Korlai Trip

Yes, this was a trip. A google earth flyby revealed this was a small little hill fort, with a beach thrown in. Because of it Portuguese history, we expected quite a few intact remains. So it was decided to bring the wives and girlfriends and kids too. This for has a good location, situated on a peninsula, just off Revdanda beach, on the way to Murud. There was also a lighthouse as an added attraction. You could stand on the top and watch the sea on all three sides. Once you pass through the village of Korlai which has the smell of fish all around, you can walk along a path with a rocky beach on one side and high hill with a fort on other till you reach the light house. A small fee of Rs. 5 and you can watch the inside of the light house. The powerful light powered by an array of Solar cells and a complex lens system. There was also a radio beacon, to assist during low visibility. The way to the top was very narrow and constricted. My kid had a whale of a time, running around in circles around the lamp. Funnily enough the lighthouse does not attempt to depend on the MSEB supplied electricity, which is hardly present. They need to have their own generator and solar cells.

The fort is well preserved with a lot of cannons still lying around. Some of them were pretty massive. I haven't seen so many cannons in any other fort till now. The water tank on the top still functioned and the villagers as well as the light house staff used it. The church on the top and the engravings were well preserved too. Somebody had been cleaning up the fort, cutting off all the banyan trees and grass which had been threatening to take over the fort. We descended along the opposite side facing Revdanda through a artificial forest full of trees that I hate. Those trees which the forest dept plant all over,which have no personality or richness of foliage.The
species subabhool, eucalyptus and glyceridia are killing all the biodiversity of the traditional forest.We descended to the beach where finally the girls, who were frustrated by the climb and all were happy to spend some time frolicking in the water. We finally made back or way to home, via Alibag.
How to reach: Catch any ST to Alibag and then catch any ST to Murud. (these are numerous during morning and evenings) Get down ant Korlai and walk to the fort. If you have time you can visit the Birla mandir about 4 kms away as well as the Revdanda fort and Beach about 5 kms away.