17 April,2022 10:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Heena Khandelwal
A family sorting a batch of Devgad hapus
That they wanted to put Devgad on the tourist map prodded the Mumbai-based Joil family to launch a zip lining adventure outfit in the taluka of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, famed for its hapus mango. The Konkan Kanya Express left late night from the city, dropping us off at Kankavli early morning, with Devgad barely an hour's drive away. To not let the overhead sun ruin our plans, we dropped off our luggage at Vedaa Holiday Resort (Rs 2,500 per night), where rooms offer a clear view of the expansive Devgad beach. The zip lining station was barely 200 metres away (a walk of five minutes).
The start was tough as anxiety grips your insides, but once we were in our safety gear and taking the plunge, it was hands free flying! From a height of 280 metres, we were offered a bird's eye view of the shoreline skirted by lush green. The outfit's co-founder Vaishnavi Joil suggested we do the Superman, a pose also known as Flying Fox, where both your hands and feet are hung to the cable, and you go down head first. Priceless, we think. So, try it.
Shrikant Joil and his sister Vaishnavi
Her brother, Shrikant Joil, landed on the idea when he saw an episode on National Geographic, and then wife Rupali followed it up with months of research. They'd make the trip to Devgad every weekend and four months later, they had erected their first tower followed by a dud for two years. "Devgad didn't have the technology or people with the right skills to host the set up," recalls Srikant, who at one point wanted to abandon the plan and stick to his city job with a direct to home entertainment operator. However, a series of events, including the pandemic and losing his job saw the family pack their bags and make Devgad their new home. "I thought I'd do it after retirement, but the pandemic brought us all here," says Vaishnavi. What they needed now was someone who'd help them set up the outpost.
A family friend's civil engineer son had returned to India from the US during the pandemic and came to their rescue. Srikant focussed on procuring equipment while Vaishnavi had to bring the right people on board, including a zip lining trainer who'd work with the locals on technique and safety. By December 2020, the outfit was ready to host its first adventure enthusiast, but back to back Covid waves meant that the family had to wait till October of last year. "Since we launched, 6,000 participants have zip lined with us," says a proud Vaishnavi, who has another first in Devgad to her credit - a surfing school which she launched last week.
The writer zip lines at Devgad beach at a height of 280 metres above sea level. Pics/Satej Shinde
"The water current at Taramumbari beach is conducive to board surfing. We are also planning to offer advanced training courses," adds Vaishnavi, hoping to compete with neighbouring Malvan taluka and Ratnagiri. "The weather is identical to those tourist destinations, and the beaches here are in fact better - the water at Devgad, Taramumbari and Mithmumbari is clear. We have good seafood to offer and our alphonso mangoes are famous. More footfall to Devgad means more employment opportunities."
Sindhudurg's laterite soil with minimum moisture makes it ideal for the growth of the GI-tagged hapus of Devgad alphonso. Like with everything famous, this one also has imposters. The most definitive test to tell if the alphonso you have is a Devgad hapus is to place it in a room and shut the door. If the air is redolent with its sweet aroma, you know you have the original. Products made from the mango are also popular. We like the amba poli, leathery sheets of mango pulp and sugar.
Devgad is home to popular Shiva temples. Kunkeshwar, an ancient shore-side temple dedicated to the dancing God, also known as Kashi of South Konkan, is said have been built by the Yadav kings in 1,100 AD. It boasts of alluring architecture reminiscent of South India. The Shri Vimaleshvar Temple is a fine model of ancient sculpture, carved into a laterite rock and believed to date back to the time of the Pandavas.
This has been recognised as a model for community-led conservation through ecotourism in Sindhudurg's Vengurla district, and the hope is to replicate it in neighbouring coastal regions. In Devgad, it is led by Laxman Tari and his colleagues from the self-help group Jal Kanya. After receiving their training from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Mangrove Foundation, they now conduct an hour-long tour into the creek, covering about eight kilometres, helping visitors identify the flora and fauna that are part of this fragile ecosystem.
Petrogyphs are a form of rock art made using a stone chisel to create incisions, carving and abrading. Konkan's petroglyphs mainly found in Ratnagiri and Rajapur are carved on the laterite plateau land. It is estimated that these could date back to 10,000 BCE or the Misolithic period. In Devgad, the art is being preserved by the locals led by indologist Ranajit Ramesh Hirlekar, who is working to identify them. At one site, Hirlekar showed us a pattern that resembled the lower half of the human body and most likely of a woman. Hirlekar and collaborators hope to attract the attention of archaeologists to the region so that the petroglyphs get due recognition.
Devgad beach is home to a lighthouse and the ruins of a fort. Taramumbari, Mithmumbari and Kunkeshwar beaches are clean and pretty. Vaishnavi is collaborating with Janhavi Deodhar, a PADI instructor, to explore the possibility of scuba diving in the area.
Tourists often bring with them plastic pollution. Vaishnavi is all set to hand a bag to visitors to collect garbage at sea in exchange for a free zip lining session. A beach clean up on Sundays is also in the offing.
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