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 …

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 …

Teak is one of the strongest and most durable hardwoods in the world. Known as the “King of Woods”, Teak is one of the most desirable and endangered woods. Considered by mariners to be the most valuable and versatile hardwood, its rare beauty, its rich golden brown luster, its decorative grain and its unique properties of strength, stability, and resistance to wear have made it the most demanded wood for marine use.

Teak is found naturally in only four countries in the entire world. Burma, Thailand, Laos and India each have …

Maine is famous for its Lobster Boat Cruise! It would be so great to have something on similar lines along the coasts of India!
The 3 hour educational and scenic boat trip is everyone’s favorite. It gets you out on the water to see a large part of the archipelago including the following landmarks: Stonington Harbor; Crotch Island, an active granite quarry (one of the few left in Maine); Mark Island Light House; and the seals on Twin Ledges.
During the boat tour you stop on an island and go for …

Did you know that the union territory of Andaman Nicobar was the first to be liberated in India’s struggle for independence? These islands, popularly called the Emerald Islands hold special significance in the history of India. Legend has it that the name Andaman is derived from Hanuman, an important character in the `Ramayana.’ Hanuman was called as `Handuman‘ by the Malayas. Ptolemy, the Roman geographer, included the islands in his first map of the world in the 2nd century and described them as “the islands of good fortunes.” Rightly named, …

Just 20 minutes off the Mumbai coastline and you land at one of the many spectacular fishing villages. These are untouched by industrialists and are dominated by the ‘Kolis’ fishermen! What’s astonishing are their Big boats. They house entire families and come at a whooping cost of 20 lakhs. In Marathi, Koli means the originally heterogeneous marginal tribe-castes that took late in history to agriculture. The same word also means spider and fisherman, presumably because the fisherman makes and uses a net to catch his prey as a spider his …