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Travel Bucket List: India – Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Part 2

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Diu

The district of Diu is made up of Diu Island and two small enclaves on the Indian mainland with the district headquarters at Diu Town and is the ninth least populous district in the country, out of 640. Historically part of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, under Portuguese rule it mirrored the system of administrative division in Portugal and was headed by a district governor, subordinate to the governor-general of Portuguese India in Goa and remained an overseas territory of Portugal until it was annexed by Indian forces on 19 December 1961. From 1961 to 1987, it was a part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu and in 1987, it became a part of the newly formed union territory of Daman and Diu and in January 2020, became part of the new union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Diu occupies an area of 40 sq km and consists of Diu Island and the Ghogolá peninsula on the mainland. 20 km east of Diu Island, is the small territory of Simbor.

Diu Island is where the town of Diu is located.  An island off the southern coast of Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula, separated from the mainland by a tidal creek, the island has an area of 40 sq km.

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Diu Fort, also known as Praça de Diu in Portuguese was built by the Portuguese during their rule with the town located to the west of the fort. Built in 1535 after a defence alliance forged by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat and the Portuguese when Humayun, the Mughal Emperor, waged war to annex this territory, the fort had some additions made in 1541 and was strengthened over the years, till 1546. The fort is massive and well preserved with a double moat that must have been impregnable once, but years of sea erosion and neglect are leading to its slow collapse. Cannonballs litter the place, and the ramparts have a superb array of cannons. The lighthouse in the fort is Diu’s highest point, with a beam that reaches 32 km in every direction and spectacular views of the surrounding. There are several small chapels, one holding engraved tombstone fragments. Part of the fort also serves as the island’s jail. The fort commands a magnificent view of the sea, and a jetty constructed on the northwestern coast was once used to trade with Cambay, Broach and Surat in Gujarat. Along with the Basilica of Bom Jesus in old Goa, Diu fort was listed as the seven wonders of Portugal during their colonial rule. The fort is surrounded by water from three sides and is divided into three different segments, the outer wall built along the coastline, the inner wall where guns are mounted and the double moat which stands between the two walls to protect the fort. The double moated wall is built from sandstone and is capable enough to keep the enemies at bay. Three gates lead up to the fortress, and the one used for entry and has five large windows with stone galleries. A permanent bridge leads to the main entryway that is engraved with inscriptions in Portuguese.

Opposite the Diu Fort, is the Panikota Fort also known as the Fortim do Mar, which translates to Sea Fort or Panikotha that was once used as a jail for the Diu Island. A 16th-century ruin, the Panikota Fort is built right at the mouth of the creek and is a magnificent stone structure in the sea. Approximately one nautical mile from the Diu jetty, it also has a lighthouse and a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Sea. The fortress creates a beautiful view whether seen from the jetty, from the villages of Ghoghla, from Diu proper or from the Fort itself.

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The St Paul’s Church is named after St. Paul, the Apostle of Jesus also known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, and was built in 1601. Dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, it is built in the style similar to Bom Jesus Basilica church at Goa. Illuminated by floodlights at night, the main façade of the church is perhaps the most elaborate of all Portuguese churches in India and is built in a Baroque style of architecture and is the largest and only functioning church in Diu. The interiors of the church are impressive with intricately carved woodwork and the design includes delicate volutes and shell-like motifs. The altar has an image of St. Mary and is carved from Burmese teak with 101 candles around it. Above the altar, there is a blue and white barrel-vaulted nave adorned with priceless old paintings and statues.

Now a museum, the old St. Thomas Church houses antique statues, various stone inscriptions of the earlier rulers, wooden carvings and idols. The huge edifice built in the Gothic architectural style was built in 1598 with a part converted into a museum with artefacts displayed dating to the 16th century. Established in 1593, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi is said to be one of the oldest churches in Diu which is today a hospital. Named after Saint Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, this hilltop church has a distinct Portuguese architectural style. The wide set of stairs at the entrance leads to its ivory-embellished external feature and offers great views of the Arabian sea.

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The Gangeshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located 3 km away from Diu Town in Fudam village. Believed to have been built by the Pandavas, this temple is famous for its five Shiva Lingas, or rocks in the shape of Lord Shiva which is present in the middle of the sea. Only the tip of these rocks can be seen whenever there is a high tide because the seawater submerges them. Gangeshwar refers to Lord Shiva who is considered to be the Lord of River Ganga since the Ganges descended to earth from the locks of Lord Shiva. This temple is also known as the Seashore Temple since it is situated near the seashore. On the rock above the Shiva Linga is a Seshanag which was carved to look out for the Shiva Linga. Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishnu, and Goddess Lakshmi can be found at the entrance of the temple. At the time of high tide rise, the crystal clear water of the tidal waves cleans the whole temple along with the Lingas.

The INS Khukri Memorial is the memorial site of an Indian Naval Ship that sank during the India-Pakistan war of 1971. The submarine was destroyed on 9th December 1971 when torpedo shots were fired on it, sinking the ship 40 nautical miles off the coast of Diu. At the time of the sinking, there were 18 officers and 176 sailors on board. A memorial was set up to commemorate the brave martyrs comprising of a scaled model of INS Khukri enclosed in a glass case.

The Zampa Gateway is a major landmark hemming the northern part of the town. The bright red painted gateway wall is carved with dedicated angels, lions and a priest with an artificial waterfall adding to its beauty.

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Located outside the wall of Diu Fort, the Naida Caves are a group of interlinked caves constructed by the Portuguese featuring a big network of tunnels with square hewn steps that remain completely unexplored. These caves are natural and were formed due to geological irregularities and natural processes and came to light after the Portuguese broke down sections of a huge rock formation they used for construction. The caves also have a natural opening that lets in sunlight, making them photogenic. During Operation Vijay several soldiers of the Indian army were stationed at the Naida Caves.

Sunset Point is a beautiful hillock located near the Chakritirath beach, which offers mesmerising views of the sunset. The hillock and the surrounding areas have been beautifully landscaped and illuminated.

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A unique experience of the coastal Saurashtra region is the presence of the Hoka Palm trees. As one drives in and around Diu, the trees which are native to the northern half of Africa and regions of the Arabian Peninsula, commonly called Doum Palm trees can be found in large numbers. Diu is the only region in India where these trees are found. The Hoka trees are unique in their structure, with branches and offshoots emanating from their central trunk. The Hoka seed is a beautiful oval sphere, red in colour, resembling a cricket ball, that hangs high up of the palm-like structure of the trees. It is highly edible and local alcohol, Tadi is prepared using the Hoka seeds.

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The Nagoa Beach is a horseshoe-shaped beach surrounded by palm trees with white sands and blue waters and is known for its Hoka trees. The beach extends over an area of 2 km from one end to the other and has amazing sunrises and sunsets. Ghogla Beach is located to the north of Diu town and on the mainland and is not very crowded and therefore comparatively cleaner. Chakratirth Beach is adjacent to the town and holds significance in Hindu mythology for being the site of the beheading of the demon Jalandhar by Lord Krishna. Named after the demon, Jallandhar, the Jallandhar Beach lies about 1 km from Diu town and has a temple dedicated to Goddess Chandrika and a memorial atop a hill with a stone structure of the demon Jallandhar. Located on the western end of Diu in Vanakbara village, and also known as Vanakbara Beach, Gomtimata Beach is secluded and has natural white sand. However, this beach is not safe for swimming as it is prone to high tides. It is named after the Gomtimata Temple dedicated to Devi Gomti.

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The area on the mainland borders the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat and contains the village of Ghogola which lies opposite the eastern end of the island. The tiny territory of Simbor or Simar, located about 25 km east of the town of Diu, is also part of the district. The exclave has a very thin population, essentially a floating fishing community for part of the year only. The territory of the present-day exclave of Simbor is the same as it was in the colonial era and consists of two plots of land on either side of the estuary of the Sahil or Vançoso River and an islet at the mouth of the river on which is built the Fort St. Anthony of Simbor. The village of Simbor or Simar which lies about 2 km to the northeast and which in the early days had been occupied by the Portuguese for a brief period is not part of the territory and is part of the state of Gujarat.

Travel Bucket List: India – Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Part 1

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A merger between two former Union Territories, the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu was created when the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged in January 2020. This makes this Union Territory India’s newest. The territory is made up of four separate geographical entities Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and the island of Diu with all four areas part of Portuguese India with the capital in Velha Goa. The four areas came under Indian administration in the mid-20th century after the annexation of Goa and Daman. The capital city is Daman while Silvassa is the largest city.

Daman and Diu were under Portuguese administration from the 1500s until they came under Indian rule on 19 December 1961, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under the Portuguese from 1818 until 1954 and formally became a part of India on 11 August 1961. Dadra and Nagar Haveli was administered as a de facto state, the Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli, before becoming a union territory in 1961 and Daman and Diu were administered as part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu between 1962 and 1987, becoming a separate union territory when Goa was granted statehood. The two union territories were merged to reduce duplication of services and reduce the cost of administration. The town of Daman was chosen to be the capital of the new combined union territory.

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Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is composed of four distinct areas located in Western India. Dadra is a small enclave within the state of Gujarat. Nagar Haveli is a C shaped enclave located between the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra which contains a counter enclave of Gujarat around the village of Maghval. Daman is an enclave on the coast of Gujarat and Diu is an island off the coast of Gujarat.

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Daman
Daman is one of the three districts of the union territory on the west coast of India, surrounded by the Valsad district of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the west. The district has an area of 72 sq km with Daman as the district headquarters and lies at the mouth of the Daman Ganga river. Daman is also famous for its beach, Portuguese colonial architecture, churches, and for the scenic beauty in the twin towns of Nani-Daman and Moti-Daman, which lie opposite each other across the Daman Ganga.

Satrya Kshatrapas under the Kushana emperor seemed to have ruled over Daman during the 1st century. The names of the places, Dahanu, Daman and Pardi, have remained unchanged for the last 2000 years. Rudraman I, grandson of Chastan of the Kadamaka branch of Kshatrapas reconquered a large part of Western India including the seaboard from the river Mahi in Gujarat to Ratnagiri by about 150 AD from Satavahana ruler, Satakarni, and Daman district again passed under the rule of Kshatrapa Vijayasen who seems to have ruled till 249 AD. The district seems to have been subjected to the rule of traikutakas during the 5th century and the Lata Country was ruled by Rashtrakutas of Malkhed in the Deccan directly till 808. By the middle of the 13th century, a Rajput prince Ramsingh alias Ramashah seems to have defeated the Koli chief Nathorat and established himself in the hilly tract at Asheri of Asserseta near Daman about 1262. Daman was occupied by the Portuguese in 1531 and was formally ceded to Portugal in 1539 by the Sultan of Gujarat.

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Mirroring the system of administrative division in European Portugal, Daman district was established as an administrative division of the Portuguese State of India in the first half of the 19th century and was made up of the Portuguese territories of Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, headed by a district governor, subordinate to the governor-general of Portuguese India in Goa. The Dadra and Nagar Haveli landlocked parts of the Daman district were occupied by pro-Indian Union forces in 1954. In 1961, Dadra and Nagar Haveli was officially annexed by India, forming a union territory separated from Daman. The rest of the district remained under Portuguese rule until it was annexed by Indian forces on 19 December 1961. From 1961-87, it was a part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. In 1987, it became a part of the newly formed union territory of Daman and Diu and in January 2020 became part of the new Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

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The House of Bockage was named after the former residence of the Portuguese poet Bockage and is located just near the gate of Daman Fort. The Collector’s Office, once the centre of administration during the Portuguese rule, is an elegant old building depicting the Portuguese gothic style of architecture. Presently, the building houses the Office of the Collector and the District Magistrate of Daman and is situated in the centre of the city. Also known as the Nani Daman Fort, St Jerome Fort has a huge gateway that faces the river. There is a large statue of St. Jerome inside the fort premises. The complex also contains the church of Our Lady of the Sea and a Jain temple and offers a beautiful view of the fish market below and is a pretty and popular tourist attraction. Nani Daman or Little Daman, as the name suggests, is the smaller of the two parts of the city. The region mainly comprises several Gothic-style churches, a Lighthouse, the famous Nani Daman Fort and an old Jain temple featuring 18th-century glass murals and paintings. There is also a local Dubai market that has everything at a very reasonable cost. The Cathedral of Bom Jesus is a popular place built-in 1603, the design, architecture and craftsmanship reflect the passion with which the Portuguese built this cathedral. Formerly a Catholic monastery and a place of worship, the Dominican Monastery is a historic ruin that served as the headquarters of theological studies in the past and has a beautifully engraved floral stone dotting the main altar. The Somnath Mahadev Temple is an old Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shivalinga is believed to have formed in the 19th century at the request of a monk and is famous for hosting an annual fair that attracts thousands of devotees.

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The Jetty Garden, located on the shores of the Daman Ganga river near Moti Daman, is an elegantly designed garden with exotic arrangements of fountains with fun rides available to keep children busy. Located close to the Coast Guard Air Station, the Satya Sagar Udyan is lined with colourful fountains, shrub-skirted promenades and enchanting landscape. There is also a temple in the vicinity of the garden. The Mirasol Lake Garden is a man-made marvel which is a popular tourist attraction. Surrounded by a beautiful lake and two islands connected by a bridge, the garden has boat rides and fountains as well as facilities for other activities. With a water park located just next to it, this lake garden also serves as a location for many film shootings. Devka Beach is massive, picturesque and pretty unspoilt with clean blue waters, well-maintained shores and a special amusement park that houses huge fountains and a play area for children. Jampore Beach is located about 5 km from the Moti Daman Jetty and is famous for its blackish mud-coloured water. Away from the hustle of the city, the beach is breezy and covered with trees and a great place to relax. The Lighthouse at Daman offers magnificent sunset views and is a major landmark of the town, situated inside a fort. The Daman Ganga Tourist Complex is a well-planned and beautifully laid out garden that offers a plethora of services and facilities including a cafeteria, a conference hall for meetings, a health club and a theatre.

In My Hands Today…

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Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee – A Look Inside North Korea – Jang Jin-sung, translated by Shirley Lee

“The General will now enter the room.”

Everyone turns to stone. Not moving my head, I direct my eyes to a point halfway up the archway where Kim Jong-il’s face will soon appear.

As North Korea’s State Poet Laureate, Jang Jin-sung led a charmed life. With food provisions (even as the country suffered through its great famine), a travel pass, access to strictly censored information, and audiences with Kim Jong-il himself, his life in Pyongyang seemed safe and secure. But this privileged existence was about to be shattered. When a strictly forbidden magazine he lent to a friend goes missing, Jang Jin-sung must flee for his life.

Never before has a member of the elite described the inner workings of this totalitarian state and its propaganda machine. An astonishing expose told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung’s escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is a rare and unprecedented insight into the world’s most secretive and repressive regime.

In My Hands Today…

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Paris to the Moon – Adam Gopnik

Paris. The name alone conjures images of chestnut-lined boulevards, sidewalk cafés, breathtaking façades around every corner–in short, an exquisite romanticism that has captured the American imagination for as long as there have been Americans.

In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of the City of Light. Gopnik is a longtime New Yorker writer, and the magazine has sent its writers to Paris for decades–but his was above all a personal pilgrimage to the place that had for so long been the undisputed capital of everything cultural and beautiful. It was also the opportunity to raise a child who would know what it was to romp in the Luxembourg Gardens, to enjoy a croque monsieur in a Left Bank café–a child (and perhaps a father, too) who would have a grasp of that Parisian sense of style we Americans find so elusive.

So, in the grand tradition of the American abroad, Gopnik walked the paths of the Tuileries, enjoyed philosophical discussions at his local bistro, wrote as violet twilight fell on the arrondissements. Of course, as readers of Gopnik’s beloved and award-winning “Paris Journals” in The New Yorker know, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with day-to-day, not-so-fabled life. Evenings with French intellectuals preceded middle-of-the-night baby feedings; afternoons were filled with trips to the Musée d’Orsay and pinball games; weekday leftovers were eaten while three-star chefs debated a “culinary crisis.”

As Gopnik describes in this funny and tender book, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not completely dissimilar journeys–both hold new routines, new languages, a new set of rules by which everyday life is lived. With singular wit and insight, Gopnik weaves the magical with the mundane in a wholly delightful, often hilarious look at what it was to be an American family man in Paris at the end of the twentieth century. “We went to Paris for a sentimental reeducation – I did anyway – even though the sentiments we were instructed in were not the ones we were expecting to learn, which I believe is why they call it an education.”

In My Hands Today…

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Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback – Robyn Davidson

Robyn Davidson’s opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the following words: “I experienced that sinking feeling you get when you know you have conned yourself into doing something difficult and there’s no going back.”

Enduring sweltering heat, fending off poisonous snakes and lecherous men, chasing her camels when they get skittish and nursing them when they are injured, Davidson emerges as an extraordinarily courageous heroine driven by a love of Australia’s landscape, an empathy for its indigenous people, and a willingness to cast away the trappings of her former identity. Tracks is the compelling, candid story of her odyssey of discovery and transformation.