So(u)l Kadhi

I was patiently waiting at Chandani chauk for over half an hour, where my friends were supposed to pick me up. We had planned a road trip to Konkan. Drizzling monsoon and a closed shop with a shed enough to accommodate me were my only companions at the halt point. I wasn't really annoyed by the delay, for I was used to Mayur’s legendary time management skills very well :P.

We drove through malshej Ghat, where Mulshi dam is well-known in history circles for the Mulshi Satyagraha led by Senapati bapat back in 1920s.  But it is immensely famous among the masses for the magnificent waterfalls and picturesque beauty. A mini trek up to the giant waterfall and a traditional photo session while getting drenched, was surely the best for the starters.

Numerous small streams above the hills had turned into massive waterfalls as they roared down cutting through the Tamhini ghats, giving an impression of a lady wearing an opulent green sari with long white strips. Her beauty was fascinating. But it was little irritating to see few super enthusiasts dancing in the middle of the road with loud sounds of music. But I guess everybody has his/her way of celebrating. No one was right or no one was wrong either as long as they didn't hurt Her or other tourists. Flashing a smile to the devotees of Tandoori murgi and Dilli wali girlfriend, we headed towards Dapoli.

Next day, we traveled through the hearts of Konkan exploring the inner facets. The hot springs of Unhavare were though much appealing with steamy warm water; I chose to amble in a small settlement at the foot of a nearby hill. I noticed a small memorial was built in the memory of the martyrs of Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. Probably few of the activists had their origin in Unhavare. While Mayur, Prateek enjoyed the hot waters, Kalpit probably out of Hygienic reasons :P chose to tease them far from the shores and the photographer within Pj propelled him to capture minute details of local cultures and floral outbursts. Soon we moved to visit Suvarnadurga fort, where it was raining in torrents and wind was blowing ferociously. As per Mayur, even Rajnikant couldn't have stood there! But apparently we did :D.

Our next destination was a temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh. Kadyavarcha ganpati, which literally meant Ganesha resting on a Cliff. With a roaring sea behind, dense jungle around and a busy Anjarle village at the foot of the hill, this serene and calm temple invokes a deep reverence among its devotees.

We pitched our tents on the shores of Anjarle beach and trailed through the coconut, banana and jack fruit orchards in search of a house which would serve us a Konkani dinner. We were welcomed warmly by an elderly aunt and her annoying kitten in their 105 year old house. Simplicity in their life style and generosity of the minds couldn't go unnoticed in Konkan house. She served us lovely Puran Polis soaked in homemade ghee with various local vegetables and delicious SolKadhi to gulp everything down. I must confess that the food can satisfy the hungry stomachs but one needs Solkadhi to satisfy the mind. Konkan trip would be incomplete without Solkadhi in your plate. By midnight we were so tired and so full that we didn't realize when we fell asleep. 

It was Eid- ul- Fitr next day. As we drove to Kolad, we noticed Muslim men sharing warm hugs and wishing Eid Mubarak to each other. Children wearing fresh white Kurta-pajama and a skull cap, were following their elders’ gestures with cheerful faces. After a month long fast during the Ramzan, their life had begun anew with celebrations and feasts. Unfortunately that wasn't the case across all global Muslim communities.

Finally, we reached Kolad which after Rishikesh, is incredibly famous for water rafting. To our chagrin, another group had just arrived and the instructor wanted both the groups to share the raft. Davids and Goliaths! That would sum up the striking contrasts between the two groups. We obviously weren't the later. But Mayur’s unyielding persistence and Prateek’s art of convincing forced him to provide a separate raft for us.  After an extended selfi pictures session followed by a hasty introductory lecture on safety, both the groups set forth in Anjalika river.

From the beginning we were the self-declared Spartans and the other group was Persians. (In the end it really turned out something like that when our instructor appreciated our relentless rowing and wonderful enthusiasm) Initially the river looked too benign to reveal any rapids. I wasn't sure if this would turn out to be a good experience.  I and Mayur had done Rafting in Rishikesh and there the rapids had shown us no mercy. But our group’s positive enthusiasm and the friendly fight with the other group boosted my optimism. We saw the rapids from the distance. They looked terrific. But our Spartan war cry “Ahu Ahu” gave an adrenaline rush and we rowed like the warriors. One after another we tackled all four invincible rapids. The showering rains made the rowing even more a remarkable experience. If this was less, after the rapids gone, our guide gave us a green signal we were waiting for. In a split second, all of us were floating in that massive river while an inexorable slanting from above continued. We floated in the river for almost an hour. Slowly the river became calm.  I noticed few villagers on the banks looking at us in a wonderstruck. Cattle had taken a refugee under a huge wide tree. Their young ones were shivering, standing close seeking their mothers’ warmth. Soon came the end point where to our surprise, hot Pakodas, Vada Pav and Chai were waiting for us. We had a well-deserved meal, bade farewell to our instructors and drove back to Pune relishing every rose moments of the trip. 

It was surely another delightful experience we all shall cherish for lifetime. A So(u)l kadhi we savored to its fullest.

Photo Credits: PJ, mayur