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.
It was a lazy day as it was Sunday, I got up late at 8 am (yes, yes…8am is late for me as I usually get up at 6.30 am) and I was having breakfast while reading a newspaper and I saw some beautiful pictures of nature in the newspaper which triggered a thought to visit our farm at Jor, a small village in Wai tehsil of Satara district. The Krishna River’s source is near to the village and from there one can see Elephant's Head Point & Kate's Point which is among the best tourists places in Mahabaleshwar. I just put thought into visiting the land and everybody in the home including my in-laws agreed and we left around 10.30 am from Pune.
As it was already late we decided to reach the place without any stop as it takes almost 3 hours to reach there with nominal traffic. But usually, there is traffic at Khed-Shivapur toll junction, we almost got stuck every time. However, this time did not meet the traffic and could manage to reach Wai until 1 pm.
More you travel towards the village nature becomes more and more picturesque, one cannot move ahead without clicking pictures so we. There were mountains on both sides, undisturbed meadow, lush and exotic greenery, veneer clean natural waterfalls tumbled down the mountain and drizzled onto the rocks. The flowers next to it were nodding gently...Ah-ah-ah, heavenly natural beauty… that’s it I can say.
Elephant nose point from Jor
Sahyadri Mountains
We threw ourselves under the waterfall, stood under the waterfall to cool down. After playing a lot in the water, it was so cold that we started shivering still continued to play some time more and enjoyed it to the fullest. Finally, we pushed ourselves out of the water and headed towards our farm, where spent time just sitting and watching surrounding grandeur. We threw little stones into the dam (Balkawadi) and tried our hands in stone skipping as it was my favourite childhood game. Aaravya (my son) was very happy to see such a large open space and he was just running here and there.
We :)
It was 5 pm when everybody noticed that we all are hungry and especially my father in law who is very particular about his evening tea time demanded to have it in some time, so we had to leave. There are no hotels and restaurants on the way, it is possible to get tea and snacks only after reaching Wai. We were on the way to Wai and imagine who was there?? A Peacock...oh one more..oh my god!! Few more... spot the number of peacocks(they were 10+) on a farm around the dam, unfortunately, I could not capture all of them together. Later, after interacting with locals came to know that in the morning and evening many peacocks can be seen around the dam every day.
We were passing by the side of Dhom Dam and
saw a Chowpatty so went there for water sport activities had boating, Aaravya enjoyed camel and horse ride and we resumed our back journey.
Dhom dam Chowpatty
After reaching Wai we went to Maha Ganpati (also called Dholya Ganpati because of its large size) temple which is a temple on the bank of Krishna River and it was actually on the way. The Lord Ganesh idol is very large and brightly painted and looks very cheerful and happy. Next to the Ganpati temple is the Kashi Vishweshwar temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has a beautifully carved Nandi bull and a nicely decorated Shivling. I would recommend visiting these temples if you are travelling to nearby areas there, believe me, you will not be disappointed.
Maha Ganpati, Wai
We stopped
at Rohit Wadewale and ordered Wada Sambar, Kanda bhaji and tea and everyone literally
attacked on the food and quickly grabbed it as all were too hungry. Kanda bhaji was
very crispy, we all loved it. After finishing much-needed tea, resumed
travelling towards Pune and reached home around 9PM.
It was a truly amazing, short but pleasant trip where we all enjoyed ourselves and our minds
refreshed completely.
Thanks for
reading my blog. Hope you liked it and wish to visit the places I mentioned.
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 – 12th 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 – 13th 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 – 14th 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 – 5th 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)
