Jogeshwari Caves, dating back to 520 to 550 AD, are some of the earliest Hindu cave temple sculptures located off the Western Express Highway in Jogeshwari (East) in northern Mumbai (Bombay).
They are a 45-minute journey from Church Gate Station by train and a further 3 kms. by road from Jogeshwari Station.

The caves are accessed through a long flight of stairs leading to the main hall.
The cave temple has a huge central hall, with many pillars.
At the end of the hall are a Shrine and a Shivalinga.
Idols of Dattatreya, Hanuman, Devi Mata, Jogeshwari and an orange Ganesh line the walls.
There are also relics of two doormen.

Unfortunately, the caves are surrounded by encroachments – huts and all kinds of dwellings.
The caves are classified as endangered.
Sewage and waste enter the premises.
The caves are also infested with bats.
The boundary walls of the cave temple have disintegrated.

Bombay High Court to the rescue

In October 2007, Janhit Manch, a NGO (Non Government Organisation) filed a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) requesting the Bombay High Court to order removal of encroachments around four caves around Mumbai – Jogeshwari, Mahakali, Mandapeshwar and Kanheri caves.

The Bombay High Court appointed Shiraz Rustomji, Advocate as Amicus Curie (friend of the court).
The Bombay High Court sought a report from a court-appointed committee spelling out minimum intervention measures to rid the heritage monuments of illegal infringement.

As directed by the Bombay High Court, the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) carried out survey of the four caves and informed the court that there were 750 illegal encroachments around the caves in Jogeshwari.

Shiraz Rustomji informed the court that the encroachments were not just within the barred 100-metre radius of the caves, but were also on the monument itself.
He further told the court that in the committee report submitted to the court, the ASI had suggested removal of encroachments between 17-40 metres from the site.

The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) told the court that none of these structures had obtained a construction certificate from the corporation, but they have been standing for a long period of time. On 23 July 2008, Justices JN Patel and KK Tated of the Bombay High Court  asked the ASI, State Government and the BMC to present an action plan for removal of encroachments from the area around Jogeshwari caves, a heritage site.

They accepted all the suggestions made in the committee report and sought a check on the state government’s rehabilitation policy for the encroachers.

My recommendation


The encroachments around Jogeshwari Caves will be removed soon.
The ASI will provide security personnel.
Once more, the caves will attract more tourists.

Encroachments are the bane of most of our caves and important historical sites.
A 1992 notification prohibits any construction in the prohibited zone of 100 metres around ancient monuments, while a further 200 metres is designated as ‘regulated zone’, where development is permitted only after the ASI’s approval.

But we have come to such a sorry state of administrative inefficiency that Government bodies need court orders to goad them in to discharging their duty.

 

Earliest Human Settlements in India

The Bhimbetka Caves, or Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, (also known as ‘Bhim Baithaka’ meaning Bhim’s seat), located at the southern edge of the Vindhyachal Hills, 45 km south of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, contain 15,000 year old Stone Age rock paintings – the earliest evidences of human life in India.The rock paintings, which are in remarkably good condition even today, take us on a journey into time and tell us about the lifestyle of our ancestors over a period spanning thousands of years.
Mythology

According to mythology, when the five Pandavas were banished from their kingdom, they came and stayed here in these caves. They even built a palace at Lakhajuhar made out of lac.
Bhima used the massive rocks for sitting. This is why the place is also called ‘Bhim Baithaka’.

Discovery

Based on information gathered from local adivasis (tribals), Bhimbetka was first mentioned in Indian archeological records in 1888 as a Buddhist site.
In 1957, Dr. V. S. Wakankar, an archaeologist from Vikram University, Ujjain stumbled upon these rock formations. They were similar to those he had seen in Spain and France.
Archaeological excavations over the next 16 years yielded more than 700 such shelters dating from the Lower Palaeolithic Age to the Early Medieval Age.
The site spread over 10 kms in length and about 3 kms in width has more than 700 rock shelters, of which more than 400 have paintings. But only about a dozen caves are open to tourists.


Rock Art and Paintings

Over thousands of years, the caves evolved into excellent rock-shelters – ideal sites for aboriginal settlements – highly secluded and safe atop the mountains.
The rock shelters and caves of Bhimbetka have a large number of interesting paintings which depict the lives and times of the people who lived in the caves, including depictions of animals, communal dancing and drinking, birth, death and religious rites.Archeological studies have revealed a continuous sequence of Stone Age cultures (from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Medieval), as well as the world’s oldest stone walls and floors.

A broad chronology of the finds has been done, but a detailed chronology is yet to be created.

The paintings have been done mainly in red and white with occasional use of green and yellow.
We get an insight of the life style during those days.The superimposition of paintings shows that the same canvas was used by different people at different periods of time.Archeologists have classified the drawings and paintings under five broad periods.

Period 1 – (Upper Paleolithic): These are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge figures of animals, such as boar, bison, tigers, rhinoceroses and stick like humans.

Period II – (Mesolithic): These figures are comparatively smaller in size.
The stylised figures show linear decorations on the body.
In addition to animals, there are human figures and hunting scenes, giving a clear picture of the weapons used – barbed spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows.
There are depictions of birds, animals, drinking, musical instruments, communal dances, pregnant women, mother and child, and men carrying dead.

Period III – (Chalcolithic): Similar to the paintings of Chalcolithic pottery, these paintings reveal that during the period, the cave dwellers of this area were in contact with the agricultural communities of the Malwa plains and exchanged goods with them.

Period IV – (Early Historic):
The figures of this group have a schematic and decorative style and are painted mainly in red, white and rarely green.
There is association of riders, depiction of religious symbols, Tunic-like dresses and scripts of different periods.

Period V – (Medieval): These paintings are geometric, linear and more schematic, but show degeneration and crudeness in their artistic style.
For the first time, we find paintings of the Brahmanical Hindu Gods like Ganesh and Natraja in these rock shelters.

The cave dwellers prepared the pigments they used by combining manganese, haematite, soft red stone, wood coal and plants. They made brushes out of pieces of fibrous plants.It is amazing that the paintings have not faded even after thousands of years.

What to see

The caves vary in sizes. 
Some are very small while some can accommodate 100 people. The cave formations are unique.
One cave resembles the shape of a tortoise and the entrance resembles the mouth of a snake.You must visit the Zoo Rock Cave, which is the most famous of the caves.
These rocks have painting as old as 10,000 B.C. depicting various animals like elephants, antelopes and horses.You must visit Barkhera (7 kms from Bhimbetka).
This is Richest Open Air Stone Age Site in South Asia.
You can see Thousands of Acheulian Tools Scattered in the dense teak forest.
How to Reach

Air

Bhopal (45 Kms from Bhimbetka) is the nearest airport having direct flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Indore and Gwalior.

Rail

Bhopal has a railway station with trains from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

Road Bhimbetka is situated on the Bhopal-Hoshangabad National Highway No. 69.
It is well connected by good roads.

Best Season

July to March.

Recommendation

This is a must see place for everyone.
Nature has carefully preserved these clusters of natural rock shelters within massive outcrops of sandstone, above dense forests.
The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters are unique because the paintings and tools allow us to see the pattern of life over thousands of years.
They show the gradual transformation of man from a cave dweller to agriculturist and trader.
They also graphically depict the evolution of tools.

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters bear a significant resemblance to similar rock art sites in other parts of the world –  Kakadu National Park in Australia, the cave paintings of the Bushmen in Kalahari Desert, and the Upper Paleolithic Lascaux cave paintings in France.

The Bhimbetka Rock Shelters were recognized as a World Heritage Site in 2002.

You can see more details and information at the following site:
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_rockart_bhimbetka.asp

the land of the Golden Haapus                
or Alphonso Mangoes
                              
Ratnagiri is a small idyllic coastal town – 330 kilometres south of Mumbai.
It is famous for golden Haapus or Alfonso mangoes and for the horse shoe shaped fort.

Haapus or Alphonso Mangoes

Haapus is grown mainly in western India in and around Ratnagiri.
In terms of sweetness, flavour and rosy colour, Haapus mangoes are considered to be the best Indian mangoes.
And they are certainly the costliest mangoes.
Unfortunately, Haapus have a very short shelf life.Haapus and other mangos are also used to make sweets, candies, milkshake, lassi, jelly, jam and a variety of non aerated mango drinks.

Origin of the name Alphonso

The species has been named Alfonso after Dom Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portugese Navy Commander, who established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean. He used to carry Haapus mangoes from Goa to Portugal.
The people in the U.S. could not taste Indian Mangoes for 18 long years because U.S. had banned their import. The ban was lifted in April 2007.
Japan had imposed similar ban in 1986. This was lifted after 20 years – in 2006.

Mythology

According to mythology, after performing their pilgrimage on the 13th year, the Pandavas settled down near Ratnagiri.
When the Pandavas left the place for the Kurukshetra war, King Veeravat Ray of this region also accompanied them.

What to see

Ratnagiri Fort (also called Ratna Durg or Bhagwati Durg)

This historical fort was built by the Bahamani rulers between 1350 AD and 1500 AD.
In 1670, Shivaji conquered the fort from Bijapur ruler Adil Shah.
In 1731, the fort came under the control of Satara kings.
In 1818, it was surrendered to the British.The fort is 1300 meters long and 1000 meters wide.
It is in the shape of a horseshoe, surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. One of the fort’s bastions, “Siddha Buruj”, has a lighthouse which was built in 1867. The old lighthouse was rebuilt in 1962.
There is a temple of Goddess Bhagwati inside the fort.

Ratnagiri Port (previously known as Mandvi)                                 

The Ratnagiri Port, about 2 kms from Ratnagiri, was built to welcome the Queen of England.
On its west is the Ratna Durg Port. The sea is to the South. It is the finest beach of Ratnagiri.
This place is also known as ‘Black Sea’ due to the shining black sand along its shore.

Fishery Research Center  

There is a Fisheries Research Center at Mandvi.
The aquarium here is worth visiting.

Rajapur Ganga

The Rajapur Ganga, three kms from nearby Rajapur, is a rare geological phenomenon. It is a large natural siphon from a nearby mountain.There are fourteen black stone ‘kunda’ (pools), each about 2.25 feet deep, about three feet apart.
Fragrant waters of Rajapur Ganga appear once about every three years in great force from one of the pools, and stay for about two months.
The temperature of water is different in the fourteen pools.

Thebaw Palace

The Thebaw Palace was built in 1910-11 for the stay of the exiled last King and the Queen of Burma (Myanmar). They stayed here during 1911-16. You can see their tombs.

Mālgund

The famous Marathi poet, Keshavsut, was born in the village of Malgund.

Jaigad Fort

This 17th century fort nestling on a cliff at the entrance of the Sangameshwar River offers a spectacular view of the sea.

Pawas

Swami Swaroopānand, an influential religious leader of Maharashtra, settled down in this town. His residence has been converted into an “āshram”.

Ganpatipule

Ganpatipule, 21 kilometers from Ratnagiri, has clean and unpolluted beaches.
It also has a well-known Ganesh temple.

Parashurām Temple (near Chiplun)

This temple was built by Maharshi Brahmendra in 1685.

Caves

Some caves in Chiplun, Khed, Dabhol, Sangameshwar, Gauhani Velgaum and Vade Padel are worth visiting.
Some Konkanese were converted to Buddhism here during the lifetime of Gautama (BC 560-481)

Reaching there

Air
Ratnagiri has an airport. But there are no commercial flights at present. Rail
Ratnagiri has a important railway station.

Road
Ratnagiri is well connected by road with important towns such as Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, etc.
The road is very good and the drive is enjoyable.

Accommodation

There are plenty of good and affordable hotels in Ratnagiri and neighbouring places.

Recommendation

The beach here is lovely and there are plenty of places to see around.
You can spend a week end or a few more days here.  

Murud Janjira

Murud is a beautiful fishing village on the western coast of India – about 5 hours drive from Bombay (Mumbai). Since it has a municipality, water supply, schools and hospitals, you could even term it a small town.
It has a beautiful beach ideal for swimming, bathing and water sports. The beach is fringed with swaying coconut trees, a variety of palm trees and casuarinas. Unfortunately, the only water sport presently available is boating, sailing and deep sea fishing.
Murud is historically important because it was the capital of the Janjira State (area – 842 sq. kms.). The Nawabs of Janjira ruled the area around from here. The Janjira Fort is located 2 kms. into the sea – about 6 kms. from Murud.

History of Janjira State

During the past several centuries, traders brought slaves from Abyssinia and other parts of East Africa and sold them in Egypt, Arabia and India. The Abyssinian slaves had black skin and curly hair. They did not have the thick lips the Negroes have. They were called Habshis or Siddis.
They were faithful, brave and hard working. They were very trust worthy. In India, successive rulers appointed them to positions of high trust.
In 1490, King Malik Ahmed Shah of Ahmednagar broke away from the Brahmini kingdom and established his own Nizamshahi kingdom. He appointed his Abyssinian slave the commander of the Janjira Fort.
In 1621, Janjira became an independent state. Siddi Ambar Sankak Habshi became the first ruler of independent Janjira State. The Siddi rule continued for 327 eventful years till the merger of the State with India in May 1948. The last ruler was Siddi Mohamed Khan, who after the merger, settled down in Indore.
His successors have a palatial palace at Murud complete with a museum. But the present Nawab also lives in Indore.

History of Janjira Fort

The Janjira Fort has a colourful history. During the 15th century, the Rajpuri village which is 4 km. from Murud was inhabited by fishermen and the Nizams ruled the entire coastal region.With the Nizam’s permission, the fishermen built a wooden fort (Medhekot) on a huge rock in the sea, 2 km. off the shore of Rajapuri, to protect themselves from pirates and thieves.
Later, Burhan Khan, the minister of Nizamshah, the ruler at Ahmednagar, demolished the wooden fortress; and between 1567 and 1571 built an impregnable stone fort in its place. He named it Janjira Mehroob (Mehroob means crescent moon).
Siddi Ambarsatak, the fore father of the rulers of Janjira (later, they adopted the title of Nawabs), was nominated the commander of Mehroob.Shivaji made six unsuccessful attempts to conquer this fort. Later at various points of time, Sambhaji, the Peshwas, the British and the Portuguese tried to take over the fort, but Janjira remained unconquered till its merger with India in 1948. Janjira is one of the rare forts in Maharashtra which could not be taken over by the Marathas. The reason for this is the impregnable fort and superior naval forces and marine skills of the Siddis.
The Siddis ruled from the Janjira Fort which is located 2 kms. into the sea. Surrounded on all four sides by the Arabian Sea, the fort is undefeatable. It could never be captured by anyone. In the 1950s, the Archaeological Survey of India took over charge of the fort. They relocated all the residents of the fort to the nearby villages. Some restoration work is presently going on.

Nawab’s Palace

As you enter Murud, you will see the stately mansion of the Siddhi Nawabs of Murud Janjira perched on a high hillock overlooking the entire bay. You can visit the museum there. The present Nawab usually lives in Indore.

Janjira Fort

India has a large number of forts. But Janjira Fort is unique.
To visit Janjira, you have to go to Rajpur village (4 km). From there, you have to go to the Janjira Fort by sail boats. Rajpur has a harbour and a beautiful sea beach. For the first time in my life, I saw buffaloes swimming and bathing in the sea.
Once you reach the fort, you will find it most captivating. The strong entrance has successfully withstood numerous attacks.
The five-storied Surulkhana palace is almost in ruins. The top two stories have fallen off. Some renovation work is going on.
There are 2 large fresh water tanks inside the fort and some tombs.
The fort had about five hundred canons. But only a handful remain today. There are in all 19 Buruj (ramparts) in the fort. Every Buruj has huge guns capable of sinking any approaching vessel. Some of the guns bear names. The 3 most important big guns are ‘Kalal Bangadi’, ‘Chavari’ and ‘Landa Kasam’. These were built by an alloy of five different metals.
During its hey days, a large number of people lived inside the fort. But after it was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India, the residents were moved out. Much of Janjira Fort has been corroded and washed away due to the insistant battering by the Arabian Sea. But what remains is still a most formidable structure.

Dattatreya Temple

The temple of Dattatreya is located on a high place on a hillock. You get a panoramic view of the entire bay from here.

Places to see around

Janjira Caves
For those interested in history, archaeology or religion, the 2000 years old Buddhist Caves near Bhalgaon (20 kms from Murud Janjira) are a must see. Leave a full day for exploring the caves and a wonderful picnic.

Padmadurg Fort
The Padmadurga Fort built by Shivaji Maharaj is situated to the north west of Janjira. It is not as big as Janjira Fort, but Padmadurga Fort is also an interesting sea fort which can be visited and enjoyed.

Beaches
There are two unspoiled beaches on the way to Murud – Nandgaon and Kashid. You can spend time swimming and sunbathing in these beaches.

Getting there

Distances
Murud is 150 km from Mumbai,

Air
The nearest airport is Mumbai 150 km.

Rail
Nearest railway station is Roha 122 km.

Sea
A most convenient way to go there is by ferry from Mazgaon Ferry Wharf to Rewas (23 km from Murud); or by catamaran from Gateway to Mandwa. From Rewas or Mandwa, you have to take a road transport.
(The ferry services are suspended during the monsoons)

Road
Mumbai to Murud 150 km
You can go to Murud by car or taxi. There are plenty of local public buses, too. The drive takes about 5 hours.
You have to travel up to Panvel and then take the road that passes through the Karnala Bird Sanctuary upto Pen. You have to cross Ali Bag (100 kms. From Mumbai). You will also cross the beautiful Nandgaon and Kashid beaches.
After 20 kms. From Alibag, you can also go to Murud via Roha, a small town dotted heavily with large and shady trees. This route is 10 kms. longer, but you will pass through beautiful country side.

Accommodation

There are a number of hotels where you can get food and accommodation at reasonable rates. There are no four or five star hotels. Try to stay in a hotel on the beach side.
There are a large number of restaurants where you can taste the authentic local (Konkanese) food.

Best Time to Visit

Murud has a pleasant coastal climate and can be visited any time of the year. But carry plenty of sun protection and light cotton clothes.
During the monsoons (rainy season), the sea can be rough and could be closed for swimming.

Conclusion

Murud Janjira is a beautiful tourist spot quite close to Mumbai. It is enjoyable. But it has yet to be fully developed to realize its full potential.

Dandeli

a little known unique destination in South India

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary

Bordering the hamlet is the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary sprawling over 834.16 sq. kms. of dense forests and harbouring a large number of animals and numerous species of birds and reptiles.Animals in the Sanctuary

The most impressive animal in the Sanctuary is the Gaur or Indian Bison Bos gaurus gaurus. It is the largest and most powerful wild bovine – even larger than the Asiatic Water Buffalo.

Bisons are beautiful, majestic creatures. The males have a well developed muscular body, with a distinctive dorsal ridge and a large dewlap, giving it a very powerful appearance. The males are short and stocky, but sturdy.
Female bisons are substantially smaller, and their dorsal ridge and dewlaps less developed. Though the females are only slightly shorter, they are much lighter.
On an average, the males are more than 2.5 metres long, stand about 2 metres at the shoulder, and weigh between 1000 – 1500 kg.
The females are about 20 cm. less in height and weigh between 700 – 1000 kg.
Both male and female bisons have beautiful, near-perfect, well rounded horns.
The bottoms of their legs are white giving the impression that the animals are wearing socks.

Earlier, there were plenty of bisons in the Sanctuary.
They moved about in large herds.
The Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary was known as the ‘Bison Sanctuary’. But now their numbers have dwindled.
The bisons have become wary of humans and can be seen only in small groups.

Amongst the other animals are elephants, tigers, black panthers, wild pigs, sloth bears, wild dogs, jackal, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, common langur, bonnet macaque, slender loris, Malabar giant squirrels, giant flying squirrels, civets, porcupines, pangolin, mongoose and several species of snakes, including the graceful green vine snake and the dreaded King Cobra.

Jungle Safari

The jungle safari will take you deep inside the forests in jeeps which would be open or covered depending upon the weather. However, animal sighting in the wild depends on luck.
You could see a number of different animals in a single day, or none for days.

During and immediately after the rains, the undergrowth becomes dense and animal sighting extremely difficult.
A tiger, panther or some other animal could be lurking just a few feet away, but the thick growth and the animal’s camouflage could make it practically invisible.

The best time for animal sighting is dawn. Though, you could see some animals at dusk too.
A night safari is interesting. It is surprising how your guide will shine his torch on the animals and suddenly you see pairs of eyes glowing like small lamps.

Birds and Reptiles

There are over 200 species of birds in the Sanctuary.
Dandeli is a bird watcher’s paradise.
You will hear the vibrant horn like call of the Hornbills; see flashes of dazzling colour as kingfishers dive into the water; observe darters and egrets dart into the water and come out with a wriggling fish in its beak and watch the herons standing still near the banks for their unfortunate prey.
You will also see serpent eagles, falcons, magpie robins, bulbuls, orioles, woodpeckers, weaver birds and many more birds.

Vegetation

The sanctuary is covered with deciduous and semi-evergreen forests.
It is famous for its high quality Teak (Tectona grandis), Silver Oaks (Grevillea robusta), Eucalyptus, Acacia and Bambusa.
The area is also rich in bamboos; and herbs and climbers – many of which have medicinal value.
Coracle ride

The Kali River at the edge of the hamlet winds its way through the forests.

Your visit to Dandeli would be incomplete without a coracle ride in the river.
The original coracle is an indigenous, saucer-shaped boat made of bamboos and covered with thick buffalo hide. It looks flimsy, but is surprisingly sturdy and flows along with the current.

Modern versions of the coracle do not use buffalo hide, but synthetic material.
The latest coracles (which look so unnatural) are made of iron and wood.

As your coracle passes the many islands in the river, you will see numerous birds.
If the weather is sunny, you will see crocodiles lazing on the banks because crocodiles love sun bathing.
Don’t be afraid of the crocodiles. They are harmless. Actually, they are far more afraid of us! At the slightest sound, they slither away into the depths of the river.
You will find people washing clothes, bathing, or swimming nearby.
They will tell you that there never has been a single attack by a crocodile so far.
This is a wonderful example of man and animal living together in complete harmony.

White Water Rafting

Dandeli is one of the two places in India where you can do white water rafting. The other place is Rishikesh in North India.
White water rafting season starts after the monsoons and lasts from November to June. You will be taken several miles up the river in a jeep and asked to get into an inflatable boat. You will be given some introductory lessons. After that the fun begins. Your boat will go hurtling down the river, tumbling and jostling over the numerous rocks and rapids.
Depending upon the duration, at the end of the rafting, you will either be picked up by a jeep or walk back to your camp.

Places to see

The Karnataka Forest Department runs the Kulgi Nature Education Camp, spread over 10 acres of forest land near Kulgi village in Dandeli.
Here, you can rent well furnished tents and dormitories at nominal rates.
There is also a herbarium, well stocked library, video film screening arrangements, etc.
The staff here will make arrangements for jungle safaris, coracle ride, etc. for the tourists.

Sykes Point (21 km from Dandeli)

Sykes Point is one of the most beautiful spots in Karnataka. From here, you get a panoramic view of Kali River flowing through the valleys deep below. You will see miles and miles of lush green forests all around. During the rainy and winter seasons, you will see fluffy clouds sweeping down from the skies to the valleys below.

Nagajhari Point (14 km from Dandeli)

This is another ideal location for observing the hills, valleys, dense forests and the running streams.

Kavala Caves (25 km from Dandeli)

These ancient limestone caves bear signs of human habitation during prehistoric times.
You have to walk down a thousand steps to reach the entrance. There is a gigantic naturally formed Shiva Linga inside. You have to crawl into the caves to see it. Colonies of bats roost inside the caves.
The caves remain largely unexplored. You can explore the caves, but don’t go alone. Hire some one who knows about the caves.

Syntheri Rock (32 km from Dandeli)

The Syntheri Rock is a beautiful 300-metre monolithic granite rock formation located deep inside the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. The Kaneri River flows at the bottom.
Thousands of pigeons nest in the innumerable nooks and crannies of the rock. You can also see large hives of rock bees literally clinging to the rocks.
You can bathe in the river below.

Bats of Barapede Caves

Barapede Caves are located north of Dandeli between Krishnapur and Talewadi. Here you can see the highly endangered Wroughton’s free tailed bats (Otomops wroughtoni). Barapede Caves are the only roosting site of these bats in the world.
Krishnapur caves are one of the three places in the country where the little known Theobalds tomb bat Taphozous theobaldi are found.
The rare Megaderma spasma bats are found in the Talevadi caves.

Siddhi Tribals

On your way to Dandeli, you could meet odd looking tribals – black skinned with curly hair. They look like negroes.
They are the Siddhi tribals, whose ancestors were brought by the Portuguese from Africa as slaves over four centuries ago. You can visit their settlements and study their simple life style.

Industries and Manganese Mines

There were two wood based industries in Dandeli. The Indian Plywood Company Ltd. which closed down long ago and the West Coast Paper Mills Ltd. which is now largely dependent on imported wood.
There is manganese in the earth below the forests. There were several open quarry manganese mines inside the forest area. These were damaging the entire environment. The pollution had driven away all living creatures and killed all vegetation. Fortunately, all the mines have been closed down.
You can see the remains of the old mines. Vegetation has started reclaiming the abandoned mines. Birds, insects and other living creatures are returning to the area. The place is a living laboratory and vividly shows how much damage man can do; and given sufficient time, how nature has the tenacity and versatility to rebound back.

The endangered Kali River

As many as six dams have been constructed on the 184 kms. long Kali River for hydroelectric power stations, submerging most of the river course and huge areas of the surrounding forests. Four of these are at Supa, Bomman-ahalli, Kodsalli and Kadra. The other two are on its tributaries at Upper Kaneri and Tatihalla.
The Murdeshwar Power Corporation Limited (MPCL) is doggedly trying to construct the seventh dam. The Central Government has time and again refused the requisite permission. If the project is approved, and the dam ultimately built, the only remaining free-flowing stretch of the Kali River upstream of Dandeli would be destroyed. And white water rafting would have to be abandoned.

Activities


You can spend a few days simply idling, resting and recouping. If you are fond of nature and adventure, you can explore the hills and valleys, forest and rivers. Dandeli is an animal and bird watchers paradise. You can enjoy natural jakuzzi in the gurgling waters of the Kali River. You can do boating in the unique coracle. You can take your first lessons in white water rafting and kayaking. You can learn rock climbing and grappelling. You can do a little bit of cave exploration and a lot more.

Fact file

Road
Dandeli is well connected to Bangalore, Belgaum, Dharwad/Hubli, Goa, Karwar & Mumbai by good roads and all kinds of public transport.
You can get down at Dharwad/Hubli and take a taxi/bus to Dandeli.

Distances from Dandeli:
Bangalore – 480 kms.
Belgaum – 95 kms.
Dharwad – 57 kms.
Goa – 145 kms. &
Hubli – 72 kms.

Railway stations
The nearest railway stations are:
Belgaum – 95 kms.
Dharwad – 57 kms.
Hubli – 75 kms. &
Londa – 35 kms.

Airport
The nearest airports are:
Belgaum – 95 kms.
Goa – 145 kms. &
Hubli – 75 kms.
Air Deccan has daily flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Belgaum, Goa and Hubli. Kingfisher Airlines has daily flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Goa and Hubli.
There are several flights by other airlines to Bangalore and Goa.

Where to stay

1. Kali Wilderness Camp, owned by Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd (a Government of Karnataka undertaking): Ph: 080-5597021/24/25.
Web site:  http://www.junglelodges.com./
E-mail:  junglelodges@vsnl.com

2. Bison River Resort, owned by Indian Adventures Wildlife Resorts of Bombay:
Ph: 022-26433622 or 26408742.
Web site:  http://www.indianadventures.com./
E-mail:  idad@bom3.vsnl.net.in

3. Hornbill River Resort. Ambeli, Ganeshgudi – 581 365, Karnataka
Ph: 094481 36539.
E-mail:  mailto:hornbill%20riverresort@yahoo.com

All the three offer daily packages, for about Rs 1,000 – 2,000 per person, per day.
This includes meals, jeep ride into the forest, a coracle ride and sightseeing,
You will have to pay extra for boating, canoeing and white-water rafting (rafting is suspended during the monsoons).

Best time to visit

You can visit Dandeli any time of the year. During and immediately after the monsoons, you may see less animals and miss white-water rafting, but the forest becomes a mass of luxuriant vibrant green and you can feel freshness all around.
The place acquires a unique fairy tale ambience.

The most popular week end get aways from Mumbai

Lonavala and Khandala are two twin hill stations in Maharashtra eight kilometres from each other. They are just over a hundred kilometres from Mumbai (Bombay). The National Highway No. 4 from Mumbai to Bangalore passes through these two hill stations offering travellers a most enjoyable two hour motoring from Mumbai.

History

Lonavala was discovered in 1811 by Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone, then Resident of Pune and later Governor of Bombay. Elphinstone virtually founded the state education system in India, that too, at a time when British opinion was against educating the “natives”. The Elphinstone College of Mumbai was named after him. He refused the high post of Governor-General of India twice, to finish his authoritative two-volume work History of India.During that time, Lonavala was thickly forested, had a very small population and was known as “Lonali”. No authentic records are available which explain why the place was called Lonali. But Lonali of the past became the present day “Lonavala”.

During the 12th century, the Yadav Kings ruled Lonavala. Moghuls invaded the region and ruled for a long time. Later, Marathas, and after them, the Peshwas ruled the place. The Marathas and Peshwas built inaccessible, strategically located forts to protect their territory. The British started to rule this region from 1818.

Location

The two hill stations are situated on the western slopes of the Sahyadri hills. Lonavala is located at an altitude of 625 metres and is also known as the “Jewel of the Sahyadris”. Khandala is located slightly lower.

Both hill stations are famous for their scenic beauty, green hills, deep valleys, several lakes, historic forts and ancient caves. During the rainy season, the entire area becomes lush green with myriads of glistening waterfalls. Clouds sweep down to kiss the dense mist which seems to envelop everything.

Lonavala and Khandala have a number of sanatoria and are famous health resorts.
Lonavala and Khandala are extremely popular week end getaways amongst Mumbaites particularly because of their nearness to Mumbai. Many wealthy Mumbaites own flats or bungalows there. Many others try to spend their week ends there.

Places to see

There are plenty of places to visit and explore.

Lonavala Lake
This is the most famous lake. Also called Bushi Lake, it is located about a kilometre from Lonavala.
This lake is owned by Central Railway and is on the way to INS Shivaji.
Constructed in 1876, it is a very beautiful picnic spot.
The Indryani River is supposed to originate from this lake. There is also a dam here. Unfortunately, the lake practically dries up in summer.

Ray Wood Park
The Ray Wood Park is located inside the town near the Lonavala market. This is a sprawling botanical garden which has now turned into a large picnic garden with large lawns, tall trees and cool shades.

Tungarli Lake
This lake is at the north of the bus stand near Tungarli village. It supplies water to Lonavala. The hills offer beautiful views of Rajmachi, Lohagad, Visapur forts and Lonavala City.

Valvan Lake
This is very close to Lonavala. Here a Tata Company has constructed a beautiful dam. There is a well maintained garden and a centre for pisciculture.

Rajmachi Fort
This fort was used by the Maratha warrior Shivaji.
It is a place worth visiting but can be reached only on foot as it is surrounded by deep valleys on three sides and by a thick forest on the fourth side.

If you have time, you can visit a few other forts – the Manoranjan Fort, Shrivardhan Fort, Visapur Fort, Lohagad Fort and the Tunga Fort.

Rajmachi Point and Monkey Point
These are two other places worth visiting.

MTDC Holiday resort and Boating
There is a MTDC ( Maharashtra tourism development Corporation ) holiday resort at Karla spread over 30 acres of land. It is located on the Indravani river. Here you can hire paddle boats, motor boats and water scooters.

Ancient Caves

Far more interesting, much less known and rarely visited are the ancient and historical caves in the region.
Some of the oldest and most magnificent Buddhist caves in India lie scattered in this region.

Karla Caves

Malavali is on the main road about 8 km from Lonavala (towards Pune).
The Karla and Bhaja caves are both about 5 km from Malavali, but on opposite sides of the road.
Karla, 12 kms from Lonavala, has the largest chaitya griha (Buddhist chapel) in India. There are several viharas (monasteries or dwelling caves). These were built around 160 BC.

In terms of purity of design, the Karla caves represent the zenith of the Satwahan school of Hinayana style of temple architecture. They are the biggest and best preserved Buddhist cave temples in India.

The entrance to the chaitya griha is in the shape of a “Peepal” leaf. As one enters the magnificent hall, he is spell bound by the beauty of the stone pillars which are carved with life-like figures of elephants and human forms which represent different forms of Gautam Buddha.
The pillars are surprisingly smooth. The high majestic roof is semicircular.

There is adequate provision for storage of drinking water in the tanks around.
There is a small temple of Ekvira Devi at the entrance.

Bhaja Caves
Of the 18 caves in Bhaja, Cave No. 12, the finest of the cave complex, is an open chaitya constructed earlier than the Karla caves. This cave has sculptures of Surya and Indra with a Yaksha below Surya. The pillars here have centaurs.
Cave No. 1 is the dwelling house of the master architect.
Nine caves are viharas and the remaining 7 caves contain inscriptions about the donors.

The Bhaja caves are similar to the Karla Caves but on a much smaller scale. These caves are so constructed that the rays of the setting sun enter these caves.
On the southern side, there is a place where one can see carved figures of Gods and Goddesses.
Below the mountain is Mukkai, the site of the pre historic Mother Goddess. Even today, the villagers offer sacrifices once a year.
On one side of Bhaja is Lohagad Fort. On the other side, the Visapur Fort.

Bedsa Caves
16 kilometres south of Karla close to the Kamshet Railway Station is the village called Bedsa. A 3 kilometres walk up a stiff hill takes one to the Bedsa caves.
These caves have a huge chaitya, and numerous small resting chambers or cells for monks. The vihara has 9 cells and couple of side cells. In one of the larger cells is a non-Buddhist deity Yamai.
The caves have huge pillars, lions and human figures. The arched roof of the chaitya is supported by 2,000-year-old woodwork.
Under a tree in the village below is the Tandula stone of Bedsai. Every year, a palki (palanquin) is taken from this village to Yamai’s shrine and then to Vaghoba (deity of the pass) up the hill.

Getting there

Distances
Lonavala to Mumbai 108 Kms
Lonavala to Pune 66 Kms
Lonavala to Khandala 8 Kms

Air
Nearest international airport Mumbai
Nearest domestic airport Pune

Train
Both Lonavala and Khandala have railway stations and are well connected to Mumbai and Pune.

Road
The National Highway No. 4 from Mumbai to Bangalore passes through the two
hill stations. All kinds of private and public transport are available.

Accommodation

There are a large number of hotels in Lonavala and Khandala -
from affordable budget class to the star luxury class hotels.
The MTDC holiday resort at Karla also offers very good accommodation
at reasonable rates.

Best Time to Visit

These hill stations can be visited throughout the year, but the best time to visit them is during the monsoons.
During the rainy season, the rain clouds hover around and the place gets covered in dense mist. You can see many waterfalls all around.
Try to avoid weekends and holiday season, unless you like crowds.

The World Heritage Site nearest to Mumbai

The Elephanta Caves contain the most striking collection of rock-art statues, sculptures and reliefs panels in India.
They contain the most exquisite works of art skillfully hewn out of basaltic mountains.

They are comparable to the works of Ellora.
It is quite possible that the Elephanta and Ellora caves were built by the same artists.

 History


We have not been able to determine the precise period of construction.

There is mention of the Elephanta Caves in the Aihole (Karnataka) inscriptions of King Pulkesin II of Chalukya dynasty.

In the inscriptions, Elephanta Island has been described as Puri.
Later, the island came to be known as Gharapuri – the Place of Caves.

Some historians say that the great warrior King Pulkesin II raised the shrine to celebrate his victory.
Other historians suggest that these caves were built much earlier – in the 6th century A.D. – by the Kalchuri King Krishnaraja.
But we do know that during different periods of time, different dynasties ruled over this little island.

The Konkan-Mauryas, Trikutakas, Chalukyas of Badami, Silaharas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Yadavas of Deogiri, Muslim rulers of Ahmedabad and the Portuguese.
The Marathas also ruled over this island. From them, the island passed over to the British.

When the Portuguese came, they found a large monolithic stone elephant at the place where they landed so they named the island Ilha do Elephanta, island of the elephant, or Elephanta Island.
The elephant statue collapsed in 1814.

The British removed it to the Victoria Gardens (Mumbai’s zoo – now renamed Jijamata Garden) and reassembled it there.
Even today, the monolith stands guard at the entrance of the zoo.

The Portuguese also found a stone horse.
But we do not know what happened to it.
It has simply vanished.

The Portuguese built a fort on the island with a watch tower.
And they used the caves for target practice, damaging most of the beautiful statues – intentionally, or due to sheer rashlessness, we do not know.

The Magnificent Caves

A flight of about a hundred steps, from the ferry landing, take you to the two groups of caves. Towards the east, Stupa Hill (named because of a small brick Buddhist monument on the top) contains two caves, one of which is unfinished, and several water cisterns.

Towards the west is the larger group of five rock-cut caves containing Hindu shrines.
The main cave is famous for its carvings of Shiva, in various forms,
performing different actions.
The cave consists of a square mandapa whose sides measure 27 metres each.
The interior is divided into smaller areas by rows of pillars, columns, supports and arches.

The whole structure, meticulously carved out of basaltic rocks, closely resembles a cemented stone building.

At the entrance to the caves is the 20 feet high Trimurti (three faced statue), the world famous trinity of Elephanta – depicting Lord Brahma the Creator, Lord Vishnu the Preserver and Lord Shiva the Destroyer.
In a chapel on the right of the entrance is a huge Shiva Linga (the phallic form of Lord Shiva). The chapel has four doors, each guarded by colossal figures of dwarapala, or temple guards.

There are 15 beautiful relief panels depicting – Ardha Nari Ishwara (Lord Shiva in half male and half female form), Shiva receiving the waters of the Ganges, marriage of Shiva to Parvati, Shiva killing the devil Andhaka, etc.

The Elephanta Festival

The Elephanta Festival is organised on Elephanta Island in February every year.
Renowned dancers and musicians perform outside the Caves, under the open star-studded sky.
This is an event eagerly awaited by lovers of art and culture.

Scenic Beauty

The place is very beautiful.
You can walk around the island. You can climb the hills.
There is also the Cannon Hill with a rusty canon which was used by the Portuguese to drive off pirates.

Reaching there

Elephanta Caves are located on Elephanta Island – a small island (7 square kilometers in area) – 7 kms. off the shore of Mumbai.
You can reach the Island only by boat (11 kms).
The journey is enjoyable.

There are regular ferry services from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Island and back. Boats usually leave every 10 or 15 minutes from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
You can even hire your own boat.
During the monsoons, the sea becomes very rough and the journey dangerous.
Ordinary boat services are usually suspended.

Accomodation

There is no place for overnight stay on the island.
So you have to go in the morning and return back at night.

Recommendation

UNESCO has included Elephanta Caves in its World Heritage Site in 1987.
If you visit Mumbai, this is one place you should not miss.
I am sure you will feel cosmic vibrations in the caves.

The Rock cut Caves of Ajanta

Government service does provide some unique pleasures and opportunities.I must thank the Election Commission of India which sent me as an election observer to Buldana (Maharashtra).

I saw the Lonar Crater, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora and vast areas completely devastated by earth quakes.

Ajanta Caves

The rock cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra represent the ultimate in this type of cave architecture.

The Ajanta caves are older of the two – being over 21 centuries old.

The Ellora caves are some 6 centuries younger.
Location

The Ajanta caves were discovered in 1819 by a group of British Officers of the Madras Army. The officers accidentally stumbled upon the caves hidden amongst dense vegetation and buried under debris.

After that, the Archeological Survey of India started excavations.
These caves are located in a thickly forested horseshoe shaped ravine in the Sahyadri hills, 3½ km from the village called Ajintha, about 105 kilometers from Aurangabad.

The Waghur river runs at the bottom of the ravine.
Period of Excavation

There are 30 excavated caves in Ajanta.Cave nos. 1 to 29 and Cave no. 15A (the last one was discovered in 1956, and is still not officially numbered).

They are located about 35 to 110 ft. above the level of the river.

The first Buddhist rock-cut cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.

During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group.

The excavations of the caves were done in two distinct phases.

The first phase is called the Hinayana phase (referring to the Lesser Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, the earlier phase, when Buddha was revered symbolically).

Actually, Hinayana – a derogative term for Sthaviravada – does not object to Buddha statues.
Cave nos. 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15A were excavated during this phase.

These excavations have enshrined the Buddha in the form of the stupa, or mound.

Cave no. 8 was for long thought to be a Hinayāna cave.

Now it is treated as a Mahayana cave.
The second phase of excavation began after three centuries.

This phase is called the Mahayana phase (referring to the Greater Vehicle tradition of Buddhism, which is less strict and encourages direct depiction of Buddha through paintings and carvings).

This phase is also called the Vakataka phase after the ruling dynasty of the house of the Vakatakas of the Vatsagulma branch.

None of the caves in the Vakataka phase were ever fully completedbecause the Vakataka dynasty suddenly fell out of power which brought the activities at Ajanta to a complete halt.
Two Types of Structures

The Ajanta caves consists of two types of excavations – viharas (monastic halls of residence) and chaitya grihas (stupa or monument halls).

Cave nos. 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya grihas.

The others are viharas.

The caves contain paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.

There are paintings on the walls in Cave nos. 1, 2, 16 and 17 that are clear and vibrant even today.
All the paintings in the caves are linked to religion and centre around the Buddha.

They illustrate events in the life of Prince Gautama Buddha; incidents from the life of the Buddha; and the Jatakas (stories pertaining to Buddha’s previous incarnation).
Frescoes and murals
The paintings are often referred to as “frescoes”.

But the proper term for this kind of art work is “mural”, because the technique of fresco painting has not been used in Ajanta.

The technique used to produce the paintings at Ajanta is unique.

It is unlike any other artwork found in any other civilization.

The paintings give us a glimpse of the life style during that period – hair styles, ornaments, textiles, musical instruments, details of architecture, customs, etc.

My recommendation

It is difficult to believe that the beautiful caves and the carvings in the caves could have been chiselled out of granite rocks only with hammer and chisel.

The paintings were also done with very simple and basic material.

A particular type of classical Indian art started and developed in Ajanta.

This style traveled with Buddhism to many other countries – Sigiriya in Sri Lanka, Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, China and Japan.

In 1983, the Ajanta Caves were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are must see places for everyone.

The rock cut caves of Ellora

In my earlier blog on Ajanta, I have already written that Government service does provide some unique pleasures and opportunities.

I have thanked the Election Commission of India which sent me as an election observer to Buldana (Maharashtra).

This spell of duty made it possible for me to see the Lonar Crater, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora and vast areas completely devastated by earth quakes.

The caves of Ellora represent the epitome of Indian rock-cut cave architecture.

Caves of Ajanta and Ellora – Differences

There are two basic differences between the rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora.The caves of Ajanta were covered by vegetation and debris and lost between the pages of history.
They were ‘re-discovered’ in 1819 by a group of British Officers of the Madras Army.
On the other hand, Ellora was continuously visited by pilgrims, tourists and travellers, right up to the present day.

Secondly, all the caves of Ajanta are connected to the Buddha and Buddhism.
But the caves of Ellora encompass three religions – Buddhism, Hindu and Jain.

The Caves of Ellora

There are a total of 34 caves excavated out of the vertical cliffs of the Charanandri hills.

These comprise of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temples and monasteries excavated during different periods of time spanning across six centuries.

Of the 34 caves:

· 12 are Buddhist caves – excavated during the 5th to 7th century A.D. (Cave nos. 1 – 12 at the southern end).
· 17 are Hindu caves – excavated during the 8th to 10th century A.D. (Cave nos. 13 – 29 in the middle, and
· 5 are Jain caves – excavated during the 9th and 11th century A.D. (Cave nos. 30 – 34 at the northern end).

The Buddhist Caves

The Buddhist caves are the earliest in point of time. They were excavated between the fifth and seventh centuries.

Just like the Ajanta caves, the caves here

consist of two types of excavations – viharas
(monastic halls of residence) and chaitya grihas
(stupa or monument halls).

 
Of the 12 Buddhist caves, all except Cave no. 10, are viharas – large, multi-storeyed buildings carved into the mountain face, which include living quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, etc.

The last two Buddhist caves, Do Tal (Cave no. 11) and Tin Tal (Cave no. 12) are viharas having three storeys each.

Some of these viharas have shrines, and carvings of Buddha, bodhisattvas
and saints.

In many of the caves, the stone has been sculpted to give the appearance of wood.

The most famous Buddhist cave is Cave no. 10, a chaitya griha (chandrashala) or ‘Vishwakarma Cave’, popularly known as the ‘Carpenter’s Cave’.

When you enter the multi storeyed entrance of Cave no. 10, you come into a large hall, whose ceiling has been carved to give the impression of wooden beams.

And there is a 15 foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose.

The Hindu Caves

The Hindu caves were constructed in the beginning of the 7th century and represent a complex mix of creative art and execution skills.

The Kailash Temple, Cave no. 16, is the grandest and undisputed masterpiece of Ellora.
It is the largest monolithic structure in the world.

Construction of this cave involved removal of 200,000 tons of rock and took 100 years to complete.
It is a feat of creative human genius.

This gargantuan structure depicts Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.
It looks like a free standing, multi-storeyed temple complex.
But it was actually carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of the Parthenon in Athens.

All the carvings were done in more than one level.
A two-storey gateway leads into a U-shaped court yard.
The court yard is edged by three storeys high, columned galleries.
The galleries have huge sculpted panels; and alcoves containing enormous sculptures of a variety of deities.
Originally, flying stone bridges connected these galleries to the central temple structures, but these have since fallen away.

The main temple has a Shiva linga.
In front of this linga, is an image of the sacred bull Nandi.

The base of the temple is carved to suggest that elephants are holding up the structure.

Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are Shaivaite (followers of Shiva); while on the right hand side, the deities are Vaishnavaites (followers of Vishnu).

The temple is a splendid specimen of Dravidian art.
Its excavation was started by Krishna I (757 A.D. – 773 A.D.) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty that ruled from Manyakheta in the present day Karnataka state.
Krishna I’s rule had spread to southern India.

Therefore, this temple was excavated in the prevalent Dravidian style.
Its builders modelled the temple on the lines of the Virupaksha Temple in Pattadakal.

Other notable Hindu caves are the Dashavatara Cave, Cave no.15, which depicts the 10 incarnations of Vishnu; the Ramesvara Cave, Cave no. 21, which has figurines of river goddesses at the entrance, and the Dhumar Lena Cave, Cave no. 29, which is the oldest excavation and whose design is similar to the cave temples on Elephanta Island in Mumbai.

The Jain caves

The Jain caves are simple and reflect asceticism.
Compared to the other caves, they are small, but they have exceptionally detailed art work.

For example, Cave no. 32, Indra Sabha is a shrine with a very fine carving of a lotus flower on the ceiling.
In another cave, an imposing yakshini is sitting on a lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits.

All other Jain caves also have intricate details.

Many of the structures had rich paintings in the ceilings – fragments of which are still visible.

My recommendation

Ellora is 30 km from Aurangabad in the state of Maharashtra.
It was known as Verul in ancient times.

Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
Its temples will always remind us that the rulers of those days were tolerant of all religions.

And that is the essence of Hindu religion.