Ramdara temple is a beautiful temple near Pune and best time to visit this place is monsoon.
We have no plans to go out on
weekends but Aaravya's friend Diveagar's trip made him want to go on a trip too and
he started insisting us to go out for a trip. We had no choice but to take him
because we could not tell him the reason of office as it was Saturday. Instead
of wasting so much time on convincing him, we got ready but were debating
over Ramdara or Kanifnath and then finally decided to go to Ramdara temple.
I quickly went downstairs and
asked my in-laws if they wanted to join us and they immediately agreed as they
didn't go anywhere due to lockdown. We assumed that there would not be
much crowd otherwise they would have had to sit in the car.
We visited Ramadara Temple on 28th November 2020.
Ramdara Temple as seen from walkway
How to get at Ramdara?
GPS shows the exact location
and almost all mobile operators have network there.
It is on Pune-Solapur
highway, around 30km from Pune. Go on the Solapur Highway, cross Hadapsar and proceed
towards Manjiri and then Loni-Kalbhor.Once
you cross the toll booth, you have to cross a bridge. After crossing bridge,
slow down your vehicle and look for a right turn. Take right turn and proceed
towards village, you will get a chowk where again you need to take a right and
go straight till the temple. The road construction at railway crossing near
Ramdara was in progress so we had to take a diversion to reach the temple which
took us some more time to reach the destination.
Do not go via Phursungi as
the road condition is very bad and no sign boards are available on the roads so
it would be difficult to find the route and reach the temple as GPS also do not
work on some places.
We reached the destination
around 12.30pm within 1.5 hours from Pune. Ample of parking space is available
there. Parking is little away from the temple, and one has to walk for 5
minutes to reach the temple.
You don’t see the temple
until the last minute as it is hidden within hills and trees. It is a very
scenic temple with idols of many deities, but main shrine is of Shiva. The
Temple is very colorful as it has beautiful paintings of Indian mythology such
as Lord Ganesh, Shri Krishna, Hanuman, Arjun, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram
etc.There is a Royal Nandi that catches
the attention so no one can stop themselves from taking photos. The area is
very peaceful away from the crowds but still very lively. You can see a lot of
birds there.
Bull (Nandi)
Lord Shankar and Parvati
Lord Krishna
Next to the temple is also an
ashram of Shri Mangalpuri Maharaj also known as Dhundi baba.
The lake next to the temple
adds to the beauty of the temple. There is a beautiful walk around the lake
where you can walk and explore the surroundings.The walkway is closed due to Covid-19 to avoid possible crowds on that
route.A guard (priest) was constantly
watching the crowd and telling those who had taken the darshan to leave
immediately.
Better to carry your own food as very few(hardly 2-3) options were available there.
After spending an hour there
we could see as many people coming to the place and so we decided to leave
before it got too crowded. On the way to the car we picked up some fresh
vegetables and fruits from the locals selling on the street.
We returned home @4.30pm soon
after having a lunch at Hotel Vaishali at Manjari.
My sister in law was asking to have a quick morning trek
to Sinhgad on Sunday, 15th November, as there was no ritual for Diwali that day. But
we were not sure whether Sinhgad is open for tourists or not, so decided to
visit Dhom-Balkavadi dam in the early morning.
We were planning to leave Pune at 5am but were 30 minutes
late. After picking up my sister-in-law, her husband and my nephew from Sinhgad road started our journey towards Wai. We wanted to reach there around 7am to
watch a beautiful sunrise, to watch sunlight reflections in dam water and the
mountain ranges is a visual treat and never miss from there. Reached the farm without any pit stop though missed sunrise and reached
there around 8am. A selfie was the first thing we did as soon as we got down of the car.
Immediately after reaching there, 4-5 peahens come on our way that
came in the search of food and then returning home. We roamed here and there which increased
Vitamin D and eating a few amla fruits had increased vitamin
C intake in our body. Indeed a healthy trip after COVID-19 lockdowns!!
Climate was very pleasant, we could see gems
of the morning i.e. dew drops on the grass. There is a banyan tree, so hanging to the strong roots of the tree is a must and enjoyable too.
We went to the farm and spent some quality time there, a
view of mountains and the dam is completely mesmerizing, one can just sit and watch
it for a whole day. You can see various birds, flowers, fishes there. The place
is not at all polluted; it is free from air-sound-water pollution, completely
natural. Dam water is also crystal clear and very clean, could see the bottom and spot fishes.
We sat down at the katta which is made around a tree. Once
the dam is full; you can easily put your feet in the water by just sitting on
the katta, small fish will give a good pedicure to your feet. We had brought Diwali
faral, fruits and salad made by Parth(my nephew), which all finished while
discussing our previous visits to the place. Every time I could discover
a new thing there; this time spotting rabbits and monkeys was a surprise, but could not capture them in the photograph.
Dam and mountains view from the katta is a delight that anyone can see for a long time.
Picturesque view of the Balkawadi Dam
After spending almost 3 hours we decided to leave because we had to go to a relative on the way. Our plan was to reach home by 5pm to make some arrangements for the next day
Padva and Bhaubeej celebration.
A selfie is mandatory before leaving the place JJ
While returning we enjoyed misal at Bhairavnath Hotel, Khambataki ghat; misal and buttermilk were awesome.
They served plenty of onion and lemon along with misal, usually, it is served in
less quantity in most of the hotels.
After Ambegaon we went to Dhankavadi to visit the in-laws of my
sister-in-law and reached home around 7 pm. It was much much-needed trip as for the last few
months no travel due to COVID-19. It was really an amazing break from the daily routine.
Tisgaon is a village in Ahmednagar district which is my birthplace and where I spent my childhood.
Since the last 15 years, I have been not there due to education and then a job. But whenever there is a chance to visit the place I never miss it. Love my village very much.
Historical gate(Vesh)
The village is known for its 30 historical gates. Places of religious importance in the area include Mohata Devi temple, 24 km distance; Vriddheshwar Temple, 15km distance; and Chaitanya Kanifnath temple in Madhi, 4 km distance.
We had a traditional house (Wada) built from soil & stones and was having a chowk in the centre of the house. But recently my parents and uncle built houses; we still miss our Wada, though were not liked it very much when we were living in it. But now after realizing the importance of the way how the traditional house was built.
I love a peaceful life there; especially after spending 10+ years in Pune. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of our WADA.
It feels great when you meet the people there who adore you and greet you proudly.
Our house
We have a big farm there; we(me, my brother & cousin)used to go to the farm almost every day when we were young. Playing water, climbing trees and eating tiffins on the farm were our favourite things to do. There are lots of Tamarind, Custard apple, Jujube(bor) and a few of Wood apple and Amla trees. We enjoyed corn and sugar cane from the farm. Earlier there was a bullock cart and we used to enjoy the ride every day.
In the summers we used to sleep at the terrace and count stars, those days were awesome. I miss those days badly.
Post COVID-19, I was really seeking a break from the daily routine. I got bored as for the last 9 months have not visited any of the places and are at home. Hard to believe!! It was a quick plan to visit my native place for 4 days on the upcoming weekend (29th Oct to 1st Nov) and we all were very excited and immediately started packing our bags.
Our journey starts at 7am in the morning and reached there by 11am. It takes 4 hours from Pune to reach Tisgaon via Ahmednagar. It really felt good as I was there after 2 years, all were very happy to see us there. I had enjoyed lunch as it was all as my choice, bharali vangi, bhakri, varan bhat, green chilli thecha, peanut chutney, pickle, papad and curd. Ahh hh ha...Too good!! Food made by Aai is like heaven. I ate too much, my stomach was full and asleep was must :P
In the evening, we visited our farm and a few temples in that way. After returning from the farm all sat in the porch and had discussions on various topics.
Next day, we again went
to the farm for morning walk, our farm is just 0.5km from home, so we used to go
2-3 times a day there. When we went to the farm my
uncle was there and some farming related activity was going on, so a bullock cart was also there
and My Son - Aaravya did not miss a chance to get a quick ride. He had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing in the water, soil and of course a ride. We came back home after
spending 2 hours there.
Sarja- Raja Jodi
Next day we decided to visit Vriddheshwar, Madhi and Mohata temples, but the temples are still closed for devotees. We tried to call and check the trustees who are our family friends if it is possible to take darshan from outside or not; they said you can come and take the darshan from the entrance. it was decided to go & try and managed the darshan at Vriddheshwar and Madhi from the main entrance but could not make it at Mohata.
Vriddheshwar is a holy place of Lord Shiva in the beautiful deep valley. Temple is maintained very well and it's clean as well. It's like must visit to spend some good time. The place is famous for various Ayurveda plants as there is a small jungle around the temple. And hence you will find lots of monkeys there. There is a huge rush in the month of Shravan; especially on Mondays, there is a fair on 3rd Shravan Monday. You can avoid visiting the place in Shravan but the surroundings are very beautiful at that time due to monsoon and it would be a visual treat to eyes, so a choice is yours!!
Vriddheshwar Temple
Village Madhi is famous for a samadhi place of Kanifnath. Kanifnath is one of the nine mahayogis of navnath sampradaya. The Kanifnath fair(yatra) is held on holi till Gudhi Padva. More than 7 lakhs bhakt visit the place on rangpanchami.
Kanifnath Temple, Madhi
Mohata is famous for a temple of Renuka Mata. The temple is at height and earlier there are almost 500 stairs to climb on to reach the goddess, but the temple is recently constructed and the car can go till the temple bypassing the stairs. One must-visit for a divine experience. Navratri is a major festival there. There are few options available for a stay in Mohata but you can stay in Pathardi, a tehshil place, you will get good options there.
Mohata Devi Temple
Please note the photos of Vriddheshwar, Madhi and Mohata are old as temples are closed due to COVID-19 spread.
There are a few more tourists places such as Paithan or Jayakwadi dam on Godawari River, Bhagwan Gad, Hanuman Takali nearby my village but could not visit all these due to the time and all the places were not opened due to COVID-19. I will try to visit these places in my next visit and offer you an interesting blog to read.
We (I and my husband) were planning to visit Ganpatipule for a long time but could not make it due to our busy schedules these days. But finally, the day had come, we were travelling to Ganpatipule to enjoy Xmas holidays and it was our bag pack trip, had not done a booking in any of the hotels. Our plan was to reach and then choose the hotel based on the location, ambience and of course a budget. I wanted to visit Audumber (Shree Kshetra Audumbar is in Palus Tehsil, 8 Kilometers east of Bhilawadi Railway station, is known for the shrine of Shree Dattatraya held in high reverence.) after hearing very good things about the place from a few of my friends and decided to have a halt there to break our journey in two parts to avoid continuous 8 hours driving from Pune.
Our journey began on 18th December afternoon around 3pm towards Audumber, after reaching Satara I started feeling nostalgic about Karad as I completed my engineering at Government College of Engineering Karad and did not get a chance to visit the college. I started convincing Kiran to visit the college as we were passing by there and got tempted to eat vada pav at the college gate, he agreed to have a pit stop at Famous Tapri for Tea and Wadapav.
We reached Audumber around 7pm evening. If you are going to the place, please avoid late-night travel as google map do not work there, it will misguide you and you will not be able to find it. We could only reach after getting the help of locals there. Audumber was our last minute plan and hence booking was not done to stay there. We met Mr Anant Kunte, who is a very kind and humble person who has given a room, it was the last available room there. After quickly freshening up and heading towards Shree Dattatraya temple, when entered in a temple we came to know that Aarti is going on and joined them. After aarti got over we returned to the room and enjoyed delicious prasad, which included amti, bhat, batata bhaji and Shira.
Date - 19thDecember 2019
We went to visit the temple and surrounding area, the temple is situated at the bank of Krishna River. After spending 2 hours on the premises we were back in the room to pack our luggage and vacate the room. Returned key to Mr Kunte to inform him about us leaving the place and left for Ganpatipule around 9am.
We took a right from Mumbai-Bangalore highway after Islampur and decided to follow Amba ghat route via 32 Shirala. Amba Ghat is one the most beautiful ghat with natural surroundings I have ever seen till today (I have not yet visited Amboli), picturesque mountain-scapes, green valleys and a pleasant climate. Beware of bad roads as road conditions were worse on a few spots, few rough patches and stretches were really dangerous. Though serene and natural surroundings make it a complete de-stress zone and one can spend hours staring at the silent valleys below. Could not resist ourselves to a quick stop for photography and tea and resumed our journey towards Ganpatipule. It was around 2 pm and started feeling hungry but decided to have lunch near Ratnagiri and hence continued to drive, but my son Aaravya was very hungry so we started looking for a good hotel and had lunch at Nisarg Dhaba.
Amba Ghat
Followed the route as directed by google Maps by taking right from the Hatakhamba post office, and the road was very narrow as seems internal cycleways or footways, it took almost 1.5 hours to cover 30km and anyhow we managed to reach Ganpatipule at 5pm. Ganpati idol at Ganpatipule is said to have sprung up from the soil. This deity faces the west, to guard the western gates, unlike deities in other Indian temples who face the east. The temple is at the base of a hill, and pilgrims walk around (pradakshina) the hill as a mark of respect.
After reaching there we inquired at MTDC resort but unfortunately, there was no room or cottage available. After checking a few more resorts, got to know about Omkar homestay, it was a small lodge kind of arrangement but the rooms were very clean, pleasant and spacious too, so we decided to stay there and checked in. After taking some rest, went to visit the temple for aarti @ 7pm, and got prasad (Pulav and Sheera) as guided by local Sevekari. It was December month and could see many school trips and children were enjoying prasad and having fun at the beach. We were tired due to travelling the whole day so just had a walk at the beach for 15 minutes and went to the room. Our focus was to explore only nearby places. There was a map showing nearby tourist spots in Omkar homestay, after speaking with the owner got some guidance on when to visit which place and he advised me to visit Pawas tomorrow in case wanted to visit as some event was getting started on 21st December and would be large crowd staying there for next couple of days. We decided to visit Ratnagiri and Pawas the next day.
Ganpatipule Temple
Date - 20thDecember 2019
After waking up at 6am, we visited Ganesh temple for darshan and started our
journey towards Ratnagiri at 8am, and reached Patit Pawan Mandir, a place
associated with Veer Savarkar. The temple is meant for showing the social
reforms which were spearheaded by Veer Savarkar.
Patit Pawan Mandir, Ratnagiri
We planned to visit The Birthplace of Lokmanya Tilak but we were hungry and decided to have pet puja first, had breakfast at a small Udupi restaurant and parked our car nearby parking available. After talking to the restaurant owner we came to know new places which can be visited near Pawas which includes the ancients Mahakali temple at Adivare and Kankaditya temple at Kasheli. But before that, wanted to see Tilak Ali museum by walking as heard that parking could be a problem there and it is not far, also wanted to roam in the local market to get famous Kohalepak from Helekar Sweets.
Tilak Ali Museum is the ancestral house of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the house is a classic example of native Konkani architecture and it has been turned into a museum to preserve the memory of the great freedom fighter. It depicts the life of Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his struggle for Indian Independence through paintings and pictures. The museum had a collection of personal belonging of the great leader.
The Ancestral Home of Lokmanya Tilak
It was almost 11.30 am so we started driving towards
Pawas, saw a long stretch Bhatye beach and a temple of Zarivinayak, a quick stop
was must there. A beach was not so clean when we were there but heard that it’s
usually a clean shoreline with soft sands.
Bhatye Beach
Ratnagiri to Pawas road is very scenic and in some places, you get the top view of the sea from the mountains. Pawas is famous for its natural beauty and tranquillity. We reached Swami Swarupanand Math Pawas around 1 pm, the place is a very peaceful, spiritual and neatly maintained memorial and his residence is now converted into an ashram which is used as a lodging and boarding facility for devotees. After taking darshan of Samadhi we explored some parts of Math. But as we made up our minds to see ancients Mahakali and Kankaditya temples hence did not spend much time at Pawas except having ice cream and some quick shopping at Desai Bandu Ambewale which is the exact opposite of the Math entrance.
Swami Swarupanand Math, Pawas
Pawas to Adivare roadside is very picturesque as it went through the side of Purnagad, a small fort located on a northern hill on the Muchkundi River; but were not have enough time to go and see a fort so escaped it before we change our minds. After reaching Mahakali temple we were surprised to see such a beautiful old temple, though maintained very well, thank god it god added to our trip and we have been there. The five Gods, Shri Yogeshwari, Shri Mahalakshmi, Shri Mahakali, Shri Mahasaraswati and Shri Rawalnath are situated in this temple premises. The statue of Shri Mahakali is made up of black stone and is known to be facing southwards. The Goddess wears a necklace and a crown that holds the Damaru, Trishul, Talwar and the Panchpatra in each hand. Just by side of the temple, there are another temple - Nagareshwar(Shiva) temple and Ram Mandir.
Mahakali Temple, Adiware
We had our evening tea at Adivare and headed towards Shree Kanakaditya (the Sun God) Temple, Kasheli which is a quiet and serene village is at a distance of approximately 30 km from Ratnagiri. The temple is about 900 years old and has a bright historical background. Authentic Konkani Kaularu architecture can be seen there. The interior of the temple is very beautiful with carvings and carvings on wooden pillars. Various deities are found carved on wood on the walls and roof of the temple. Rath Saptami festival is the most important festival there and the biggest attraction of this festival is a wedding ceremony of Kankaditya and Kalikadevi, the temple is certainly worth a visit.
Shree Kanakaditya Temple, Kasheli
We started our journey back to Ratnagiri as it was already 5.00 pm and didn’t want to miss the sunset at Aare-Ware beach. Bypassing through dense Casuarina forests before crossing Purnagad's creek bridge near Gavkhadi beach, could not stop ourselves from getting down and visiting the beach, spent only 15 minutes there and resumed our journey. We reached at Aare-Ware beach around 6.45 pm, the sky was bright orange and red, the Sun is already touching the surface of the ocean. It seems in a hurry to disappear; slipping quickly behind the line of the horizon spreading its last rays, offering a perfect spot for nature photography.
Sunset at Aare-Ware Bridge
Date - 21st December 2019
On Saturday we decided to stay at the hotel and not to visit any of the nearby places. Had lunch at Bapat Veg where the food was good. But Modak were awesome, enjoyed eating there. We went to the beach in the evening to play and had fun by doing a few water sports and returned after sunset.
Sunset at Ganpatipule Beach
Sunset at Ganpatipule Beach
Date - 22nd December 2019
We went to Malgund beach for a morning walk, this beach is 2kms from GanpatiPule and was there for 2 hours to roam around. It is the birthplace of famous Marathi poet Keshavasuta, he is regarded as a poet who heralded the dawn of modern Marathi poetry. There is a monument at Malgund dedicated to his work and also a museum where you can find information on most of the modern-day poets of the Marathi language. The memorial is a real treat for people who are interested in Marathi literature. His belongings are displayed in his old house, which has now been converted into this historical memorial. Getting an opportunity to see his century-old copper utensils such as panchpatra, moodpatra etc is too rare a treat to forgo. Malgund also houses Nirmal Nagari of holiness Nirmala Shrivastava of Sahaja Yoga fame.
After having breakfast at the only Shack on the beach we went to Kavi Keshavsuta Smarak and spent 2 hours exploring the premises but the time was insufficient, one can spend a day there as there is a lot to read and a library where you can find almost all books including the ones which are very rare to get these days.
Kavi Keshavsuta Smarak, Malgund
After that, we went to Jay Vinayak temple which is on the way to Jaigad and is located approximately 19 km away from Ganpatipule. This temple is built by JSW Energy Ltd thus it is also known as the Jindal Ganpati among the locals. The temple is surrounded by a clean and beautifully structured garden and serenity. The fresh air and cool environment are relaxing therapy for tourists. However, we could not spend much time as wanted to visit Jaigad fort and should return to the hotel till 3 pm for some rest as would be driving back to Pune the next day.
Jay Vinayak Temple, Jaigad
The Jaigad fort is a small fort that stands about 250 feet above sea level and has been erected very close to the shore, the fort is not maintained well. Jaigad fort is beside the village Jaigad, vehicles can reach up to the main entrance of the fort by a tar road. The lighthouse, located very close to the fort, gives a stunning panoramic view of the ships that sail the tranquil waters of the Arabian Sea. This can also be viewed from the fort; however, the lighthouse gives a much better vista of the majestic sea. Marathi movie ‘Killa’ has some scenes from the Fort and lighthouse.
We only spent one hour as the sun was so strong and could not bear the heat, returned to Ganpatipule and had our lunch at Bapat Veg. We went on the beach in the evening for a walk and were there for 2 hours, attended evening aarti (@7pm) at Ganpatipule temple and returned to the hotel to sleep early as tomorrow early morning wanted to travel back to Pune.
Jaigad Fort
P.S - All photos are taken from google as I lost my camera.
Date – 23rd December 2019
Our return journey started around 8am as we wanted to reach Pune till 4 pm. Had a pit stop at Amba Ghat for much-needed tea and had lunch at a restaurant near Karad and continued travelling to our city. We are reached our home-sweet-home @ 5 pm safely.
