On a weekend trip to Murud, one needs to know the best tourist places near Murud Janjira so that you can visit them in 3 days. A Weekend trip to Murud Janjira in Maharashtra is a trip which every person in Pune or Mumbai desires.
If you are someone who is thinking about the long weekend coming up? Then I would suggest you read this blog in which we will discuss traveling to Murud from Pune and Mumbai.
The entire coastline of Maharashtra has 6 districts known as the Konkan. These 6 districts are Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. They have the Western Ghat mountains overlooking their coastline. Metros like Mumbai and Pune are lucky to have the coastline of Konkan so close to them.
Murud Janjira in Maharashtra is a perfect weekend getaway. Murud is located on the coast towards the west of Maharashtra. It is a part of the Raigad district in Konkan Region.
Murud Janjira has the right mix of history and nature. It has ruins, forts, beaches and the sea. This variety is great for the travel enthusiast and one plans a trip for 3 to 4 days. Due to this mix of places near Murud Janjira, Murud is a favorite destination for all people in Mumbai and Pune.
Murud is a semi urban place of Maharashtra state. Murud Janjira was and is an important port. It has been an important part of medieval history.
How to Reach Murud Janjira
By Road
Murud Janjira is at a distance of around 160 kms from Mumbai and Pune. By road, it requires almost the same time from Mumbai as well as Pune which is around 4 hours.
If one is traveling from Mumbai then you use the Mumbai Goa Highway. This highway is under construction and parts of the road are not in great condition.
For people traveling from Pune they can take the route via Tamhini Ghat.
Have you read our Tamhini Ghat Blog ? Check it out here – Tamhini Ghat and Mulshi Dam
From Tamhini Ghat they can then travel through Mangaon to reach Murud.
There is another route through a lot of forest area. For this route one needs to divert from Lonavala and pass through Roha. Since we were on a road trip we thought of traveling via the Roha route on the way back to explore that area.
This route is scenic, passing through tribal lands with paddy fields and forest. We would suggest, do not travel from this route during night as it is secluded.
One can reach Murud by buses or cabs from places within Pune and Mumbai.
By Rail
The nearest station to Murud, Maharashtra is the Roha Station. Roha Station is on the Konkan Railway route. From Roha one needs to take a cab service which will take you an hour to reach Murud.
By Air
Murud does not have an airport and the nearest Airport to Murud is either Pune or Mumbai. Cabs are directly available from either to reach Murud.
Climate of Murud Janjira and Best Time to Travel
Murud being a coastal place of Maharashtra has a hot and humid climate. The temperature averages around 28 to 29 degrees. The summers are hot and the winters are pleasant. It rains a lot in this area. Humidity is around 90% during monsoon. Hence, it is better to travel to Murud from August till February.
Murud Janjira is Famous For
Murud is famous for the Murud Janjira Fort which is the highlight of the trip. One can hardly miss it from the itinerary and also from the sight. The moment one arrives in Murud, you are treated by the sight of the magnificent Janjira Fort.
Apart from this fort, there is another fort known as the Padmadurga which is right across the Murud beach. Both these forts are in the sea, both staring at each other.
7 Best Tourist Places Near Murud Janjira
Do check out our YouTube video on Murud Janjira here.
The Khokhri Tombs in Murud
If you search online for these tombs you will come across the Golgumbaz. As they are not the Golgumbaz, if you try searching on the internet for Golgumbaz. Golgumbaz does not exist on google maps in Murud.
Instead, try searching for Khokhri tombs on google maps. You will find them very close to the Murud Janjira fort on the mainland.
The Siddis built the Khokri Tombs in the 17th Century. These tombs of the Siddi Administrators of the erstwhile Janjira state and are one of the best Tourist Places Near Murud Janjira. The place is clean but ironically does not get a lot of visitors.
Ahmedganj Palace or The Nawab’s Palace
Tourists can find this palace on the main road overlooking the Arabian sea. One can hardly miss its presence. It is a private property still owned by the descendants.
One needs to take a prior permission and appointment to go inside. If you get permission then you will be lucky to see one of the beautiful places Near Murud Janjira.
The Murud Beach
Murud beach must be a stretch of 2 km. It is clean and one of the Best Tourist Places Near Murud Janjira. It has private properties facing the sea.
Murud beach has many small entrances to it. It is not possible to take your four wheeler on the beach as the roads have been blocked. Avoid taking your vehicle on the beach as it has restrictions. Two wheelers do sneak in.
At a distance in the Arabian sea, you can see the Padmadurg fort.
The Padmadurg Fort
Maharashtra has an extensive coastline. The great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built the Padmadurg fort in the 16th Century. This fort isn’t as big as the Murud Janjira Fort. It was used to keep a watch on the Murud Janjira Fort and served as a Ship Construction yard.
Travelers need to take permission from the Naval Authority to go to Padmadurg Fort. Then you can hire boats from Murud beach to reach the sea fort.
The Legendary Murud Janjira Fort
The Janjira Fort is a marvel of construction. Of all the places near Murud Janjira nothing is better than this fort in the Sea
A local Koli (Fisherman) Leader constructed it right in the middle of the sea. The word Janjira originates from ‘Jazira’ which means Island in Arabic language. When you look at the fort from the mainland it does look like an island in the sea. That is when you know that it has been aptly named Janjira.
The legend is that the fort is impregnable as it has never won by a fight. But that can be due to many other reasons.
You need a boat to reach the entrance. The boats are available on the mainland. You need to buy a ticket from the counter to go about half an hour to reach the near the entrance of the Janjira fort.
Once you are near the entrance you will have to alight from the boat into another boat. These boats will take you to the entrance stone stairs. This is not very easy for old people and children but with the little help one can get off and get in.
It is disappointing to know that you are only allowed an hour to be on the Fort.
The Archaeological Survey of India has a counter setup at the fort entrance. On entry, tourists need to pay around Rs 50 here. Apart from collecting money for this purpose I didn’t find any good use of the counter but you can excuse them.
Within the fort there are a few attractions. From what is left of the ruins one can see 3 metallic cannons still looking sturdy as if they are ready to attack.
One of them is a huge 16 ton Canon which is like the weight of four elephants. We wondered about how the administrators brought canons here for deployment.
The second important thing is a freshwater pond. It had a lot of small fish within it. They are wide stairs which take you to the top of the food from where you can see the entire Arabian Sea.
Check out these magnificent views which show the importance of this Fort. This higher viewpoint seems to be a surveillance keeper in the medieval period.
Another place which stands tall is what remains of a 7 story Palace structure. Today only 3 stories are visible. The story goes that the queen used to stay on the 7th story.
Not all parts of the fort are accessible as the Guards stop you from exploring a lot.
After almost an hour of exploring, it was time to leave the fort.
The Nearby Beaches
Nandgaon beach
Nandgaon is a clean beach with hardly anyone on the beach. It has access through the small lanes of the Nandgaon village. The beach is scenic and a good place near Murud Janjira to spend some time in solace.
The next one is the
Kashid Beach
Kashid beach is very beautiful and a lot of families come here to enjoy their evenings. You can park your car or vehicle outside and keep your stuff on the stalls nearby and enjoy the beach and sunset. This is one of the best places near Murud Janjira to spend time with your family.
The evening colors keep changing every minute. The beauty of the beach is at its peak at sunset. We saw red, orange, purple, Golden, yellow and pink colors mixed with each other.
The distant horse cart reminded me of the song Kahin Dur Jab DIn Dhal Jaye.
This is one of the few beaches in Maharashtra which you don’t want to leave. We were there till it was dark.
The stalls serve you tea and bhajiya which you can buy so that they don’t feel bad about taking care of your stuff.
Returning Back
While coming back we did not take the Mangaon route. Instead we took the route from Roha to Pali and from there to Lonavala and back.
If any one from Mumbai wants to explore this area they can take the way back to Mumbai from Lonavala.
We took this road to explore the road. We were pleasantly surprised by the forest and route through the tribal villages. There was hardly anybody on the road. We did not find a single shop till the city limits. The road was completely through jungles. We loved every bit of it.
Indeed Murud Janjira was an Epic Weekend trip.
For a Trip to another Coastal Beach, the Ladghar Beach in Dapoli is also a great choice. You must read Our Blog on Ladghar Beach, Dapoli here.
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