Experience the wonders of Sindhurdurg

With Sindhudurg about to get its first airport at Chipi this weekend, here’s our guide to the sights, activities and cuisine to experience in the region, with a bit of history thrown in

Forts and history

There are two forts that one can visit in the Sindhudurg region — one is called Fort Tiracol and the other is Sindhudurg fort itself. The latter is one of the few instances of Chhatrapati Shivaji building a sea fort from scratch, historian Kurush Dalal tells us, adding that in most other cases, he took over existing land forts and repaired them. “One of the great things about Shivaji is that he realised the menace possible from the sea and wanted to control the coast to minimise the threat from the Portuguese,” Dalal explains, highlighting how the fort also has a harbour in front of it, with a sea wall that once acted as added protection now lying under the sea. He adds, “The Sindhudurg fort used to be a residential fort until recently, built over a huge area of 48 acres. There’s a temple inside it with a silver-faced mask that, according to legend, is representative of what Shivaji actually looked like. But it’s not the lean, mean image that we usually see. Instead, it is a chubby face.”

Fort Tiracol is located on the border of Sindhudurg and Goa

He adds that the fort was built with a basic design because Shivaji didn’t have either the time or money for fancy structures. There also used to be a Dutch outpost there, where people called ‘factors’ used to trade on a commission basis. “That’s where the word ‘factory’ comes from, and later the word ‘manufacture’, and you can still see ruins of that outpost in the area,” Dalal says.

Fort Tiracol, on the other hand, is located at the border of Goa and Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, and has now been turned into a heritage hotel. It was built in the 17th century by Khem Sawant Bhonsle, the Raja of Sawantwadi, whom the Portuguese defeated in 1746, later setting up a church within the premises. If you visit this fort today, the views of the sea are such that you can actually imagine a vast fleet of Portuguese ships arriving from the horizon to take over the land. 

Coral reefs at the bottom of the Arabian Sea off Tarkarli

Nature and adventure

Snorkelling is a common sport in the area, especially around the Malvan and Tarkarli beaches. Jayesh Paranjape, founder of travel company The Western Routes, tells us that it’s mainly locals who arrange for the snorkelling activities. There are also lots of nature trails and waterfalls in Amboli, which is a hill station in the area that’s filled with forests. “It’s not as developed as Matheran, but is one of the most beautiful places in the region. The ghat there is the most famous one in Sindhudurg, though it’s quite a treacherous place,” adds Paranjape, who also tells us that Mochemad beach is popular for sightings of Olive Ridley turtles that nest in that area.

Malvani crab curry

Art

The Bhonsle palace in Sawantwadi has in-house artists who are keeping a rare art form called ganjifa alive. Paranjape tells us that ganjifa was actually a card game played in ancient times, going all the way back to the era of the Mahabharata. “Those cards are rare now and each hand-painted set can cost upwards of R3,000. The palace artists in Sawantwadi are the only ones doing it these days,” he says.

Paranjape tells us about another art form typical to the region — pinguli. There is a family in a place called Kudal who have converted their home into a museum. “They restore and display these paintings, some of which are over 250 years old,” he says.

Jayesh Paranjape and Kurush Dalal

Food

Expect mainly coastal cuisine. Dalal tells us how the recipes are a juxtaposition of food from Ratnagiri and Goa, taking the best of both worlds. “The curries are made with dried coconut, not fresh ones, and the fruits of the sea are the most popular ingredients. It’s usually bombil, pomfret, surmai or crab everywhere you go. They also have a dish called vade, which are puris made of mixed grain dough, with a hole in the centre. It’s usually eaten with chicken or mutton in a spicy gravy,” Dalal says, adding that the district is famous for its mangoes as well.

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