Trip to Diu

India with its amazing diversity and splendour continues to thrills any travel enthusiast. Each state, for that matter even a small village has something unique to offer. The marvellous ethnicity and the outrageous assimilation power are the threads that continue to hold the citizens of this incredible country together. Whenever we entered a new territory though at the first instance we were treated with suspicion a little hearty talk would gradually erased the insecurities. I started admiring the people of country side and small towns for showering the warmth during our pep talks. The innocence or the chaste expressions of those people during our course of journey have left indelible and fond impressions in our minds.  As we flagged off our trip to Diu from Somanth in Gujarat, we have passed through vast stretches of greenery. There were hardly patches of land which were barren and uncultivated.

 

The narrow stretch of land separating Gujarat border and Diu was more like a marshy area with back waters seeping into the waste lands. Interestingly this region was habituated by hordes of Camels and we were surprised by their sheer numbers. Diu is one of the districts of the Daman and Diu a Union territory. It is a small place of about 40sqkm and one of the least populated districts in India but one of the cleanest places we ever visited in India. The place is quite warm and humid with large area covered by thousands of coconut trees  and interspersed with banana plantations. Diu is a peninsula connected with the mainland through the Junagadh district of Gujarat. It was a Portuguese colony till 1961 when Indian forces annexed it. In 1987 it became part of the Daman and Diu Union Territory.

Back Waters

Diu has interesting tourist attractions and we were yearning to explore the place and were excited at the prospect of visiting the Diu fort. Though we have been to several forts build by both the Hindu kings and Muslim rulers, we haven’t ever visited any fort built by the European barons in India. Until few years back the fort was earlier closely guarded and maintained by the Government authorities but now the local guides lamented that this place has been administratively deserted. The Diu fort constructed in the mid 16^th century is a huge and imposing structure. It is surrounded by sea on all the three sides with a canal on the north making it almost impenetrable. The fort now houses a central jail and a light house. The top of the fort offers a magnificent view of the sea and fortress of Panikota which was built in the sea and can be reached by a canoe. There is a light house and several huge canons on the top of the fort peeping out of the holes of the gigantic fort walls. 
 

Diu Fort

Fortress of Panikota

 

Top of the fort

We next visited Diu Museum which is currently lodged in the St. Thomas Church. The Church is a simple structure with an attractive children park and garden in front of it. The museum was least interesting as it had few wooden structures and statues. We next moved to St. Paul’s church a huge structure just few yards away. It was built in 17^th century by the Portuguese. Prayers are regularly held in the church so several people throng the premises regularly. Its huge doors are intricately carved and adorned with shell-like motifs. The roads were so calm and wore a deserted and hence we wanted to explore the beauty of this mystic territory.

St. Thomas Church

 

St. Paul’s church

It was such a pleasant experience to drive through roads of Diu with palm trees swaying their branches to the cool breeze of the Arabian Sea. Next we stopped at the Jallandhar beach which offered a picturesque calmness of the beaches; we relaxed on a small bench silently enjoying the beauty of nature for awhile. The serene atmosphere and meticulously clean roads juxtaposing the beaches were a virtual treat to any person who wishes to escape from the maddening and boisterous crowds of the metros. We then reached I.N.S Khukery memorial which is few metres from the beach. It is an open theatre located at an elevated point facing the beach. It could be reached by a flight of steps. As we reached the top, it offered an astounding view of the Arabian Sea. It was a memorial built in honour of 18 brave sailors who lost their lives while defending western coast during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 as a part of surveillance of the coast in the ship I.N.S. Khukery. Though the actual ship is not there a replica of the ship along the torpedo which sank it was instituted in this quiet location.  It is most popular among locals as sunset point as well.

I.N.S Khukery Memorial

 

Jallandhar Beach

The clear, white sands and the secluded beaches of Diu are the most ideal places for holidaying. Though there are few more tourist attractions in Diu like the Gangeshwar Mandir and Naida caves, we were so enamoured by the beauty of the beaches that we decided to relax in the beach. We then proceeded to Nagoa beach, the hot seat for various water sports. They have huge variety of sports like water scooter riding, motor boat riding, paragliding, boat sailing etc. Unlike other crowded beaches, water here is greenish and much cleaner and we could see the reflections of green algae underneath. They are almost like trash free beaches. Places like Goa are famous for their beaches, but the rustic beauty of this place can surpass the tranquillity of all other places.  It has  a great potential to be an excellent vacation spot and could really revitalise spirits of any person. Almost all the places are relatively less crowded and hence we are so enchanted by this place. But unfortunately, due to paucity of time we couldn’t extend our stay there. The refreshingly clean sea breeze and unpolluted seawater have relaxed every muscle of the body. Our holiday would have been incomplete but for our trip to Diu, the place with pristine beaches. 

On the way to Nagoa beach

For all the native Gujarati’s who are deprived of the alcoholic beverages due to the government's policy of prohibition, Diu is a paradise on earth. There is no limit on the amount of liquor they can consume in Diu but they are not allowed to cross the borders of the Union Territory with liquor bottles.

 Roads of Diu

We returned to Somanth (86km away from Diu) by night and geared up for our final destination Dwarka, by road the next day morning.

 

Photographs courtesy: Dr. Bhaskar Teegela and Samanvit Teegela

 

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