Diveagar and Harihareshwar - Perfect Weekend Trip in 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

Revdanda Retreat - Discovering Alibaug’s Coastal Secret

Revdanda is small village at western coast near Alibaug, Raigad district of Maharashtra. Its a serene location with beautiful beach and historic forts. 

After many days of waiting, we were planning to go out, but due to lack of car, it was very difficult to travel at present as we sold out our car. Lots of travel plans were made and canceled.

Aaravya was bored so we decided to go out on upcoming weekend to Mahad, Pali then Revdanda, immediately booked the car on ZoomCar.

We left Pune for Mahad at 6.30 am on Saturday and reached there at 8.30 am. 

Mahad Ganpati Temple, is one of the Ashtavinayak temples of the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha called as Varad Vinayak. It is in Mahad small town situated in Khalapur taluka near Karjat and Khopoli of Raigad District, Maharastra, India. We wanted to take blessings before 9.30 because at 9.30 I had to attend online parent teacher meeting. Hence as soon as we reach there we stood in the queue for darshan of lord Varad Vinayak.

The temple is simply designed with a tiled roof. This temple is said to be built by Subhedar Ramji Mahadev Biwalkar. The idol of this temple faces the east and has his trunk turned to the left. A Gomukh is seen on the north side of the temple from which flows the holy water. A holy pond is situated on the west side of the temple.  This temple also has the idol of Mushika, Navagraha Devtas and Shivalinga. There are 4 elephant idols guarding the 4 sides of the temple. As there was not much crowd, the darshan took place in 15 minutes and after sitting in front of Bappa for 10 minutes, we came out of the temple. 

Immediately after the visit we had a quick breakfast in a small hotel there, and once the school meeting is over at about 10 o'clock, we headed towards Pali. Located in the Sudhagad taluka of Raigad district, Ballaleshwar Pali is one of the ‘Ashtavinayakas,’ and remains thronged with the devotees of Lord Ganesh.

Ever since watching Fatteshikast movie we have been very curious to know about where exactly Umberkhind is and wanted to visit it once.  Umberkhind is one of the most iconic historical places in Maharashtra. Battle of Umberkhind took place on 3 February 1661 in the mountain range of Sahyadri near the city of Khopoli, Maharashtra, India. The battle was fought between the Maratha army under Shivaji Maharaj and General Kartalab Khan of the Mughal Empire. The Marathas defeated the Mughal forces. It instantly transports you back hundreds of years to the era when the famous Battle of Umberkhind was fought. Remembering the history, we reached Pali around 12pm. As its February, Sun was little bright, we parked the car and headed straight towards the temple.

Dhundi Vinayak temple is on the way to the temple. Many times, many visitors can get confused and may think that this is Ballaleshwar. The Ballaleshwar temple is  wooden temple which was renovated in 1760 and built in the shape of the letter "Shri" in Devnagiri script. The temple is constructed in such a way that the sun rays fall directly on the deity during prayers. The bell in the temple was brought by Chimaji Appa after he defeated the Portuguese in Vasai. The two lakes nearby add beauty to the temple. 

After spending an hour there, we left for Revdanda, and on the way the cricket match was going on in the field, so after watching the match for a while, we went ahead and reached the destination at 3pm. The first thing we did when we got there was lunch because we were so hungry.

After resting for an hour, we went to the beach at 5:30 pm. Revdanda beach is a silent beach, not much crowded, but water was a bit muddy. There is Revdanda fort, an old Portuguese fort situated at the beach. Korlai fort is close by too, which is a must visit. We skipped both the places as we were tired and Aaravya wants to enjoy playing in water and water sport activity. And I don’t want to miss the sunset there, as it was as beautiful as ever.

Sunset at Revdanda Beach

Korlai Fort seen from Revdanda beach

After 7 o'clock we went to cottage, we stayed at Uday Homestay which is a bit old and a budget cottage, but he is our family friend's neighbor so we preferred to stay at his place.  After freshened up and we went out to explore the surrounding area; and most importantly we wanted to find a delicious meal for the night. After inquiring, we found out that there is Fafe's restaurant in Chaul which is famous for veg food.

We wanted to visit Chaul next day as to see famous Rameshwar temple there. The Chaul region is famous for its temples. But Google Map showed 10 minutes only, so we went to Raghunandan Restaurant. On the way to the restaurant, we saw Rameshwar temple and immediately stopped there. That temple is very beautiful, a typical Konkani temple; many Marathi movies have been shot here. The temple was shown in Cycle Cinema, ever since I have wanted to visit it. We decided to come back the next day because we came to know that the hotel was crowded as it the only pure veg restaurant in the premise. 

We ordered paneer butter masala, dal tadka, garlic naan and pav bhaji for Aaravya and all the food was very tasty and not spicy at all. If you are close by the place, try this restaurant once and you will definitely like the food there. After drinking cold coffee, we reached the cottage around 10.30 pm.

Photo taken from Google

Next day, Kiran and I got up at 5:30 in the morning and went to walk on the beach. The atmosphere is very fragrant, a nice combination of a slight and gentle breeze. We sat on a wooden bench and chatted for hours. Then we walked to the market and stopped at Suruchi Snacks center for tea. We placed an order (ghavane and chutteny) for breakfast, we went to the room, freshen up, checked in. 

We went to Rameshwar Temple after having heavy breakfast with kanda bhajji, ghavane and chutney, misal at Suruchi. Chaul is about 15 Kms from Alibag, and the drive takes us through the picturesque villages of Akshi and Nagaon. There are three prominent temples in Chaul – the Rameshwar Mandir, Datta Mandir and the Hingulja Devi Mandir. Due to interest of time we visited only Rameshwar temple.

The Rameshwar temple seemed much more beautiful than the darkness of the night. It is a very ancient temple of Lord Shiva. The Rameshwar temple has existed for several centuries, but the exact time of the construction is unknown. Research shows that the temple has been renovated many times in history. The Mandir has three tanks : parjanya kund, agni kund, and wayu kund, representing three elements of nature – Rain, fire, and air. The temple is a perfect place for tourists to spend time, it is typical simple coastal temple, wonderful place to spend some relaxing time and to meditate. Apart from us, there were some other tourists. 

Rameshwar Mandir, Chaul

Rameshwar Mandir (inside)

We did not want to leave the Rameshwar temple, but since we wanted to visit Nagaon beach and Birla temple, we immediately headed towards the Nagaon beach.

Nagaon Beach

Nagaon was very crowded and somehow, we managed to reach to the parking. On the beach, it was crowded like a fair.  As it was getting hot we decided to leave the place as early as possible, after playing some water sports, we left in half an hour and reached Birla Temple via Chaul.

Birla Mandir is a Ganesh temple of very modern architecture in white marble, situated on a small hill (130 easy steps) near Salav village. The temple is built by Vikram Ispat company, which is a part of Birla group, may be hence the lord Ganesh is called as Vikram Vinayak. 

The temple has marble floors, and the hall of the temple is open from all sides. The ceiling of the temple is transparent which allows free flow of air and ample of light to come in. On entering the temple there is a square shaped nave. The nave is also made of marble and is very beautifully carved. The beautifully carved idol of ‘Ganapati’ is placed the nave. The idols of ‘Riddhi and Siddhi’ are placed on both sides of idol. Around the nave are small temples of ‘Radha-Krishna’, ‘Shiv-Parvati’, ‘Bhavanidevi’ and ‘Suryadeva’. In the garden next to the temple there is a statue of “Late Aditya Birla”. This is a place visited by tourists from all around. The entire hill is a temple complex with beautiful gardens & fountains all around. It's a nice place to spend the evening, a very peaceful point. We should have visited in the evening to feel the lighting. 

Birla Mandir, Revdanda (Photo taken from Google)

Aditya Birla statue at Birla Mandir (Photo taken from Google)

 

Please note no camera and mobiles allowed inside and there is no locker facility if you visit by public transport and you are alone, if you are with family you have to give all the mobiles to one family member who will wait outside the temple.

After visiting Birla mandir, we directly travelled back to Pune and reached at 5 pm via Tamhini Ghat. 

We :) 

Highlights - 

Trip duration - 2 days (12 February 2022 and 13 February 2022)

Distance travelled - 400Km

Budget - 15K

Ladghar Diaries - Beach Vibes & Blissful Moments

After 3 years we were planning a trip for 3-4 days as Aaravya being so young we had only a few day trips to the outskirt of Pune and Ahmednagar as my parents stay there. After searching a few places we agreed(as usual) to visit Konkan as it was being a season of mangoes. After a couple of discussions, it was settled to go to Dapoli and decided to take in-laws with us to celebrate their 39th anniversary which is one day ahead of our wedding anniversary. 

 

I checked on few resorts at Dapoli but unluckily could not get 2 rooms available as it was peak vacation time due to summer vacation and I started looking for accommodation just 3 days ago as was not sure about the plan until my leaves get approved and it got approved on last minute. I checked almost all good resorts at Dapoli but no luck!  And I thought to check at Pears Beach Resort, Ladghar as it is near to Dapoli and before 4 years ago our plan to visit Ladghar got cancelled due to sudden work at the office, so I called Mr Pednekar and I was happy to know that they have few rooms vacant, and I booked 2AC sea view cottages. Kiran had some work on Saturday (26th May) hence we had to leave on Sunday. So our plan was Sunday-Tuesday as I got only 2 days leaves and we were accompanied by my in-laws, they were also very excited as this was our first outdoor with Aaravya. 

Pears Beach Resort is a beachside resort with well-appointed AC –Non AC rooms and cottages.  You can enjoy the view of the Arabian Sea from most of the rooms. 

Date – 27th May 2018

Our journey started @6am towards Dapoli, the route followed is Bhor-Varandha-Mahad route. My mom in law made Dadpe Pohe and got it packed with us for breakfast as our wish was to have breakfast on the farm near Bhor as there are some beautiful farms roadside. We were all set with a mat and some dry snacks including Khakra, rajgira wadi, peanut laddoos, sonpapdi, jam, pickle etc, as the first time we were taking Aaravya(My son, 3 years)  on such long drive. After having breakfast in one of the farms near Hirdoshi village, we resumed our journey towards Ladghar. Had a pit stop at Varandha ghat for tea and some sightseeing could see lots of monkeys there. Luckily didn’t have traffic and were able to pass ghat by 10 am. We missed the road near Karanjwadi and went towards Khed. The road condition was not at all good but on our way there was a small ghat and by the roadside, there were few Jamun and Mango trees so we stopped and enjoyed eating Jamun and followed the route Khed-Furus-Nargoli-Dapoli-Ladghar and reached the resort on 1 pm. We all were exhausted so took some rest and then went to their restaurant for lunch. We ordered veg thalis, the food was good but not so great. It was very hot so went to the cottage and enjoyed tv time and playing cards as Aaravya was sleeping. All were eagerly waiting for the evening to walk to the beach. 

Pears Beach Resort, Ladghar

Our cottages were just in front of the beach, it was very clean and neat. Cottages there is a typical Konkani style kaularu room. The hotel staff was very polite and cooperative. The hotel had ample space for relaxing. Kids can enjoy playing there. There were lots of hammocks in the premise and two swings exactly at the beach. The drawback that I could observe was the food price was a little expensive compared to the other hotels nearby.  But it was an awesome stay at the hotel, recommended for every family who want to enjoy a peaceful beach resort.

Around 5.30 pm we went to the beach, surprisingly there was no crowd we were only a few (around 15) people there. Aaravya was seeing the sea first time and he was super excited, he enjoyed few water sport activities including a bike ride and camel ride at the beach. Maybe it was the wrong time of the year, the water was not so clean compared to other beaches nearby. So did not play in the water but enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset and walk at the beach. After sunset, we just sat there chatting and came back to the room by 8 pm.

Sunset at Ladghar Beach

Date – 28th May 2018

After getting up @7am, everyone was ready by 8am and headed towards restaurant as wanted to visit Tamastirth and ParashuRam bhumi before the sun gets brighter. We skipped a boat ride for dolphin watching. There are special boats with fishermen and sail into the sea to enjoy jumping and flipping dolphins in the water.  

Our order included delicious poha, thalipeeth and ghavane. Ghavane and chutney were too good, I liked it very much! 

We went to Parashuram bhumi which is approximately 10kms from Ladghar. There a Statue of 21 feet standing Lord Parshurama over earth sphere is placed at scenic hilltop from where u can get a panoramic view of Tamastirth seashore.  Inside the globe, there is a meditating area so the atmosphere is quite positive and cool.  From there you can see Red colour seawater of Tamastirth, we should have visited the place in the evening to get an orange-red shade of sunset. 

Parashuram Statue at Tamastirth 

After spending an hour we started to return to Tamas tirth and reached there within only 10-15 minutes.  Beach was extremely dirty so directly headed towards the resort, on the way we picked up a few boxes of mangoes. After reaching the resort, we took a short walk here and there. While the bullock cart was going on the road, Aaravya took a ride of it and he had a lot of fun. We went to Cottage and relaxed a bit and came back out for lunch, wanted to try another hotel. Coming from Tamastirth, on the way to Ladghar beach we saw a restaurant as ‘The Kitchen’ and decided to go there. 

After reaching to the restaurant, we ordered 4 veg thali. The thali included okra sabji garnished with grated coconut, black dry peace (kalya vatana) usal, dal rice and rice bhakri. It would take them a while to make bhakri so ordered dal rice and papad for Aaravya and finished his meal first. They took almost 20 minutes to prepare bhakri and rice and finally got our meal. The food was awesome, black dry peace usal and bhakri were amazing. We all loved the meal and decided to have the rest of the meals there. 

After enjoying such a delicious meal, you need a nap! After 2 hours of a deep sleep, we had tea at the Pears restaurant and headed to Karde Beach, which is situated between Murud and Ladghar. Karde Beach is a broad and beautiful shoreline and great for water sports, the beach is safe to swim, there was a moderate crowd that day. We played cricket and had great fun. It is a beach to spend your evenings to enjoy the gorgeous sunsets.  An amazing place to relax and detox yourself! There are few small shacks selling coconut water, sol-kadhi, misal, chat etc. after tasting Panipuri & Bhel, we headed back to the resort. Preferred kadhi-khichadi for dinner and after dinner, took a walk on the beach and had a nice chat while enjoying swings. Our day ended at 10 pm as arrived back at the resort. Next morning we had to go back to Pune so went to bed early.

Date – 29th May 2018

Kiran and I got up early in the morning and went for a morning walk on the beach, the atmosphere was very fragrant so walked for about an hour. After going back to Cottage, we packed our bags and went to the restaurant for breakfast. Kiran informed the resort manager about the wedding anniversary of in-laws and requested them to arrange a cack on which they agreed and arranged a delicious chocolate cake for us. We celebrated their anniversary by cutting the cake and everybody there wished the old couple. Surprisingly there we met Aaravya’s friend and his family. Aaravya and Shourya go to play on the same ground every day. I didn't know them but my mother-in-law knew them and they had a good chat. After checking out @9.30am, out return journey started towards Mahad, because we wanted to buy Aamsul, Mirgund, Pohe, Kadwe Wall, Kokam Agal etc. there. We reached at Mahad around 1 pm and did some shopping and had lunch at Samruddhi Veg. OUr order was Kaju masala, paneer butter masala and at the end sweet & thick lassi; the food was very good. 

We started our back journey from Mahad to Pune via Varandha. Just before the Varandha Ghat gets started, saw a board for Shivthar Ghal and were debating whether to go or not and finally, we decided to go there. Shivthar ghal is also known as ‘Sundarmath’. It is 35km from Mahad, it’s a beautiful cavern with dense green forest and delightful surroundings in Varandha Ghat. 

In monsoons, a waterfall falls in front of the cave looks splendid. The ghal can be approached directly from Varandha Ghat (by those coming from Pune-Bhor) by a not so good 7-8 km road via Parmachi village, through a good jungle.

There, Samarth Ramdas Swami dictated Dasbodh to Kalyan Swami. Inside the cave are two very beautiful statues of Samarth Ramdas Swami and Kalyan Swami. It is believed that this is where the first meeting between Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas took place. A place of great religious, spiritual and cultural significance. It is also the location of one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Maharashtra. The best time to visit the cave is during monsoon when the waterfall and the lush green surroundings are at their glorious best. 

Beware of monkeys there as they tend to snatch snacks or anything from your hands. So do not carry anything in hand and do not feed them as they might trouble you later. After spending an hour there we headed towards Varandha and had a pit stop in a ghat for a quick tea. 

We stopped at Neckless Point in Bhor for 10 minutes for photography and left for Pune. Had some traffic near Khed-Shivapur Toll Naka and reached home safely at 8 pm. 

Contacts - 

1. Pears beach resort - 

Phone number -  8108055579

Website - http://www.pearsbeach.in/

2. The Kitchen Restaurant -

Phone number - 7066884885

Slice of Konkan Paradise - My Diveagar Journey

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.