Fort, beach and song

Susheela Nair

UNENDING swathes of greenery greeted us as our vehicle meandered along the hilly roads of Bekal in Kasaragod district of Kerala. Flanked by the dense forests of the Western Ghats in the east and the blue Arabian Sea in the west, with the Talapadi and Trikaripur rivers flowing nearby, it is a languid, alluring   destination.

Straight ahead, across a turquoise-blue bay studded with colourful fishing craft, loomed an imposing promontory crowned by the ramparts of an impressive laterite fort. To the south is the curvaceous Bekal Beach, and to the north at Kappil is a tiny cove sandwiched between two headlands, beyond which a long, straight beach stretches for miles.

Standing 130 ft above sea level near the outer boundary of the seaside fort of Bekal, with rain-laden clouds hovering over, we could feel the soulful melody of Tu hi re playing in our minds. Bekal Fort attained tinsel fame when Mani Ratnam chose it as the locale for a song sequence in his hit film, Bombay. It evoked memories of the hero crooning on its rain-drenched ramparts whilst waiting for a clandestine meeting with his burqa-clad paramour.

This lilting song sequence in Bombay lured film buffs and movie makers.  The wet, green ambience coupled with the black, weathered laterite captured by ace lensman Rajiv Menon drew tourists to this fabulous fort and catapulted it to fame as a tourist destination. The seaside fort is said to have moved even the most battle-scarred of soldiers to poetry. 

The fort, the largest in Kerala, has been witness to half a millennium of north Malabar history. While we were lazing around on the beach, a local filled us in on the chequered history of the fort. If only their walls could speak, they’d tell tales of the intrigues of Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty, Kolathiri Rajas, Vijayanagara kings, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and the British. It is now under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and excavations have unearthed remains of a durbar hall, a temple complex, and coins and artefacts pointing to the strong presence of the Mysore Sultans.

Bekal Fort derives its name from the words be (burning) and kallu (stone). Another view ascribes its origin to a local Krishna temple which is said to have given the place the name of Devakulam (abode of the deva). This became Dekal and got corrupted as Bekal. According to another version, the word Bekal is derived from the word Baliakulam, meaning ‘Big Palace’. The place is said to have been the seat of a big palace in the past. The term Baliakulam got corrupted as Bekulam and later as Bekal.

Entering the fort, we walked into a 30-acre expanse of land which has several watch towers, peepholes, secret tunnels, and of course cosy corners and niches for rosy-eyed honeymooners. And there is the ancient magazine which used to store weapons and ammunition. Come monsoon and the vast space gets carpeted with grassy knolls. Inside, a secret tunnel leads you right into the sea. You can clamber along the battlements or climb down to the beach through hidden passages or look for the Muthukkinar (well of gems) where the Nayaks used to deposit all the ornaments of the dead. Or watch the setting sun with the ramparts of the fort silhouetted against the horizon. Strolling around, we found small peepholes on the walls of the fort where the soldiers on guard used to place the barrels of their rifles.

Near its entrance is a temple dedicated to Hanuman, as old as the fort itself, and a mosque believed to have been built at the instance of Tipu Sultan. Over 300 years of history lie in the imposing ramparts of this majestic fort that juts out into the Arabian Sea. The renovated Mukya Prana temple at the entrance next to the gate draws a steady stream of visitors. The facade of the high walls with the battlement and the entire structure of the fort are an architectural delight.

And there is a large observation tower in the middle of the fort at a height of 10 m and with a circumference of 27 m. Clambering on to it, a spectacular view was in store — of the shimmering horizon beyond the sea on the west and to the east the unending stretches of greenery of the lush valleys and the undulating mountains. Sentinels must have kept vigil here day and night, gazing out through the moss-covered peepholes to spot enemies advancing from the high seas. The fort was presumably built with a view to spotting enemy vessels afar in the ocean. Tall, bushy grasses with golden bristles swayed gently against the backdrop of the weather-beaten structures.

The sky turned an unusual crimson as the sun set and we climbed back to the fort. The historic importance faded in the background for a moment as our thoughts slowly lapsed into the romantic song sequence in Bombay. Mani Ratnam probably couldn’t have found a better locale to match the fathomless passion and anguish of the lovers in the film. Seeing Kerala’s largest fort in a state of neglect, we felt saddened and left with heavy hearts.

Fact File
Where to stay: Taj Gateway Bekal    
Contact: [email protected]
Distance: Mangalore – 60 km