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| Image source: Pixabay |
Lagte-lagte musalsal gham hi paaya hai
Iss khud-saar ne barson se dard khoob kamaaya hai,
Par dil toh aakhir dil hi hota hai, yeh aaj na roka jaayega,
Woh dekho, soorat sawaar-kar mehboob aaj phir aaya hai
DIL KHUD-SAAR HAI
A STEPWELL THAT'S RAJASTHAN'S INTERNATIONAL SECRET
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism released the 2024 edition of its India Tourism Data Compendium. The publication provides an overview of India’s tourism statistics with insights on several key indicators, including statistics pertaining to inbound tourism, outbound tourism, domestic tourism, and the operational performance of key tourist spots across the country, among others.
One key indicator that the publication covers is the number of visitors to centrally-protected ticketed monuments.
About 55.4 million people visited 145 such ticketed monuments during FY24, of which almost 53.1 million were domestic tourists. That translates to only 2.3 million foreign tourists at such monuments during the year.
Given these numbers, it would be safe to presume that the number of domestic tourists at each monument would be several-fold higher a compared to foreign tourists. Indeed, that is true for almost all monuments, with some attractions even seeing 1000-4500x higher domestic tourist footfalls as compared to foreign ones.
Interestingly though, there are a handful of tourist spots where the number of foreign tourist visitors is almost at par with the domestic count. One of these spots, (surprising to me), is the Abhaneri Stepwell, also known as Chand Baori. Located in the Dausa district of Rajasthan (about 95 km from Jaipur), the stepwell is among the oldest (supposed to be built in the 9th century) and deepest (with as many as 13 levels) stepwells in India.
Originally constructed to conserve water in the arid region, the stepwell also served as a community gathering space. Its architectural precision and eerie symmetry have made it a favorite among foreign travelers and filmmakers alike—an ancient marvel hiding in plain sight just off the Golden Triangle route.
I captured these images sometime around December 2016.
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While the Baori ranks among the top 10 most visited spots among foreign tourists, it stands at the 83rd spot (out of 145) when it comes to domestic tourists.
The next time you plan a trip in the proximity of the Jaipur-Fatehpur Sikri-Agra Golden Triangle, try to squeeze this somewhat hidden gem into your itinerary.
You can find the India Tourism Data Compendium 2024 HERE
This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.
SINDHUDURG DIARIES - PART 2: SINDHUDURG FORT & RAJKOT FORT
This is the second post in my Sindhudurg Diaries series. You can find general information about Sindhudurg district HERE and the first post in the series HERE.
In this post, we will cover Day 3 (technically our second full day) of travel in Sindhudurg, which covers the Sindhudurg Fort, and the Rajkot Fort, featuring a Smarak (monument) in honour of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the form of a 91-foot statue overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Me, my wife, and our 12-year-old son had completed our journey from Mumbai to Sindhudurg by train. Although we were scheduled to reach our destination by 5 pm, higher-than-usual congestion near Ratnagiri led to a delay of more than two hours. On the next day, technically our first full day in Sindhudurg, we went on a boat ride across several points on the Devbag peninsular backwaters. It was after the ride, while having dinner (Malvani style) at one of the better-looking restaurants near the jetty point, that we charted out our plan for the following day. The plan involved making a visit to some nearby forts, with a special focus on the Sindhudurg Fort.
The next morning though, we made some changes in our plan. Having reckoned that venturing out under the open sun in the vast fort complex during peak sunlight hours would be a tougher-than-anticipated challenge, we decided to start in the late afternoon to avoid the overhead sun.
Lunch at Breezywood
After taking the help of the hotel's helpdesk to book an autorickshaw for our trip, we proceeded on foot towards the Devbag jetty point for lunch. While it was only a 1.4 km walk with the beautiful Konkan coastline and a cathedral showing up at several junctures along the path, the humidity made this a very unpleasant and annoying experience for me. Once we reached our destination, a restaurant named Breezywood (which also happens to be a resort), I quickly took a seat under a fan.
The restaurant looks like a cool family-friendly cafe that you might find in a tourist hotspot like Goa. The ambience was relaxed and welcoming, and more important, the menu rates were pretty reasonable. My wife and son, who had been salivating since night at the thought of local seafood, ordered some Malvani style Surmai and Pomfret dishes and a Fish Thali. I, on the other hand, who dislikes seafood, called for something can almost NEVER go wrong - French Fries.
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| Our lunch at Breezywood |
We washed our meals down with super-chilled bottles of Maaza. The generous portion sizes and flawless flavours made the meal really satisfying and value-for-money.
Once we were done with our meal, I made a phone call to our designated autorickshaw guy. Thankfully, he was already stationed just outside the restaurant and we didn't have to wait at all. We all quickly got in to shield ourselves from the overhead sun and were soon on our way.
The road taking us towards the Sindhudurg Fort jetty point was long, narrow and winding, but one that afforded some interesting and breathtaking views of beaches, fields, pastures and other sights that you are least likely to see in crowded cities like Mumbai. We eventually reached the Malvan Ferry Terminal (from where we were supposed to hop onto a boat to take us to the fort) in about an hour's time, roughly around 3:30 in the noon. After a 5-7 minutes ride, we finally reached the island on which the majestic fort stood.
The Sindhudurg Fort
Sindhudurg Fort is considered among the most important forts in Maratha history. The fort was commissioned in 1664 by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire, to assert Maratha dominance over the Konkan coast, control important maritime trade routes, and protect against foreign naval threats, particularly the Portuguese in Goa and the Siddis of Alibaug. It was built on the rocky island of Kurte in the Arabian Sea, just off the coast near Malvan. It was constructed over a period of three years (completed in 1667) using the spoils from the sacking of the port city of Surat, under the supervision of chief architect Hiroji Indulkar, and by enlisting the services of around 3,000 workers and about 200-300 Portuguese engineers from Goa. |
| The outer walls of the fort |
Spread over a 48-acre area, the fort's structure comprises perimeter walls that are nine metres high and three metres high, with ramparts running along for about three km in an irregular zigzag pattern, and featuring about 40-50 bastions. According to historical records, the walls were built using locally-quarried boulders, laterite, lime mortar, more than 70,00 kg of iron (particularly for the massive curtain wall and bastions) and about 500 barrels of molten lead (for the foundation and casting).
After Shivaji Maharaj's death in 1680, the fort had passed into the hands of his son Chhatrapati Rajaram, the Peshwas, and eventually to the British East India Company after the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1818.
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| Plaque with information about the fort |
After disembarking from our boat, we had to walk on a rock-paved alley to reach the entrance of the fort. While walking the entrance, we were floored by its curved Gaumukhi construction style (cow’s face-shaped), designed to confuse enemies and prevent them from pinpointing the entry point from afar. All Maratha forts have a temple, idol, or sculpture of a Hindu Deity at the entrance gate; this fort had a domed shrine with a stone-carved idol of Lord Hanuman. As we walked further, we came across a large wooden door with metal spikes called the Dilli Darwaza; the door was constructed at an angle so as prevent easy access by elephants, battering rams, or any other large device/machinery by an attacking army.
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| Idol of Lord Hanuman |
As we walked ahead, we saw some stairs carved out of the rocks on a small hillock. Climbing up that flight of stairs took us to a temple dedicated to Bhavani Mata. After visiting the temple, we walked further and followed the crowds on a narrow path which somehow led us onto the rampart walls of the fort. From this point onwards, we continued along the fort's seemingly endless zigzagging ramparts for at least an hour, failing to find a single exit point. I must mention at this point that people who are afraid of heights should avoid it, despite the fact the path created along the walls was at least 12 feet wide.
We trudged along at a steady pace, while also carefully holding onto walls (where we could find them) and big boulders. From our viewpoint along the rocky path of the walls, we could see the structures, vegetation and ruins within the walls and also the vast expanse of the sea on the outside. The sound of the waves crashing into the fort's rocky facade and the refreshing bursts of breeze hitting our bodies at certain junctures during this walk along the ramparts made this a surreal experience for the three of us. During our walk we saw some steep staircases, guard rooms, water cisterns/reservoirs/tanks and an assembly area, among other structures and spots. We also happened to spot a small beach outside the fort's walls. We later found out that it is called 'Rani-chi Vela', which translates to 'the Queen's Beach'. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to step onto this beach.
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| A view of Rani-chi vela (Queen's Beach) from atop the fort's walls |
After walking for about 45-50 minutes, we eventually reached a spot from where we were able to get off the fort's walls. The path took us to the 'Nishan Buruj', also known as 'Jhenda Buruj', a raised central point within the fort complex that doubled up as the flag bastion as well as a lookout point.
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| Breath-taking view of the sea from one the fort's bastions |
Shivaji Maharaj's Tulja Sword
After spending some time atop the flag bastion, we considered proceeding to the fort's jetty point for our return to the shore. However, I felt a tinge of dissatisfaction, because I had heard that one of the temples inside the fort housed Shivaji Maharaj's sword. Thankfully for us, our walk towards the exit gate eventually brought us to a small museum and the Shivrajeshwar Mandir. The temple was built by Chhatrapati Rajaram in 1695 to honour his father in the form of a deity. One of the Warrior King's battle swords named 'Tulja' is kept for worshipping purposes inside this temple. Unfortunately, visitors/devotees are not allowed to click photographs inside the temple premises.The small museum next to this temple houses a few artifacts from Shivaji Maharaj's times, including some swords, garments, coins from that era, some toys, etc. Some personal belongings of Shivaji Maharaj, including a sword gifted to him by his father, and casts featuring his handprint and footprints are also kept on display.
With all my goals for the visit finally accomplished, we got back to shore, got into our autorickshaw, and proceeded towards our next (and final) stop for the evening, the Rajkot Fort.
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| Left: Stairs inside Sindhudurg Fort leading to the Jhenda Buruj (the flag bastion) Right: Memorial plaque outside a nearby village offering tribute to Indian soldiers |
The Rajkot Fort and 91-foot-tall Shivaji Maharaj Smarak
The Rajkot Fort was built at the same time as Sindhudurg, to serve as a sea-facing military outpost and to provide logistical support to the larger sea fort. It is located barely half a kilometre from the Malvan Ferry Terminal. As of today, only one bastion remains with a flag post. The fort also has a garden where visitors come to enjoy watching waves crash against the rocky shoreline. |
| View of the Sindhudurg Fort from Rajkot Fort |
The main highlight of the fort is a 91-foot-tall bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The statue, which shows him holding aloft a 29-foot sword and looking out at the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea with the panoramic view of the Sindhudurg Fort visible in the distance, stands as a symbol of Maratha pride and strength.
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| Glimpses of the 91-foot statue of Shivaji Maharaj and the sunset outside Rajkot Fort |
Interestingly, this was not the originally installed statue at the site. In late 2023, a 35-foot statue had been unveiled by Prime Minister Modi at the same spot. Unfortunately, this originally-installed statue had collapsed in August 2024 due to structural failure and other engineering lapses. Thankfully, the new, improved, and taller 91-foot-statue was built by May 2025.
Finally done with our visit to both spots, we proceeded on our journey back to our hotel. As our autorickshaw <missing phrase>, I was beaming from ear to ear. After all, I hadn't simply ticked off an iconic historical landmark from my list of 'places to visit before I die'. I had embarked on a journey through time, terrain, and emotion that will forever be etched in my memories.
See you soon in part three of this series.
This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.
WHEN THE LYRICS FINALLY LANDED
I'm sure many of you have listened to the song, "Gimme Hope Jo'anna".
Way back in 1988, this song reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. I vividly remember this song being played at family functions and random get-togethers as a dance number (it continues to be played till date).
Strangely though, I only discovered the powerful message in the song's lyrics much later, when internet usage became mainstream. Eddy Grant wrote the song as a protest anthem against the apartheid system in South Africa (the name Jo'anna being used as reference to Johannesburg). While the song remained banned in South Africa during the colonial era prior to 1994, it garnered much-deserved airplay and popularity across the globe.
Way back in 1988, this song reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. I vividly remember this song being played at family functions and random get-togethers as a dance number (it continues to be played till date).
Strangely though, I only discovered the powerful message in the song's lyrics much later, when internet usage became mainstream. Eddy Grant wrote the song as a protest anthem against the apartheid system in South Africa (the name Jo'anna being used as reference to Johannesburg). While the song remained banned in South Africa during the colonial era prior to 1994, it garnered much-deserved airplay and popularity across the globe.
As we inch towards 2026, the song continues to be a crowd favourite. And yet, the powerful message the song intended to convey remains lost on listeners to date.
Sometimes, we fail to connect with the theme and context of beautiful messages.
Also, sometimes, when it comes to landing a message strongly, setting the right context and also having the right audience makes a difference.
What do you think?
Meanwhile, here are the lyrics to the song:-
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
I hear she make all the golden money
Even the preacher who works for JesusP.S.: Jo'anna in this song is a stand-in for the city of Johannesburg, symbolising the seat of power of the apartheid regime in South Africa. And the word 'morning' in the song is a metaphor for a simmering social movement or revolution to overthrow the oppressive regime.
Meanwhile, here are the lyrics to the song:-
Well Jo'anna she runs a country
She runs in Durban and the Transvaal
She makes a few of her people happy, oh
She don't care about the rest at all
She's got a system they call apartheid
It keeps a brother in a subjection
But maybe pressure can make Jo'anna see
How everybody could a live as one
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Hope, Jo'anna
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
'Fore the morning come
Gimme hope, Jo'anna
Hope, Jo'anna
Hope before the morning come
I hear she make all the golden money
To buy new weapons, any shape of guns
While every mother in black Soweto fears
The killing of another son
Sneakin' across all the neighbors' borders
Now and again having little fun
She doesn't care if the fun and games she play
Is dangerous to everyone
She's got supporters in high up places
Who turn their heads to the city sun
Jo'anna give them the fancy money
Oh to tempt anyone who'd come
She even knows how to swing opinion
In every magazine and the journals
For every bad move that this Jo'anna makes
They got a good explanation
Even the preacher who works for Jesus
The Archbishop who's a peaceful man
Together say that the freedom fighters
Will overcome the very strong
I want to know if you're blind Jo'anna
If you want to hear the sound of drums
Can't you see that the tide is turning
Oh don't make me wait till the morning come
P.S.: Jo'anna in this song is a stand-in for the city of Johannesburg, symbolising the seat of power of the apartheid regime in South Africa. And the word 'morning' in the song is a metaphor for a simmering social movement or revolution to overthrow the oppressive regime.
This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.
SIX-STRING INSPIRATIONS
I've always been a lover of music. Wide exposure (especially through the Internet) has made me an avid fan of music cutting across genres, ranging from 'Bollywood' music, Ghazals, Sufiana, Hindustani Classical music to Classic Rock and Heavy Metal. Although listening to music topped my personal list of stress-busters, learning the guitar was a thought that always fascinated me since my teenage days. I would sometimes borrow my sister's (who is younger) old guitar to try my hand, and slowly and patiently managed to work my way through the basics.
Although I no longer play regularly, playing the guitar has taught me a few valuable 'Life Lessons':-
- No Pain, No Gain: Bruised and blistered finger-tips can deter many beginners early on. But it is important to carry on. Eventually, the calluses formed on the fingertips through repeated friction help desensitise guitarists from the pain, and the guitar-playing only gets better. In life as well, perseverance pays off in the long run.
- Fear Hinders Progress: Early on, I purchased a capo thinking it would help me avoid barre chords. I even came up with a phrase of my own 'When Life Gives You Barre Chords, Put A Capo On It'. However, I eventually realised that avoiding barre chords led to heavy restrictions on my learning. After mastering the basic open chords, I couldn't play beyond a few simple songs only because I did not know have to play barre chords. When it finally dawned upon me that I was only restricting myself by creating an artificial path around a challenge, I decided to let go of my fear and ditch the capo. Although it was painful and extremely frustrating in the beginning, it opened up a whole new world for me. In life as well, one must learn to let go of fear and take a leap of faith. You might end up failing, but at least you moved.
- It's Okay to Ask for Help: Although I did not take help from a personal guitar coach, I did not hesitate to look up tutorial videos on YouTube or even consult friends for help with strumming patterns and chord progressions. Seeking help does not amount to self-doubt and does not mean admitting that you are weak; it simply means you want to improve.
- It's Never Too Late to Learn: Most of the world-renowned guitarists started off pretty early, with an average age of 15 being the latest (Judas Priest's Glenn Tipton apparently started out at age 21). Although I'm nowhere in the A-league of guitarists, I'm not the only one to have decided to learn to play the guitar after crossing the age of 30. It is never too late to start learning; learning can start at any time and can go on till a person's final breath.
- Understanding 'Why' Can Make Life Easier: There is logic and science behind the sounds a guitar makes - string combinations, string tension, muting effect, et al. Likewise, people and things behave in a certain manner for a plethora of underlying reasons. Understand this helps us gain wonderful perspectives and insights about people and about life at large.
- Innate Talent Can Be An Advantage: Like many others, I was fortunate to have an innate ear for music. I realised I had the advantage of identifying right notes from flawed ones, and this held me in good stead. There is nothing to be guilty about using your innate talent to your advantage. In fact, not putting your talents to good use is foolish.
- Talent Without Hard Work Does Not Guarantee Success: You might be a naturally gifted musician at heart, endowed with all the flair and brilliance that the best guitarists possess. But if you do not work hard at sharpening your skills, you will not progress beyond a certain level.
- Passion Can Be a Form of Escapism: Often, the love for playing guitar can transcend the passion for music; it could reflect escapism or a filler to a void in a person's life, or perhaps something to boost a person's sagging self-image. It is okay to pursue something passionately to fill a void, but one must be careful to be able to draw the limits so as to not let his/her alternate life take control of conventional life.
- Perfect String + Bad Tuning = Noise: A perfect guitar string that is tuned badly can ruin a musical performance, even though the string is not inherently flawed. Likewise, most people are inherently nice, but could come across as repulsive simply because of behaviour spawned by bad experiences.
- It is hard to hold onto a habit that you don't enjoy: It is not unusual to hear about people who initially take to the guitar with full enthusiasm, but eventually the interest fizzes out. The same can be said about gymming, and about hobbies. If you decide to pursue something that you do not enjoy, and that you are not really passionate about, you are bound to end it sooner or later.
This post is a part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon: October-November 2025.
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