Sindhudurg: The sea fortress..

Just over the horizon the sun was shining in its ever beautiful glory . Its fading orange light caressing the ocean as if biding a final adieu. The wind was cool and the ocean as blue as ever.

I was eagerly waiting at the pier for my turn and immediately jumped into the little boat that had just touched its last steps. It took us about fifteen minutes to navigate our tiny 15 seater past the rocky reef and finally, I found myself on the very sands of the marvellous sea fort ‘Sindhudurg’. Just breathing the very air of the fort, I realised yet again that history can never really exist in books. It was more beautiful than in books and certainly more magnificent than whatever I had ever heard. Its charm was having its effect on every visitor that had landed on its shore, and as I entered the beckoning gates, history took me in its arms.

As we made our way into this majestic and intimidating structure we realised that it had history etched all over. Constructed by the great Indian warrior Shivaji Maharaj in 1664 on the low rocky 48 acre island off the Malvan coast, this sea fort is entirely surrounded by the sea on all its sides. Just imagining how the construction of this huge structure was achieved amidst the sea, almost 300 years ago is a mind-boggling feat. Over 4000 mounds of iron has gone into its construction and the foundation stones have been firmly laid down in lead. The transportation of such huge and heavy stones across such choppy waters and past the rocky reef simply defeats imagination. The fort includes palaces, wells, temples and numerous other structures. It has also some secret alleys and passage-ways typical of old impregnable forts. The insides of the fort are lined with palm and coconut trees. Its beaches also provide one of the most serene and beautiful coastal views in India.

Sitting at the edge of one of the fort walls and staring far into the seas, was giving me a deja-vu feeling. The intimidating 9m-10m walls, the crashing waves against them, the deepest blue shade of the ocean, and the stone-adorned beaches will forever remain etched in my memory. And as the song “On a day like today” by Bryan Adams started playing itself in my mind, I wondered, if this was the same place I had so often seen myself sitting in? Some places really have that ‘it all begins and ends here’ feel. The sun had set into the horizon leaving behind its orange hue. From the fortress wall our boat looked like a mere spec, a mere spec that was about to tear me apart from this mystical place. I closed my eyes one last time, and as the fortress breeze caressed me again….a part of me was finally home.