Shivaji – The Metrognome

Don’t go to Ganapatipule with a to-do list. Instead, walk on the beach, sample the local cuisine and just be.

by Salil Jayakar

On a sunny Saturday morning, my friends and I headed out of Mumbai to what was to be a fun-filled road trip to Ganapatipule, a small town on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. Approximately 380 km from Mumbai, Ganapatipule in Ratnagiri district is most famous for its beachside swayambhu (not carved by human hands) Ganapati idol temple.

Ganapatipule, as the rest of the Konkan coast, is home to one of the most scenic beaches in India, still relatively untouched by commercialisation. Ideally, make Ganapatipule your base and visit nearby areas which take about half a day of travelling.

A good way to begin your stay in Ganapatipule is to visit the Ganapati temple that houses the deity’s idol, believed to be over four centuries old. As we stood in line for darshan, I couldn’t but think: “Pehle dev darshan, phir ang pradarshan…” Loosely translated, this means: first worship God, then display your body. For the uninitiated, it might interest you to know that the temple is literally on the beach.

There’s not much to do in Ganapatipule itself, except for a few water sports at certain points along the beach. If you’d like a flavour of old Konkan, do visit the Pracheen Konkan museum. The local girl/ woman guides are a cheerful lot as they run you through a rather poorly put together make-believe world. For food lovers, Ganapatipule’s numerous eateries serve up a delectable fare – chicken, fish and prawns – of Malvani cuisine.

Drive down towards Malgund four km away and enjoy breathtaking views of the Konkan coast. Further north, about 35 km away, a must-see is the Jaigad Fort that sits majestically on a cliff along the Arabian Sea. While the fort itself is in ruins, its walls still stand and you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the countryside.

A trip to Ganapatipule should include a day trip to Ratnagiri city, the district capital which is about 25 km away. The drive down south to Ratnagiri will take you through sleepy coastal villages and a truly breathtaking seascape. At two points along the drive, the cliff-side suddenly breaks to give you stunning views of the Konkan coast – clear blue waters and sandy beaches lined with palm and mango trees. Stop awhile; enjoy kokum sherbet and bhel made by locals on the cliff-top shacks and take in the sound of waves gently rolling in.

Ratnagiri is the birthplace of Keshav (Lokmanya) Balgangadhar Tilak, who demanded swaraj (self-rule) from British colonial rule. Tilak’s two-storied, tiled-roof home stands in a quiet by-lane near the main market. It is now a museum. Thibaw Palace, home of Thibaw Min, the last king of Burma (modern day Myanmar) who lived in exile here is a sad remnant of what was once a flourishing dynasty. Incidentally, just two days before our visit, on December 22, 2012, Myanmar President Thein Sein visited Thibaw Palace and the King’s tomb. In doing so, he became the first Myanmar leader to visit the tomb of his country’s last King, who was exiled to India from Burma more than a century ago.

Just off the main road from Thibaw Palace, opposite Gandhi petrol pump is Amantran, a local restaurant that serves authentic Malvani cuisine. For seafood lovers like me, the prawns and the pomfret fry is a must-have. Go for one of their thali options and you’re in for a treat! Amantran also bottles their own aamras, so make sure to buy a bottle or two.

The highlight of the drive down to Ratnagiri is most likely to be a visit to the Ratnadurga Fort, shaped like a horseshoe and surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. Built by the Bahamani kings, it was captured first by Adil Shah of Bijapur and then Shivaji, in 1670. It is here that Sambhaji went into hiding after escaping from Aurangzeb. The fort has a lighthouse that guided ships as far as 15 km away from the coast and gave a strategic advantage over any attacks from pirates and other enemies. Today, the crumbling remains of this majestic fort are a poignant reminder of a rich historical past. While at the fort, don’t forget to pay obeisance to goddess Bhagwati whose temple is here.

As you head back to Mumbai, take a small detour through narrow village lanes at Sangameshwar and head to the Karneshwar temple, a beautiful stone carved temple dedicated to Shiva. Over 1,600 years old, built by Karma of Kolhapur, it almost transports you to another era.

Ganapatipule will give you some much needed tranquillity from the hustle-bustle of city life. Don’t come here with an agenda or a to-do list. Sleep late, enjoy lazy walks along the beach or find your favourite cliff-top vantage point and take in some breathtaking views. And through it all, don’t forget your sunscreen.

(Pictures courtesy Salil Jayakar)

Off with his hands! (And feet. And eyes)

Shivaji’s punishment for rape was to sever the man’s hands and feet, or gouge out his eyes, ancient manuscript reveals.

by Shubha Khandekar

That Maratha warrior king Shivaji was a ruler and a thinker way ahead of his times is well-documented, but a recent historical discovery has once again underlined this fact. At a time when might was right, and women were often commodified to the extent that they were included in the spoils of war, Shivaji’s orders for men who raped women were clear: cut off his hands and feet.

Historians in Pune have recently discovered a dated manuscript (see pic on left) in which Shivaji had ordered the hands and feet of the headman of a village in Maharashtra be cut off as punishment for raping a woman. In another incidence of rape, in which the accused was a military general who raped a woman who had defended Belwadi Fort before surrendering, Shivaji ordered that the man’s eyes be gouged out.

“This is the oldest and the most indisputably authentic manuscript of Shivaji,” said SM Bhave, secretary of the Bharat Itihas Samshodhan Mandal. The manuscript had mysteriously disappeared after it was originally reported by researcher SG Joshi of the Mandal in 1929, 83 years ago. A Marathi translation of it was published in Vol II of the sources for the biography of Shivaji, compiled and published by the Mandal in 1930. The manuscript, wrapped safely in old handkerchiefs of a Mandal researcher, was rediscovered recently among old files in the Mandal office. The manuscript is written in the Modi script, which has been in use in Maharashtra for the past 700 years.

English translation of the manuscript of Shivaji (dated 20 Jilhez, according to the Mandal)

“From the office of Rajashri Shivaji Raje.

Scribes: Clerks Deshmukh and Deshkulkarni.

May it be known that while the headman Bavaji Bhikaji Gujar (Patil) was heading the said Ranje village, he committed an offence, which became known to Saheb (Shivaji), following which he had him fetched here. On inquiry it was revealed that the news was true, whereupon his ancestral domain was merged with the royal kingdom and he was dismissed from the headman’s post after severing his hands and feet. At that time one of his relatives, namely Sonji Bajaji Gujar pleaded for getting the custody of Bavaji. In consideration of this request he was charged a fine of 300 Padshahi hons, after paying which Bavaji was handed over to him. Since Bavaji was childless and Sonji is his kin, Saheb compassionately passed on the headmanship to Sonji, for which he was asked to deposit 200 Padshahi hons into the royal treasury. May nobody hinder the carriage of this order. This original letter may be given to him for execution.”

The manuscript

“Our experts have thoroughly investigated, verified and confirmed the authenticity of the manuscript,” said historians Dr Anuradha Kulkarni and Ajit Patwardhan in Pune. “It clearly mentions the name Bavaji Bhikaji Gujar (Patil), the headman of the Ranje village near Kondhanpur, and the punishment awarded to him by Shivaji, of cutting off his hands and feet for having misbehaved with a woman.”

Giving details of the above instance, Govind Pansare, whose booklet Who was Shivaji? sold 22,000 copies and has gone into four editions from 1988 to 1991, narrates that the Patil abducted the young daughter of a poor farmer and raped her, after which she committed suicide. The whole village, intimidated by the tyrannical Patil, sympathised but remained passive and helpless after the girl’s death. “But when Shivaji heard of it, he had the man arrested and brought to Pune, after which he pronounced the punishment to him,” the book says.

In another instance, described in the same book, Sakuji Gaikwad, a military general laid siege to the Belwadi fort, being defended by a courageous woman called Savitribai Desai in 1678. She held out for 27 days before surrendering. Euphoric over the victory, Sakuji captured the fort and raped the defeated Savitribai. As Shivaji got to know of it, he was infuriated and had Sakuji’s eyes gouged out. Sakuji was also thrown in jail for the rest of his life.