch room and a private beach which was accessed by royal when they stayed through a small hole in the wall as you can see below
This beach was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was entirely covered with shells blown by the waves and the wind. The breeze was much cooler than rest of the fort and the view more mesmerising. One cannot help but marvel at the size of the rocks which were cut and heaved here to make the wall of the fort and the amount of hardship and labor done by the Malvans.
We covered most of the fort walking over the wall and enjoying the shades of blue and waves crashing against the rocky terrain down below. It sprayed water on our faces giving relief to our skin from the hot sun burning down on us.
The region surrounding the fort is well known for its clear water and coral ocean bed. There is scuba diving and parasailing activity available.
Tip: the depth of water is just 5-8 feet here. This is good for beginners. I would recommend going to the Tarkarli / Tsunami point for 15-20 feet depth of scuba experience.
This fort is an architectural marvel. The technology that would have been used to cut and transport rocks as large as 10 * 10 feet and build a fort like this astonishes my mind. The scenic beauty from the top of the fort in the middle of the ocean is unparalleled.
This is a must do visit if you travel to Malvan or Tarkarli. Keep a whole day for the trip as you are heavily reliant on the boats, the timings for which vary drastically depending on the number of farers.
Tip: Borrow and wear a life jacket if you can to take this trip or find a smaller private boat to take you there.
To reach the fort, we need to take a ferry from Malvan Jetty. This is a fairly big jetty, however, the boat rides are timed 1.5 hours apart. There are two types of ferries, the government run fill upto 50 people in a single boat (no life jacket). And we did not happen to see any private run boats surprisingly. The govt. boats make you wait until 50 are gathered, so you may end up waiting for a very long time. The first boat of the day goes at 9 AM. It is a 25 mins ride approximately to the fort at charge of 50 Rs. per person.
We unfortunately, were in the govt. run boat which was almost capsizing due to impatience of people who hurried to get in and out of the boat swinging it violently with each push. The entire journey was more scarier than that of an airline or a roller coaster ride and we kept saying our prayers. We even spoke to the manager who ran the boat about our concerns of the over-loading of passengers and a doomsday waiting to happen, he happily brushed it apart saying we go upto 60 passengers as well. I hope someone reads to this and helps improve the safety precautions.Tip:Boat ride - government - at your own risk !
The fort, withstanding 600 years of wind, rain and all types of weather is in excellent condition. There are inhabitants, descendants of the warriors who fought with Shivaji, living on this island/fort. They bring in supplies from Malvan and daily commute if necessary. The fort includes a school and has electricity as well. The location gave soldiers 360 view enemies trying to approach the mainland or the fort.
The water is turquoise blue and reefs surrounding everywhere. the views were majestic in every direction we could see.
We hired the help of a local guide who showed us the entire fort including the palm and foot prints of Shivaji. He showed us the sword of Shivaji kept inside a temple on this fort. The residents of this fort have grown used to the daily crowd that throngs and sell many knick-knacks and cool sherbets to travellers.
Here is an interesting unique tree native to this island only..
This is the northern most point of the fort with a watch room and a private beach which was accessed by royal when they stayed through a small hole in the wall as you can see below
This beach was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was entirely covered with shells blown by the waves and the wind. The breeze was much cooler than rest of the fort and the view more mesmerising. One cannot help but marvel at the size of the rocks which were cut and heaved here to make the wall of the fort and the amount of hardship and labor done by the Malvans.
We covered most of the fort walking over the wall and enjoying the shades of blue and waves crashing against the rocky terrain down below. It sprayed water on our faces giving relief to our skin from the hot sun burning down on us.
The region surrounding the fort is well known for its clear water and coral ocean bed. There is scuba diving and parasailing activity available.
Tip: the depth of water is just 5-8 feet here. This is good for beginners. I would recommend going to the Tarkarli / Tsunami point for 15-20 feet depth of scuba experience.
This fort is an architectural marvel. The technology that would have been used to cut and transport rocks as large as 10 * 10 feet and build a fort like this astonishes my mind. The scenic beauty from the top of the fort in the middle of the ocean is unparalleled.
This is a must do visit if you travel to Malvan or Tarkarli. Keep a whole day for the trip as you are heavily reliant on the boats, the timings for which vary drastically depending on the number of farers.
Tip: Borrow and wear a life jacket if you can to take this trip or find a smaller private boat to take you there.
Unfortunately, no one did anything about the overfilled dangerous boat ride, which is the only way to go to the fort, and as I had feared, tragedy happened 3 years later : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/navi-mumbai/2-dead-3-borivli-kids-in-hosp-as-boat-capsizes-off-tarkarli-beach/articleshow/91775273.cms
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