With the growing pressures of everyday life, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get away from the corporate rat-race. But holiday you must if you seek a stress-free life. AutoCar India (Nov. ’08) and Castrol visit Murud-Janjira.

Situated on the Maharashtra coastline, 150km south of Mumbai in the Raigad distrist, Murud can be reached in a number of ways but two wheels is the most fitting one. Though it is a short ride, its best to leave early in the morning to avoid the heavy truck traffic en route.

The road branches off under the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on to the Panvel bypass and then on to NH4 which continues straight to Alibaug. The road from Panvel to Alibaug is great says AutoCar (Nov. ’08) – wide, open and fast and a few kilometres after the second toll booth, the truck traffic starts thinning out too. But unfortunately after Alibaug the road steadily deteriorates and nearing Murud there are ditches deep enough to lay the foundations for a small house!

Thirty kilometres after Alibaug is Kashid and as you exit the village the road climbs and swings left giving one a spectacular sighting of the Arabian Sea in all its splendour. Next up, about a kilometre before Murud, is the Ahmedganj palace. Spread over a massive 45 acres and situated on a cliff, it offers another breathtaking view of the sea and of Murud too.

Murud was once known as Habsan in marathi. The name is a corruption of the Abyssinian word Habshi that means Abyssinian’s land. It was called so because of the Abyssinian slaves who were brought here by Arab traders in the 15th century.
The village today is a quaint little place with fisherfolk lining the narrow streets along the shore. It’s the perfect place if you want to enjoy a laidback weekend, with nothing to do but sit back and watch the sun as it sinks into the sea.

Another great place to visit is the Janjira Fort, a few kilometres from Murud. Built by the Siddhi dynasty, the Janjira Fort is an architectural and engineering marvel and is the only fort in India that was never captured! Not by the Marathas, or the Dutch, the Portuguese or even the British East India Company. With a total of 22 towers, Janjira once had as many as 572 cannons but now only the three biggest remain. Kalal Bangadi, Chavri and Landa Kasam were some of the meanest and most terrifying toys at one time…

So if you’ve got a free weekend coming up, ride up three hours and soak in the bit of open road, coastal views, strolls along sandy beaches and a peek into the past. Good places to stay include Golden Swan Beach Resort, Sea Shell Resort and Mirage Holiday Homes as per AutoCar (Nov. ’08)