The recent trip I made was actually a long ride to the Nainatal of the West. Yes we too do have a whole city (just like the famous Nainatal) based around a lake: Sawantwadi, Maharashtra India
Starting early for this place by bike , We started at 6:00 am while it was still dusky and the morning sun was just peeping out. A long road trip was just what I needed and this was quiet perfect. This place being around 65 kms from the capital of Goa -Panaji isn't as far as I had estimated it to be.
Before we reached there , we halted for breakfast on the borders of Goa-Maharashtra. A humble dose of utter delicious Bhaji pau at a small cart and hot tea-yum! Couldn't ask for anything better than that.
Ok so not fancing around, I must say its best to travel here in a four wheeler or reach here before it turns 11:00 as the heat can literally kill u! Trust me, it frankly turns so unbearable.
For those of you who haven't heard about Sawantwadi let me get you there. Sawantwadi is a small town in the Sindudurgh district of Maharashtra India. It was initially known as Sundarwadi, ruled by the sawant Bhosle royal clan of the Marathas and later named Sawantwadi after the surname of the states ruling family of 'Khem-Sawants'. This town is based around a lake called 'Moti Talao' which is quiet famous.
The first thing we did after encircling the huge lake 2-3 times (while enjoying the scenic beauty) was enter a giant palace like structure called the Rajwada I.e The Sawantwadi palace. This place is massive with a decent structure. It has a museum too, unfortunately we couldn't tour it as it was closed due to some festive occasion.
Next spot- The main town being quiet small, we didn't wander much far as I said the heat, remember! We went around and did some Saree shopping. Exploring the market futher we wandered in the narrow long lanes full of small humble jewellery stores, which was quiet fascinating and fun. But the highlight of the trip for me was exploring the wood market of Sawantwadi. The wood market actually comprises of a few small shops and is an age old trade carried by the locals. They put in a lot of hard work and have some pretty unique masterpieces as well for say very very reasonable prices
We winded up our visit there just past noon having lunch in a village nearby. Overall Sawantwadi did leave a hardwood imprint on me. I even happened to get back some sovuiners and a lot of satisfaction from that long road trip.
If you happen to be here don't forget to make a visit to these wood work shops. They will definitely leave you amazed.
