Taken For a Ride Murud Janjira 2010

Taken For a Ride Murud Janjira 2010, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

121,655 items / 810,764 views

This morning dressed in saffron, barefeet I left home to go to Murud Janjira to shoot the bullock cart race 2010 , a race that I have shot with a passion over the years, I shot it last year too.
So I took a train reached Gateway and was surprised there was not a single photographer going to Murud.

I took a PNP boat paid Rs 110 for the upper deck, reached Alibagh , had some snacks at Sumangal , my first halt at Alibagh , the road was burning hot my barefeet took the brunt , I caught a bus from Alibagh to Murud Janjira paying Rs 55 ..

On the way near Nangaon , a guy told me the race was canceled due to a court order but I continued my journey.

I arrived at Vinayaka restaurant on the Murud beach met the owner Sunil Dhamal..who reconfirmed the race was canceled.


I had not carried my mobile phone but I spoke to my journalist friend Kiran Batham of Sahara Samay, he was at Mahad..he is a Murud local.. he did not know the race was canceled either.

I shot a few pictures on the desolate beach , and was told by the kolis that the race was shifted to Nandgaon , I took another bus reached the Ganesh Temple at Nandgaon , but the race had been canceled at this venue too by the cops..

I met a local farmer of Nandgaoon , Vishnu Nangaonkar and he told me the race was at another village close to Alibagh , but I had no strength to continue, I got a bus after an hour , reached Alibagh , rushed to Maldar boat office and took the catamaran for Gateway all this at 6 pm..

On board I met a French guy an artist Fredrick , we got off at the pier , we walked till Lions Gate I offered him tea and he stays at a hotel at Metro Cinema and was walking back to his hotel, so I walked too till Churchgate caught a train and reached home dog tired exhausted at 9.30pm..

One person who lit up like a Xmas tree on seeing me was my 2 year old grand daughter Marziya Shakir .And I had made sure I carried two packs of wafers for her , she was overjoyed

And I showered had my dinner and this is my bum trip to Murud and back..

I had left Bandra at 9 .30 am today Gudi Padwa day.