A trip to Malvan, Sindhudurga, Vijaydurga and Devgad is lots of fun, Many people come to Malvan as it is easier to find accommodation

here and visit various places in and around malvan. The sunset at the Malvan beach is spectacular with Sindhudurga fort in the background and also there is a big fish market in the evening with auctions of fresh fish taking place right on the beach. Malvan is famous for its food and its proximity to Sindhudurg fort, The star attraction of the trip. Sindhudurga fort is an excellent example of fort building architecture and the foresight of the great Maratha king, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. You have to take a boat ride to visit the fort. Another attraction of the trip is the nearby fort of Vijaydurga situated at Devgad. It is advisable to stay in Malvan and Visit Vijaydurga as there are less facilities of accommodation in Devgad.
Visit the twin forts of Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg on a low rocky 48acre island of Malvan coast. With a serene coastal beauty, the remnants of history prevail here on every brick of the Vijaydurg-Sindhudurg forts. Sindhudurg was built by Shivaji in 1664 AD and it is believed that he personally selected this site for the construction of this ocean fort. The fort was built with the help of 500 stone splitters, 200 blacksmiths, 3000 laborers and hundreds of skilled artists who worked very hard to complete this fort in three years. The fort has magnificent architecture. The presence of liquid lead in the 3km long and 10km high outer wall was built in an impenetrable manner. It was built in such a zigzag way that it was visible from every direction which helped the Maratha soldiers trace their enemies during war. The Shri Shivarajeshwar temple at Sindhudurg fort is dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji. The other attractions are the Hanuman and Jarimari mandir, Goddess Bhavani Temple, Shambhu Mahadev temple, Jirimiri and Mahapurush temple. There is also a unique coconut tree inside the fort which comprises of two branches. Vijaydurg Fort, also known as the victory fort, is three walled fortress comprising of umpteen towers and an awesome sized interior building. A board at the entrance states its history. The Vijaydurg Fort stretches out into the sea and is best viewed from the Jetty. About one kilometer from the fort is the Vijaydurg Beach. With its wonderful scenic beauty the views of the Vijaydurg Fort lays down the legacies of the great Maratha rulers. The Sindhudurg-Vijaydurg forts were once the naval bases. Today the forts can be reached through the narrow channel between the islands of Dhontara and Padmagad. Getting there: Via Mumbai - Goa highway Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg are 510km and 245km respectively. Nearest railway stations are at Rajapur and Kudal. Ferry services are available from Malvan port to Sindhudurg Port. One can trek from Donaje to the top of the Fort. Bus services are also available from Pune.

Vijaydurg fort is situated on the mouth of the Vaghotan river that separates Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. The original fort was built by Bhojraja Shilahar during 1196 to 1206. In those days it was known as "Gheriye", since it was surrounded by water on all sides. The Maratha king Shivaji took control of this fort from the Adil Shahi dynasty only in 1656 - after which the present day battlements and fortifications were built and then was rechristened "Vijaydurg".

The Vice President of India is the second-highest office in India, after the President.[2] The Vice President is elected indirectly by an electoral college consisting members of both houses of the Parliament. The Vice President would ascend to the Presidency upon the death, resignation, impeachment, or other situations leading to the vacancy in the Office of President. The normal function of the Vice President is to serve as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The current Vice President of India is Hamid Ansari, since 11 August 2007, and re-elected on 7 August 2012 with the appointment by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. [edit]Powers [edit]Acting

and duties

President of India

The Constitution provides that should "there occur a vacancy in the office of the President by reason of his death, resignation, removal or otherwise, the Vice President shall act as President until a new President is elected and enters upon his office" (Article 65(1)). After 1957,as per revised protocol the second highest post in India is of vice president which previously belonged to the prime minister of India. If the vacancy is going to be caused by a regular expiration of the term of the President, elections have to be completed before the term expires. Even if there is a brief interregnum owing to a delay of the elections, the President shall continue to hold office until his successor enters upon the office (Article 56(1)c). Thus the Vice President would ascend to the Presidency only under extraordinary circumstances such as: 1. 2. Death of the President Resignation of the President Removal of the President by impeachment Invalidation of the election of the President by the Supreme Court

3.
4.

Under such extraordinary circumstances, a Presidential election must be held no later than six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy. In the interim, the Vice President is empowered by the Constitution to act as President. Apart from a permanent vacancy, there may also arise a temporary vacancy due to the President's inability to perform the duties of the office. The Constitution provides that the Vice President shall discharge the functions of the President during temporary absence of the President, illness, of any other cause by which the President is unable to discharge his functions. The inaugural Vice President of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was himself the first Vice President to discharge the functions of the President, when the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad was away from the country for fifteen days on a tour to the Soviet Union in 1960. V. V. Giri was the first Vice President to serve for an extended period as Acting President of India (from May 3, 1969 to July 19, 1969) when the then President Dr. Zakir Hussain died while in office. When V. V. Giri resigned to contest for Presidential elections, the Chief Justice of India Mohammad Hidayatullah briefly acted as the President.

The President of India is the head of state of the Republic of India. The President is the formal head of the executive, legislature andjudiciary of India and is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The President is indirectly elected by the people through elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years.[3] Historically, ruling party (majority in the Lok Sabha) nominees (for example, United Progressive Alliance nominee Shri Pranab Mukherjee) have been elected or largely elected unanimously. Incumbent presidents are permitted to stand for re-election. A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the population of each state and the number of votes assembly members from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance between State Assembly members and the members of the Parliament of India. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, then there is a system by which losing candidates are eliminated from the contest and their votes are transferred to other candidates, until one gains a majority. The Vice-President is elected by a direct vote of all members (only elected) of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.[4] Although Article 53[5] of the Constitution of India states that the President can exercise his or her powers directly or by subordinate authority,[6] with few exceptions, all of the executive authorities vested in the President are in practice exercised by popularly electedGovernment of India, headed by the Prime Minister. This Executive power, is exercised by the Prime Minister with the help of Council of Ministers. The President of India resides in an estate in New Delhi known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan[7] (which roughly translates as President's Palace). The presidential retreat is The Retreat in Chharabra, Shimla and Rashtrapati Nilayam (President's Place) in Hyderabad. The 13th and current President is Pranab Mukherjee elected on 22 July 2012, and sworn-in on 25 July 2012. He is also the first Bengalito be elected as the president.[8] He took over the position from Pratibha Patil who was the first woman to serve in the office