Mirjan Fort - A Fort with Uncertain History

My wife and I along with other 5 couples - all our family relations and all senior citizens, joined a 7-day trip arranged by Anubhav Vacations to some off-beat tourist spots in and around Sirsi town in Uttar Kannada district during December 31, 2022 to January 6, 2023. During our trip, we stayed in Anubhav's own resort, Green World Forest Resort, located 18 kms east of Sirsi town. One of the places covered in the trip was a visit to Mirjan Fort, the name I heard for the first time. I did some research on the Fort to have some basic information before we proceed there.

Mirjan Fort

Mirjan Fort is located 12 kms from Kumta and 23 kms from Gokarna. From our Resort, it was around 78 kms via Sirsi town. A reference to Wikipedia revealed that the Fort does not have a definitive history as to when it was constructed and who constructed it. A display board of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) outside the Mirjan Fort also says that there is no reference as to the construction of the Fort. Yet, based on the contemporary sources, the Fort is supposed to be constructed by Shareef-Ul-Mulk (1608-1640), the ruler of Ponda under the patronage of Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur.

The other contemporary sources indicate that the Fort came under the ownership of the Vijayanagar kingdom who allowed Queen Chennabhairva Devi of Tuluva clan who ruled South Kanara (the present Mangluru and Udupi districts), North Canara (the present Uttar Kannada district) and South Goa, to occupy the Fort as a protectorate of Vijayanagar kingdom. She used the Fort for trading in Spices especially pepper and nutmeg. These spices were exported to Middle East and Europe through various ports such as Malpe, Honnavar, Kumta, Mirjan, Bhatkal etc. Because of almost her monopoly of trade in pepper, she was given a title of 'Pepper Queen".

With the decline of Vijayanagar kingdom, other chieftains of the neighbouring regions joined hands and defeated Queen Chennabhairva Devi who was taken as prisoner. She died while in the prison. The Fort changed hands, the Portuguese, the Marathas, and finally the British took the control of the Fort which remained with them until 1947.

Driving direction from Green World Resort to Mirjan Fort.

Ultra-wide-angle view of Mirjan Fort from parking area

The main gate to the Fort on the right.

The stairs from the main gate leading to the Fort.

At the outset, it looked like that a canal surrounded the Fort which is now completely dried. Since Aghanashini River flows very close to the backside of the Fort, it is quite likely that water from the River was diverted through the canal as a part of the protective measure.

There are four entrances, the main and 3 subsidiaries gates of which one is a secret passage now closed. As we enter through the main gate, a climb of about 20 stairs leads to the open plain area covered by laterite stones. There is a staircase going down to a secret underground passage which was closed for the visitors. On the right side of the secret passage, there is a watch tower with a flag post. This flag post is used to unfurl India's flag during the Independence Day. As we move to the left side, there is a big round well now covered with grills on the top as a precautionary measure. The well has water throughout the year. 

Stairs leading to the secret passage in the Fort.

The first of the two big round wells, covered with grills.

The well on the left, the watchtower with flag-post in the middle, another watchtower on the right and the secret passage in the foreground.

As we walk further by the side of the watchtower, we come across a single stone pillar with some carvings which would indicate that the pillar was a part of the temple inside the Fort which is no longer there. As we walk further towards the backside of the Fort, we come across another open space with ruins. The remains of the ruins and two wells inside the Fort indicate that there were houses for those who were permanently settled here in connection with both the trading as well as for the protection of the Fort.

The pillar found on the Fort would indicate that there was a temple inside the Fort which might have been destroyed by the invaders.

Probably the ruins of the houses and the watch towers on both sides.

As we walked towards the backside of the Fort, we found one more well which was also covered with grills. There was a lone Banyan tree below which a stone sculpture of Mahisasur Mardini was kept in the open. This stone sculpture was found by ASI while excavating the Fort. There is also a stone sculpture of tiger kept opposite Mahisasur Mardini Sculpture. This is the only place on the Fort where one can sit under the shadow of the Banyan tree after walking under the sun for a long time.

A bird's eye view from the backside of the Fort. One can see another well on the left and the lone Banyan tree in the middle.

Mahisasur Mardini with the tiger as her vahana under the Banyan tree.

Moving further towards the North-Western side of the Fort which requires a short climb of some uneven steps, we get a beautiful, lush green plains and a meadow by the side of which Aghanashini River flows. This is very beautiful sight for photo session. 

View from the backside of the Fort with Aghanashini River flowing almost by the side of the Fort.

Another view from the Fort with a meadow on the right.

It was nearly 2:00 p.m. when we completed the tour of the Fort, spending around 90 minutes inside the Fort. The weather was warm and humid. As soon as we came out of the Fort, we had tender coconuts as our drink before we boarded the bus for our lunch halt at Go Green Homestay off NH-66. We returned to our Resort in time for dinner after visiting Idagunji Ganapati temple and watching the sunset at Echo Beach in Honnavar.

Eagle's Nest - A Home Away from Home

K. Srinivasan and I stayed with our friend, Tilak Soni for 3 nights in his house which he has named as 'Eagle's Nest' during our recent one-week sojourn in Uttarkashi-Harsil-Gangotri circuit involving three day-treks and three village walks. The house is located in Mando village, 4 kms from Uttarkashi town on Kedarnath road.  Sitting in an open porch outside our room and watching the gentle flow of emerald-colour water of Bhagirathi River amidst the surrounding mountains covered with dense forest gave us an opulence feel. Tilak told us that he had often seen deers roaming on the top of the hills and occasionally leopards also. The guests in 'Eagle's Nest' do not need a swimming pool as they can have more or less the same feel in Bhagirathi River with its somewhat calm flow and the shallow water by walking a few steps. 

Eagle's Nest on the right, Bhagirathi River on the left.

View of Bhagirathi River from the open porch of Eagle's Nest. On the left is Kedarnath Road.

This was our room during our stay in 'Eagle's Nest'.

The open porch outside our room to view Bhagirathi River while sipping coffee.

I have known Tilak Soni for the last 14 years - first through an India related travel portal where we both were members. Sometime in June 2011, K. Srinivasan (KS), my trekking partner and I, on a short break in Delhi on our way to Joshimath for Changbang Base Camp trek, had personally met Tilak for the first time. In May 2015, on our completion of Dodital-Darwa Top-Dayara Bugyal round trek, we had returned to Uttarkashi. When Tilak came to know about our presence in Uttarkashi, he personally came to pick up us from our hotel room and took us to the then rental house about 3 kms further toward Gangotri side. At that time, he had told us that in our next visit to Uttarkashi, we should stay in 'Eagle's Nest' as his guests. That occasion came recently after a gap of 7 years. 

Me and K. Srinivasan at 'Eagle's Nest' on May 31, 2015, after our return from Dodital-Darwa Top-Dayara Bugyal round trek.

When we planned for our ramblings in Uttarkashi district scheduled in October 2022, I apprised Tilak through e-mail with our schedule of visit to Uttarkashi and our plan to stay with him. He immediately confirmed by replying that he has noted the dates in his diary.

With three days' stay in his house, the opportunity for inter-actions with Tilak was much more than our casual meets earlier. I came to know many things about him - especially about his transformation from a savvy urban man from Delhi to a rugged hillman. Tilak left his lucrative corporate job in Delhi and decided to settle down in Uttarkashi in 2010. His was an interesting story and I felt that I should write about him, about his 'Eagle's Nest' and his venture, 'Cafe TFH'. 

 

Cafe TFH - The Food Habit on Kedarnath Road. The gate near the Cafe leads to 'Eagle's Nest'. The bus on the left is on Gangotri Road.

Tilak Soni in the kitchen preparing the herbal tea for us in the morning. The dining room can be seen through service area from the kitchen. 

View from Cafe TFH of Bhagirathi River.

Tilak's family belongs to Nawalgarh in Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. However, they have been staying in Delhi for over three decades. When he got a corporate job in Delhi, Tilak used to ride on his motorcycle (bike) to reach office. Over a period of time, biking became his passion. He started weekend travelling on his bike along with his close friends. In one of such group travels, he rode his bike from Delhi to Gangotri sometime in 2002. He liked the hill atmosphere so much that he made the bike ride on Gangotri road an annual feature. During such bike-rides, he had inter-acted with some sadhus and mystique men Slowly, he was drawn to spirituality. He enjoyed the tranquility in the mountains. He felt that he was more inclined towards spending life on the mountain settings than the urban concrete jungles. So, after giving much thought over it, in 2010, he decided to resign from his corporate job, leave Delhi for good and shift to Uttarkashi to be in the company of Bhagirathi River and Vishwanath temple.

In the initial years, Tilak stayed in a rented house, about 3 kms from Uttarkashi towards Gangotri side. Having left the job, he had to find some vocation in Uttarkashi which would not only keep him busy but also earn some income for the sustenance. He decided to take up the vocation for which his expertise was proven - organising mountain bike ridings (both motorcycles and bicycles), trekking expeditions, hiking to unexplored places and village walks. During this period, Tilak also completed the Basic Mountaineering Course Certification Course from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi in 'A' Grade.   With this, he was now ready to start his vocation for which he set up 'Where Eagles Dares' to undertake outdoor adventure activities.  He said that he was pioneer in organising the first snow-biking from Uttarkashi to Gangotri. Since then, it has become an annual event. He had also participated in season's opening of the treks in the Gangotri region like Kedartal, Tapovan etc. Among his many trekking expeditions, Tilak successfully completed Kalindi Khal Pass (5940m) which joins Gangotri region with Badrinath.

When Uttarakhand Government opened the 24-km stretch of Bhaironghati-Nelong road for Indian civilians for driving trip, Tilak along with 5 other cars were the first civilians to travel. Another feather in Tilak's cap was his concerted efforts with the concerned departments of Uttarakhand Government (such as Forest, Tourism, Public Works) to repair the damaged wooden stairs of Gartang Gali and open to Indian tourists to trek. His efforts bore fruits and in August 2021, the 2-km Gartang Gali trek was open for Indians with some restrictions. He is now pursuing with the same departments to extend the trekking coverage of Gartang Gali from the present 2 kms to 7 kms (up to a point where the trekking path meets the Bhaironghati-Nelong road). 

The idea of starting Cafe TFH in 2018 germinated from the need to serve his guests the varieties of food - Indian, Chinese, Continental etc. The menu card of the Cafe gives a good indication of his intent.  Leaving alone in Uttarkashi away from his parents made Tilak to learn cooking. Today, he has become a good chef not only to take care of his own food requirements but also of his guests and the visitors to his Cafe TFH. He can also serve food which are not listed in the menu card, for example, Sizzlers.  During our three days of stay with him, he personally cooked breakfast for us as his cook would come only around 9.00 am at that time. We had an authentic feast of South Indian dishes like Masala Dosa, Rava Dosa, Idli with filter coffee. KS had never expected that in Uttarkashi, he would get Curd-Rice with fried red chilies and curry leaves, a specialty South Indian food. The sambhar and chutney personally prepared by Tilak were testimonial to his expertise on making South Indian food. I do not think that such authentic South Indian preparations would be available elsewhere in Uttarkashi.

The dining room. One can see Bhagirathi River through windows.

The menu card.

The lounge outside the dining room of the Cafe.

As I mentioned earlier, Tilak had his 'Eagle's Nest' on a rented premises. In 2018, after opening Cafe TFH, the land behind the Cafe was bought by him. After registration, he constructed his present 'Eagle's Nest' with 3 bedrooms, one of which is for his personal use. With extra beds, six guests can be accommodated in remaining two bedrooms. However, in case of need, Tilak gives his bedroom also for the use of his guests by shifting himself in an adjoining anteroom which has a separate exit. He told me that he has no plan to construct additional rooms though there are space enough to construct two more rooms. He has a plan to construct a ramp by the side of his Cafe on the right so that guests need not use steep stairs to descend from the road to reach the rooms.

Tilak with myself (left) and K Srinivasan (right) outside his Cafe just before our departure to Dehradun.

Tilak gives first preference to his adventurous friends numbering about 9000 to use his house for overnight stay on their ways to/return from adventurous activities in the Gangotri region. His rooms are also available for those who need to stay somewhat longer time in Uttarkashi in pursuing their research works in the Gangotri region. Others can book the rooms provided they are referred to by his friends and rooms are available.  

There is no room tariff. Instead, Tilak has left to his guest-friends to donate the money as per their ability. Tilak says that to the best of his knowledge, all the guests donated the money as per their capacity. Most of his guests donated generously. The donations are used for day-to-day maintenance of the property and for adding some more facilities for the benefit of the guests. Tilak has also made available to the guests the free Wi-Fi facilities, both in rooms as well as in the Cafe. He has good collection of books in the library which the guests can use for reference.  

Tilak calls 'Eagle's Nest' as a homestay. But I would like to call it a home away from home. I have already decided that in my next visit to Uttarkashi which may be as early as next year, 'Eagle's Nest' would be my abode. At that time, it would be more of a leisure stay to have the full benefit of the culinary expertise of Tilak.