CKRT Day 05 - Ganapatipule to Vijaydurga

Continued from: CKRT Day 04 - Guhagar to Ganapatipule

Route: Ganapatipule -> Pracheen Konkan -> Ratnagiri -> Pawas -> Purnagad -> Jaitapur -> Padel -> Vijaydurga -> Devgad

Today was the day when the possibility of being forced to tent in the middle of nowhere, was looming large on us. Given the amount of locations to visit, the distance to travel, lack of clarity about connections between few places enroute, a plan B of tenting and camping, was prepared for this day.

गणपतीपुळ्याचं मंदिर (Ganapatipule Temple)

Early in the morning, we had been to the Temple campus and the adjoining beach. It pained to see its current status. Quite a few years back (back in 2003/04 if I remember correctly), when we were in T.E., the temple had only the hill in the rear and the sea in the front. It was a serene and beautiful sight. Now the temple is mobbed by many ugly buildings and fences. It has lost its charm. Simple was immensely beautiful. This is what happens when you have a large population which doesn't mind mobbing and littering beautiful places in the name of god.


प्राचीन कोकण (Pracheen Konkan)

We checked out from the room, and went to Pracheen Konkan. The project is conceptualized by a group of college going public. It depicts how Konkan was, back in the time of ancient civilization. The social structure, the geology, the people, their fashion, animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, their varieties etc. It's an informative project, definitely worth a visit. Only their guides need to let go of that disinterested, monotonous, news-anchor like accent, and speak with a normal tone.

Pracheen Konkan Guide Map

Small Scale Model of Jaigad

White Hibiscus

Impressive Arrangement

Black Headed Golden Oriole

पावस (Pawas)

Soon after Pracheen Konkan, we took our breakfast and started towards Ratnagiri. The route to some extent is a coastal sea-side drive, and views of the rocky coast, crystal clear white-sand beaches, deep blue sea and an occassional fishing trawler take one's breath away.

Our next stop was the स्वामी स्वरुपानंद आश्रम (Swami-Swaroopanand Ashram) at Pawas. I did a tankful at a petrol bunk near Ratnagiri, just in case petrol became scarce later on.

The Swaroopanand Ashram was a very silent and serene place. The atmosphere was indeed strangely different and calming. It was my first time there (or maybe second, I have a very hazy memory of Pawas from my early childhood). The आरती (aarati) there, was a different experience, though I haven't remained the आस्तिक (believer) of olden times anymore. कर्मकांडावर माझा बिलकुल विश्वास नाही. पण माणसाच्या जीवनात देव असण्यानं जर माणसं सरळमार्गी आणि इतरांचं चांगलं चिंतणारी होत असतील तर माणसाच्या जीवनात देव जरुर असावा. असो.

While looking around during the aarati, I observed quite a lot of different profiles of people. Some of them looked almost out of place. A lot of old people - quite expected. But quite a few young women, some young guys (like us) in half pants and commando T-shirts. The most striking sight was a young guy with Devanand-style long hair, half-moon glasses, a goatee, white(!) 3/4th and a black T-shirt with a red star and Che Guevara imprint(!) on it. Talk about being out of place!

We had our lunch at the Ashram itself, and after gulping down a few hefty doses of कैरीचं पन्हं, we set out towards पूर्णगड (Purnagad).


पूर्णगड (Purnagad)

It was comparatively closeby from the Ashram. Quite a small fort - or rather an observation point. The fortifications are intact, but that's about it. Nothing much there. Except - except for the untouched, directly accessible, beautiful beach in its rear.
It was a striking sight. A route from the rear entry/exit door of the fort, was dropping straight onto the pristine beach. It was an ideal site for an overnight camping. Sitting there in the shade of big trees, and watching the tides wash the beach, is a soothing experience.


Finding विजयदुर्ग (Vijaydurga)

Next destination was the विजयदुर्ग (Vijaydurga). Now this was the start of the uncertain part. The sources that I had referred to, suggested that there will be ferries to Vijaydurga from Madban beach (माडबन किनारा). Otherwise, the land-route was quite distant.

To top that, the map I had, suggested no bridge going from Purnagad to Jaitapur, over the Jaiapur creek. No mention of ferry service from Madban to Vijaydurga either.

We started towards Jaitapur and decided to alter the plan on the go as per the circumstances. It was already 2-3pm in the afternoon and we still hadn't a trace of Vijaydurga. Checking out Vijaydurga was going to take couple of hours and thence we were to move to Devgad in search of accommodation. It looked like a doomed plan already. Unless we rushed ...

I stuffed my hat back in the rucksack, and got the helmet out. It was very windy and the hat wouldnt have allowed me to pickup speed without distractions. Helmet would allow me to let lose on the bike and make the best effort to attain these tight timelines.

Our stars were shining bright. After rushing through the plains for sometime, we came across a brand new bridge that would take us acoss the Jaitapur creek, and would grant us direct access to the Madban beach. The bridge was commissioned only recently.

Finding Madban beach, turned out to be a very confusing affaire due to misleading and mis-reading boards. And then after finally finding it, we learned that ferries dont ply between Madban and Vijaydurga anymore since a new bridge has been commissioned over the Vaghotane creek (वाघोटणे खाडी) - the very creek that seperates Vijaydurga from Madban beach. Viola! So it was all road route now.

It was 40kms from Madban though, and the evening was approaching very quickly. I started feeding in even more throttle. The road, again thanks to our lucky star, was impeccable - smooth, wide, desserted, recently laid, tar surface - also known as: a biker's paradise.

By 5pm, we were in Vijaydurga. Parked the bike, had a few doses of Karvanda juice (करवंद सरबत), and started a guided tour of Vijaydurga, along with one other group.

विजयदुर्ग (Vijaydurga)

The guide we met, and had the pleasure of learning from, at Vijaydurga, was, without a single doubt in my mind, the best guide I had ever met. He was highly knowledgible, self learning, a seemingly history-buff himself and was well researched with his knowledge nuggets. The minute details that he explained of small things, which usually slip from our attention, were astounding. Those details not only introduced us to the foresight of Shivaji Maharaj and the people he chose, but also made us appreciate how well researched this guy was. Undoubtedly one of the best guided-tours I ever had a pleasure of attending.

At the end, we decided to double the amount we were to pay to the guide. It was just a token of gratitude for doing such a great job of making historical nugggests interesting for people like us. Guides like him need to stay in that profession so that people get to learn the history from a knowledgible person.

Reclaimation on the right

Arms Depot (दारुगोळा कोठार) iirc

Now a bit about Vijaydurga. The fort was surrounded by water from all sides. But recently one side has been reclaimed and the fort is now connected to the land. The reclaimation also hosts MTDC resort, at a vantage point, like all MTDC resorts. The fort overlooks the Vaghotane creek, which Shivaji maharaj wanted to keep under control so that nuisance from the English and Portugese navies would be kept at bay. The creek cuts very deep in the land, and it posed a danger to the स्वराज्य (the self-ruled empire) from the foreign navies. That's why this old fort, which was originally built by King Bhoj (भोज राजा), was enlarged and strengthened. The old fortification is still standing inside Vijaydurga, though in a dilapidated condition.
We came to know various steathy ways in and out of the fort. Attention to details in minutest of defenses, used to stop the enemy if an attack were to be carried out, was plain amazing. We couldn't help but appreciate the strategic thinking during that period of time.

We were told about an underwater wall that Shivaji maharaj got built and kept under wraps all the time. Nobody knew about the wall until recent time. It's said that at least 2 British ships were wrecked by that wall. The interesting part was how the hulls of British/western ships were built in V-shape, while those of Indian ships were built in a U-shape. This U-shaping of the hull enabled Indian ships to pass over that underwater wall safely, while it broke the V-hulled western ships into pieces. That - Indian shipbuilding was indigeneous and not derived from western technology - came as a pleasant surprise - a breath of fresh air, if you will, in a world where all we do is mimic the westerners. And that this very difference was noticed and exploited in that era, was a cherry on the top - leaving us wondering where all that shrewdness has gone since.


देवगड (Devgad)

By the time Vijaydurga fort tour ended, it was 6:45pm and the sun had just set. It was slowly getting dark around. I was not sure whether we will get to Devgad before nightfall. Devgad was still 20-25kms from there and I wanted to avoid driving in the night due to the inconsiderate manner in which people drive - headlights set to upper beam - blinding the incoming drivers.

I again let the bike lose on the silky smooth road. But then things don't always go your way. However hard I tried, it was stark dark by the time we reached Devgad, and I had hurled quite a few choice words towards the high-beamers.

Thankfully we didn't have to struggle much for the room. And what a room we got for mere 500 bucks a night at the 11th hour! Posh interiors, LCD TV, double bed, air cooler, huge balcony, utter clean and posh bathroom with a napkin, towel and toiletries placed where they should be ... boy! Compared to the kind of rooms we have had so far, for a similar cost, it was a gem! A jackpot! It was so unbelievable that we went to the extent of confirming with the reception that it was not 500 bucks per head, but 500 all inclusive. :)

It was a hectic hectic day with some serious driving and running around done throughout. The intermixture of exertion of the day, satisfaction at the end that we didnt have to resort to plan-B, and a delightful room, was too much to handle, and I didn't realise when I fell asleep after we came back from the dinner.


Next: CKRT Day 06 - Devgad to Malvan (Tarkarli)

CKRT Day 04 - Guhagar to Ganapatipule

Continued from CKRT Day 03 - Anjarle to Guhagar

Route: Guhagar -> Velaneshwar -> Hedvi -> Tavsal -> ferry -> Jaigad -> Malgund -> Ganapatipule

Who let the what out?

We got up quite early in the morning. It was a fresh, cold morning. There was no trace of any ghosts around, nor did we remember hearing anything. I almost rolled on the floor laughing when Pravya told me his predicament in the middle of the night when he wanted to take a leak, and he didn't have anyone to watch his back because I was fast asleep. Alone in that setup, in the middle of the night, was just too much.

After strolling on the Guhagar beach, and again gorging on the home-made Thaleepeeths, we left for Velneshwar. Velneshwar has a colourful temple and a white-sand beach. Nothing outstanding as such. We had another round of breakfast there, and moved on towards Hedvi.

वेळणेश्वर मंदिर (Velneshvar Temmple)
		Beach behind the temple

हेदवीची ब्राम्हणघळ (Bramhanghal of Hedvi)

The road to Hedvi, is typical Konkani, and passes through dense jungle. Hedvi is a very small town with a small beach and a rocky coast. The beach is backed up by a dense सुरुचं बन. Nice relaxing location. Hedvi is known for a strange geological setup called ब्राम्हणघळ (bramhanghal). A small crack in the rocks comes in almost 15-20feet from the sea and creates a very narrow 10-feet deep and 20-feel long gorge. During high tides, the tidal water comes rushing inside the crack and breaks at the end of the crack with a loud bang. All the way making a loud roaring sound. I am told, during the high tides of monsoon, the tidal fury is so powerful, that it creates a 25-feet high water-coloumn when the tide breaks at the back of the crack. We moved around in the area for sometime, and then started towards Tavsal.

ब्राम्हणघळ (Bramhanghal) Top Viw
	ब्राम्हणघळ (Bramhanghal) Front view

तवसाळ आणि जयगड (Tavsal and Jaigad)

Tavsal is quite closeby from Hedvi. This time we had to wait for about 10-15mins for the ferry boat. That rest was much needed, and nobody complained.

Enroute Tavsaal

We got down at Jaigad after boarding the ferry. A road takes you first to a Jindal factory and then bifurcates into two - one towards Jaigad and one towards Ganapatipule.

Jaigad, like all other forts we had seen so far, is a fort in ruins. When you check out the views, it's quite clear the kind of hold the fort would have had over the creek. It's a strong hold and whoever controlled Jaigad, quite naturally controlled the naval movements in the creek. Vantage point.


Now, though, children use this fort as a cricket playground! There is hardly anything left there to see, apart from, of course, the views - probably because it's difficult to ruin the views with apathy.

After taking photos, and roaming around on the fortifications, we moved on towards our destination for the day - Ganapatipule.


गणपतीपुळे (Ganapatipule)

The road to Ganapatipule is smooth and well laid, but through a barren land for most of the time. Sometimes a coastal sea-side drive pops up and recharges one for the next bout of barren land. But otherwise, it's quite a boring ride. We passed through Malgund, which is closeby Ganapatipule, and has a nice beach. Malgund is the birth-place of well-known Marathi poet - Keshavsoot (केशवसुत - कृष्णाजी केशव दामले)

We got to Ganapatipule, found a room, checked into it, threw in our luggage, and rushed to the beach hoping to catch the sunset on the horizon.

It was a demoralizing sight - the beach. We couldn't decide whether the human sea was more potent or the natural one. It was a huge crowd, and all types of lame beach activities were going on. We trudged along the beach for a long time, in search of a comparatively less populated area, which eventually we found and perched there to observe and click the sunset as and when we desire.

The sky was a bit cloudy, and the hide and seek of a setting sun behind those clouds, was quite an interesting sight, especially with some fishing trawlers in the foreground.

Small Day

Eventually, after the sunset, we got back to our room, and got busy with the daily chores. I had carried couple of 6mm ropes, around 12-feet long, with me, just in case, and they had turned out to be immensely useful for drying out our clothes. Some knots that I had learned during usual preparations for climbing, were turning out to be highly practical and useful.

All in all, it was quite a slow day in comparison with the previous ones. In stark contrast, the next day, with Vijaydurga-Devgad as the destination, was going to be the most hectic and anxious day of the whole trip. Adding to the anxiety was the confusion about the connectivity from Jaitapur and Madban.

After dinner, we went to sleep wondering about the plan for next day.


Next: CKRT Day 05 - Ganapatipule to Vijaydurga

Why People Choose Java over Python

I love Python for the freedom it gives to a developer, and for the way it allows one to concentrate purely on the business logic part of the solution, rather than on the nitty-gritties of the language. Coming over from C/C++ world, it's a breath of fresh air, no matter how much you love C/C++.

Despite all this coolness, this awesomeness of Python, and this black-magic-like problem solving ability that it offers, it's heart-breaking to see the adaptability of this superb language staying much lower than it deserves to be. The industry is still banking on Java for addressing its requirements.

Over some time recently, I have been trying to understand what makes people prefer Java over Python for new development, despite Python being such an excellent choice.

So from whatever little I have understood about the technological landscape so far, here are some points (without any priority as such) that I could put together, as to why java might still be a go-to rather than Python -

• Java is compiled while Python is interpreted. When you want to deploy a webapp on a third-party web host, with Python you have to deploy all your source on the server, while in case of Java, you deploy compiled bytecode (classes and jars). And though bytecode reverse engineering may not be impossible or uncommon, it just makes access to source-code much more difficult, as compared to Python where you have to deploy production source-code as it is. People are paranoid about exposing their source code.
  
  CPython / Jython / IronPython might offset this shortcoming to a certain extent, but then this is an added layer, and it might come with its own set of drawbacks, limitations and bugs.
  
  
• A Java webapp, when deployed under an app server like Tomcat, allows request pooling and hence will possibly be more responsive. For a WSGI/mod-python/FCGI hosted Python web-app on the other hand, all requests result in a new fresh invocation of the interpreter and it will be, I suspect, much slower in comparison with a request-pooled instance which can maintain its state.
  
  
• The biggest thing, in my opinion, that goes in favor of java, is the huge ecosystem, of proven tools (development, debugging, profiling, build-management, documentation etc) and frameworks, that has been developed around it over the last decade or so. And 'proven' is really the keyword here.
  
  
• When it comes to language constructs, Python doesnt enfoce anything. It's a come-all-do-all language where even following OOP paradigm is *voluntary*. for exmaple, encapsulation, which is a very important OOP building block, is not enforced. It's voluntary. You can use _underscores_ and __double_underscores__ if you will to specify class variable accesses, but then there is no restriction on their being accessed from outside the class definition - private/protected/public notwithstanding. So chances of a developer making a subtle but critical mistake are much more than say in java.
  
  Managers, product owners, and anybody for that matter, want to have the peace of mind that the software development process they are overlooking, will have stringent checks in place at the grass root level itself, so that a subtle mistake from an inexperienced developer wont go on wreaking havoc on production.
  
  Java to a large extent has those checks.Pointers, or rather lack of it, was one of the reasons why it gained acceptance above C++ after all. Java enforces OOP paradigms. It has static typing as opposed to duck-typing or dynamic-typing in Python. Due to enforcement of OOP, it opens up large possibilities for development methodologies, like interfaces and contracts, which, though possible in Python, will be bypass-able, due to its weak OOP support.

Again, to reiterate, I have jotted this down as per my understanding of the technological landscape. I am nowhere near being an expert in either Java or Python, and I do not claim to be one either. So there might be some errors in the way I perceive these things, and if you spot one, please point it out.

With that, I open it up to you guys. I am sure there will be lots of viewpoints as to why Java clicks, since we have such a large experienced Java population here. And there will be counter-points as to why Python clicks despite these points or why some of these points I mentioned aren't valid anymore. So let those viewpoints flow.