Ganpatipule Day - 2 Part 1

Waking up to a beautiful sunrise with blue skies striking across the horizon as we head for our second day tour of the mystical Konkans. Today we planned to visit the Konkan beaches along the south of Maharashtra, specifically towards the town of Ratnagiri and further up to the unique cave beach of Kasheli.

We began our journey by having a heavy breakfast of Misal Pav and headed on for the cab we booked for our whole day of touring. We start by first traveling on the State Highway 4, also known as the Coastal Highway to the viewpoint of Aare - Ware beach. A viewpoint perched on the side of the road with hills on one side and two separate beaches on the other side separated by a fountain of black rocks where the sea constantly beats it like a drummer plays the drums. We have a glimpse into the white sandy beaches, the waves crashing into them, the sky being the purest blue color, families enjoying the sand, making sand dunes, collecting shells. We get back into our taxi and head on to Ware beach. Ware beach is a large yet less touristy beach which has 3 amazing features on its side, one side with jungles, one with the backwater and one with the blue clear sea. The beach gets this name from the nearby Ware village.

When we reached this beach, the tide was slowly coming down leaving a gigantic area of empty seashells embedded on the beach. The sea had made a beautiful wavy pattern on the beach. Unlike Ganpatipule’s beach, the sand was not sticking, instead it was as fine as talcum powder. The water was crystal clear and cold. We roam on the beach for a brief hour or so and collect more than a pound of seashells before heading on to the car for our next destination.

Our next destination is the Ratnagiri Marine Museum, a small but yet beautiful museum with both live aquariums and species kept on display. It contains a variety of fish from the Goldfish, the Karp to exotic fish like the Moray Eel, Mud Crab and turtles like the Olive Ridley Turtle and the Green Turtle. It also contains a skeleton of a Blue Whale that got beached back in the late 70s. The museum houses a museum which contains specimens of fishes and a special area containing all different types of shells and idols made from shells. It is an interesting place indeed.

Our next destination is the famous Ratnadurg Fort also known as the Bhagawati Fort in Ratnagiri. This fort is surrounded by seas on 3 sides and is spread on 120 acres of land on top of a hill. This fort houses 29 bastions, a lighthouse, and a temple of Goddess Bhagawati. This fort still has the original cannons, although they are not in use anymore but tourists can still get a glimpse of them as they are preserved in the fort. As per legends, the Ratnadurg fort was built in the Bahmani Period circa 1347 - 1527 therefore the actual construction year is a bit hazy. Thereafter, this fort was under the control of Adil Shah and further brought upon by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1670 AD. This fort was later under control of the Angres and then the Peshwas. The fort was later captured by the British in 1818. The fort and the temple were reportedly renovated in the 1950s and 1980s. This fort overlooks the Mirkarwada Jetty where hundreds of fishing boats are stationed, the unfinished Ratnadurg Cave which would have provided direct access to the sea from the fort in the event of a breach and the Mandvi Beach, famous for its Black sand beach. But out of all this, this fort gives a 270 degree view of the open seas, which makes this picturesque location perfect for the tired eyes. The roads might not be the best to drive, but all tiredness just swooshes away in a jiffy.

After this, we visited the Mandvi beach, which has its iconic black sand, although it does seem rather a bit uglier than the other beaches but this has its own charm. This beach is mainly used by local fishermen as it houses a jetty and the Gateway of Ratnagiri which is a small tourist attraction, it overlooks the sea and in the distance the Bhatye beach and the Ratnagiri LightHouse. We spent some time before heading on to lunch. We have a fish thali consisting of several types of fish and shrimp recipes cooked in Konkani style. The food was good, but quite expensive. We have our lunch and then head on to this trip’s best and most unique experience ever.

To be Continued…

Fin.

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