TARKARLI
Situated
6km south of Malvan, in the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra, Tarkarli sits
at the mouth of the Karli River as it enters the Arabian Sea. It is renowned
for its virgin beaches that open to sparkling blue waters. In fact, on a clear
day, one can actually see the seabed up to a depth of 20ft. So pristine is its
character that international cruise liners like the Hebridean Spirit have made
this paradise a regular spot of call. To many, Tarkarli is the ‘Tahiti’ of
India.
Tarkarli is a paradise of tiny islands and hamlets, imposing Casuarina trees,
and rich, blue skies. But although it has much appeal for beach lovers, there
are other places in the vicinity worth visiting, and an array of Malvani
culinary delights that are sure to bring out the gourmet in you.
To beat the heat took a break
to Malvan & Tarkarli in May2016.
Though different travel options available, I opted for travel by road in a
private bus.
Reached Malvan bus stand and called the
Manager Manish Khot of
'Swati Nyahari Nivas -Tarkarli (a Home Stay property) who arranged a two wheeler as my
transport for the duration of my stay.
Malvan is close to Tarkarli. On the way to my accommodation
passed many Home Stay accommodations. At my accommodation freshened myself and
started my tour.
First stop was at DevSangam where the Arabian Ocean and the creek meet.
Watersport enthusiast have options of
motor boat ride , paragliding, banna ride at Devabang beach and for those who
would like to idle their time can avail of a overnight sail on a houseboat with all meals across the
Kali river.Spend some time on the hammock & swing at the Devabang beach
before moving lazily to my next stop Tarkarli beach.
The Tarkarli beach doesnot
have any water sporting activites but one can find camel and horse ride on the
beach. Locals in group are seen In the evening enjoying the breeze and the view
of the setting sun.
Many home stay restaurants
can be found here, where one can taste homemade Malwani meals. After visiting
one of this restaurant for dinner, retired for the day.
The next day in the morning
left for Malwan.
On the way to Malwan visited Wairy beach at Tarkarli which like the other
beaches at Tarkarli was tempting for a dip in the sea.
At Malvan my first visit was to Sindhudurg Fort at the jetty one boat takes 20 people and stops at the Fort for ONE hour for the people to explore the fort. The boatman advises the group the number on the boat for identification of the boat for the groups departure. After an hour the boat returns back to the jetty with the group of people who had boarded the boat for the fort visit.
The Sindhudurg Fort is just a 20 minute ride from Tarkarli. Built by Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century, the fort is massive and has a concealed door, a rare coconut tree and a temple dedicated to Shivaji Maharaj. The fort is situated on the island of Kurte and is a fine example of Deccan architecture. The name Sindhudurg in Marathi means a Fort build on Ocean or Ocean Fort. Constructed within a span of 3 years from 1664-1667 by King Shivaji by deploying 100 Portuguese architects, specially invited from Goa and over 3000 strong workforce the fort stands tall on the "Kurte" island. It is believed that 4000 mounds of iron was casted for creating the base and lay the foundation stone for the fort. Hiroji Indulkar, a noted architect of that era supervised the construction. The fort is spread over 50 acres of land and boasts of a 9.2 mtr high and 3 mtr rampart. The rampart is 4 Km long and is studded with 42 bastions. The Fort houses the temples of Hanuman, Jarimari and Goddess 'Bhavani’
After reaching the jetty moved towards Rosearry church which is one of the oldest church in Western India
Later visited the Rock garden which had the Chiwala beach as its background.
The Chiwala beach has clear water and no water sporting activities take place due to the heavy winds. Some local politicians have their homes on this beach.
Before heading to the bus stand to leave for Mumbai visited the Malvan market which had shops selling some of the local items like Kokam sharbat and cashew. After finishing my shopping had lunch and boarded the bus for Mumbai.
