Chaul - the charm of Temples, Ruins and Beaches

When my then best friend and now my partner for life suggested we go to Chaul to escape a rather bad work week in Mumbai, I was not exactly excited to say the least. It was a terrible time at office and this was a long weekend and I could certainly do away with going someplace new and full of nature and even though I'm pretty well versed with Maharashtra's terrain, had never heard of this place.

The Gateway has always fascinated me as if it teleports me to the era where traders from the medieval times used to come to port Bombay for trading and also to enter Indian economic capital. When I came to know that to reach Chaul, we had to take an hour of ferry ride and then some driving across small and narrow roads of small towns and vast patches of green fields, I was looking forward to the much needed break.

We started at about 9 in the morning from Mumbai’s Gateway of India where there was a huge queue to get into the ferry. Luckily we had the tickets already for the AC room which was small, compact yet comfortable as it was very hot and humid in April. As soon as the ferry started I almost zoned out as if my mind found peace at last from the maddening, rushing life and I woke up with a thud when my partner told me the ferry is about to arrive at Mandwa port (Yea the same Mandwa which is the plot for the very famous AB movie called Agnipath). I looked around and what was in front of me was a small port harbor with two bridges, one that was old and ruined completely and the new bridge that took us out to the main road where a number of buses and autos were waiting to take us to our destination. We decided to take a local auto ride till our hotel, The Fern Silvanus in Chaul and it took us almost an hour to reach there as we crossed bustling small towns, lotus ponds, green paddy fields and small hills all along the beautiful ride.

The Fern Silvanus is a nice, little cottage style premise which is located on the top of a secluded hill, adorned with a small pool, lush green shrubs and trees all over, accessible via a small village road, surrounded by houses on both the sides and a small patch of dense forest at the base of the hill. As I stepped out I knew this place had a calming effect on us immediately.

‘Why Chaul?’ I asked. He replied wait till we go out in the evening. Since it was only noon and very hot outside, I started walking in the lawns of the property, looking at the blooming spring flowers and sprawling greenery and the beauty of it all.

In the evening at 5 PM we took a brisk hike down the trail of forest laden hill, blanketed by tall trees on both ends, protecting us from heat and Sun alike, towards the main road to catch another auto for Paradise beach, a local beach, mainly patronized by the residents so we thought it would be less crowded. While on our way, I saw a lot of ruins and that’s when my interest in the place grew manifolds. Paradise beach was true to its name. The black-grey sands, a typical of the Western Ghats on the Konkan belt welcomed us with white waves and froth and to our delight very few people were there, strung far away from each other and the beach had a helm line of tall coconut and palm trees all along its periphery. It was a very peaceful and romantic evening in nature after months.  As we were sipping on the fresh coconut water, our vendor told us about the rich cultural history of the place.

Chaul was a part of the Portuguese province in the 14^th century, which is now in shambles. In many parts of the nearby villages we could see that influence of Portuguese architecture and they have an old fort where the battle of Chaul was fought where Gujarat rulers vanquished the Portuguese in 1508.

Next morning we started for the very famous and highly recommended Dutta Mandir at 7 AM, before the Sun came up and it got hot. The temple is located on the top of a steep hill and the only way to reach the top is to climb the 1500 concrete steps, which also gives you the access to witness some of the most breath-taking views of the entire village, nearby valley and the sea on the other end. On one end you could see the vast valley and the forest covers till the very end of the horizon, on another you could see trails of small villages, the pale sea bordering the clear skies along with lush green paddy fields. 

We took almost 40 minutes to reach the top and I was exhausted by then however one look at the panoramic view and all my fatigue were replaced with bliss, happiness and deep sense of relaxation. We sat at the view point for almost 15-20 minutes, just soaking in the beauty and simply talking to each other. Getting down was pretty fun. I was stepping and skipping stairs and by the time we came down, a few local women had set up small stalls selling flowers and tea. We savored tea and came back to our hotel to freshen up.

In the following evening we decided to stop at another remarkable temple on our way to Paradise beach again. The Sri Rameshwar Mandir caught our attention as it oozed with the typical Maharashtrian style architecture with a large pond surrounding the main entrance. As we went inside the priest told us that the style of architecture is very common in Maharashtra and is called the Hemadpanthi style, popularized by small scale, built without any binding between the stones which have been cut to specific shape, uses locally found stones, A pillared Nandi mantapa, at the centre and Mandapa having balustrade entrances on three sides, held aloft by four ornamented pillars. True to its external beauty, we were fascinated with the ornamentally designed interiors of the temple as well. The temple is 275 years old and looks every bit regal and beautiful the priest told us. We sat there, clicking pictures and soaking in our rich yet forgotten cultural heritage before walking towards the beach.

The last evening at Chaul was full of ethnic fish curry, lal math ki sabzi, nachni bhakri and dal rice with traditional steamed modaks for dessert. Little did I know when I started for Chaul that I’d encounter such serenity and beauty along with peace.

As we were walking up the steep hill path, in absolute peace and silence, holding hands, the lights of our hotel twinkling like stars, I looked at everything around and beside me and remembered these lines by Martin Buber – “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Ways to Reach Chaul :

Ferry from Gateway to Mandwa port

Tuk-Tuk, Auto, Bus ride to Chaul Village

What to eat:

Try Local Maharashtrian Fish Thali at Nivaant

Best time to Visit

October to April