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.

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal
The Chalukyan Temple Architecture

WHO designed the first Hindu temples? Who constructed them? Where were they built? What were they made of? Why did successive rulers make them more and more magnificent? These are some interesting questions relating to temple architectural history.

Indo-Aryan Nagara style of architecture
One comes across three principal types of temple architecture that were prevalent in different parts of India around the same period. Between A.D. 320 and A.D. 650, the Gupta Kings started building temples in North and Central India in what is known as the Indo-Aryan Nagara style of architecture.

The Dravidian style of architecture
In the south, kings built temples in the Dravidian style. One finds the earliest surviving Dravidian temples near Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram, 60 km south of Chennai). These were built around A.D. 500. This style flourished for centuries and reached its zenith when the massive structures in Madurai and Rameswaram were built, around A.D. 1600.

The Chalukyan style of architecture
The Chalukyan style originated in Aihole around A.D. 450 and was perfected in the neighbouring villages of Badami and Pattadakal (all in Bagalkot district of Karnataka). Chalukyan artists experimented with different styles, blended the Indo-Aryan Nagara and Dravidian styles, and evolved their own distinctive style. One can see magnificent examples of their earliest works in Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal. These certainly are not the earliest temples. Temples were constructed centuries before the 4th and 5th century A.D., but with wood and bricks and have not survived.
The massive temples in South India today give the impression that there were no large temples in North and Central India. There were, in fact, big temples in North and Central India, too. But repeated invasions, pilferage and destruction over the years devastated most of them. Thus, we do not find in North and Central India the equals of the grand temples of South India which was comparatively free of frequent foreign invasions and enabled successive rulers to add to the work of their predecessors.

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal
THE Chalukya rulers of Vatapi (as Badami was then known) ruled the central Deccan from A.D. 540 to A.D. 757. They were great patrons of art and architecture. They have left behind a wealth of temple architecture in Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal. Since these areas do not lie on the major tourist routes and are not well-connected with the major cities, they have not received the prominence they deserve.
The architectural style that developed in this part is known as the Chalukyan style (to distinguish it from the Dravidian style, more common to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and so on). Why did South Indian rulers build temples of such magnitude and why did their successors make continuous additions to the work? Certainly not solely because of their faith in religion.
Perhaps they wanted to overawe their enemies and subjects with an enormous show of wealth and power, represented by these temples. Or perhaps they wanted to impress their subjects with a show of love for the religion. Or perhaps they wanted to atone for the sins they had committed by killing innumerable innocent people in the bloody wars they fought. The temples were built by teams of architects, artists, sculptors and masons, who remain anonymous.

Aihole
Aihole, a small village on the banks of the Malaprabha river, was the cradle of ancient Hindu temple architecture. There are over 70 temple structures scattered around the village. These structures clearly show the experimentation with different styles undertaken by the artisans. It was here that the artisans worked on the rocks to create the earliest rock-cut shrines based on Buddhist monuments.
It was here they experimented with different styles, abandoning some and adopting others. From the earliest rock-cut shrines, the artisans graduated to the full-fledged Chalukyan style of architecture.
Ravana Phadi is one of the oldest rock-cut temples in Aihole. There is a Sivalinga in the inner room (cella or sanctum sanctorum, where the idol of the deity is kept). The walls and sides of the temple are covered with large figures. The sculptures are superb – especially that of dancing Siva.
The Huchchimalligudi temple is one of the earliest in Aihole. A significant feature of it is the addition of a room to the old temple structure, which had only an inner room and a hall. The room was added between the sanctum sanctorum and the hall.
One of the most impressive temples here is the Durga temple, which dates back to the 7th century A.D. This is actually a Hindu adaptation of the Buddhist Chaitya Hall with a rounded end. The temple has perforated windows and a statue of Mahishasuravardhini – Goddess Durga destroying the demon Mahishasura. This was constructed in a new style, but subsequently abandoned.
The Lad Khan temple was also built around the 7th century A.D. It is a unique temple, with a surprising resemblance to the Parliament House. It is believed that this structure was not meant to be a temple but a meeting place.

Badami
Badami is now a small town located at the mouth of a ravine between two steep hills. It was the original capital of the Chalukya empire founded by Pulakesin I in the 6th century A.D. Here are four beautiful rock-cut temples carved out of sandstone hills. Each has a square sanctum, a hall with pillars, and a pillared verandah. The halls have exquisite carvings and sculptures.
Of the four temples, the fourth is actually a Jain temple. It has a statue of Mahavira.

Among the masterpieces in these rock-cut temples is the famous 18-armed statue of Nataraja (Siva in the dancing pose). If one observes it closely, one will see Nataraja in 81 different dancing poses.

Pattadakal
Pattadakal is another small village on the banks of the Malaprabha. This place was considered to be very auspicious and holy. The Chalukya kings were crowned here.
During the middle of the 7th century, temple building activity shifted from Badami to Pattadakal. There are 10 temples here, four in the northern or Indo-Aryan Nagara style and six in the Chalukyan style. Here one finds an intermingling of the two styles. A look at the Pampanath temple shows its disproportionate dimensions. The height is much too low. This style, too, was abandoned.

The Mallikarjuna, and the larger Virupaksha, temples were built around A.D. 740, by Trailokyamahadevi and Lokamahadevi, the two queens of Vikramaditya II, to commemorate their husband’s victory over Nandivarman, the Pallava king of Kancheepuram. Vikramaditya II brought artisans from Kancheepuram. The Virupaksha temple clearly shows the influence of the Kancheepuram style.

Levels of Architecture
Guides will tell tourists that if Aihole is considered a school of architecture, Badami was a degree college, and Pattadakal, a university of architecture.

World Heritage Site
In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) included Pattadakal in its list of World Heritage sites.