Kashid Beach - Maharashtra
The entire konkan stretch of western coastal Maharashtra is full of natural beauty. It is a thick green stretch, with number of untouched clean beaches and superb roads to reach out.
Kashid is popular mainly because of its white sand, blue seas, green mountains, paddy fields, and rivulets. Kashid has a 3 km stretch of beach tucked in between two rocky hillocks with Casuarina groves all around the seashore. This is by far the best beach in this part of the Konkan region and though absolutely deserted on weekdays, the town can attract its fair share of week-end holiday makers.
The waves here are unusually high and can be paradise for surfing. The waves can reach a height 5-6 feet even during the non-monsoon months. However it is dangerously high during the monsoons and surfing is not recommending during the months of June to September.
All around Kashid, the history of the land seeps through inanimate walls, mute rocks and the very soil beneath your feet. The famous fort of Murud is a short trip from Kashid. This island fortress was considered impregnable and was never conquered ever and its magnificent, proud silhouette still stands tall 350 years after it was built.
Malik Amber, an Abyssinian serf owing his loyalty to the Nawab of Ahmednagar, built this marvel of engineering in the middle of the sea. The great Maratha ruler, Shivaji, attempted to conquer this fortress thirteen times and failed each time, which is a testimony to the ingenuity of the builder.
Until the Independence of India, the fortress stood defiant- a mighty warrior, never broken in spirit. Neither Man nor Nature have won over this mighty fortress so far. The Palace of the Nawab of Murud is also a must-see for visitors.
While you are traveling in coastal Konkan, make it a point to sample culinary delights of the region. |
