Weekend trip to Diveagar and Harihareshwar, Konkan

Diveagar is on the western coast of India in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is one of the safest beach in the Konkan region. Diveagar is extremely popular for its beautiful beaches.  

We are looking for 2 days quick trip before summer vacation ends. The first 3 weeks of May were very busy with various summer camps. There was no activity in the last week and since it was our wedding anniversary, we planned a trip on 29th May. Considering time and distance, we decided to visit Diveagar and Harihareshwar as it is 4 hours drive from Pune. And Aaravya (my son) had to go there since, the famed 'Golden Ganesh Temple' Diveagar got back its gold idol on the auspicious Angaraki Chaturthi on Tuesday 23rd November 2021, which was stolen in a daring temple heist after killing two security guards in March 2012.  

Date – 29th May 2022 

We began our journey @ 8 am after having breakfast at home and reached Diveagar around 2 pm after having few quick stops at Tamhini for Karvand (berry-sized fruits). The route is amazingly beautiful especially during and after monsoons. Road is in good condition except 1-2 rough patches in tamhini ghat. 

The route to reach Diveagar is Pune – Paud – Tamhini Ghat – Mangaon – Mhasala – Diveagar. 

If you do not want to drive and only want to go to Diveagar, then there is a ST for Shivaji Chowk, Divegar from Swargate, Pune. It leaves Swargate at around 2 pm, reaches Diveagar at 7pm. The same ST leaves Diveagar for Pune the next day at 5:30 in the morning.

Somewhere at Tamhini Ghat

It was my second visit to Diveagar and third to Harihareshwar. 

Click here to read to my previous Diveagar travel blog. 

We had brought food with us as my in-laws were accompanying on this trip, he was on medication so didn't want to miss his mealtime. We booked 2 rooms at Aai resort as the booking was done just a day ago, AC rooms are not available, so we booked non-AC rooms. We wanted to stay at Aai resort as our previous stay was very comfortable there. Nowadays in Diveagar, few new hotels are built up and available for accommodation.  After some relaxation in the afternoon, we went to the beach at 5:30 and enjoyed swimming and water sports. 

We @ Diveagar Beach

The beach is on walking distance of 10-15 minutes, almost a kilometer away. The beach was not very crowded though it was Sunday, but more people were there than usual. The beach is a broad, sandy, and clear water; it is separated by a road. The climate was not very pleasant, but it was fine as expected at end of summer.       

Sunset @ Diveagar beach

We came back to the resort around 8 pm. After freshening up, we visited the resort and its surroundings and chatted with the resort owner and other guests in the courtyard. We had dinner at Aai Resort and the food was good. If you want to dine at any hotel or khanaval in Diveagar, you have to let them know in advance.

Date – 30th May 2022 

We got up around 7am as we don’t want to visit the beach in the morning. Our plan was to visit Suvarna Ganesh and Rup Narayan temples in the morning and then to Harihareshwar. We went to Roop Narayan temple first as Suvarna Ganesh temple opens at 8am.  

Rup Narayan temple is located close to the beach. It is a very old temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Temple is made up of laterite red bricks and it is beautifully sculpted, and idol is carved meticulously on black stone in a way that all ten avatars (Dashavatar) of Vishnu are visibly seen in a clockwise direction. The Lord Vishnu idol is with Sankh, Chakra, Padma and Gada in four hands and is so beautiful and mesmerized. One can feel good positive vibrations in this temple. There is another temple adjacent to it, it is of Lord Sundar Narayan. There is a well in front of the temple with very well constructed steps to go inside.  

Beach is at a walking distance from this place, the road to this place is very narrow so better to park the vehicle behind on the main road. 

Roop Narayan Temple, Diveagar

Roop Narayan

Deepmal

Sundar Narayan

When we reached Suvarna Ganesh temple it was opening. Good parking space available opposite Ganesh temple. We parked our car and move toward the temple. There was not much crowd but were only 15-20 people waiting for the temple to open along with us. As soon as we entered the temple, we felt very pleasant. The Ganesh idol in this temple was made up of gold, hence the name "Suvarna Ganesh". This temple earlier had a gold statue of Shri Ganesh, unfortunately it was stolen in March 2012. Thieves killed two security guards there. Later thieves were captured but gold idol and ornaments were melted. But it has now been replaced with another similar gold statue in November 2021.  

This Temple is reconstructed with beautiful design and the premise is very calm. It is situated at approximately 1 km from the beach. 

History of Suvarana Ganesh temple is quite fascinating and interested one. 

It was special day of Sankashti Chaturthi of Hindu Calendar on Dated 17th November 1997, there was found a copper box in a coconut farm while doing cultivation. The Box was Muddy as it was buried and looked ancient. It has some words written from the old Sanskrit. This incident attracts the interest of entire Village people of Diveagar. The box had a sculpture of Lord Ganesha made of pure gold along with Gold ornaments of it. It was then that god was named as Suvarna Ganesh. It is believed that Lord Ganesha idol is approximately 400 years old.     

Suvarna Ganesh Temple, Diveagar

The temple atmosphere is very calm and clean. It’s a small, peaceful but a divine place. After spending half an hour there we went back to the resort as we placed an order Ghavane and chutney for breakfast there. Unlike Pune, in Diveagar, tea or breakfast is not available early in the morning; you need to wait till 9 am.  

At 9 o'clock we were very happy to get white-soft-big ghavane and spicy chutney, the tongue is satisfied with authentic konkani menu and we were served hot tea after that.  

Our initial plan was to visit Harihareshwar in the morning and come back to Diveagar and check out in the noon after some rest, so we placed lunch order in Bapat Khanaval for veg thali with modak and solkadhi. But considering distance and time to travel to Harihareshwar and of course the bright sunlight we changed our plan and decided to travel Pune directly from Harihareshwar. The distance from Diveagar to Harihareshwar is 35 km which requires almost 1.5 hours due to narrow and rough road. 

After breakfast we packed our bags, checked out the resort and headed towards Harihareshwar. 

Harihareshwar village in Shrivardhan taluka of Raigad district of Maharashtra, it is know for Lord Shiva and Kalbhairava temples. The place is also known as Dakshin Kashi. This temple is most ancient, and the main deity of the temple was the ‘Kuladaivat’ of the Peshwas, the prime ministers of the great Maratha Empire. 'Pradakshina Marg' around the temple was built by Chandrarao More. Even in 1674, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has also visited the Harihareshwar temple. Later, the temple was even renovated completely in 1723 by Bajirao Peshwa I after having been almost destroyed in a fire. 

The road is not in good condition but drives along the sea is pleasant. We stopped a few times to buy Mango, Karwand and Jamun and reached Harihareshwar in an hour. It was very hot at that time, after parking a car and you need to walk a little to get to the temple and there are steps in some places. My father-in-law would not have been able to walk so much hence they both stopped at a restaurant and three of us went to the temple.  

The architecture of the temple is unique and attractive. Inside the main sanctum of the temple, there are idols of Shiva, Parvati, Vishnu and Brahma in the shape of a linga. Quite close to the temple, there is are other two temple - Lord Kalbhairav and Goddess Yogeshwari.  

There was little rush due to Monday as it being lord Shiva’s day, few people doing abhishek and pooja. We could take blessings in 15-20 minutes and then went to halfway of the pradakshina path. We have enjoyed tides and photography there but due to bright sunlight we were feeling exhausted. There are few Sharbat stalls available where you will get nice drinks, we enjoyed cold buttermilk which was must needed that time.  

 A pradakshina path goes around the temple, along the seashore. It is not advisable to go on this route during high tide. The day we were there was exactly the new moon(amavasya) hence pradakshina path was closed due to high tide. 

High Tide @ Harihareshwar Beach

Pradakshina Path during High Tide

After spending an hour there, we left and done some shopping and came to the place where my in-laws had stopped. As it was almost 12.30, we wanted a good veg meal. We enquired there and got to know about Ashokvan, a place for pure veg meal which is a kilometer away from the parking. Actually, we wanted to eat modak, solkadhi and rice bhakari but you need to place an order for this menu a day before.  

We stopped at ‘Ashokvan Pure Veg’ after seeing the board at left side while travelling from Harihareshwar to Diveagar/Mhasala. The place is a bit inside, it is not easily noticed from the road but there is a board at the roadside. You need to park your vehicle near the board and walk 2 minutes to reach the house where the food is served. It is a simple place with simple setup, a typical Konkani house where a buffet is arranged. Everyday menu is written on the board there. They start serving food @ 1 pm sharp, we had to wait as we reached there around 12.40pm so we roamed their wadi which is very beautiful.

Mangoes!!

The crowd started to grow as soon as it was 1 o'clock. We also started the lunch which was delicious home-made food. The taste was awesome, typical brahmani food, we all really enjoyed it. Their charges are Rs. 200 unlimited food for adult and Rs. 100 for kids. This place is 100% must visit when you are in or near Harihareshwar and of course a vegetarian.       

Veg Thali @ Ashokvan Pure Veg

We didn't expect it to be so crowded but in next 15 minutes only there were almost 20 people were waiting and almost 40-50 people were already dining. Better do prior booking on the previous day. They serve Modak but you need to tell them a day prior.  

After having a hearty meal and filling stomach, we talked to them for few minutes only as he was very busy in arranging the food and table for those who were on waiting and of course we complimented them for the taste of food.  

We left around 3pm, headed towards Pune and reached home around 9 pm only after a pit stop at Tamhini Ghat for tea.

Highlights -

Trip duration - 2 days (29 May 2022 and 30 May 2022)

Distance travelled - 400Km

Budget - 15K

Useful contacts - 

1. Aai Resort, Diveagar 

2. Ashokvan Pure Veg, Harihareshwar

Konkan Paradise: An amazing trip to Diveagar

Diveagar is famous for the Suvarna Ganesh Temple. Lord Ganesh idol there was 400 years old which was made up of pure gold and weighed around 1.5Kg. Unfortunately, 2 years back, the idol was stolen by thieves which they allegedly melted, since then the idol has been replaced by one made with Silver. Diveagar is almost 160 km from Pune, and need 4 hours travelling via Tamhini Ghat, a mountain pass between the Mulshi and Tamhini, and is known for its scenic viewpoints & waterfalls in monsoon, Mulshi dam and lake, Kailasagad fort, etc.

Due to our hectic schedules and workload because of year(FY) end, we could not visit any of the places in last 5 months but before joining a new workplace I got a week for the much-needed trip. But one of my cousins was getting married during the same week hence had to plan only 4 days trip. We did not want to travel far and were looking for a convenient getaway. After hearing from my colleague I wanted to explore Diveagar and nearby places, I shared my wish with Kiran and he immediately agreed. 

Date – 12^th May 2014

I booked a room at ‘Aai Resort’ at Shivaji Chowk, Diveagar; which was recommended by my friend so decided to go with his suggestion. Our journey started in the early morning as wanted to avoid traffic and reach by 11 am. We were at Tamhini Ghat around 8 am, the road through the Tamhini ghat was not very good, and in monsoon, it gets worse. We had a quick stop at Restaurant Vitthal Kamat for breakfast and enjoyed soft spongy idli, chutney, spicy Sabudana Wada and hot coffee. When reached a resort around 11.30 am, it was extremely hot in the afternoon. I know summer is not the right time to visit Konkan but can’t help as we love the beaches there and for the trip, our focus was on relaxation rather than exploring the new places. We took some rest as were tired due to travelling and the hot climate. We did not have any suggestions for a veg hotel so picked the one which is in front of the resort, food was average. After going back to the room, enjoyed the TV time till 5.30 pm.

In the evening we went to the beach which is a clean & beautiful picture-perfect, white sand beach. The forestation of coconut groves and beetle nut trees is a treat for the eyes. There are various water sports activities to indulge in and relish the pleasant atmosphere. We enjoyed parasailing which was a very exciting and thrilling experience, which can make one realize his potential. In the beginning, I was very anxious, but once it started gliding smoothly in the air I felt overjoyed and had a lot of fun. This was one of my best experiences, Awesome!!

Diveagar beach

Diveagar beach

Diveagar beach

I tried to capture the sunset on my camera, the breath-taking view of the sunset at Diveagar is something never to miss.

Breathtaking view of the sunset

I am going...bye for now...see you tomorrow

Shrivardhan(16Km) and Harihareshwar(35Km) are nearby tourist places from Diveagar. The next day, decided to visit only Harihareshwar as we have already been to Shrivardhan and seen the beach. 

Date – 13^th May 2014

We got up at 5.30 am and went for an early morning walk on the beach which gave a special experience. It was a very peaceful and pleasant environment. After coming back to the room @ 7.30am, getting ready to visit the next coastal avenue.

We left for Harihareshwar around 9.30 am after finishing our breakfast. Most of the road is parallel to the seashore which offers a scenic view of the sea, avoided pit stops due to the temperature and reached there within an hour. Harihareshwar is surrounded by three hills named Harihareshwar, Harshinachal and Pushpadri. The Temple of Lord Harihareshwar(Lord Shiva) is a major pilgrimage that has ancient Shiva Linga. Adjacent to the main Harihareshwar Temple, there is the smaller Kalbhairav which is expected to be visited first, before entering the main temple. A pradakshina route goes around the temple, along the seashore. It is not advisable to go on this route during high tide. It’s an incredible place which offers panoramic views of the sea. But the beach is not considered safe for swimming, we anyway did not want to enter in the sea and after spending 2 hours there, we returned back to Diveagar.

Pradakshina Route

The Arabian Sea from the Pradakshina route 

Harihareshwar beach

We were exhausted due to the hot & humid climate and were eager to enter our AC room and ensure 3 hours long sleep post-lunch. Preferred to stay at the resort in the evening and explored the surrounding, played swings, hammocks to relax…sometimes a peaceful walk in the village gives you extreme satisfaction. 

Date – 14^th May 201

As a result of getting up late, we missed a morning walk on the beach. Went to a small stall like a snacks centre for tea and breakfast, till the time food was getting ready we went to their wadi which was full of coconut, beetle, kokum and lots of other local trees and a small well too. We had interacted with another tourist family who came from Kalyan, they were travelling towards Ratnagiri, and had a halt at the same resort as ours.

We spent the day in a resort by watching a few movies on TV and of course some headlines of the Konkan region. In the evening went to take a blessing from Suvarna Ganesh and came to know that Sundar Roop Narayan temple nearby which is on the way to the beach from Ganesh temple. This temple is pretty old but has great architecture, red stone construction is amazing. Idol is very beautifully carved in black marble. The temple was not much crowded as it is not much popular, at least we were not knowing it before our visit. You can enjoy peace and calmness there.

Roop Narayan Temple

Sundar roop Narayan

 

After enjoying some tranquil moments on the beach we returned to the room around 9pm and finished checking out formalities, as the next day was travelling back to Pune. We decided to leave early morning to reach before the sun gets brighter.

Date – 5^th May 2014

We left Diveagar around 5.30 am and reached Pune @10.30am, had only one quick stop for breakfast at the same Vitthal Kamat restaurant in Tamhini Ghat.

Diveagar is an incredible place. Worth visiting again (but preferably in winter)!! This would qualify to be a perfectly awesome cessation.

Contact: -

Aai Resort, Shivaji Chowk, Diveagar - Mr Surve (9422463066)

Thanks for reading my blog. Hope you liked it.