Konkan - Nature at its best!

We took an early morning train from Thane to Ratnagiri. We reached Ratnagiri around afternoon and took a ride to Ganapatipule where we were staying. Ganapatipule is famous for its Ganapati Temple & white sand beach. Since we were here only for a day we decided to explore the city on the same day.

We visited Jaigad fort which is 14kms from ganapatiule. Fort has the complete view of the bay and the nearby JSW power plant. A jetty port and a lighthouse are located nearby. Although in ruins outer walls of the fort still stands. JSW group has built a huge Ganesh temple which is open for visitors. It is well maintained with sprawling garden around it.

Next day went to Marleshwar temple which is a cave temple of lord shiva. The Marleshwar yatra which takes place during Makarsankranti is a major event of this place. It is said that the temple is filled with snakes but there have been no complaints of any devotees being bitten. Thankfully we encountered none. The temple is mostly crowded during shravan and Nag panchami. Dhareshwar waterfall can be seen near the temple. The waterfall is open for devotees except for the monsoon season, as the land is sloppy and dangerous.

We then headed towards Ratnagiri station to board our train to Kudal. This being the central location we decided to stay here and continue with the rest of the trip. We stayed in Hotel Coconut which approx.2 kms from kudal station. They also have their own Restaurant and terrace lounge. Rooms are quite clean and reasonable. Food served at the Restaurant is also good. After a long day we directly headed to our rooms and dozed off early.

Next morning we headed to Amboli Ghat. If you are in pursuit of peace and solitude this is the place. A tranquil hill station surrounded with thick forest. It is also known as ‘Mahabaleshwar’ of Konkan. Best time to visit this place is during monsoon for enjoying the numerous waterfalls that cascade down the hills in Amboli. There is a famous spot here in Amboli named Kavlesad which is famous for its reverse waterfall. Next stop was Sawantwadi Palace; unfortunately the palace was closed for restoration work. Sawantwadi is famous for its wooden crafts/toys.

On the final day of the journey we went to Kunkeshwar temple. Kunkeshwar is a small village in Maharashtra. This temple is again of Lord Shiva. Kunkeshwar is built along the bank of Arabian Sea. According to the legend, a sailor travelling in the sea for a trade came near the beach of kunkeshwar. Suddenly, havoc started and the ship seemed to sink. He saw a lamp on that beach and prayed for the havoc to stop and he will build a temple in return. His prayers were answered, his ship came to shore without any problem. The shiva linga was already there, he built the temple around it. This temple is different from other shiva temples; it has alluring architecture similar to South Indian style of temple architecture.

After kunkeshwar we went to Devbaug beach. It lies to the south of Tarkarli and extended up to Devbaug sangam. ‘Devbaug’, which literally translates to ‘Gods Garden’. A beautiful piece of land with Karli waters on one side and Arabian Sea on other.

Last on the list for the trip was Tarkarli Beach. This beach is known as ‘Queen beach’ of Sindhudurg. For adventure water sport lover, scuba diving, snorkeling and other facilities are available.

If you are looking for quick monsoon getaway then konkan is the place. Every nook and cranny in the konkan villages turns in to a waterfall. It’s a delightful sight to witness the white burst of water…

Finally we bid a good-bye to konkan as we boarded our train.