View from Fort Tiracol. Tiracol, Goa, India.
From atop a hillock, we gazed at the shimmering waters of the Arabian Sea below. To the left, the Terekhol (Tiracol) river (hidden from our view) proceeded to its rendezvous with the sea. And beyond the river, in the distance, lay a clean sandy stretch of beach. We squinted our eyes and thought we saw a couple of tourists ambling along in the sand.
The long stretch of sand is (almost) as flat as a pancake. Small waves crash in the distance and leisurely withdraw from the shore. Beige-colored crabs scurry along, visible one moment, out of sight the next. A couple of starfish lie still on the shore. Dozens of hungry plovers dig feverishly into the sand to find their meal. High up in the sky, a sea eagle flies home victoriously, with a struggling serpent held firmly in its talons.
From the hill station of Saputarato the seaside. We set off to Daman, a former Portuguese colony, along the coast of the Gulf of Khambhat.
After more than four centuries of Portuguese rule, Daman passed into the hands of India in 1961. The Damanganga river divides the town into Moti Daman (Big Daman) and Nani Daman (Little Daman) just before it meets the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. At the mouth of the Damanganga, the strong forts and the little fishing boats narrate the story of the seaside town.
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En route to Saputara, Gujarat.
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View from the ropeway. Saputara, Gujarat, India.
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Blue. Saputara Lake, Gujarat, India
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Green (and some blue!) At the Lake Garden. Saputara, Gujarat, India.
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Red and White in Warli Art. Saputara, Gujarat, India.
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Colors on the horizon. Saputara, Gujarat, India.
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Tales of the Victorious and the Vanquished. Panhala Fort, Maharashtra.
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Fortifications. Panhala, Maharashtra.
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Strength. Panhala Fort, Maharashtra.
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Shiva Kashid Memorial. Panhala, Maharashtra.
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The valiant Baji Prabhu Deshpande. Panhala, Maharashtra.
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Who goes there? Teen Darwaza, Panhala, Maharashtra.
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Motifs. Teen Darwaza, Panhala, Maharashtra.
Tucked neatly between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Silvassa is the capital of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The small town, formerly ruled by the Portuguese, is now an active industrial hub. This information was part of what I already knew about Silvassa. But there is much more to the area than just industries. Here’s what we discovered on a trip to Silvassa in December:
A Much-awaited Trip
The UNESCO world heritage site of Ellora is a weekend escape or long-weekend getaway from Pune. The splendid rock-cut caves had been on our wish list for quite some time. Along came the opportunity to pay a visit to this famous location.
Of the 34 rock-cut caves at Ellora, 17 are Hindu caves (cave numbers 13 to 29), 12 are Buddhist caves (cave numbers 1-12), and 5 are Jain caves (cave numbers 30-34).