Sail Away To Elephanta: The Epitome of Hindu Cave Culture

The Elephanta Caves are a great tourist attraction in the vicinity of the large Mumbai meteropolis. The Elephanta island is located 10 km away from the Gateway of India at Mumbai. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century CE.

The Elephanta island was so named by the Portuguese, after the statue of an elephant near the landing area of the island. These rock cut temples dedicated to Shiva Mahadeva are rich in sculptural content. Motorboats take passengers from Appollo Bunder near the Gateway of India.

An epitome of Hindu cave culture, Elephanta consists of seven caves of which the most notable is the Mahesa-murti cave. These rock cut temples were created by carving out rock, and creating the columns, the internal spaces and the images. The entire temple is akin to a huge sculpture, through whose corridors and chambers one can walk. The entire complex was created through a process of rock removal. Some of the rock surfaces are highly finished while some are untreated bare rock.
The entire cave temple complex covers an area of about 60000 squrare feet and it consists a main chamber and two lateral ones , courtyards and several subsidary shrines. Above the temple is the mass of natural rock.
There are three entrances to this temple. The ones on the east and the west marking the axis of the temple. A 20 pillared hall lines the axis, and on its western end is the cellar in which is enshrined a Shivalingam. The pillars consist of fluted columns standing on square bases, and are crowned with fluted cushion capitals.

The enigmatic image of Trimurthi Sadasiva: The Sadasiva manifestation of Shiva is carved in relief at the end of the north south axis. This collossal 20 feet high image of the three headed Shiva, Trimurthy is a magnificient one, considered to be a masterpiece of Indian art. This colossal image represents Panchamukha Shiva, only three faces of whom are carved into the wall and it demands immediate attention upon entering the temple through the northern entrance.

Best time to visit Elepanta :
November to March is the ideal time to visit the island.

Access:
Located on a small island of Mumbai in Maharashtra, Elephanta can be reached by regular ferries that leave from Mumbai's Gateway of India harbour throughout the year, except during the monsoon season.

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Boating Along Maharashtra: Towards The Invincible Fort!

Besides its magnificent beaches, the picturesque Konkan coast from Mumbai to Goa is studded with forts which have survived in their solid majesty for more than three centuries. The forts and fortresses on the coast of western India built between the 14th and 17th century are testimony to the raging battles between the Sultans and the Hindu Kingdoms. Later, these forts were also the sites of wars with foreign powers that had reached Indian shores - first the Portuguese and later the British and the French.

The Fort of Janjira on the sea is the only one of its kind. It was built at the end of the 17th Century, is almost entirely intact even today, despite the ravages of wind and tide, a testimony to the marvels of ancient engineering.



According to all accounts, the sea fort of Janjira could not be conquered by any of the kings ruling the neighbouring territories. Surprisingly, not even Shivaji could acquire it despite 13 expeditions to conquer the fort. His son, Sambhaji, tried a unique approach to capture the fort: digging an underwater tunnel to enter. But he too failed in his attempt. Not to be deterred, Sambhaji constructed another fort just across the bay, called Kansa. Most of the earth that was dug up to build the tunnel was used in the making of this second fort, which was to be the base for future attacks on the sea fort of Janjira. This fort took 22 years to build and is constructed on 22 acres of land.

In a journey back in history, visitors can gain access to the Janjira fort from Rajapuri, a small village on the coast. After a short ride in a small boat, one can enter the fort through the main entrance. The fort is oval shaped instead of the usual oblong or square shape. The fort wall is about 40 feet high and has 19 rounded porches or arches, some of which still have cannons mounted on them, including the famous cannon 'Katlal Bhankari'. Inside the fort walls, the ruins of a mosque, a palace and bath with water channeled from streams, tell of ancient times when royal ladies occupied the quarters. The deep well with cold and sweet water - a wonder of nature in the midst of the saline sea, still provides water to quench the thirst of the weary visitor.

Gazing into the horizon from the ramparts of this magnificent fort overlooking the sea, one cannot but acknowledge its great strength that withstood a number of invasions. This invincible fort remained unconquered until it became part of Indian territory after Independence from the British in 1947.

Other attractions for history buffs include the Palace of the Nawab. This luxurious cliff-top mansion built by the former Nawab of Janjira commands a panoramic view of the Arabian sea and the Janjira sea fort.

Then there are the Janjira Caves, while nature lovers will enjoy Murud, the erstwhile capital of the state of Janjira. Murud is actually a tiny fishing village atop a small hillock with a heart-stopping view of the coast, with mile after mile of soft silvery sand. The beaches of Kashid and Nandgaon with their whispering casuarina, coconut and betel palms are a balm for the weary city dweller.
In short, a perfect getaway.

Rail: The nearest station is Roha on the Konkan railway.
Road: About five hours from Mumbai.
Sea: 2.5 hours from Mumbai
Where to stay: There are few private beach resorts and one Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation holiday resort.

If you are a regular at exploring the Konkan Coast, do mail us your experiences and pictures! we would love to share it with our readers.

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Why Did Columbus Sail Westwards??

This post can be considered a history lesson from Giira Yachts for those who missed the day or were siting at the backbench sleeping (like me) . We have all heard about the great Christopher Columbus who's went out in search of india but landed on the American shores.

Born in 1451, Genoa [Italy], and regarded as "discoverer of the New World" Christopher Columbus is widely known for the four voyages in which Columbus played the part of hero, in being the means of bringing great material profit to Spain and to other European countries, and in opening up the Americas to European settlement.

coming back to the Title of the post "why did he sail westward" i came across this article which has provided some insight.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian from Genoa living in Portugal. Although in the fifteenth century most people still believed that the world was flat, others, including Columbus, had come to believe it was round. If this was so, he argued, a ship could sail around the globe and return to its original starting point.



Thus the shortest route to the spice Islands of the East Indies would by sailing Westwards. He sought support for his theory but it was rejected again and again. Finally, after years of disappointment, he gained the help of Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain.

In August 1492, three small ships set sail from Spain, their bows pointing westwards across the wide, unknown Atlantic. They were the Santa Maria, the Nina and the Pinta. On 12 October land was sighted. Columbus was convinced that it was an island off the coast of India. When other islands came into view he named them the ‘Indies’. His ‘mistake’ was nevertheless a vitally important event in the discovery and exploration of the west.

Hope that clears some doubts and it also brings us to the end of our history class.

Source - Inventions

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Evolution Of The Humble Fishing Boat

Before the advent of the gasoline engine, fishing boats were powered by oar or sail. These workboats owed their graceful lines, stability, and speed to generations of fishing vessels that plied the formidable bay before them.

Characteristics of the Modern Fishing Boat.

Round bottom, double-wedge hull
A single inboard gas or diesel engine
A small forward cabin and windshield shelter for the helmsman
Open, decked cockpit aft
Length varies from 20-40 feet
Traditionally built of wood (cedar planking over oak frames),
began to be replaced by fiberglass hulls by the early 1960s
Electronic equipment, such as radar, radio, and depth sounder

Cheap to build or buy because of its simple lines, the Dory, a high-sided, flat-bottomed, sharp-bowed rowboat, was used in many New England fisheries by late 18th century.
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The Peapod was more flexible. Named for its double-ended and round-sided shape which resembled the garden vegetable, it was usually about 15 feet long, and it could carry more than a dory. Its double-ended design enabled a lobsterman to row the peapod from either direction, usually standing up and facing forward. The peapod was thought to have originated on Penobscot Bay about 1870 or even earlier.

The Hampton boat was an open fishing boat that originated in Hampton, NH. It also was double-ended, but it had a keel and was equipped with 2 spiritsail-rigged masts. Easy to maneuver, spiritsails are fore-and-aft sails with a large surface area that are raised and lowered by means of a diagonal staff called a sprit.

The Reach boat originated from either Eggemoggin or Moosabec Reach in Maine. A cross between a Peapod and a Hampton boat, it was about 14 feet long with an open hull, and was "sharp in the bow, round- bilged, keeled, square sails well adapted for rowing or sailing." Both Hampton boats and Reach boats had a sharp bow that flattened toward the stern which made them adaptable for engine power.

The Friendship Sloop, although familiar as a pleasure craft today, this vessel began its career as a lobster boat. It was also known as a Muscongus Bay sloop or lobster sloop because it was commonly used for lobstering in mid-coast Maine. One man could manage its single-masted rig and haul traps unassisted, yet the boat could carry sizeable loads. With a small forward cabin outfitted with bunks and a stove, and an open cockpit aft, it made fishing in cold weather much more pleasurable. In the 1880's these sloops ranged from 16-20 feet long but over time they became twice that long. Read more...

Luxury Yachts - Now & Then

The term 'Luxury Yacht' refers to a very expensive privately-owned yacht which is professionally crewed. There has been a big change in the long history of luxury yachts and these have been transformed from something simple and classy to a high-tech rich asset.





BEFORE

Also known as a super-yacht, a luxury yacht may be either a sailing or motor yacht. This term began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century when wealthy individuals constructed large private yachts for personal pleasure. Early luxury sailing yachts include Americas Cup classic J class racers like S/Y (sailing yacht) Endeavour and Sir Thomas Lipton’s S/Y Shamrock. The New York Yacht Club hosted many early luxury sailing yacht events at Newport, Rhode Island, during the Gilded Age.

NOW

More recently, over the last decade or two, there has been an increase in the number and popularity of large private luxury yachts. Luxury yachts are particularly bountiful in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, although increasingly luxury yachts are cruising in more remote areas of the world. With the increase in demand for luxury yachts there has been an increase custom boat building companies and yacht charter brokers.


Some yachts are used exclusively by their private owners, others are operated all year round as charter businesses, and a large number are privately owned but available for charter part time. Weekly charter fees range from a few tens of thousands of dollars a week to nearly a million dollars a week. This covers the wages of the crew, but not fuel, food and drink, or other incidental expenses.

Yachts from 23 meters (75 feet) and up qualify for design awards from the Superyacht Society, but at the bottom end of that scale yachts will not necessarily be crewed and many set the minimum length for a superyacht considerably higher. From around 30 meters (98 feet) and up yachts are always crewed. A 45 to 50 meters (148 to 164 feet) yacht, the smallest with a generally accepted claim to superyacht status, will usually be a three decker with cabins for 12 guests (that is a preferred number, more common than either 10 or 14, and is found on yachts across quite a wide size range), and for a crew of a similar size. A 50 meter yacht has one or two tenders for reaching shore and other "toys" which may include a speed boat or sailing boat, jet-skis, windsurfing and diving equipment and a banana. Up to date yachts have multiple flat screen televisions and satellite communications.



THE BIG YACHTS

The number of really large yachts has increased rapidly since the 1990s and increasingly only yachts above around 65 meters (213 feet) stand out among other luxury yachts. Yachts of this size are almost always built to individual commissions and cost tens of millions of dollars (most super-yachts cost far more than their owners' homes on land, even though those homes are likely to be among the largest and most desirable). A yacht of this size usually has four decks above the water line and one or two below. It is likely to have a helicopter landing platform.



ADD-ONS

Apart from additional guest cabins, which are likely to include one of more "VIP suites" besides the owner's suite, extra facilities compared to a 50 meter yacht will include some or all of indoor jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon, massage and other treatment rooms, a medical centre, a discotheque, a cinema with a film library, plunge pool (possibly with a wave-maker), a playroom, and additional living areas such as a separate bar, secondary dining room, private sitting rooms or a library. There will be more boats and "toys" than there are on a 50 meter yacht.

It's only something to wonder - how yachts of the future would be and what directions would they take in terms of their design, purpose and to what different aspects of our lives would they touch.
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