Pune to Aurangabad Day1: Bibi ka Maqbara

Back-to-back is a phrase, considered best suited to people in their early twenties. They may still be in college or fresh out of college, full of energy and zeal, on the verge of doing everything which pops up in one’s mind and most importantly every friend of the group will still be bachelor hence no excuses of ‘Let me ask’ or ‘Bhai batata hoon’. But I guess as with everything else from average human lifespan to average marrying age, this back-to-back-phrase-using-age is also growing and has bitten to people in their early thirties also.

Few days back we saw 6 movies back to back in a weekend.  All day we were eating and seeing movie while other one was on download. So when it comes to travelling back to back, the only thing, I have sensed till now, I don’t get bored easily of, you know I was feeling like being in early twenties again (though when I actually was, I never did anything which can remotely be termed as crazy). 2^nd thing, it was new year and what a better way to start a new year other than travelling. 3^rd thing, 1^st Jan (Friday) being leave, it was a long weekend also.

So even before the dust from last trip was off our cloths and even before the photos were exchanged, by Wednesday the coming weekend was booked with the same group of friends.

If last time it was sand, beaches, fort, sunset and all, this time it was going to be a visit to the world heritage site (Ajanta Ellora caves in Aurangabad ) which will end with a religious note (Shirdi and Shanisignapur).

Lesson learnt from last trip to Ratnagiri was, book your hotel beforehand else be ready to waste your time, energy, money and end up sharing the room. My husband seemed to be taken it very seriously and booked room in Aurangabad for day 1 even without telling me (and I cannot be more thank full to him as the deal we got gave me another reason to travel without taking worry of hotel bills). Also this time we were determined to leave as early as possible to avoid the day time city chaos and also to make most of our day 1.

Our day 1 itinerary looked like: reach Aurangabad by 10:00 AM, check in hotel, lunch, Bibi ka Maqbara and Ellora caves. Ellora caves being the major attraction, half of the day was set aside for it. Bibi ka maqbara was 2^nd option depending upon the time.

We left home by 5:10 AM, already 40 mins late. Pune to Aurangabad goes from the same area where our friends reside, so picked them up from there only. However at 5:45 AM in the morning, the major landmark of that area, Amanora mall, was all extinguished and it took us a while to search for it before we figured out we were standing right in front of it . Finally we started from there at around 6:15 AM. From there, Aurangabad was around 225 KM.

Other benefit of leaving early is you get to see how sky turned from light blue to orange and then the beautiful sun rise from behind a tree or a hill.

Beautiful

I just love roads :)

Breakfast break was taken at around 8:00 AM with tea and homemade poha. 

Breakfast Hotel :)

In next 20 mins we were done and started again and stopped only after reaching Aurangabad at sharp 10:00 AM. Since we were on time and check-in time of hotel was 12:00 PM, we directly went for Bibi ka Maqbara. 

View from outside

Bibi ka maqbara is a clear-cut replica of Taj-mahal in Agra and is built by Ajamshah, son of Aurangzeb, in the memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum. It is supposed to be built between 1651 and 1661 C.E (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/).

It too resembles the same structure as any other tomb like monuments in India with 4 pillars sort of structure in every direction, beautiful exquisite work in every wall and roof, a jali like structure in 3 directions other than entrance, a prayer hall apart from main building and garden surrounding the main architecture from every direction. Like Taj-mahal, it too has a pathway, with space for water and fountains in between, though it was nowhere to be seen, from main entrance up to the main building.

Work at the entrance

Another example of beautiful karigari

View of main building from entrance

Doesn't one get confused it with the Taj in this pic :)

More closer look

Another example

Stairs to the upper part

Prayer Hall

Aurangabad caves. Visible from Bibi ka maqbara

Surrounding garden

From main building to entrance

Dargah of Dilras Banu Begum

Interior

Jali work from inside

After spending good 1.5 hours there, we returned and started for the hotel. Though this time hotel was booked, but it took us some 20-30 mins to search it. Enquired with 2-3 people and at one point we were only be maximum 200 meters from hotel, when we did the mistake of asking one auto rickshaw driver and he misguide us to other direction. After taking a big round and asking with other people, we reached hotel and from there we can see that intersection and that auto still standing there. :)

Happy Ghumakkadi :)

Pune to Ratnagiri Day 3: Unknown Beach and almost drowning experience

After spending some 1.5 hours in Kurli beach on day 3, we returned and went to the that unknown beach which we found 1 KM before Kurli. Now Mandvi was off our list following the review of that old uncle. By that time shops were open and we stopped on one for Vada-Pav and Chai. 

That unknown beach now had some 6-7 cars in parking area. We went on the beach with our stuff and as soon as we settled down, my husband drew a line and he and his friend were off running. 

We two girls sat there eating something and clicking selfies. We too decided to go for running. After some 15-20 minutes, boys came with a handfull of shells and some star-fish. 

Then we girls started running cum walking and collecting shells in between. My friend is so sweet in talking and an easy going girl. We were running, walking, picking shells and of course talking also. For some time we were in sand and then I suggested to walk in water. Water was cold and soothing to feet.  She asked if I knew the story of Bagula aur Machli . I didn’t know, so she started narrating it for me.

Ek bagula tha jo ek din machliyon k paas pahucha aur khne lga main tum logo se dosti krna chahta hoon. Maine machliyan khani band kr di hai aur main sadhu ban gya hoon. Tum log mujhse dosti kr skte ho. Machliyan hairan pareshan, aisa kaise ho skta hai. Wo apni rani k pas gayi. Wha bagule ne aur bi badha k baat ki. Main kuch bi khaunga piyunga nhi. Tum log mujhe apna dost bna lo. Rani ne socha ki ye itna kar rha hai, sadhu bi ban gya hai to ek baar dost bana k dekhne me kya harj hai. Bagula bola, tum log mujhe bas pani me khde rhne ki ijajat de dena. Nhi to aise bhookhe pyase to main mar jaunga. Rani machli ne haan kr di. Bagula to bagula hai, wo roj sbse last ki machli ko kha leta. Isse bagule ka kam bi ho rha tha aur kisi ko pta bi nhi chlta ki piche kya hua. Kuch dino baad jab machliyon ki population thodi kam dikhi to rani ko shaq hua. Usne socha ki main aj sbse piche rhungi..dekhu ye bagula krta kya hai.

And suddenly we were knee deep down in water. Some 2 minutes before water was only ankle deep and it came above our knee in just one wave. We got imbalanced also. One more wave was on the way and we feared of water coming up to our shoulder in this one. We hold each others hand and came out of the water. How did it happen in 2 min? She asked to return back. Fear was visible on our faces. We have come very far. Later on we guessed, might be because we were too immersed in story to notice that we were in some area which was below the normal level and water just filled up there. Anyways it was very scary. 

But in between all this, story remained incomplete. :). If anyone of you knows this story, please let me know what Rani Machli did afterwards.

Now because I was soaked, I too went in water. And once we were in water, we were in there for 3 hours. Many people came and went, but we were still there enjoying. And I was thankful that I came in capris and not in jeans :). My husband realized, this was what was missing from the trip and that’s why this trip was not at all looking like Ratnagiri trip to him :). Every now and then we were discussing of getting late, but no one wanted to come out. Finally when it was 12:15 PM we came out as check out time from hotel was 12:00 PM. Hurriedly we went to hotel and took shower in record 15 min and checked out.

All our plans of visiting 2-3 more places were crashed and we were late also as we planned to leave Ratnagiri by 12:00 PM. Finally we were able to start from hotel at 1:00 PM and were yet to have lunch. Decided to have lunch somewhere in between in some dhaba once we would reach highway.

At around 1:30 PM we stopped at one hotel. And food there was super delicious. We had a full 3 course meal there, which cost us almost 1:45 hours (initially we reserved only 1 hour for lunch). One guy there in hotel was doing everything from taking orders to serving and everything. Every table in hotel was full and he was running from this table to that table, yet he was super cool. I mean ‘coolness uske chehre se tapak rhi thi. Aisa lag rha tha apni life me ye kabhi gussa hua hi nhi hoga’. 

 

Finally we started at 3:15 PM from there, late by almost 2 hours. Due to some traffic here and there, reached Pune safely at 9:30 PM.

Happy Ghumakkadi :)

Pune to Ratnagiri Day 3: Kurli beach

For day 3 planning was done beforehand during dinner of Day 2 and we left room early at 7:30 AM. I was planning to sport jeans only, as I was in no mood to go in the water. But at last minute, changed my mood. I might not go in water, but I could certainly go in Capri which would be more comfortable also.

Planning was to first visit the Kurli beach which was 6 KMs from our hotel, then Mandvi and then rest of the thing depends on the time left. Overall plan was to checked out of hotel by 12:00 PM, would have lunch somewhere in 1 hour and would leave for Pune. So with everything set, we put the navigator on for Kurli beach and were looking for some shop to have some chai aur nashta. Road to Kurli beach went through Bhatye beach only. From Bhatye beach to Kurli beach entire road is carved between 2 hills. Some 1 KM before the kurli beach, again there was some unknown beach and few cars were parked there. We decided to pay a visit while returning. 

We didn’t get any shop open for breakfast and here navigator was telling us we were on Kurli beach. But it was in the middle of the road. Very few people were on roads hence we have to wait for 5-6 minutes, when one Uncle ji passed by and we asked them. He asked to follow him. After some 500 meters, there was one village and the way to Kurli beach went through that village only. There was one board which read Kurli Beach, but it was so rusty and faded that one can hardly notice it. Anyways, we went in that beautiful village with narrow lanes, small houses and of course mango and coconut trees in road side and all around. And here it was the beautiful Kurli Beach

Kurli beach is not so famous among visitors. You can guess it by the fact, that when we reached, there were only 2 people on the beach. One old man, who was from that village only and one man with his fishing boat. We parked the car, picked our stuff and reached on the beach. My husband went on talking with that old man and we 3 were standing there with skeptical eyes. Was it safe there in that beach? My husband’s friend was asking him to come back and return from there. ‘Hum wo piche wale beach pe chlte hai jha car park thi. Kam se  kam wha par koi tha to’.  But that beach was so beautiful, that I wanted to sit there for some time. If it was not safe we would not go in the water, but there was no harm in sitting on beach. Besides this beach was so utterly beautiful with long stretches of untouched white sand, blue water, blue sky, hills on both sides with lonely surroundings serving the purpose of an icing on the cake that it would be sin to not spend some time here.  I went ahead and asked our friends to come also ‘kuch der baithte hai fir nikal jayege’.

That old uncle was telling my husband ‘Nahane k liye ye beach thik nhi hai. Gahra hai kinare pe hi’. We asked about the Mandvi beach and he was like ‘ wo jyada acha nhi hai. Ganda hai thoda. Bhatye beach acha hai yha pe, wha ja skte hai’. And with that, I spread the mat and put the snacks there. Had some of them with cool breeze touching our cheeks. ‘Chai ki kami bahut khal rhi thi yha pe’. One man came from the village for jogging and running. I was feeling jealous of the villagers. What a beautiful place to live. You have sort of your personal beach just outside your house. I would like to share all of the pictures with you all as it is really difficult to filter out pics. Pictures came out to be as beautiful as the beach. You can’t help but repeating it all over again. As the beach was so beautiful, we were engrossed in clicking our pictures and took only 2-3 pictures of the scenic beach.  My husband showed some of his kalakari with quick sketch of coconut tree.

Happy Ghumakkadi :)

Pune to Ratnagiri trip Day 2: Ratnadurg Fort, Bhagwati temple, Bhatye beach

After spending half of our day 2 at Jaigadfort and at an unknown beach, we wrapped up and headed to the most beautiful and awaited road which connects Ganapatipule area to main Ratnagiri city. This is some 22 KM stretch and the entire road is accompanied by hills on left side and sea on right side. One can easily imagine the beauty even before I start.

Upon reaching Ratnagiri we, scared by last day, quickly searched for room and luckily, situation here was not that nasty and we found room pretty fast.  Had some snacks and went for Ratnadurg fort, which was built in 16^th century. This fort has famous Bhagwati temple inside fort complex. Visiting temple doesn’t take much time as there was very less crowd.

This fort too as expected, had nothing much to offer.

But one google picture of jaigad fort’s one spot had made us rest less. We were searching for that spot when we were in Jaigad fort and didn’t get. But we found that spot here in Ratnadurg fort and now we were in hurry to finish fort and go there.

So after fort we inquired about that place and one auto-rickshaw driver guided us. From behind the fort there is some 15 minute trekking down in the forest, which would eventually take us down the hill to that place. It was a good walk as it almost looks like deserted place and we were feeling like we were discovering some hidden spot and were not considering ourselves less than Vasco da gama :).

That path lead us to a ghetto, where fishing related work was on full swing. Fishes were being packed in a pile of ice and new fishing net was being made on roads. On the contrary to the path, that spot was pretty disappointing. From up the fort, it looked like some extended part of fort itself, while it turned out to be some man made thing, which fishermen uses to load, unload the fishes. One more similar structure was under construction.

After loitering there for some 15-20 mins, we returned back.  For returning we dreaded the same path which we cherished some 30 mins before as it had some steep slopes. My husband offered to go alone up to the parking lot and brought car from some different route. After some discussion, we all started back. But when we started, we covered the same path in around 10 mins (which we were expecting to complete in 40-45 mins).

As the day was still left, we left for Bhatye beach, which was some 6 KM from Ratnadurg fort, to spend the evening. As I said beaches, which are famous, I find them less pleasant because of the crowd they attract. So is for Bhatye beach. We simply sat there and had tea and snacks from nearby counters. 

At that moment I noticed one thing. There was a group of some 4-5 young girls (in their early 20s and in super fancy cloths) and a boy.  Boy had a huge camera and continuous clicking pictures of those girls. Earlier I thought they were in group. But my husband corrected me “Professional photographer hai, Ladkiyan sath leke ayi hai”. Yesss, he was right. Girls’ sole purpose was to get pictures clicked. I found it little strange. They were not at all doing anything except giving poses, some times in group and sometimes solo and sometime selfie. How can one come to a tourist place and not enjoy own time just for the sake of clicking pictures which you can see later on (and may be post on social networking sites). But there it was.

We came to hotel only after dark and after dinner planned for the next day. My husband was complaining “This trip doesn’t look like Ratnagiri trip”. I thought it might be because we faced hard time finding accommodation on first day. Anyways, for next day we aimed for Kurli beach, Mandvi beach, Marine Aquarium and Museum, Thiba Palace and birth place of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. List was long and time was less for we had to leave for Pune next day.

Happy Ghumakkadi :)