Traveling on the Konkan rail is something that my husband
has often spoken about and I decided that
it was time to translate that into action.
A day journey, to best savour the sights on offer, was
planned, and we traveled from VT to Ratnagiri on the Mandovi Express. And what
a delightful journey it was. Bright green grass formed a smooth carpet,
interspersed with forests, which were a tufted deep green carpet. Sundry
streams meandered. Translucent, mother of pearl clouds held the sway in some
parts of the sky, dark glowering clouds in other parts. The second longest
train tunnel in India, the Karbude tunnel, made one marvel at the engineering
effort involved in realizing the Konkan Rail project; all along the route,
boulders and steep cliff sides were covered with a net to prevent landslides.
The stations were charming, with stunning backdrops. Vinehere was especially
pretty. Not in the same league as Barog, but charming nevertheless.
As for the rest of our holiday, I must confess that I did
spend some time wondering whether I should write this blog at all. The
villages, the people, the vista were so unspoilt, that I want no part in
changing that.
We stayed at a home-stay run by Medha Sahasrabudhe and her
mother at their farm in the Kotawade village in Ratnagiri. The rooms were
charming, made with blocks of red laterite stone, which is obviously Ratnagiri
signature style when it comes to building dwellings. Some of the furniture was
built in, a la Laurie Baker. Sloping roofs, with an occasional transparent roof
tile to let in natural light. The loo was an absolute delight- natural light,
palms visible through a high window while you showered, the run off watering a
plant growing within the loo itself. No
mundane tiles here, broken plates formed the floor and the platform.
A shallow stream flowed past, about 30 yards from the room.
You could walk across it, or just sit beside it and let the sound of water
soothe the senses. And then, all
tranquil and quiet, you could walk through the village, and soak in some more peace
and “unhurriedness”.
Food was delicious though simple. Konkani fare was a new flavor, a mix of the familiar tinged
with tamarind and coconut, which made it unusual.
This was my first experience of a home stay. If checking the
count on the bed-sheets or obsequious service is your style, then this is not
the place for you. But if natural surroundings, tended by welcoming people who
are themselves, a cuppa chai with conversation about this and that, a leisurely
walk with no destination and no interruptions by noise, traffic or hoardings is
what delights you, then this will be perfect.
This entire holiday had been planned via the internet. When
looking for a place to stay in Ganapatiphule, I had come across Jayesh, who
runs a travel site called “The Western Routes”. He recommended Ratnagiri
instead and sounded responsible and enthusiastic. I decided to go along – this
was meant to be a surprise holiday for my husband, and not in his WILDEST
dreams would he have thought of Ratnagiri.
Everything fell into place with the planning and later the holiday
itself, and I must appreciate Jayesh for the same.
Day two of the holiday, we drove down deeper into the
district, to Girish Bondre’s farm in Deoghar. Mr. Bondre used to work for the
Sakal, a Marathi newspaper, for 27 years. He then decided to come back to his
roots and look after his ancestral farm spread over 150 acres. The farm was a
marvel of beauty and enterprise. This was no absentee landlord; his love for the land and
its bounty was obvious, as was his hard work. The most delightful part of our
trip was this waterfall in the Bondre Farm. Refreshing water gushed into a tub
like space which you sat in, nestled by rocks above and around you. The child in you just wanted to stay there
and the memory brings back smiles.
In Ratnagiri, rice is
grown in wide terraces on the hillside, the sides of the terraces lined with
red laterite stone to hold in rainwater. Mid August, the rice is an even knee
length, an even deep green, undulating to the breeze in the valley. When we
walked down to Mr. Bondre’s farm, the rice fields were being watched over by a spare, lithe, senior citizen, her
face creased by my attempts at conversation in rudimentary Marathi. Like wise
on the way back, only the gender had changed. Blessed souls, to be surrounded
by peace and beauty.
The windows of traditional Konkani houses have vertical square wooden slats that let in the view, the
light and the breeze. I wonder if this architectural style finds an echo in the
urban landscape.
The Arrey Warrey beach is the same vicinity, but we had no
time to go beachcombing. Saw it from a distance on the drive back and wished we
had more time. The drive back, through forests and foliage, rivers and rain, was
a joy in itself, till we hit “progress” and then it was downhill, pun intended.
Cant resist a cliché, Ratnagiri was a jewel indeed.