By Ashish Sharma.
Ashish takes a road trip along the Konkan coast, to discover the splendours of the Arabian Sea & the beach town of Diveagar.
A road trip is
one of the best ways to discover the magical Konkan coast – a journey along the narrow strip between the Western Ghats and Arabian
Sea can leave you spellbound. Imagine being brought to
a screeching halt by the sheer splendour of the sea jutting out alongside a coastal cliff
road!
Diveagar lies
in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, about 180 km from Mumbai, and was the
ancient capital of the Shilahar kings. It is home to a beautiful secluded beach, situated behind the Ganpati Temple that stretches up to 4-5 kms. The beach is ery clean and beautiful, with clear waters, and unlike most other beaches on the coast, it
is unexplored and not very crowded. The beach stretches for 5-6 km, with white sand & clear water. At one end of the beach is a fishing settlement, while the other end offers a sanctuary to the migratory seagulls feasting in the creek waters.
Diveagar came into limelight upon discovery of a Ganesh (Hindu god) idol made of pure gold, in one of the Supari Baghs (Gardens) in the village. As per historical information on Suvarnaganesha Temple, it was found on November 17th 1998 (Sankashti Chaturthi as per the Hindu calendar) in a copper box weighing 30 kilos. The box contained a sculpture of Lord Ganesh made out of pure gold and ornaments, and was was named “Suvarnaganesh”. It is believed to be 300 to 400 years old.
Sunset at the beach. |
Peace, calm, serenity. |
Bullock cart trails at Diveagar. |
Going back in time along the Konkan. |
Suvarnaganesha Temple is
small and non descript. First time visitors might miss the temple looking
for a building of prominence, but in Diveagar, simple structures have a charm
& essence of their own. Recently this small sleepy beach town of Diveagar was
in the news, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons, with the Ganesh idol being
stolen from the temple.
Diveagar Beach is
usually abuzz with the locals and tourists (mostly from Mumbai & Pune), and camel rides, horse rides and parasailing are some of the the activities available.
Practical Travel Information:
Route for Diveagar
from Mumbai
Mumbai - Panvel - Pen - Nagothane -Kolad--
Indapur--Mangao -Mhalsa – Shrivardhan
Don’t miss the scenic drive from Mhasala to Diveagar, via Shrivardhan, which takes you through a winding
state highway in the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. The ride on the
coastal cliff road from Shrivardhan to Divyagar is a sure shot highlight of the road
trip.
Places to Stay: Ambience Cottages, Prathamesh Holiday Homes, Exotica Beach Resort and many other Home Stays.
Sea, sand & solitude. |
Places to Stay: Ambience Cottages, Prathamesh Holiday Homes, Exotica Beach Resort and many other Home Stays.
Attractions in & near Diveagar: Diveagar Beach, Shree Suvarna
Ganesha Temple, Shree Roopnarayan Temple, Kalbhairav Temple (Shiva Temple) Harihareshwar, Shrivardhan, Fishing village near Jivana Bandar.
Author Bio: The author is a research analyst from Mumbai, a cricket fanatic & sports lover, and now an avid traveller. Bitten by the travel bug, he blogs at My Travel Tales in Search of Nirvana and can be found on Facebook & Twitter @ashish0712.
For more stories off the beaten path in India, visit www.indiauntravelled.com or join India Untravelled on Facebook and Twitter. To contribute guest posts / photo essays to this blog, please send your story ideas to shivya@indiauntravelled.com.
Really amazing place, I like it.
ReplyDeleteI must say the once you visit Tarkarli beach It is world famous white sand beach in India