Being a student and blogger on historical forts in Mumbai,most notably the "Worli Fort", close to my residence at Prabhadevi,a visit to the "Bassein Fort(Vasai)" had long eluded my tour itinerary.Traveling alone to Bassein made less sense without a tour guide since this fort had no "Tourist guide literature" akin to the most prominent historical sites that i visited in India and on foreign travels.Finally managed to find time for myself and booked a day trip for visiting Bassein Fort with the "B.N.H.S(Bombay Natural History society)" on Sunday(21-11-2010). The total cost of the tour was Rs 550 for members and Rs 650 for non-members.
Woke up at 0500 hrs on Sunday(21-11-2010) and bizarrely it was raining outside with bolts of lightning , something totally unseasonal in Mumbai. After a quick breakfast left my residence in Prabhadevi to board the local bus to Dadar T.T,near "Chandu Halwai shop", the usual rendezvous for boarding the "B.N.H.S Tour Bus".The "Bassein Fort" is 77 Kms away from Mumbai by road on the "Mumbai-Ahmedabad" highway.The bus was exactly on time, arriving at 0630 hrs with tour guide Mr Vandan.Jhaveri, a member with his son and another lady member along with her son.Boarded the bus and made our way to Chembur where we picked up the next crowd which included the two ladies Elizabeth.Devasia and Bakul.Gadia with whom i previously trekked to Rajmachi fort.The bus with 11 members took the "Eastern Express Highway" route and i myself was stunned at the modernisation of Mumbai suburbs in the last decade since i usually confined my travel to South and central Mumbai for my entertainment, leisure and work.We reached Thane at approx 0730 hrs and the beauty of Ghodbunder road of Thane set amidst the "Sanjay Gandhi National park" vicinity was a pleasure to the eyes, tragically, some leopards have been killed while crossing the "Ghodbunder Thane Highway" at night.It was amazing to see sign boards on Ghodbunder Highway warning motorists to drive carefully as the area was the domicile of leopards,unbelievable in one of the World's most congested city's.Reached the "Ghodbunder Thane Toll Plaza" at 0800 hrs and later crossed the bridge with a short stop-over at a petrol station near Hotel Annapurna, refreshing ourselves with snacks.Began our road journey reaching Vasai Phatak(East) highway 8 at approx 0840 hrs, one of the worst roads in Mumbai,the bus having to navigate through road craters,a recipe for accidents, especially for 2-wheelers.Life can be dangerous and unpredictable was proved with the bizarre accident of a "B.N.H.S Bus" the previous Sunday on 14-11-2010, A "S.T bus" collided with the "B.N.H.S bus" resulting in serious injuries to the driver and B.N.H.S General manager Mr Issac.Kehimkar who were returning after conducting a tour on "Butterflies" at Ovalekar wadi(Thane). Mr Kehimkar himself is a best-seller author on the subject of "Butterflies" and thankfully, both are recovering from their severe injuries .After this incident,it seems "B.N.H.S" has started a trend of taking a signed agreement from every touring member against unforetold injuries or accidents while on tours. We picked up a few more members at Vasai station including senior citizen B.N.H.S co-tour guide Mr V.K.Paralkar.The hobby of a naturalist or traveler has no retirement age akin to other professions, it just requires physical fitness and a passion for travel and exploration ,besides the luxury of excess money and time since most tours are expensive and time consuming, beyond the reach of the average naturalist. Bassein(Vasai) has a predominantly Catholic population known as "East Indians" having vast ancestral properties with picturesque cottages , a result of the "Bassein Fort" and mass conversion of the local population by the Portugueese rulers during the 16th and 17th centuries.Drove past the beautiful "Our Lady of Grace" Cathedral, a modern edifice of 21st century Catholicism in the region.
We finally reached the precincts of the ruins of Bassein Fort at approx 0920hrs and were joined by two separate family's who made the journey through their own private cars.We were finally approx a total of 21 members and began our walking tour of the "Bassein Fort" precincts guided by B.N.H.S Staff guides Mr V.K.Paralkar and Mr Vandhan.Jhaveri.I had visited "Bassein Fort" as a school boy in the 1970's with my mother and paternal uncle and had faint memories of the picnic outing, a sumptuous lunch in a bungalow on a huge dining table normally seen in films at the local East Indian residence of Uncle Winniebald.Furtado's co-worker in "Voltas Ltd".The Mumbai of the 1970's and 2010 has changed beyond recognition, least of all the distant former fishing and cultivation village of Vasai, a sleepy fishing and crop cultivation village in 1970's.The Fort seemed straight out of a "Ghost Movie set ", a totally desolate abandoned locality with crumbling walls and pillars,the forest reclaiming the fort, eerily calm and quiet in comparison to the crowded city just 5 minutes drive away.The Portuguese captured Bassein from the Sultan of Gujarat Bahadur.Shah and enlarged the Fort , ruling over this fort from 1534 to 1739.Later in 1740 the "Bassein Fort" was ransacked by the Maratha's and captured by Chimnaji.Appa , the brother of Peshwa Baji.Rao.The expanse of the desolate fort reflected its importance and power during its zenith of Portuguese rule in North India, as Bassein(Vasai) was the northernmost colony of Portugal rule in India, the southernmost being Goa.
During its zenith of Portuguese power in India , the "Bassein Fort" consisted of 13 churches, 5 convents and a cathedral besides a sizable population living within the Fort precincts. Majority of "Roman Catholics" in India are ancestors of the original converts of the local native Indian population to Catholicism by the Portuguese rulers in Goa and Bassein(Vasai).As the Mumbai monsoon rains were still active there was immense forested greenery and the huge Banyan trees with some of their roots attached to the crumbling Fort walls looked grotesquely beautiful.Mr Vandhan.Jhaveri began his explanation of some of the flora and birds sighted within our vicinity while Mr V.K.Paralkar gave us a brief history of the fort. Honestly, my trekking trips with B.N.H.S Group was for experiencing the rugged outdoor trails, rather than recognizing or identifying exotic birds, butterfly's or plant species, although, thanks to "B.N.H.S" qualified staff trekkers i gradually got educated in the same.To my embarrassment and shame i realized that many of the birds that i shot in the 1970's during holidays in parents ancestral village of Mangalore were some of the exotic birds prized by professional bird watchers.I console myself from these heinous "wild-life crimes" with the fact that people once hunted tigers in areas like Bassein at the beginning of the 20th century, reflecting the change of wild-life topography and its abundance over different decades to different generations of Indians.Spotted a few Koels and heard the crow-pheasant's typical call, the only wild-life birds i am familiar with, thanks to hunting them with an air-gun in the 1970's.Most of the other members were ardent bird and butterfly watchers or either learning the art of "Bird-watching" and "Bird-Calls" excellently assisted by "B.N.H.S" guides Mr V.K.Paralkar and Mr Vandan.Jhaveri.I got busy with my "Camera shooting", a project i undertook from my sea-faring career after forever quitting air-gun shooting of birds and small mammals.Did some video- shooting of the desolate fort surroundings, my usual postings on "you Tube",a reference and guide for future travelers and hikers.
Some parts of the ruins of the fort have been renovated, most prominently being a ancient church within the fort complex.Tragically, the renovation and strengthening of the walls with cement have eroded the ancient rugged stone edifice walls of their centuries old looks giving them a 21st century "Apartment renovation facade" akin to the "worli Fort" in Mumbai.Entered this ancient former church,easily identifiable by the ancient intact "Tombstones" on the church floor.Its strange but true,akin to "Crime Detection", every Colonial power have left their unique "Footprints or signature" in the Country's they colonized and with the Portuguese it was their opulent Churches and massive grave tombstones.Having visited Melaka(Malacca) in Malaysia in 2007, a former colonial port colony ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British before finally becoming a part of Independent Malaysia, and its architectural colonial buildings preserved to the present era.I felt the feeling of experiencing a part of Malacca in Bassein(Vasai) Fort, such close were the structural similarities of some ruins to Malacca.The ruins of the Bassein Fort with some walls covered with Banyan and Peepal tree roots resembled photographs of the "Angkor Vat" in Cambodia, the jungle reclaiming the deserted ruins.Strangely, there are no "Historical signboards" at the site of the Bassein(Vasai) Fort ruins explaining the significance or description of these historical structures nor are there any "Guide Maps" or "Guide Literature", totally untapped as a "tourist Destination" for foreign tourists unlike Malacca in Malaysia or Angkor Vat in Cambodia.Tracked our way through the Fort ruins with Mr Vandan .Jhaveri lecturing on some botanical species, insects and bird spotting while Mr V,K,Paralkar guided us through the maze of broken walls and canopy of forest as he was familiar to the forts precincts.Discovered the "pagoda ant Nest" in a tree, something i always saw during my air-gun hunting days in the forests of Mangalore in the 1970's but learnt about its habitat only after my hiking and trekking trips with "B.N.H.S" tour groups.Spotted numerous "Date palm trees" and thanks to Mr V.K.Paralkar learnt the differences between the different types of "Palm trees" in India as also the extraction of "Neera Juice" by the natives from these trees.Day Hikes and Expedition nature tours by the "B.N.H.S Group" are definitely costly compared to individual or private travel,as experienced by my own personal solo World-wide and local tours accomplished on a "Back-packers" miserly budget as i traveled single.The main benefit of trekking with "B.N.H.S Group" is that a person is in the exalted company of professional and amateur naturalists from different professions as co- tourists besides having experienced qualified "B.N.H.S group leaders" to conduct the tours and treks, a treasure trove of wild-life knowledge and mutual friendship.Suddenly while walking through one of the Fort ruins Mr Jhaveri spotted a "Loop caterpillar" perfectly camouflaged like a twig, invisible to the common trekker akin to a chameleon.I videotaped his explanation on this particular species, the advantages of trekking with professional qualified naturalists.We trekked through various parts of the Fort ruins, photographing and being explained various nature trails and forest species.This was supposed to be a half-day tour with a time schedule of 1200 hrs as completion of the tour.
Our brief and lengthy walk through the maze of forest and Fort ruins finally led us to the monument site of the equestrian statue of Chimnaji Appa the brother of Peshwa Baji Rao -I, the conqueror and liberator of Bassein(Vasai) Fort from the Portuguese rule in 1740.We rested in the small garden dedicated to the Peshwa Chimnaji Appa, having our breakfast of packaged food at approx 1115 hrs and also getting familiar with co- trekkers of the group.Trekking and nature trail walks with "B.N.H.S" are all a group effort and hence besides learning and understanding forests , history and wild-life, a person also makes new friends and acquaintances.
After breakfast we walked down the main village road and spotted a palm tree with numerous weaver bird nests, the same explained to us by Mr V.K.Paralkar. We inspected the area below the tree to find some fallen nests but due to the unseasonal Mumbai rains most of the nests were wet and damaged.I have a weaver bird nest at home, a collection during my trip to dad's ancestral home of Barkur village in Udupi district of Mangalore. Weaver birds were once very common in Barkur village always building their nests on the tallest male palm tree.The "Engineering technology" employed by the weaver bird in building its nest as explained by Mr V.K.Paralkar proved the fact that we humans have adapted most of our scientific progress by observing and studying nature, most notably, the aeroplane. Walked down the narrow village road finally reaching the wharf of Bassein Creek, a very deserted area with just a single shop and a few boats at the wharf.The "Bassein Fort" with its boundary walls touching the coast looked beautiful from the wharf jetty.The main entrance to the "Bassein Fort" is from this end of the sea shore and hence we made our way towards the fort entrance. The entrance door consisting of teak wood was intact as also the spiny iron projections on this door, a sort of armour. After entrance through the main door we entered another arched door entrance, the second protective door of entry into the main fort premises.At the entrance of the fort was a small "Hanuman Temple" of modern construction and also the figurine of a Hindu Goddess deity sitting on a peacock kept under a tree opposite the temple.There were just walls with thick undergrowth of grass inside the fort premises and we finally made our way towards the road leading to the "Bassein Block Office", a recent government office set up in 2009 for the architectural conservation of Bassein Fort.A modern day Hindu temple, the "Nageshwar Temple" was next to this office, opposite the majestic ruins of the Bassein fort complex.A few of us decided to get to know each other better through "Facebook social website", a product of 21st century Internet invention.We finally boarded the "B.N.H.S Bus" at approx 1300 hrs and the journey back to Mumbai was comfortable with less traffic, finally reaching Dadar at approx 1500 hrs. Alighted the "B.N.H.S" bus at Dadar and boarded a local "B.E.S.T bus", something that i rarely commute on after the purchase of my 2-wheeler motorcycle in 2004.Reached home at approx 1530 hrs and as usual got down to my computer blogging and browsing, memories for another day.
Woke up at 0500 hrs on Sunday(21-11-2010) and bizarrely it was raining outside with bolts of lightning , something totally unseasonal in Mumbai. After a quick breakfast left my residence in Prabhadevi to board the local bus to Dadar T.T,near "Chandu Halwai shop", the usual rendezvous for boarding the "B.N.H.S Tour Bus".The "Bassein Fort" is 77 Kms away from Mumbai by road on the "Mumbai-Ahmedabad" highway.The bus was exactly on time, arriving at 0630 hrs with tour guide Mr Vandan.Jhaveri, a member with his son and another lady member along with her son.Boarded the bus and made our way to Chembur where we picked up the next crowd which included the two ladies Elizabeth.Devasia and Bakul.Gadia with whom i previously trekked to Rajmachi fort.The bus with 11 members took the "Eastern Express Highway" route and i myself was stunned at the modernisation of Mumbai suburbs in the last decade since i usually confined my travel to South and central Mumbai for my entertainment, leisure and work.We reached Thane at approx 0730 hrs and the beauty of Ghodbunder road of Thane set amidst the "Sanjay Gandhi National park" vicinity was a pleasure to the eyes, tragically, some leopards have been killed while crossing the "Ghodbunder Thane Highway" at night.It was amazing to see sign boards on Ghodbunder Highway warning motorists to drive carefully as the area was the domicile of leopards,unbelievable in one of the World's most congested city's.Reached the "Ghodbunder Thane Toll Plaza" at 0800 hrs and later crossed the bridge with a short stop-over at a petrol station near Hotel Annapurna, refreshing ourselves with snacks.Began our road journey reaching Vasai Phatak(East) highway 8 at approx 0840 hrs, one of the worst roads in Mumbai,the bus having to navigate through road craters,a recipe for accidents, especially for 2-wheelers.Life can be dangerous and unpredictable was proved with the bizarre accident of a "B.N.H.S Bus" the previous Sunday on 14-11-2010, A "S.T bus" collided with the "B.N.H.S bus" resulting in serious injuries to the driver and B.N.H.S General manager Mr Issac.Kehimkar who were returning after conducting a tour on "Butterflies" at Ovalekar wadi(Thane). Mr Kehimkar himself is a best-seller author on the subject of "Butterflies" and thankfully, both are recovering from their severe injuries .After this incident,it seems "B.N.H.S" has started a trend of taking a signed agreement from every touring member against unforetold injuries or accidents while on tours. We picked up a few more members at Vasai station including senior citizen B.N.H.S co-tour guide Mr V.K.Paralkar.The hobby of a naturalist or traveler has no retirement age akin to other professions, it just requires physical fitness and a passion for travel and exploration ,besides the luxury of excess money and time since most tours are expensive and time consuming, beyond the reach of the average naturalist. Bassein(Vasai) has a predominantly Catholic population known as "East Indians" having vast ancestral properties with picturesque cottages , a result of the "Bassein Fort" and mass conversion of the local population by the Portugueese rulers during the 16th and 17th centuries.Drove past the beautiful "Our Lady of Grace" Cathedral, a modern edifice of 21st century Catholicism in the region.
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| Wilderness and greenery in Bassein Fort. among the Walls of the ruins. |
We finally reached the precincts of the ruins of Bassein Fort at approx 0920hrs and were joined by two separate family's who made the journey through their own private cars.We were finally approx a total of 21 members and began our walking tour of the "Bassein Fort" precincts guided by B.N.H.S Staff guides Mr V.K.Paralkar and Mr Vandhan.Jhaveri.I had visited "Bassein Fort" as a school boy in the 1970's with my mother and paternal uncle and had faint memories of the picnic outing, a sumptuous lunch in a bungalow on a huge dining table normally seen in films at the local East Indian residence of Uncle Winniebald.Furtado's co-worker in "Voltas Ltd".The Mumbai of the 1970's and 2010 has changed beyond recognition, least of all the distant former fishing and cultivation village of Vasai, a sleepy fishing and crop cultivation village in 1970's.The Fort seemed straight out of a "Ghost Movie set ", a totally desolate abandoned locality with crumbling walls and pillars,the forest reclaiming the fort, eerily calm and quiet in comparison to the crowded city just 5 minutes drive away.The Portuguese captured Bassein from the Sultan of Gujarat Bahadur.Shah and enlarged the Fort , ruling over this fort from 1534 to 1739.Later in 1740 the "Bassein Fort" was ransacked by the Maratha's and captured by Chimnaji.Appa , the brother of Peshwa Baji.Rao.The expanse of the desolate fort reflected its importance and power during its zenith of Portuguese rule in North India, as Bassein(Vasai) was the northernmost colony of Portugal rule in India, the southernmost being Goa.
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| Banyan tree roots entangled in Fort walls which has a "PORTUGUESE INSCRIPTION". |
During its zenith of Portuguese power in India , the "Bassein Fort" consisted of 13 churches, 5 convents and a cathedral besides a sizable population living within the Fort precincts. Majority of "Roman Catholics" in India are ancestors of the original converts of the local native Indian population to Catholicism by the Portuguese rulers in Goa and Bassein(Vasai).As the Mumbai monsoon rains were still active there was immense forested greenery and the huge Banyan trees with some of their roots attached to the crumbling Fort walls looked grotesquely beautiful.Mr Vandhan.Jhaveri began his explanation of some of the flora and birds sighted within our vicinity while Mr V.K.Paralkar gave us a brief history of the fort. Honestly, my trekking trips with B.N.H.S Group was for experiencing the rugged outdoor trails, rather than recognizing or identifying exotic birds, butterfly's or plant species, although, thanks to "B.N.H.S" qualified staff trekkers i gradually got educated in the same.To my embarrassment and shame i realized that many of the birds that i shot in the 1970's during holidays in parents ancestral village of Mangalore were some of the exotic birds prized by professional bird watchers.I console myself from these heinous "wild-life crimes" with the fact that people once hunted tigers in areas like Bassein at the beginning of the 20th century, reflecting the change of wild-life topography and its abundance over different decades to different generations of Indians.Spotted a few Koels and heard the crow-pheasant's typical call, the only wild-life birds i am familiar with, thanks to hunting them with an air-gun in the 1970's.Most of the other members were ardent bird and butterfly watchers or either learning the art of "Bird-watching" and "Bird-Calls" excellently assisted by "B.N.H.S" guides Mr V.K.Paralkar and Mr Vandan.Jhaveri.I got busy with my "Camera shooting", a project i undertook from my sea-faring career after forever quitting air-gun shooting of birds and small mammals.Did some video- shooting of the desolate fort surroundings, my usual postings on "you Tube",a reference and guide for future travelers and hikers.
Some parts of the ruins of the fort have been renovated, most prominently being a ancient church within the fort complex.Tragically, the renovation and strengthening of the walls with cement have eroded the ancient rugged stone edifice walls of their centuries old looks giving them a 21st century "Apartment renovation facade" akin to the "worli Fort" in Mumbai.Entered this ancient former church,easily identifiable by the ancient intact "Tombstones" on the church floor.Its strange but true,akin to "Crime Detection", every Colonial power have left their unique "Footprints or signature" in the Country's they colonized and with the Portuguese it was their opulent Churches and massive grave tombstones.Having visited Melaka(Malacca) in Malaysia in 2007, a former colonial port colony ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British before finally becoming a part of Independent Malaysia, and its architectural colonial buildings preserved to the present era.I felt the feeling of experiencing a part of Malacca in Bassein(Vasai) Fort, such close were the structural similarities of some ruins to Malacca.The ruins of the Bassein Fort with some walls covered with Banyan and Peepal tree roots resembled photographs of the "Angkor Vat" in Cambodia, the jungle reclaiming the deserted ruins.Strangely, there are no "Historical signboards" at the site of the Bassein(Vasai) Fort ruins explaining the significance or description of these historical structures nor are there any "Guide Maps" or "Guide Literature", totally untapped as a "tourist Destination" for foreign tourists unlike Malacca in Malaysia or Angkor Vat in Cambodia.Tracked our way through the Fort ruins with Mr Vandan .Jhaveri lecturing on some botanical species, insects and bird spotting while Mr V,K,Paralkar guided us through the maze of broken walls and canopy of forest as he was familiar to the forts precincts.Discovered the "pagoda ant Nest" in a tree, something i always saw during my air-gun hunting days in the forests of Mangalore in the 1970's but learnt about its habitat only after my hiking and trekking trips with "B.N.H.S" tour groups.Spotted numerous "Date palm trees" and thanks to Mr V.K.Paralkar learnt the differences between the different types of "Palm trees" in India as also the extraction of "Neera Juice" by the natives from these trees.Day Hikes and Expedition nature tours by the "B.N.H.S Group" are definitely costly compared to individual or private travel,as experienced by my own personal solo World-wide and local tours accomplished on a "Back-packers" miserly budget as i traveled single.The main benefit of trekking with "B.N.H.S Group" is that a person is in the exalted company of professional and amateur naturalists from different professions as co- tourists besides having experienced qualified "B.N.H.S group leaders" to conduct the tours and treks, a treasure trove of wild-life knowledge and mutual friendship.Suddenly while walking through one of the Fort ruins Mr Jhaveri spotted a "Loop caterpillar" perfectly camouflaged like a twig, invisible to the common trekker akin to a chameleon.I videotaped his explanation on this particular species, the advantages of trekking with professional qualified naturalists.We trekked through various parts of the Fort ruins, photographing and being explained various nature trails and forest species.This was supposed to be a half-day tour with a time schedule of 1200 hrs as completion of the tour.
Our brief and lengthy walk through the maze of forest and Fort ruins finally led us to the monument site of the equestrian statue of Chimnaji Appa the brother of Peshwa Baji Rao -I, the conqueror and liberator of Bassein(Vasai) Fort from the Portuguese rule in 1740.We rested in the small garden dedicated to the Peshwa Chimnaji Appa, having our breakfast of packaged food at approx 1115 hrs and also getting familiar with co- trekkers of the group.Trekking and nature trail walks with "B.N.H.S" are all a group effort and hence besides learning and understanding forests , history and wild-life, a person also makes new friends and acquaintances.
 |
| Date trees used for extracting 'Neera', a local brew |
After breakfast we walked down the main village road and spotted a palm tree with numerous weaver bird nests, the same explained to us by Mr V.K.Paralkar. We inspected the area below the tree to find some fallen nests but due to the unseasonal Mumbai rains most of the nests were wet and damaged.I have a weaver bird nest at home, a collection during my trip to dad's ancestral home of Barkur village in Udupi district of Mangalore. Weaver birds were once very common in Barkur village always building their nests on the tallest male palm tree.The "Engineering technology" employed by the weaver bird in building its nest as explained by Mr V.K.Paralkar proved the fact that we humans have adapted most of our scientific progress by observing and studying nature, most notably, the aeroplane. Walked down the narrow village road finally reaching the wharf of Bassein Creek, a very deserted area with just a single shop and a few boats at the wharf.The "Bassein Fort" with its boundary walls touching the coast looked beautiful from the wharf jetty.The main entrance to the "Bassein Fort" is from this end of the sea shore and hence we made our way towards the fort entrance. The entrance door consisting of teak wood was intact as also the spiny iron projections on this door, a sort of armour. After entrance through the main door we entered another arched door entrance, the second protective door of entry into the main fort premises.At the entrance of the fort was a small "Hanuman Temple" of modern construction and also the figurine of a Hindu Goddess deity sitting on a peacock kept under a tree opposite the temple.There were just walls with thick undergrowth of grass inside the fort premises and we finally made our way towards the road leading to the "Bassein Block Office", a recent government office set up in 2009 for the architectural conservation of Bassein Fort.A modern day Hindu temple, the "Nageshwar Temple" was next to this office, opposite the majestic ruins of the Bassein fort complex.A few of us decided to get to know each other better through "Facebook social website", a product of 21st century Internet invention.We finally boarded the "B.N.H.S Bus" at approx 1300 hrs and the journey back to Mumbai was comfortable with less traffic, finally reaching Dadar at approx 1500 hrs. Alighted the "B.N.H.S" bus at Dadar and boarded a local "B.E.S.T bus", something that i rarely commute on after the purchase of my 2-wheeler motorcycle in 2004.Reached home at approx 1530 hrs and as usual got down to my computer blogging and browsing, memories for another day.
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