in focus
A Konkan Cru
To hear the song of the sea and witness the wonders of the Konkan coast.
Text: Bob Rupani
Photos: Bob Rupani and Makarand Baokar
Murud-janjira
54 Auto India MAY 2011
ise
Quality Resort, The riverview, Chiplun
Parshuram temple - Chiplun
MAY 2011 Auto India 55
in focus
t
Ganpatipule
he Konkan coast is sandwiched
between the Arabian Sea and Western
Ghats and has a lot to offer. After
loading the Mahindra Thar we left
Mumbai and joined NH 17. This national
highway curves through the Western
Ghats and in a couple of hours we were
at the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. A little
later, at Vadhkal Naka, we parted ways
with the NH 17 and carried on straight
to Alibag, which is known for its
beaches. Henceforth the road narrows
and passes through many palm fringed
villages. At Kashid, it meets up with a
sandy, white beach and the Arabian Sea.
After a most enjoyable drive along the
sea, we ascended a gentle hill, and
stopped for a quick photo at the Nawab
of Janjira’s sea-facing palace before
proceeding to the Golden Swan Beach
culture aangan
Rural Home stay holidays
56 Auto India MAY 2011
the lesser-known delights of the Konkan.
We rejoined the NH 17 at Nivli and drove
on it till Talera, where we turned right
for Vijaydurg, which was once the main
naval base for the Maratha Navy.
Vijaydurg or the ‘Fort of Victory’ was one
of the strongest forts on the western
coast, with a triple row of fortifications
interspersed with bastions, each
mounting cannons. Though the ravages
of time and neglect have taken their toll,
it remains a very impressive fort.
To the south of Vijaydurg lies another
of Maharashtra’s ancient coastal forts,
Devgad, that at one time was manned by
a large garrison and had 40 cannons.
The town of Devgad is also famous for
its delicious Alphonso mangoes and the
beach is quite nice too. After checking
out all this it was time for us to experience ‘A Culture Aangan Holiday’ (www.
Vijay and Vaishali Loke ensure that Pitruchaya is a home away from home
Resort in Murud. Murud is known for its
beach, whispering casuarinas and
coconut palms and two ancient sea forts.
The impregnable Janjira island fortress is
an architectural marvel located 3km
from Murud and it has walls that stand
12 metres high!
The next day we headed out and
joined the NH17 again at Kolad. The
countryside here is lush green and the
views on the way up to Parshuram Ghat
are also very appealing and after a
delightful drive we reached Chiplun.
Chiplun is a small town but it has
become an ideal getaway (and good
halting point between Mumbai and Goa),
because of the excellent Quality Resort,
‘The Riverview’ (www.chiplunhotels.
com). This resort is scenically situated
amongst gently rolling green hills,
overlooking the lazily meandering
Vashisti River and its rooms are charmingly comfortable. The friendly service
and excellent food also help make the
Riverview a great holiday destination.
After a refreshing break we again
started motoring on the NH 17 and at
Nivli left the highway and turned right
for Ganpatipule. Ganpatipule is known
for its sparkling blue waters, long
stretches of golden or silver sand and
the 400-year-old Ganesh temple made
from one massive rock! It is an ideal
place for those seeking seclusion and
solace. It is also an important pilgrimage
centre because the ancient temple is one
of the ‘Ashta Vinayaks’ or eight venerated sites of naturally formed Ganeshas
in India. A nice place to stay is the MTDC
resort and its restaurant also serves
amazing seafood. After checking in we
made a 43km excursion to Jaigarh Fort.
Nestled on a cliff, overlooking the spot
where the Sangameshwar river flows into
the Arabian Sea, this legendary fort
offers a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Jaigarh also has a small
beach, which is safe for swimming.
The following morning, the golden
light of the morning sun bouncing off
the white sands and the soft caressing
breeze, got us all charged up to explore
cultureaangan.com). Culture Aangan
offers a rural home stay experience and
having opted for one (the main purpose
of this journey); we headed to Pitruchaya
in Shirgaon village, to meet our hosts for
the next few days.
Pitruchaya, is the home of Vaishali
and Vijay Loke and is an ideal home stay
for nature lovers and those seeking a
silent retreat. Birds, peacocks and even
some wildlife can be found here. The
home is situated amongst a tranquil
setting surrounded by mango orchards
and other fruit bearing trees and it has
two comfortable rooms for guests. We
discovered that both Vaishali and Vijay
are good hosts and Vaishali’s culinary
expertise ranges from mouthwatering
seafood dishes to traditional farmland
variations. She also uses chicken from
their own poultry farm and much of the
fruit and vegetables are also from their
farm. Staying with this couple helped us
mix and meet with the locals and we
were able to experience Konkan the way
most tourists never do. This was all
MAY 2011 Auto India 57
in focus
thanks to Culture Aangan, which has
pioneered the concept of rural home
stays in the Sindhdugrh District.
Dotted by an array of green villages
tucked away in coconut and areca nut
groves, Sindhdugrh is a wonderful
combination of natural beauty, cultural
heritage and lots of traditional activities.
Culture Aangan offers 5 home stays,
with each being unique and located in
pretty villages. What are common
though are the welcoming smiles, and
the peace and tranquility. All properties
have vegetable gardens, so the food is
fresh and the families are also trained in
housekeeping and required to maintain
high standards of hygiene. The home
stays also offer lots of activities like trekking, cycling, mango picking, nature
walks, wildlife and Dolphin sighting
trips, fishing with locals, traditional arts
and crafts workshops, Chitrakathi (tribal
painting), temple and fort visits, etc.
Konkani Khana - is a highlight
of Culture Aangan holidays
goa
58 Auto India MAY 2011
Yoga classes and ayurvedic massages
can also be arranged. Rashmi Sawant of
Culture Aangan says: “Our aim is to offer
‘rural activity’-based home-stay holidays
where you get introduced to the slower
pace of village life, and also experience
the natural, cultural and culinary beauty
of Sindhdugrh”.
After a most interesting and educative experience it was time to party. We
met up with the NH17 again at Kudal,
and proceeded to Goa, India’s most
popular beach resort. In gorgeous Goa,
we lost ourselves in its golden sands, its
blue sea, and its tanned brown bodies
and stimulating spirits. In the shacks
that line the beach, we danced all night
long, but the party never ended. Goa is a
dream destination that lets you ‘be what
you want to be’ and we can’t help but
quote the great words of Mark Twain:
”Twenty years from now, you will be
more disappointed by the things you did
not do than by the things you did do. So,
throw off the bowlines. Sail away from
the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore. Dream Discover”.
MAY 2011 Auto India 59