Visit to Murud Janjira Fort – The Only Unconquered Fort in Maharashtra

City : Murud, Rajgadh, Maharastra, India
Date : Jan-2020

Nearest Railway Station : CSMT (Mumbai)

Nearest Airport : Mumbai, Maharastra

Fairy(Jetty) : Gateway to Alibaug

Travellers : Manan(Me), Lokesh, Sanket, Devishay, Mohan, Sohaib

Murud Janjira Fort

Experience : 

We had plan to reach at CSMT station, Mumbai around 5:00 a.m. I was not sure whether I would woke up or not because I came at home at 12:30 a.m from Marine drive. But somehow I managed my sleep and got up early around 4:00 a.m. I catch first fast train from Borivali to CSMT via Andheri. 


I put whatsApp status about janzira fort, so my cousin seen that and called around 4:45 a.m. He wished me for birthday and asked about trip. I surprised to get his call for very early in morning. 

5:30 a.m at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal (CSMT)

I reached there first from Borivali and Lokesh and Sanket reached there after 10-20 minutes. We have called to all other 3 guys and they just replied round and round. So we got out of there to go to Gateway of India by 5:30 a.m by taxi. We reached Gateway of India by 5:50 a.m and stood in queue for tickets of ferry towards Mandava. First ferry was of 6:10 a.m (It is hourly ferry service started from 6:10 a.m). We did not want to miss that otherwise our whole plan might be flop.

(Ticket cost from Gateway of India to Mandava is 125 ₹ for Single trip. Price may vary depends on ferry company.)

   Ship was open roof and we sat on terrace of ship. In pic, we can see Taj Hotel and Gateway of India.

We (Me, Lokesh, Sanket) sat at boat and still they had not reached. So our boat took off without them and I was very excited for this trip. (When I was child, I was very fearing to sit in boat, ship, Now not.) It was around 1.45 hrs journey from Gateway to Mandava to reach. In between way to reach Mandava, experience was amazing, in middle there is nothing surrounding and we could watch only horizon and only water surrounding us. We met very beautiful flying birds on the way and also we have given food by throwing and they catch it and ate (amazing...huaaaa....). We clicked too much photos. 

We can feed to birds.

We reached Mandava around 8:00 a.m. We clicked many photos there as scene was very beautiful there. We didn't know what to next. 

Mandava Ferry Station

We have asked someone and got to know there would direct bus to reach Ali baug and fare was included in ferry ticket price. So reached there and we came to know that bus 🚌 departed just before 5 minutes. So each bus was reserved for each ferry passengers. We had asked rickshaw 🛺 but they need 500 ₹ just to reach Ali baug. We called other friends about their location and they also missed 7:10 a.m ferry. So there is no meaning to wait for them. We waited for around 40 minutes there to wait for next bus. 

So we reached Ali baug by that bus by 9:30 a.m (23 kms). By reaching, we took breakfast and decide to wait for them. Now our friends reached Ali baug, so Lokesh helped to reach breakfast centre for breakfast. 

After breakfast, we went to bus station to ask for next bus for Murud. We(Me and Sanket) came to know that it is not fixed when it would come. Suddenly one taxi driver come to us for Murud. He charged 100 rs per person for Eeco car. That was good. Even bus took 70 rs per person. So we decided to go by taxi 🚕 to reach Murud (54 kms). 

We reached Murud by 11:45 a.m. We reached at ticket window for boat from Murud to Janzira fort as fort was in between of lake(That's why it is hard to won and called only Unconquered fort in Maharastra). One of friend stood in line. After 10 minutes we came to know that ticket windows was going to be closed for 1 hour due to very much rush in that day. So we went for some light breakfast but there was not good food. So we ate chani ber and drunk sugar cane juice. One of our friend still stood in queue. At 12:30 p.m windows opened and took ticket (Cost 70 rs).

From here, we are traveled by local boat service to fort. As fort in between Sea.

We waiting to open ticket counter.

On the roof of boat

We reached janzira fort around 1:00 p.m and we are given 45 minutes for wander in fort. There were also guide and but we have not taken their help. We wander in that fort and photos are below.

Small Meetha Pani lake at center of Fort (Fort in between of Sea)

Kalak Bangadi, 3rd Largest Cannon in India, weighing over 22 Tons

We reached back to Murud around 3:30 p.m. We called our driver to drop back to Ali Baugh. We reached Murud around 5:30 p.m. There was last ferry from Mandava to Gateway of India of 6:10 p.m. There were 3-4 companies that run ferry service. We inquired at all but no next ferry was available. That was also our bad luck that we could not go back by ferry to reach Gateway of India. Now we had only 2 options go via taxi or bus to reach Panvel. Bus time was not fixed and we took taxi and reached panvel by 8:30 p.m. We caught train 🚂 to reach our home station. I reached home Borivali around 11:00 p.m.

That was amazing trip and amazing birthday.

Irshalgad Fort Trekking

1. Google Map : https://goo.gl/maps/qgNQSzDq8JbTW9aY8

2. Nearest Railway Station : Chawk, Nanivali - Only 1 Train stop here

3. Nearest Railway Station : Panvel - 16 Kms Away with Toll, 23 Kms Away without Toll

4. From Panvel, we can travel to chawk by auto rickshaw or by bus. Autowala took around 200 to 300 RS. Fort comes between Panvel and Matheran.

5. Nearest Airpot : Mumbai

My experience (My first trekking such kind): 

Date : 7-Jul-2019 Sunday

We(except 2 late comers) gathered at Panvel station at 8.30 a.m. We all were coming from different para of Mumbai. We did some breakfast idli, meduvada at panvel.

We were total 10 for Trip. But 2 late comers were very late. So we 8 friends took 2 auto and reach dam near chawk station. They have taken 700 rs for 2 auto rickshaw.

We reached dam around 9.50 a.m. we clicked some beautiful scenery at dam and clicked our memories there. Some friends were doing too much to take photos and all. So we wasted half an hour there to take photos and all.

Now we finally started Trekking. After 15 mins of walk from dam, we reach one shop. We bought some biscuits and snacks for enjoying trekking with snacks.

Now I can tell, that finally our trekking started. At starting atmosphere was pleasant with cloudy atmosphere. But after some time, sun was playing hide and seek. So we all were in little worry about upcoming trekking route.

But after sometime, atmosphere totally changed. There was speedy wind with high rain. We sat behind one large stone because we can not even stood freely. (Advise : In such high speed with wind, sit down, otherwise sometime it create problem ). We sat there around 15 min's due to such continuous speedy wind and rain. But that was very good experience. I thought what type of storm can come while trekking on Himalaya that was also my dream.

After 15 mins, we resumed our journey. We reached mid level around 12.30.  We saw there many little water falls in other mountains. We sat there sometimes and click some beauty of nature. 

We also take some snacks and take tea (Ahaana.....). & then went ahead :



We resume our journey and in between we met with one small water falls in our route. We enjoyed with that small water falls & took many photos. We halt here around 30 mins and then resumed our journey.

We returned to downside and we have taken almost 1 hour. We walked till main high way as we didn't get any ricshaw and car. We caught bus after waiting for 1 hour. We reached panvel around 7 p.m We had breakfast and caught train. 

It was wonderful trekking experience.

Visit to Marine Drive Mumbai

Place : Marine Drive 
Location : Mumbai, Maharastra 

I went to Brabourne stadium to watch match of India-A vs England-A. This was last ODI MS Dhoni as Captain. After 1st inning, I and my friends went Marine Drive. I went to marine drive first time. At there I have taken this beautiful photo. It was very beautiful sea-shore. Many people go this beautiful seashore to relax and chill.

Once I went to there with my friends circle. At there we have passed time from 12.30 a.m to 4.30 a.m on saturday night. It was very great time. It seemed that it was just 9 p.m. Because even mid night, there were many public, many rich people were go for there for sleeping at seashore and under sky. We in group played dumsra, antakshari and talking. It was very good night spend with friends.

I suggest to go there on Saturday mid night with friends or family. We can stay or sleep full night on marine drive under stars and sky.