Relaxing trip to Ganeshgule, Ratnagiri

Ganeshgule is a small village in Ratnagiri district, very close from well known village Pawas.  It is the place to go if you want to take a break from the city and reconnect with nature. Ganeshghule Beach is popular among nature lovers and is known for its clear sunset view. The beach is 1.5 km long and is flanked by mountains on both sides. The rocky, white sandy terrain and clear emerald sea of the secluded beach. The beach is a bit out of the way, it's worth to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Ganeshgule Village (old photo taken during monsoon)

We travelled to the place from Ganpatipule. You can follow below route if you are traveling from Pune.

How to reach Ganeshgule?

Amba Ghat Route

Pune - Karad - Take right at Narayanwadi after McDonald's and drive towards Kokrud village - Reach Malkapur follow Amba ghat route - Sakharpa Town - Pawas - Ganeshgule

Varandha Ghat route via Chiplun 

Pune - Bhor - Varandha Ghat - Mahad - drive to Khed (skip Poladpur via Kashedi Ghat) - Chiplun - Sangameshwar - Ratnagiri - Pawas -  Ganeshgule

Tamhini Ghat Route via Chiplun

Pune - Paud - Mangaon - Mahad - drive to Khed (skip Poladpur via Kashedi Ghat) - Chiplun - Sangameshwar - Ratnagiri - Pawas -  Ganeshgule

Kumbharli Ghat route via Patan and Chiplun

Pune - Satara - Umbraj - follow Umbraj Patan road - Patan - Kumbharli Ghat - Kherdi - Chiplun - Sangameshwar - Ratnagiri - Pawas -  Ganeshgule

We followed Kumbharli Ghat route as we wanted to visit Dervan and then Ganpatipule. Road condition was good except few rough patches. We were started our journey around 5.30 am early morning and reached the ghat section around 10 am, there was no traffic at all. We reached Ganpatipule around 2pm and stayed there. 

Next day after visiting Swami Swaroopanand Math at Pawas, we reached Rama Niwas around 2pm. As we stepped into the property, we were greeted by a sense of tranquility and relaxation. The hosts were friendly and made sure that we had a memorable experience. The room was spotless and well-maintained, offering everything we needed for a comfortable stay. There are only two rooms, owner stays at ground floor and rooms are at first floor. If you have a senior citizen accompanying with you then you should not choose the place as you need to climb iron staircase to reach the room and that staircase is not easy to climb for old person.

What really set this homestay apart was the private beach access. It felt like our own secluded paradise, away from the crowds. We enjoyed every moment of our stay and would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a serene beach retreat. They do not provide food, but their Aunty staying next door who provides authentic konkani food. We ordered Kala Watana Usal, Rice Bhakri, Phanas (Jackfruit) Bhaji and obviously Modak. Food quality was awesome.  We were tired and very much hungry so forgot to click photos. 😛

One more wonderful option to stay at Ganeshgule is Oceano Pearl, a property of hospitality firm O’Nest, that gives you the comfort of a hotel. I did not get the booking as due to some event whole property was booked on these dates. Megha Dhade's Villa Mangoes and Seashells is also few steps away from Rama Niwas, there you can experience a stay at perfect konkani house. 

But if you are looking for good accommodation in a reasonable rate then Rama Niwas is the best choice.  

Ganeshgule Beach (Photo taken from Google)

After taking rest for 2 hours, as the evening approached, we went to the beach and it looked just beautiful. We walked up and down the beach, feeling the softness of the sand beneath our feet and cool mild breeze in hair. It was Saturday still there was nobody except us, that feeling itself was very wonderful. The experience was so soulful, it felt as if the time just stands still. 

Ganeshgule Beach is considered a perfect place for those who want to relax and spend peaceful moments. Swimming and sunbathing are the favorite activities at the beach. No water sports are available on the beach, at least it was not available when we visited.

One should not miss the sunset here, the golden hours cast a spell in the environment like Midas Touch, turning everything to Gold. The beach is an isolated beach that gives a divine experience with a quiet and peaceful environment.

Sunset at Ganeshgule Beach

Next morning we left room around 8am to visit well-known Ganeshgule Temple which is located 1.5 km from the beach and is situated on a hill near the beach. This temple contains the idol of Lord Ganesha that is known as Swayambhu. The trunk of Lord Ganesha is towards the west in the temple. In addition, this temple contains an ancient well of the Pandava era. 

Ganeshgule Temple Arch

Ganesh Temple, Ganeshgule

Undir mama (Mouse)

Lord Ganesh, Ganeshgule

Information Board in Temple

You can see picturesque view of a village from the temple.

Hill seen from Ganesh Temple

From Ganesh temple we went to Laxmi Narayan Temple in Ganeshgule, I got to know about this temple from one of my friend and wanted to visit since long time. This is very old temple surrounded by mango trees and made up of woods. There is beautiful wooden carving inside the temple, crafted wooden pillars, it gives feel of typical konkani temple. It is very calm and peaceful place. Beside this temple there is another temple of lord Shiva made of stone.

Laxmi Narayan Temple, Ganeshgule

Garud (Eagle)

Traditional Tulashi Vrundavan

Laxmi Narayan

Deepmal

For breakfast we have chosen Hotel Kshanbhar Vishranti near Kasheli Phata. This is a small hotel beside the bay of Kasheli, right next to the back waters of Muchkundi River, this place is scenic and windy. It’s a place for breakfast and snacks, they serve simple home style food. We enjoyed Cut Wada, Wadapav, Poha and Misal, taste of food was amazing.

This small restaurant in the village outskirts is a good option for travelers.

After breakfast we went to visit Devghali beach which is in Kasheli village and approximately 25 kms from Ganeshgule, it took us an hour to reach the beach. Devghali beach in Kasheli village is a hidden beach, the recent photos on social media attracted many tourists and I was one of them. Kasheli is a hidden village in the Ratnagiri district. Many people are still unaware of it. Since it is a hidden beach, it is very clean and scenic.

This beach is majorly known for its sunset.  If possible, plan to spend an evening there so you can capture spectacular view of sunset from the hill. Swimming on this island is strictly prohibited. From local folk we got to know that entry to this beach is restricted during monsoon. The beauty of Devghali beach can not be expressed, it can only feel.

Devghali beach, Kasheli

Sea view from Devghali Beach

Then we went back to the room around 1pm, after having lunch we checked out and travelled to Vijaydurg Fort. 

Please check the blog for Vijaydurg Fort -https://bhaktitakalkar.blogspot.com/2024/03/quick-trip-to-vijaydurg-fort.html

Useful Info - 

Dinner at Rama Niwas, veg thali at 200 Rs. per person

Stay at Rama Niwas - 2500 Rs per day for AC room with wifi

Useful Contacts - 

Rama Niwas, Ganeshgule - 9405069665

Aunty at Rama Niwas for food - 9673249735

Hotel Kshanbhar Vishranti, Kasheli - 9403838725

O'NEST Oceano Pearl - 8378957789 

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