My Travel Katha

Apart from the rich history that is attached to the formation of India and its legend, Mumbai has a unique chapter and can make historians mind heavy. Mumbai's culture act as pure palimpsest and is a complete meal for anyone suffering from deficiency in history lessons. The numerous forts scattered around the city are a testimony for the same. It comes as surprise to many that there were in total 11 forts in the city. Sitting on the urban fringe of Thane city and on a hill just south of Ulhas river and overlooking the natural creek on its west side, Ghodbunder fort is one of the fort and Mumbai's 16th century marvelous piece of architecture. The humble Ghodbunder road, the state highway that connects Thane with the northern suburbs of Mumbai today once acted as a bridge between different cultures. Significance of this place was such that it is said to have played crucial role in Indo- Arab trade which Portuguese later used it to monopolise sea routes in the Arabian Sea. There w...

UDVADA - This coastal town lies 200kms from Mumbai and around 8kms from NH8. This town is renowned for Zoroastrian Atash Behram or the holy fire which has been burning for over 1250 years. This place of worship is the oldest still functioning example of its kind. Udvada is to Parsis what Mecca is to Muslims, Kashi for Hindus and Vatican for Christians. Not many would be aware that Udvada Atash Behram (Holy fire temple) is one of the nine Atash Behram worldwide (four are in Mumbai, two in Surat, one in Navsari and one in Udvada), The only place outside India is in town of Yazd in central Iran.  Legend has it that during the Muslims conquest of Iran in 7th century marginalised Zoroastrians fled to Indian sub-continent to preserve their diminishing culture and populace. It is said that they first landed on shore in small beach village of Nargol from where they settled in Sanjan and over the years due to changing political situation moved places and finally landed in Udvada. The journe...