Castle Rock located in the Uttara Kannada district of India is a village situated at an elevation of 2,040 feet. It is surrounded by the Western Ghats and forms the state border of Karnataka with Goa. There are so many interesting things and tales associated with Castle Rock. Check out a few here:
1. Located Within Dandeli Tiger Reserve
The place lies within the Dandeli Anshi Tiger Reserve amidst heavily forested area. The vegetation of Castle Rock is mostly moist tropical deciduous.
Served As Frontier Between Goa And India
For long years, the village served as a frontier between Goa held by the Portuguese and India which was under the dominance of British. India was connected by a meter gauge railway line to the two Goan towns of Vasco and Margao.
Real Goa-India Connection Started in the Early 1990s
The real connection of India with Goa started when eventually Konkan Railway services extended to the Goan land in the early 1990s. The Indian Railways replaced the meter gauge with broad gauge and connected Goa with the rest of India. You can still witness the traces of meter gauge tracks at the Castle Rock railway station.
Verification And Custom Checks Were Carried Out At Castle Rock
The West of India Portuguese Railway owned and operated the MG railway line that ran from Marmagao railway station to Castle Rock railway station. Today Vasco da Gama railway station serves as the terminus of the line.
However, during the British and Portuguese rein, Castle Rock was the place where all the verification and customs checks related to international & domestic traveling were made.
Castle Rock Railway Station Located At Start Of Braganza Ghats
The railway station at Castle Rock marks the start of Braganza Ghats from the side of Karnataka. The Braganza Ghats are a hill section stretch in between the Goa and Karnataka border.
Famous For Dudhsagar Falls
Castle Rock is the nearest railway station from where you can reach the four-tiered waterfall called Dudhsagar Falls or Sea of Milk. The Waterfalls is located on the Mandovi River in Goa and are one of the tallest Indian waterfalls. It has an average width of 100 feet and a height of 1017 feet.
The falls is located in the Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and is surrounded by rich biodiversity of deciduous forests. Dudhsagar Falls instantly became famous after the release of Deepika Padukone and Shahrukh Khan starer “Chennai Express.”
Known For Castle-Like Tunnel
The entire place earlier was known for manganese ore mining. However, mining now has been banned in this area. The Castle Rock Railway is also known for an old castle-like tunnel that is quite enchanting.
Trekking Stretch From Castle Rock To Dudhsagar
For those who love adventure, the trekking stretch from Castle Rock to the Dudhsagar Falls is very inviting. During this 11 km long trek, you will find a series of rail tunnels. Tunnel 2 is the longest rail tunnel stretching across a distance of 2.4 km.
All you have to do is follow the railway track to reach the Dudhsagar Falls passing through small waterfalls, and dense forests.
