Diu - The Destination Next

Diu derives its name from the Sanskrit word “Dweep”, is an island situated near the Port of Veraval in Gujarat, tucked away right at the bottom of  the tiger jaw of the Indian coastline. The coastal town is bounded by Gir-Somnath and Amreli District of Gujarat in the North and by the Arabian Sea from the remaining three sides. It is connected to the mainland via two bridges over a creek. It measures a north- south distance of 4.6 KM and east – west distance of 13.8 KMs, covering an area of 40 sq KMs with a coastal length of around 21 KMs.  Daman, the capital of the Union Territory of Daman and Diu is at a road distance of about 768 kms.

With a population just over 1300 per sq KM,  temperature varying from 10 deg C to 20 deg C during the winter months, humidity at 30 %, Diu is an ideal getaway  with family and friends. The place is well connected by road, railways  linked with Veraval, 90 KMs from Diu and an airport, with flights  connected to the commercial city of Mumbai.

The Red Sea trade route between Europe and Asia was a state monopoly from which Islamic rulers earned tremendous revenues. It became an obsession for the Portuguese navigators to find an ocean route to circumvent the Muslim domination. Bartolomeu Dias, a great Portuguese navigator and explorer led the first European expedition to sail around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, opening up a lucrative trading routes from Europe to Asia. This also lead to  creating  settlements  in coastal areas as it was necessary to establish strategic colonies to serve them as trading bases which provided untold wealth to their homeland.

History recalls the expedition lead by the Portuguese Governor Nuno De Cunha in 1535 in order to capture the town of Diu from the high seas, at the same time when the Mughal King Humayun made a land invasion of Gujarat. In order to repel the Moghul forces, Bahudur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat thought it prudent to  enter into a treaty with  Governor Cunha to take assistance of the Portuguese forces. In return the Portuguese sought permission to construct a fortress at Diu at a harbour site. 

Diu is surrounded by the Arabian sea in three sides and a canal on the fourth side. In Diu from the ramparts of the fort, any novice will be able to visualize why the Portuguese were so desperate to create one of their many settlements around the world . Diu stands on the mouth of the Gulf of Cambay, and a few smartly placed cannons could easily control Gujarat’s trade with the entire Indian ocean rim. By all means it was the best strategic site one can visualize for a Naval base. With receding  of the Mughal forces, the Portuguese refused to vacate Diu and finally conquered the strategic coastal town of Diu in 1546 and India could only liberate the coastal towns on 19th December, 1961 from Portuguese under Operation Vijay, Diu became a part of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu under Government of India. After Statehood of Goa in 1987, Daman and Diu became a separate Union Territory. On the fort stands a giant structure which now houses a Light House and the Diu jail. Several canons are still located on the top of the fort and peep out of the holes on the walls of this gigantic structure.

We always have a perception of invaders maintaining marginalization position with the natives but the Portuguese attitude to the residents of its colonies was rather different. The citizens residing in the occupied colonies were supposedly to be Portuguese citizens who lived overseas. As a result, thousands of residents of Diu born before 1961 and their families have obtained Portuguese citizenship  that permits them to live not only in Portugal, but also  since the implementation of the 1995 European Union’s Schengen agreements  in the United Kingdom and other parts of the European continent. Hence the cultural of Portuguese very much  persists in Goa, Daman and Diu.

As we drove into the erstwhile Portuguese colony of Diu, a clean, green, pollution free, coconut trees lining the roads, swaying in the intoxicating sea breeze, bright sunshine without a speck of cloud in the blue skies invited us into its fold. We found the place a picturesque and erotic location with promises of a blissful getaway and relaxation far away from the maddening crowd and the mundane drudgery daily life. With Gujarat being a prohibited State, it was perceived that Diu will be like any other watering hole but to our utter surprise we found no rave parties or beach side bars and shacks. The place is yet to be internationalize with no hippie culture in sight, searching for Nirvana or spiritual salvation.

The palm fringed beaches with clean, soft sand, wondrous water transported us to a fairytale land of sheer beauty and exotic ambience. The morning walk along the Jallandhar Beach was one of best we had in recent times. Close by is the Chakratrith beach, a bit rocky but clean and silent with no food stalls or activities around, a blissful place for solitude. A ideal place to play with children near the calm sea and no better place, if one has an eye for bird watching  

The sunrise view  was a sight to behold with the sea turning into a tinge of gold.  The beach vicinity houses the INS Khukri memorial and an  open amphitheatre which holds the many a Diu fest musical nights. Amazingly, one can enjoy the equally breath taking scenes of a sunset from the same place as the sunrise, only one has to look eastwards or westwards.

Other notable beach to look out for is the Gomtimata Beach located on the western end of the island in fishing village of Vanakbara, among the best beaches of the region, long and secluded and spread with natural white sand. 

The horse shoe shaped Nagoa Beach is located in the Nagoa hamlet of the Bucharwada village. This beach stretches about 2 km from one end to the other. This long, palm-fringed beach is very beautiful and quiet. Ghoghla Beach is the commercial beach in Diu. The beach is lined with many a hotels and restaurants and also offers various water sports facilities like para sailing, hot balloon and motor boat rides.

Just a stone throw from the Jallandar beach is the the Naida Caves. These caves have an intriguing, overgrown network of square cleaved hollows and steps leading off into nowhere. This is where the Portuguese supposedly hacked out their building materials.

The Portuguese invasion and establishment of Diu brought Christianity but never as large as to require three Baroque churches. The Church of St Francis of Assisi, the first church built in Diu in 1593 has presently been converted to a hospital.  The St. Thomas Church built in 1598 is currently used as an archaeological museum that houses a variety of carved stones and religious artefacts from around the island. Only St Paul’s Church completed in 1610 is being the only one still in use for its original purpose.

The branding conceptualized on Diu Tourism by Ogilvy and Mather on the welcome to IIha de Calma ( Portuguese version of the Isle of calm ) is one of the many initiatives taken to increase the tourist footfalls to this mysterious, enigmatic and laid back travel destination. In spite of being blessed with unspoiled  shoreline dotted with beautiful stretches of soft sand, stepped in peace and tranquillity, azure water and picturesque environs ,  the surf pounding the shores and sea spray misting over the surf, added with charismatic churches and majestic forts, Diu is yet a  blind spot for many a traveller and tourists,  both national and International, but in times to come it will the certainly metamorphose into a must visit the  sun, sea and sand destination of India.

The Amdavad Wanderlust - Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar

Among the largest natural wetlands of India measuring 120 sq KM, a bird paradise of Gujarat, situated 64 KM from Ahmedabad is  the Nal Sarovar sanctuary.  It is believed that 75000 years ago the Gulf of Kutch and Cambay ( also known as Gulf of Khambhat)  were connected by a channel.  Saurashtra and Kutch were two large islands  and Nal Sarovar was a part of the creek connecting the two. About 7000 years ago Nal Sarovar once a part of the old sea got eradicated assuming its current state. Presently, Nal Sarovar has around 300 islets and the water body connects the districts of Ahmedabad and Surendranagar.

The water body is an important stopover site within the Central Asia Flyway and during winter months, November to February, large congregations of migratory birds like flamingo, pelicans, ducks and shore birds fill Nal Sarovar with their vibrant colors and calls. Its water comes alive with thousands of coots, cormorants and cranes. Due to the rich presence of aquatic flora, estimated at nearly fifty species of algae and about seventy types of flowering plants, birds from distant lands all over the world flock here in hordes.  This unparalleled diversity has earned its distinction of being a wetland of National importance and important bird area (IBA).

Nal Sarovar is an unique and its uniqueness lies in the diversity of habitats it harbors. These includes the marshes, reed beds, shallow and deep open water habitats, muddy shores and islets. Owing to its large size and sustainable utilization of wetland and to negate the encroachment and loss of wetland, the Nal Sarovar sanctuary has been declared as a site under Ramsar convention, formally known as the convention on wetlands of international importance. It is named after the city of Ramsar, Iran where the convention was signed in the year 1971. The treaty recognizes the fundamental ecological, cultural, scientific and recreational value of such waterfowl habitats.  The recognition will assist Nal Sarovar to get financial, technical and scientific support from WWF International Freshwater Programme and WWF- India.

It was a early morning drive to Nal Sarovar  and as we left the city of Ahmedabad, the picturesque scene of green paddy fields and in between the tinge of beautiful mustard fields added to our high spirits. Soaking ourselves to the splendor around, we reached the main gates of The Nal Sarovar Bird sanctuary. Here we had to park our cars and were provided with eco cars to shuttle the two kilometers to the sanctuary. The shuttle service in eco cars is one of the many initiatives taken to deplete the pollution levels around the sanctuary.

The huge water body welcomed us with boatmen ready with their boats to take the visitors on a boat ride deep into the Nal Sarovar. After a lot of bargaining with the boatman, we took our seats on the boat to explore the sanctuary  The water was four to five deep, water crystal clear and the bottom of the Nal Sarovar looked like a wet and wild forest, inviting the world lying below to be explored and drew familiarity to entering a large aquarium. The beds were full of reed beds swampy areas throbbing with speckled marine life. 

There was no requirement of paddling the boat instead the bamboo was dug deep into the reeds and the boat moved. It was one of most pleasant boat rides we had taken in recent times and the morning sunlight bathing us was an added bonus to the comfort of the surrounds.

As we made our way into the Nal Sarovar, expectations ran high on getting to sight birds. The anticipations was the same as one has when visiting a sanctuary of any kind, may be it is a tiger sanctuary or lion sanctuary or a one horn rhino sanctuary. One hopes against hope that they are the fortunate ones who will be able to sight the particular animal which the sanctuary is famed for. With the same feeling and thoughts we had stepped into the boat for a trip to the Nal Sarovar sanctuary, expecting  a huge flock of flamingo, pelicans, coots, cormorants and cranes in exciting colors to greets us in the waters. It was not to be as we could not sight the migratory birds except for a horde of sea gulls.

Soon we reached an islet, a natural halting point for the visitors and also to give the boatman a well deserved rest. The island was full of eatery shops of all kinds and the visitors who made it earlier than us crowded around them. The island except for a dilapidated viewing tower, had no significant facilities. Hopefully in times the authorities will decide to  come up with the basic amenities.

The return journey was a quite one. We coaxed the boatman to row the boat in areas where we could sight some migratory birds, but in addition to the sea gulls we could sight  a flock of common coots and a few stray birds around. Disappointment was written over our faces as we reached the banks of Nal Sarovar. We had to content ourselves on visiting the museum which housed the history of Nalsovar sanctuary. Lunch consisted of a delicious local cuisine but it could not lift the spirits of the group. Seeing our dejection, a local acquaintance suggested to us to visit a place Vadla in the district of Surendarnagar, where we could sight migratory birds.  It was a last bet and thought it was worth a try.

We covered a distance of around 25 KMs from Nal Sarovar following the motor cycle of our local contact through the winding interior village roads to reach  Vadla. Our associate stopped the motor cycle near a paddy field. As we got down from our cars and looked over the paddy field. it was a sight to behold. There were thousands of flamingoes on a water body, much smaller than Nal Sarovar. We stood near the paddy fields and feasted our eyes to the wonderful sight. The birds were not disturbed as we were quite far off and there were no boats with people around to disturb their existence. We spent a good hour watching the birds fly in and out in flocks and making all sought of formations and noises. 

On enquiry from the locals it was gathered that birds like the sweet water of the water body at Valda than the salty water of Nal Sarovar. Further the human disturbance was minimal  at Vadla. Was it a making of a new sanctuary at the Vadla - Malika gaam water bodies or is it a temporary habitat   for the migratory birds. Only time will tell.  

The Amdavad Wanderlust - Modhera Sun Temple

A couple of hours of soothing 102 KMs drive from Ahmedabad amidst the greenery brought us  to The Sun Temple, Modhera situated on the banks of river Pushpavati  a temple dedicated to the Hindu Sun God, Surya.  It was built during the rule of the Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD by King Bhima. The Solankis were considered to be Suryavanshi Gurjars or descendants of the Sun God. The Solanki era is also well known as the Golden Age of Gujarat for its art, sculpture and magnificent carved temples and step wells. The temple is a classic example of the material aspect of Solanki architecture namely the mastery over the elegantly intricate carvings of stone and the judicious use of lime mortar.  The Sun Temple at Modhera   enjoys  the  parity of connotation with the Sun temples at Konark in Orissa and Martand in Kashmir. The Modhera Temple is situated on the Tropic of Cancer and the noteworthy technological  splendor of the Modhera temple architecture is the planned engineering based on the planetary position of the planets and the Sun. The main temple or the sanctum is designed focusing on the rays of rising and setting Sun during Equinox, an astronomical event in which the imaginary plane of Earth’s equator passes the center of the Sun making night and day of equal  length all over the planet.  The way the edifice of the temple is structured it ensured on the days of Equinox the soft linear rays of Sun showered it with illumination. 

As one enters the well maintained and manicured lawns of the Sun Temple complex, a large rectangular steeped tank with inestimable number of stone steps proportioned into an astounding pattern of geometric design greet the visitors. The kund and the entrance passageway face eastward  in an aura of welcome to the  rays of the sun and the entire structure floats on a plinth resembling a flowering lotus as an ablution to the Sun God. A closer look inside the tank reveals 108 miniature shrines carved in between the steps dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva,  Sheetala Mata and many others. This is the Suryakunda alias Ramakunda,  which in yester years was stored with pure water and the devotees performed the  ceremonial ablutions here before worshipping the Sun God.

In front of the Surya Kunda, a huge 'torana' (archway) leads the way to the Sabha Mandap.The view of the Sabha Mandap is breathtaking and a photographers delight, with ornately  and intricately carved pillars and ceiling. It is open from all sides and has 52 pillars, each representing a week in a year. The carvings depict episodes from the Hindu epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna and forms of Gods and Goddesses and the way of life of the people of that time. Between Sabha Mandap and the sanctum sanctorum is a beautiful hall with pillars and arches. The walls have 12 niches showing the different aspects of the Sun God in each month.

From the Sabha Mandap we moved in the Guda Mandap, the erstwhile main temple or the Sanctum Sanctorum. The entire temple is based on a plinth built like an a inverted lotus base. The lotus flower opens at sunrise and close at sunset and is considered a Sun flower. It was designed so that the rays of the rising and setting sun on the day of summer solstice fell on the idol of Sun riding on his seven horses chariot driven by charioteer Saarthi Arun. It was built by the Solanki Dynasty in honour of their ancestral God. It is believed that the pit where the gold idol was placed was filled with god coins up to a depth of 15 feet . 

Most of the religions of India present erotic motifs in their art, which is perceived an act that brought about fertility. Here too at the exterior walls of the Guda Mandap, a profound depiction of sexual iconography is displayed. The carved walls also depict the aspects of human life like the vicious circle of birth and death. 

The Sun Temple  experienced the plundering by the likes of Mahmud Gazni and Allauddin Khilji  but  the remains of this magnificent architectural monument still reflect the glimpses of elegance and testify the sanctity of the site. Today there is no religious activity or idols to pay ones obeisance but a stroll around the 11^th century temple grounds makes one aware of the positive energy the place radiates and is indeed a must visit place for lovers of nature and architectural marvels of  ancient India.  

The Amdavad Wanderlust - Adalaj Vav

Stepwells known as Vav in Gujarati was built in ancient times to manage the source of ground water to the extent to make water available all-round the year to the public at large. An innovative retort to the water scarcity .The wells were dug deep into the earth and the walls were lined with blocks of stone without mortar and stair line developed leading down to the ubiquitous source of water. These Step wells being dug deep down and covered provided relief to the daytime heat. In course of time it became a happening place for leisure especially for the women folk and as time went by, the Vav became a place for religious and social gatherings.

Stepwells mainly consist of two parts, a vertical shaft from which water is drawn out and the adjacent environs having passageway and steps leading to the well. This lead to the building the surrounds of the step wells with decorative and architectural features associated with  prevailing times and thus ensured the survival of  Stepwells as monuments. It is believed that villagers would come every day in the morning to fill water, offer prayers to the deities carved into the walls and interact with each other in the cool shade of the Vav. These also turned as resting place for the travellers, pilgrims, traders and  merchants along their trade routes, as the place was well protected from natural and human elements and also cool and a quiet retreat during the hot summer months. The Stepwell offered them a place to bathe, rest, eat and remain protected. The Mughal ruler encouraged the building of Stepwells, but it was during the British Raj who found the concept unhygienic and hence had forced abandonment of the Step wells.

Adalaj Stepwell, perhaps Gujarat’s finest Vav is situated in the village of Adalaj,  18 KM from the City of  Ahmedabad in Gandhinagar district.

During 15th century, the region was known as Dandai Desh and ruled by a Hindu king, Rana Veer Singh of Vaghela dynasty. King Veer Singh had commenced the building of the Step Well at Adalaj, during which time  the Muslim King Mohammad Begda attacked and defeated the King. Mohammad Begda  proposed to the beautiful widow of King Veer to marry him. Queen Roopba agreed to the proposed nuptials on condition that the Stepwell will be completed prior to the marriage.  The Step well was completed in 1499 by Muslim king Mohammed Begda to win over Queen Rani Roopba.

On completion of the well, the Queen killed herself, hence fulfilling the dreams of her husband of building the Stepwell. This led to the  Adalaj ni Vav  being carved with various architectural style, merging Hindu and Islamic designs.

The Adalaj Vav is intricately carved was not just a cultural and utilitarian space, but also a spiritual refuge. The Vav is five stories deep with a remarkable feature of having three entrance stairs.  All three stairs meet at the first storey, which has an octagonal opening on top. 

There is an opening in the ceilings above the landing which allows the light and air to enter the octagonal well. However, direct sunlight does not touch the flight of steps or landings except for a brief period at noon. The  atmosphere inside the well is many degrees cooler than the outside and one finds the difference on a hot summer afternoon. 

The harmonious play of intricate Islamic floral patterns seamlessly coalescing into Hindu and Jain symbolism embody the culture and ethos of those times. All the walls carved by ornamentation, mythological scenes along with everyday scenes of women churning buttermilk, dancers accompanied by musicians, women adorning themselves. What mesmerise and captivates the visitors is the Ami Khumbor (a pot that contains the water of life) and the Kalp Vriksha (a tree of life) carved out of a single slab of stone. There is a belief that the small mural of navagraha (nine-planets) towards the edge of the well protects the monument from evil spirits.

The Crraft of Arts, host the annual Music Fest during the World Heritage Week at the site of Adalaj Stepwell. The sound and light effects are enjoyed by both the heritage and music lovers. The fusion of the sound of classical musical instruments with the modern keyboard, guitar and the drums amidst the environs  of the magnificently lit  structure of the 15^th century Stepwell draw crowds in large numbers.  

This not only creates awareness of the historic monument but promotes efforts in conserving the heritage of yester years. The annual Water festival has become an annual ritual at the Adalaj Vaav, and it calls for appreciation to the organizers.

The Amdavad Getaway - Balaram Palace

Balaram Palace, a weekend retreat and hunting resort of the Lohanis Nawab of Palanpur, who ruled  Jalore in southwest Rajasthan for nearly fourteen generations from the late 14th century onwards is situated amidst the Aravallis, a 542 sq Km of Balaram Ambaji reserve forest at the tip of North Gujarat,  bordering Rajasthan. The palace was built by Lt Colonel His Highness Zubd-Tul-Mulk Dewan Mahakhan Nawab Shri Taley Mahummad Khan Bahadur, the 29th Ruler of Palanpur State. The foundation was laid in 1922 and the construction of the palace was completed in 1935.

The palace is a gracious work of neo classical and baroque architecture with 13 acres of private woods and lands terraced upland rising from a hilly stream and formally landscaped gardens with Mexicans lawns, exotic flowerbeds, modern fountains, Nawabi style plush gardens and elegant rooms.

The Balaram Palace is located 167 KM from Ahmedabad, a offshoot of 9 KM from the Toll gate on the road to Abu bordering Gujarat and  Rajasthan. The first sight of the resort is majestic, amidst the background of the Aravalli range, which offers a calm and peaceful environ with a tranquil and soothing ambience. The best time to visit the palace is during the monsoons when the greenery around is at its best. However, if one wants to experience the chill and icy wind evenings, the winters will be an ideal time.  

The palace has hosted many a Prince and Nawabs of the yester days,  with  English personalities, as famous as Lord Mountbatten was a guest at the Balaram Palace. Supposedly hunting persisted in the environs of the forests of  Balaram and Ambaji  75 years before but today the guns have been replaced with the cameras.  The Palace and the surrounds is a photographers delight with the shots kissing the geometric domains and isometric views of the building with the picturesque  landscape in the background.  The Palace premises have been a scene of action for many a Gujarati and Bollywood films, notably being  Amitabh Bachchan  playing a leading role in the Hindi Film Sooryavansham in the year 1999.

The Balaram Palace has been converted into a classic luxury heritage Hotel with the elegance of yesteryear, combined with the facilities of a modern hotel. The resort offers the guests a wide variety of rooms. There are 4 Gold Rooms which were previously allocated to the ADCs of Nawab Sahib. The size of the rooms are moderate but comfortable and the private garden at the rear is indeed a bonus to the guests.

To experience a Nawabi hunting weekend, there are 5 Royal tents crafted to merge with the ambience of the palace and are uniquely designed with separate living space and dressing rooms with a provision of  sit outs on the rear and front.

The main palace houses the 12 Platinum Rooms which were used by the Nawab’s Sahib family and guests. The rooms are spacious and luxurious with a separate dressing room and a huge washroom. A interesting experience was the bed, wide and high, where one needs to use a stool to get up on the bed. I wondered why was it so, was it to feel high and mighty.

The only one suite with separate living rooms and overlooking the royal gardens having the  elegance and lavishly furnished is the Nawabi suite with all amenities for a tourist who would like to experience the luxury of yester years. The two room suite is spacious, the bed is wider and higher, the dressing room and the wash room adequately large and furnishings befitting to standards of a Nawab with an opulence and elegance of the bygone era. A stay in the suite  takes the tourist into bygone Nawabi period to experience the real Nawabi ambience.

To support the guest there is The Chitrassani restaurant which serves food of various tastes of tourists of different backgrounds equally buttressed by a pool of dedicated managers and support staff who go out of the way in making your stay at the Balaram Palace a memorable one. To cater to the guest who value their time and who can afford to, have a facility of landing at the Palace helipad in the sponsored or owned helicopters, Bollywood style.