TOURISM
Whither Sindhudurg?
MAHESH VIJAPURKAR
|
It was meant to be Maharashtra's answer to Goa. But why hasn't Sindhudurg taken off?
|
UNSPOILT: The Kunkeshwar beach at Sindhudurg.
IN 1998, Maharashtra decided to compete with Goa, a celebrated non-corporate international tourism brand as it was felt that the latter was unable to effectively manage the huge inflow of tourist arrivals.
Maharashtra strategy was to look at its own coastal Konkan district of Sindhudurg, just north of Goa. It was just like Goa — picturesque, abounded in clean beaches, where, because of phosphorescence, waves glow on a full moon night, and provided a sense of tranquillity.
This reads like a tourist brochure but in reality though Sindhudurg lacked Goa's Portuguese past, it had a Dutch link. Even today, it is virgin territory for Western tourists and hosts only a handful of visitors. For domestic travellers, it offers no inexpensive tipple like Goa's indigenous cashew- or coconut-based feni but makes up for this with its quaint Malvani language and a mouth-watering cuisine that is based on fish. Its key attraction is Shivaji's only marine fort.
So, why has Sindhudurg, which was officially given the "Tourism Only" status (banning any other activity) remained starved of money-spinning tourism? Why does it continue to be backward with a per capita income of under Rs. 3,000? (Even this economy is sustained by money orders from its migrants working in Mumbai.) Also why are tourism facilities virtually frozen at the pre-1988 levels? Goa, on the other hand, continues with its tourist arrivals of two million per year, higher than the local population of 1.24 million.
Sindhudurg, with its array of green villages tucked away in coconut and areca nut groves, red-roofed houses, long silvery beaches (there's even a lagoon in Mochemad) and mouth-watering sea-food, did not really take off. As officials and observers point out, there are a "multiplicity of reasons", including mainly, the political kind.
IDYLLIC: The Malvan beach. Shivaji's Fort is in the background.
Narayan Rane, who hailed from Sindhudurg and aware of its true tourism potential when he became Chief Minister in 1988, formulated the policy, but it was not implemented by the next Government with the vigour it deserved.
But things could be looking up soon as this "Tourism Only" policy will be given a boost, according to Minister of State for Tourism, Suresh Shetty. A "new tourism policy on the anvil would intensify work on all fronts" and "the lost opportunities regained". The "Deccan Odyssey" is being better marketed internationally so that the "Konkan gets more attention". And we are "continuously talking to all stake-holders".
Obstacles
Lack of movement on the tourism policy and stringent coastal zone regulations (CRZ) have kept away leading five-star hotel groups. In fact they have opted out of plans inspite of depositing Rs. 2 crores for the 60 to 80-acre seaside plots in Shiroda, Midbav and Mochemad villages for their resorts. Officials are behind them to revive their plans but CRZ laws are a barrier.
An airport near Parole has remained a non-starter and so has a subsidiary to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to focus on Sindhudurg. Now, only a desultory committee with the collector overlooks local perspectives, which does not amount to much. But some local efforts are on, one being a tourism co-operative which provides beds in tents and lately, a "bed and breakfast" scheme in local homes. Another is a "Backwaters Festival" to popularise three creeks as backwaters. Interestingly, politicians run both.
In 1999, an interesting experiment was kicked off. Busloads of people were taken to Sindhudurg and people asked to host them. The idea was to help them understand the huge potential of tourism, which can create at least two lakh jobs. Soon enough, some 80 households registered themselves as hosts to offer inexpensive beds and clean toilets to visitors on a regular basis, but then a problem emerged. They were asked to pay "commercial" rates for electricity consumed, instead of the cheaper domestic tariff, which ended up diluting the hosts' enthusiasm.
Sixteen pairs of trains on the Konkan Railway, snaking through the region have not significantly boosted tourist arrivals as the infrastructure/facilities are inadequate. Hopeful locals who invested in the railways' bonds and parted with land to make the railway possible now acknowledge that expected growth has not come in its wake. Says Vinod Tawde, MLC from the region, "Most tourists bypass the Konkan to reach Goa though a State and a National Highway also cuts through it."
Clearly, Sindhudurg, so much like Goa, has a long way to go before it catches up. Though seven years have been lost, it can be Goa's rival given that the white unexplored beaches at Chivla, Tondavali, Achra, Tarkarli, Devbaug and Vengurla can be major attractions. The "Herbidean Spirit", an American cruise ship, that stops by for a day annually (and for three years in a row) to let its passengers savour the pleasures of lolling on Tarkarli's clear sands testifies to it.
Sindhudurg is 1.5 times Goa's size, with a 128-km coastline and a 75 sq.km estuarine area. It can handle quite a huge slice of tourists who go to Goa. Its local population is convinced that tourism can play a key role in improving their lives than any other activity as long as "Goa's mistakes are not repeated here". But it seems to be a long wait for paradise.
Ramparts by the sea
Once naval bases, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg were a mark of martial supremacy, under Chattrapati Shivaji. In the 17th Century, Shivaji strengthened Vijaydurg (Fort of Victory) by adding impressive features to it like the triple row of huge walls, numerous towers and the spacious inner buildings.
The Sindhudurg or Ocean Fort spans over 48 acres, enclosed by
a two-mile long wall, 12 feet thick at some places. It was once seized by the British and renamed Augustus. This fort, set at the Malvan port, is a significant monument. Within its premises are temples dedicated to Bhavani, Mahadeo, Jarimai, Mahapurush and Shivaji, the last being the only shrine of its kind in India. Both Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg also boast of picturesque beaches.
The construction of many a fort along the Konkan-Malvan coast is credited to Shivaji, the architect of Sindhudurg. He built and strengthened fortifications on the coast with a view to protecting the outer flank of the State from invasions from the sea. The forts may have also provided safe hide-outs for quick pirate raids that the Marathas could have conducted on trade ships, to furbish their treasury. As many as 13 forts were developed by Shivaji on the coast-line, including the one at Vijaydurg, rated as the perfect example of a great coastal fort.
Best time to visit: September to May.
Things to do: Swimming, fishing, boating.
Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai.
Rail: The nearest station is Kolhapur
Road: Sindhudurg is 510 km from Mumbai.
Vijaydurg is 425 km from Mumbai.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
