Kashid: Fiesta by the Sea

The Kashid Beach is a daylong playground, populated with frisbee enthusiasts or groups of young boys enjoying a game of cricket. Most tourists are weekend runaways from Mumbai and Pune, or day-trippers and picnickers from nearby towns. Still, the beach is usually sparsely populated and is ideal for those looking for a solitary communion with the sea.

People do begin trickling in to the seaside right from the morning, but there is never a rush. On weekends, of course, there is a considerable increase in the number of visitors, but the crowds are never bothersome. The tall trees close to the beach provide an opportunity to alternate between the sun and the shade throughout the day. As evening approaches, more people gradually venture into the warm waters of the Arabian Sea to splash around, and they enjoy the swell till it gets dark, and home – or in some cases, the hotel – beckons.

ORIENTATION

Kashid is a small village on the Alibaug-Murud Road close to the Arabian Sea. The village and the hotels are spread along the highway south of the beach. The beach itself has only a few shacks selling eatables, drinks and coconut water. There are no taxis in Kashid and only a few autos and shared tempos (₹20 or more) pass by.

BEACH WATCH

Notice boards on the beach reiterate warnings: ‘Treacherous sea’, ‘The beach is dangerous’, ‘Do not go far into the water’. Heed these warnings, even if you are a strong swimmer. Do not wade too far out. Swimmers need to be especially cautious during low tide. Carry your swimwear; you will not be able to buy it here.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Kashid Beach is not a bustling place with a lot of activities. Those who want to participate in activities or play sports will have to look for other like-minded souls. Most people are happy to simply be away from wherever they have come from, and spend the day on the beach watching it change its character with the movement of the sun. The beach shacks provide snacks, and chairs and hammocks. They also rent out volleyballs, footballs and frisbees. A couple of days are sufficient to enjoy a much needed peaceful, relaxed holiday in Kashid.

Korlai Fort

Chadhai karna, in Hindi literally means, ‘to climb’. Its other meaning is, ‘conquering or attacking a fort’. At Korlai you know why. A narrow strip of a hill juts out into the Arabian Sea at the edge of the Revdanda Creek, and on the ridge-like top of the hill are the remains of the Korlai Fort. To get to the fort, turn west on the Alibaug-Murud Road and go through the Korlai Village, past a network of grey lanes made of concrete reaching for the beach, where fishing activities go on in full swing. Towards the north is a hill, and a bumpy road curves around it to reach a lighthouse. Behind the light house, a steep flight of steps rises up the hill to the Korlai Fort on the top.

The fort was built by the Nizamshah of Ahmednagar towards the end of the 16th century during a power tussle between the Mughals and the Portuguese to control this area and its sea trade. The views from the fort are amazing – you can see the Revdanda Creek and fort extending to the north, and the tiny Korlai Village and beach to the south. The Arabian Sea envelopes the fort on all three sides.

Location The fort lies 13 km north of Kashid Entry Free Timings 9.00am –6.00pm/ 7.00pm Connection An independent auto from Kashid will cost ₹600–800 for a return trip

Visitors enjoying a beautiful evening, Kashid Beach

Lasya Nadimpally

THE PORTUGUESE IN KORLAI

The few people who visit Korlai go there to see the impressively located fort and the amazing views it affords. However, the Korlai Village below the fort has another bit of history hidden amongst its people. The less than thousand people who inhabit Korlai speak a language unique to them, a Portuguese Creole called Kristi that is spoken nowhere else. They call it No Ling, which means, ‘Our Language’.

The Portuguese left Korlai in 1740 after having been there for more than two centuries. Kristi developed during this interaction between the Portuguese and the local population. Till the 1980s, when the Revdanda Creek was bridged by a road, the small peninsula of Korlai was relatively isolated from the surrounding communities, and thus the language survived the last few centuries. Now the tongue is fast disappearing under the influence of Marathi and Hindi. But if you roam around the streets of Korlai and visit its small church you can still hear snatches of Kristi.

WHERE TO STAY

For a small village, Kashid has quite a few staying options owing to its tourist attraction. However, none of the hotels are on the beach. Prakruti Resorts (Cell: 09689929208/ 11; Tariff: ₹11,600–62,000) is a spacious property on the hillside facing the sea. It offers all facilities and comforts to add to your perfect holiday. The higher tariff is for its beautiful four-room villas.

Kashid Beach Resort (Tel: 02144- 278501-04; Tariff: ₹5,500–7,500, with meals) is a popular and nicely laid-out resort, green and clean, but again, like any other resort in Kashid, it is not on the beach.

A deserted stretch of sand on Kashid Beach

Courtesy MTDC

Sarve Huts (Cell: 08655189880, 09820548997; Tariff: ₹2,200–2,400 per person) have a tie-up with MTDC. They offer five huts and also have a swimming pool. Hotel Sai Palace (Cell: 09226934248, 08805265652; Tariff: ₹2,200–3,500) is next to Prakruti Resorts and has a beautiful garden and decent rooms with good facilities.

Friends Holiday Home (Cell: 09270371274, 07276355880; Tariff: ₹1,200–1,800), Sagar Tourist Home (Cell: 09422692463; Tariff: ₹1,500– 2,000) and Kashid Beach Villa (Cell: 09820191822, 09270151606; Tariff: ₹4,000–22,000) are more homely. All these are clean places set on the main road, and all have gardens. Nisarg Tourist Home (Tel: 278524, Cell: 09226973912; Tariff: ₹2,000– 2,500) is another comfortable option near the beach.

WHERE TO EAT

Kashid, sadly, boasts no stand-alone restaurants. Mostly, visitors will need to have their meals in the hotel they stay in, and it is advisable to not expect too much from these kitchens too – the food is decent. Kashid Beach Resort has a multicuisine restaurant serving Indian, Continental, Chinese and Konkani dishes. For weekends, though, they have a buffet system. Their menu has everything from vegau- gratin and mutton stew to dal and noodles. Guests of the hotel, as well as outsiders are also welcome. Prakruti Resorts has a multicuisine restaurant with an extensive menu. Kashid Beach is lined with shacks that sell basic fare including packaged snacks such as chips, cold drinks, tea, coconut water, Maggi, omelettes and such.