Daman and Diu!
The first thing that strikes to your mind when you think about it, is the beaches. The second, the Portuguese.
Daman is a small fishing port (now an industrial hub) located in Gulf of Cambay (Kambhat). Now an Union terrotiry (UT), it's a cool hang-out place within the proximity of Mumbai and Surat. A couple of hours drive from from both places, daman is perfect destination for booze in your hand, sunset and beach. The service tax on all edible alcohol is waived off. You'll find party goers all around, especially on weekends and on public holidays.
Daman city is divided into two areas by the mighty Daman-ganga river. Moti-daman and Nani-daman. "Moti" Daman literally means "Big-Daman" and Nani-daman implies "Small-daman". That's said, the reality is vice-versa. Nani-daman is the hustle-bustle or heart of daman and is comparatively bigger than moti-daman. Moti-daman is built by Portuguese so all historical tourist places viz forts and churches are in moti-daman.
Two bridges connect Nani-daman and Moti-daman, one of which had collapsed in 2003 killing 30 people. The new bridge named Rajiv gandhi setu is opened for vehicular traffic in 2004.
How to reach :
By rail: Vapi is the nearest rail-head. There are plenty of western railway mail/express train halting at vapi. Shared "Ambassador" taxis are available from Vapi station and drop you at nani-daman bus station. Distance is 12kms. Fare-30rs per person.
Other inconvenient option is to take a state transport from Vapi bus station which is inconveniently located 500mts from the station. Expect a long ugly walk even though the distance is small.
By air: Mumbai is the nearest international airport. Daman has a domestic airport. Regular flights are available from Daman to Baroda and Mumbai.
By Road :
From Mumbai : Take the western express highway,turn left at Moti-daman exit. Cross the Rajiv gandhi setu and viola! you're there!!
From Surat : Take NH-8 and turn right towards SH-186.
History: The Portuguese Ceylon naval commander named Diogo de melo was on a voyage where his vessel went for a spin in sea storm, forcing it to daman shore. Soon, he settled there and established a Portuguese colony. Moti-daman fort was constructed in 16th century to thwart off mughals who were gradually gaining prominence in the region. The Portuguese struck a deal with Shah of gujarat to protect it from invading Mughals.
Daman remained Portuguese colony until 1960 where in, the then union territory of goa, and UT of Daman & diu were liberated when J.Nehru pumped in Indian armed forces which eventually won both territories in mere 2 days. Goa and UT of Daman and Diu were incorporated in Indian union of which goa has now attained statehood. Daman still remains as UT and is often clubbed with Diu, another former Portuguese colony.
The Portuguese built massive forts and a churches in roman style which are the living symbol to their art, to this day.
Top Attractions:
Beaches:
Devka Beach - Rocky shore, only worth visiting for an evening stroll. It's a 3 km rickshaw ride from Nani-daman. Not advisable for swimming. Look for shells and weird stones around. Collect them as souviniers for your memories.
Jampore Beach - All booze shops (or should i say tents!) lined up all along the shore provide tax free booze. Its full of party goers especially during weekends. Nonetheless, good place to hang out. The shore is sandy and is much safer to swim. Children will love this place coz they would like to make a small hole in their parents pockets as the shoreline is dotted with shops for children toys. Expect a bhel-puri/pani-puri walah convincing you to buy one!
Jampore beach is the hub of water-sports activity in daman. So if ur fan of it, this is the place to be!
Churches in Daman:
Church of Bom Jesus : The construction begin in 1559 and completed in 1663. Built in Roman church style, this architecture symbolizes the preciseness of Portuguese art work. The inner sanctum has statues of Jesus (Pbuh) and mother mary.
Other Portuguese churches : Chapel of our lady rosary, Church of our lady of Remedies, Church of our Lady of Angustias.
Forts in Daman:
Fort of Saint Jerome : This fort is dedicated to Saint Jerome. The construction commenced under the 12th Viceroy Dom Jeronimo de Azavedo in 1614AD. Opposite to this fort is the massive fort of Nani-Daman.
Fort of Nani-Daman : This massive fort has two maratha fort like entrance and ten bastions encompassing 30000 square meters. This fort is now used as administrative area where all govt offices are located. Dont miss to capture the light house. It looks gorgeous!
Some pics;
Tips:
1) Do not litter. Both the beaches are already littered. And when you see litter, you tend to pile up it even more. Lets not make these beaches, like the ones in bombay.
2) It's better to stay near jampore beach. Plenty of options are available as compared to Devka beach.
3) Alcohol is cheaper as tax is waived off. You would be tempted to take some back home. That's indeed a bad idea. There is police checking at the Daman-gujarat border. Even passengers in local taxis are not spared!
4) Dont attempt to swim at Devka beach. The shore is rocky.
The first thing that strikes to your mind when you think about it, is the beaches. The second, the Portuguese.
Daman is a small fishing port (now an industrial hub) located in Gulf of Cambay (Kambhat). Now an Union terrotiry (UT), it's a cool hang-out place within the proximity of Mumbai and Surat. A couple of hours drive from from both places, daman is perfect destination for booze in your hand, sunset and beach. The service tax on all edible alcohol is waived off. You'll find party goers all around, especially on weekends and on public holidays.
Daman city is divided into two areas by the mighty Daman-ganga river. Moti-daman and Nani-daman. "Moti" Daman literally means "Big-Daman" and Nani-daman implies "Small-daman". That's said, the reality is vice-versa. Nani-daman is the hustle-bustle or heart of daman and is comparatively bigger than moti-daman. Moti-daman is built by Portuguese so all historical tourist places viz forts and churches are in moti-daman.
Two bridges connect Nani-daman and Moti-daman, one of which had collapsed in 2003 killing 30 people. The new bridge named Rajiv gandhi setu is opened for vehicular traffic in 2004.
How to reach :
By rail: Vapi is the nearest rail-head. There are plenty of western railway mail/express train halting at vapi. Shared "Ambassador" taxis are available from Vapi station and drop you at nani-daman bus station. Distance is 12kms. Fare-30rs per person.
Other inconvenient option is to take a state transport from Vapi bus station which is inconveniently located 500mts from the station. Expect a long ugly walk even though the distance is small.
By air: Mumbai is the nearest international airport. Daman has a domestic airport. Regular flights are available from Daman to Baroda and Mumbai.
By Road :
From Mumbai : Take the western express highway,turn left at Moti-daman exit. Cross the Rajiv gandhi setu and viola! you're there!!
From Surat : Take NH-8 and turn right towards SH-186.
History: The Portuguese Ceylon naval commander named Diogo de melo was on a voyage where his vessel went for a spin in sea storm, forcing it to daman shore. Soon, he settled there and established a Portuguese colony. Moti-daman fort was constructed in 16th century to thwart off mughals who were gradually gaining prominence in the region. The Portuguese struck a deal with Shah of gujarat to protect it from invading Mughals.
Daman remained Portuguese colony until 1960 where in, the then union territory of goa, and UT of Daman & diu were liberated when J.Nehru pumped in Indian armed forces which eventually won both territories in mere 2 days. Goa and UT of Daman and Diu were incorporated in Indian union of which goa has now attained statehood. Daman still remains as UT and is often clubbed with Diu, another former Portuguese colony.
The Portuguese built massive forts and a churches in roman style which are the living symbol to their art, to this day.
Top Attractions:
Beaches:
Devka Beach - Rocky shore, only worth visiting for an evening stroll. It's a 3 km rickshaw ride from Nani-daman. Not advisable for swimming. Look for shells and weird stones around. Collect them as souviniers for your memories.
Jampore Beach - All booze shops (or should i say tents!) lined up all along the shore provide tax free booze. Its full of party goers especially during weekends. Nonetheless, good place to hang out. The shore is sandy and is much safer to swim. Children will love this place coz they would like to make a small hole in their parents pockets as the shoreline is dotted with shops for children toys. Expect a bhel-puri/pani-puri walah convincing you to buy one!
Jampore beach is the hub of water-sports activity in daman. So if ur fan of it, this is the place to be!
Churches in Daman:
Church of Bom Jesus : The construction begin in 1559 and completed in 1663. Built in Roman church style, this architecture symbolizes the preciseness of Portuguese art work. The inner sanctum has statues of Jesus (Pbuh) and mother mary.
Other Portuguese churches : Chapel of our lady rosary, Church of our lady of Remedies, Church of our Lady of Angustias.
Forts in Daman:
Fort of Saint Jerome : This fort is dedicated to Saint Jerome. The construction commenced under the 12th Viceroy Dom Jeronimo de Azavedo in 1614AD. Opposite to this fort is the massive fort of Nani-Daman.
Fort of Nani-Daman : This massive fort has two maratha fort like entrance and ten bastions encompassing 30000 square meters. This fort is now used as administrative area where all govt offices are located. Dont miss to capture the light house. It looks gorgeous!
Some pics;
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| Sunset at Devka beach. |
 |
| The mighty Daman-ganga river. |
 |
| Old Daman bridge. |
 |
| Inside the Moti-daman fort. |
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| End of 450 year Portoguese rule. |
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| Church of Bon Jesus. |
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| Inside the Church. |
 |
| Jesus christ been born. The son of god has arrived. |
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| India! As it is!! |
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| Moti-daman fort entrance |
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| Jampore beach on a windy sunday |
Tips:
1) Do not litter. Both the beaches are already littered. And when you see litter, you tend to pile up it even more. Lets not make these beaches, like the ones in bombay.
2) It's better to stay near jampore beach. Plenty of options are available as compared to Devka beach.
3) Alcohol is cheaper as tax is waived off. You would be tempted to take some back home. That's indeed a bad idea. There is police checking at the Daman-gujarat border. Even passengers in local taxis are not spared!
4) Dont attempt to swim at Devka beach. The shore is rocky.
Its a complete guide about Daman. Very useful post. The word Daman is a corruption of Portuguese word Damao. Though its age is unknown, it’s said to have existed during the same time as the Bassein Port, which in turn traces its origins to 9 CE. In the 16th century, prior to its capture by the Portuguese, Daman was a part of the Gujarat Sultanate. Check out all best places to visit in Daman also.
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