PLACES OF INTEREST

MASURE

Masure (Malvan T.; p. 9255), is about half way between Malvan and/or Malond on the Kalvali creek had at one time been wrongly identified with the famous Muziris of Ptolemy (150 A.D.) and Periplus (247 A.D.), then one of the chief places of trade in western India. It is now generally agreed that Muziris was further south on the Malabar coast. [Muziris has by Forbes, 1783 (or. Mem. IV. 109), and by Renel, 1788 (Map of Hindustan XXXVII), been identified with Mirjan near Kumta in north Kanara; Dr. Caldwell's suggestion (Zmx Dravidian Grammer, Introd. 97), that Muziris is Muyirkatto, the modern Kranganor in Cochin, is, though this is much further south than Ptolemy puts it, now generally accepted (Balfour's Cyclopaedia, Muziris; McCrindle's Periplus, 131), Yule (Cathay, II. 374), marks it doubtful.] It is one of the biggest villages in Ratna-giri district but has very little trade in chillies, cocoanut, kokam, coir and brooms. The nearest railway station is Kolhapur, 102 miles to the north-east. Masure was in the possession of the Savants of Vadi up to about 1809, when half the share fell to Kolhapur. In 1811, the Kolhapur share came into the hands of the British, and in the same year the Vadi share was made over to Kolhapur. After remaining under Kolhapur, till 1845, this half also became British property. [From local information.] In a hamlet close to Masure is a temple of Shri Dev Bharadi, in honour of whom on Poush Vadya Ekadashi (January), a fair is held, attended by from 10,000 to 15,000 persons. There is a temple of Vetal, a king of ghosts at Anganvadi. A wooden idol of Vetal, seven feet high is installed in it.

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