Hi All,

This is Coastal Konkan within 200 KM reach from Pune. Gentle winds, soft sands and inviting waters make Shriwardhan-Diveagar irresistible to beach lovers. Also, if one relishes sea-food, there is no dearth of delicacies to sample here.

Adventurers can even take a small boat to the north side of the bay and explore a land where the Peshwas or prime ministers of the Maratha kingdom, originally resided. 18 Kms from shrivardhan is a small town Harihareshwar, which is known for its tranquil and picturesque beach and is also famous for the Shiva temple of Harihareshwar.

You can visit these places from Pune for 2 days (weekend) or for 3 days (recommended).

Getting There

Via Tamhini ghat (approx 200 km)

• Pune ? Paud ' Pirangut Road ? Tamhini Ghat ? Turn left at Vile
• Vile ? Nijampur ? Mangaon .You will reach NH ' 17. Continue traveling left towards Mahad
• Turn right 500 mts after Mangaon ST Stand on SH 97 to Mhasala. Turn right again on SH98 after Mhasala - Arathi Road Junction - Shrivardhan

(Road map: Pune - Chandani Chauk - Paud - Mulshi - Dongarwadi - Tamhini Ghat - Vile - Nijampur - Mangaon - Lonere Phata - Goregaon - Mhasala - Arathi Road Junction - Shrivardhan. Road is smooth and good. It could be bad for portion of the ghat section. Avoid crossing Tamhini Ghat after 6:00 PM. It is not safe)

Via Mahabaleshwar (235 km)

• Pune ? Pune ' Bangalore Highway ? Surur Village
• Turn right towards Wai ? Panchgani ? Mahabaleshwar ? Ambenali Ghat ? Poladpur.
• You will reach NH17 at Poladpur.
• Turn right towards Mahad - Lonere Phata - Goregaon
• Goregaon - Mhasala - Arathi Road Junction - Shrivardhan (SH 98)

(Road map via Mahabaleshwar: Pune - Shirval - surur ' Wai ' Panchgani ' Mahabaleshwar ' Poladpur ' Mahad - Goregaon - Mhasala - Arathi Road Junction - Shrivardhan. Road is smooth and very good. It is 4 lane toll roads (NH4) till surur village (first 80 Kms). Ghat section is also good and safe to cross even in the night as it is crowded with Mahabaleshwar bound traffic.)

Via Bhor (185 km)

• Pune ? Pune ' Bangalore Highway NH4 ? Khed Shivapur
• Turn right just ahead of Khed Shivapur at Bhor Phata
• Bhor ? Varandha Ghat ? reach NH ' 17 at "Hotel Sagar" just outside Mahad.
• Turn right towards Mangaon. Get off the highway at Lonere Phata to Goregaon - Mhasala - Shrivardhan. (SH 98)

(Road map via Bhor: Pune - Khed Shivapur ' Bhor ' Varandha Ghat ' Mahad - Goregaon - Mhasala - Shrivardhan). Road is 4 lane toll road till Khed Shivapur. After that it is not in good shape. Do not cross Varandha Ghat during night as it is not very safe. This is shortest distance to reach Mahad from Pune but road is not that smooth. If you have good four wheeler like Scorpio, Supo, Safari, you may even opt for this route.)

Diveagar

Diveagar Beach can easily rival any beach on the west coast of India for its clear waters, white sand & serenity. Diveagar is situated approximately 5 Kms from Shrivardhan. Reaching Diveagar is quite easy, take a right turns after Mangaon on the Mumbai-Goa highway; from here it's a one-hour drive to Diveagar. Diveagar is just like any other village on the Konkan coast but it gained overnight fame upon the discovery of Ganesh idol made of pure gold in one of the Supari Baghs (Garden) in the village.

The beach is a real revelation, a six km long stretch 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. The beach has a lot of Suru trees, which are common to coastal Maharashtra. The access to the beach has a dense cover of Belu trees, which are very uncommon sight on this coast.

Diveagar has numerous households offering accommodation for as low as Rs.300-400 per day. The local cuisines are worth exploring & better enjoy eating it as no other options are available. Diveagar is an ideal weekend getaway away from City crowd. Don't expect any luxury hotels & typical city eating joints here but be prepared to be surprised by the simplicity & calmness offered by this place.

Spots

• Suvarnaganesha (Golden Ganesh) Temple: History of Suvarnaganesha is quite fascinating. It was on the special day of November 17th, 1998 (Sankashti Chaturthi as per the Hindu calendar) that there was found a copper box beneath the earth. It was weighing 30 kilos in coconut cultivation near the temple. The box was muddy as it was buried and looked ancient. It had some words written from the 10 century in Sanskrit. This incident attracted the entire mob from the Diveagar village. This was the second incident that an ancient piece of history was found, as earlier there was found a "Tamraptra" at the same place. When the box was opened in presence of Govt Officials, there was a sculpture of Lord Ganesh made out of pure gold. Also the box contained ornaments belonging to Lord Ganesha. It was then that the god was named "Suvarnaganesh".
Suvarnaganesh is a complete idol of Lord Ganesha, but a sculpture of pure 24 caret gold. Its weighted 1 kilo and 300grams, with height of 24 inches. It is said that this sculpture was created to mask some Lord Ganesh stone idol, which was earlier in the temple. However it's still a puzzle as to who has buried it and for what reason. But people of Diveagar have tremendous faith in Suvarnagensh and that the god is blessing the place with prosperity.

• Sundernarayan Temple: Also know as Rupnarayan temple, was believed to be built in the thirteen century, under the rule of King Shilahar. The idol is the best example of sculpture. The four hands of the idol along with their accessories Shank (Shell), Chakra (Wheel), Gada (Weapon), Padma (Lotus) are carved in such a manner that when seen in clockwise direction, it shows 24 different appearances of Lord Vishnu.

• Seashore: At the back of the Sundernarayn temple, there sea-shore of about 4-5 kilometers. The soothing sand beneath, the sea in semicircle appears to be calling. Beach is safe for swimming as against its neighour - Harihareshwar Beach which is not that safe.

• Shrivardhan Seashore: Kondivali beach (5 Kms from Shrivardhan) - clean and unmarked by footprints.

• Birthplace of Peshwa Bajirao I: 5 kms from Shrivardhan

Stay

Exotica Beach Resort - It has 10 AC Wooden log Cottages with direct access to beach. Each cottage is equipped with Inverter backup for power supply, Standard bed, Television & Air-conditioners. At Exotica, you are completely in harmony with nature. Untouched, unexplored & raw. The ambience here is very exclusive, comfortable & utmost refreshing. In keeping with its trend, this resort has an all Wooden Cottage accommodation. It consists of 10 well maintained Ac Log cottages with serene interiors. Self-contained & ideal for couples/family. The resort has a Multicuisine Wadi restaurant offering a delicious blend of continental, Indian, Chinese & Konkani cuisines.

Harihareshwar

Harihareshwar is one of the finest places in Konkan. It is famous for a temple on the seashore as well as the beach and the natural beauties here. Harihareshwar is only 18 Kms for Shrivardhan. If one wants to enjoy traveling by sea, the launches are also available between the two towns. The temple here is one of the major attractions. Harihareshwar is known as Kashi of Southern India. The hill on the seashore at Harihareshwar is also known as 'Harihar' or 'Pushpadri'.

The temple is old and the construction period of this temple can not be easily said. The temple might be constructed in Shivaji's Period as one can find such sculptures. But was re-constructed by First Bajirao Peshawa in 1723. The temple consists of idols of Brahma - Vishnu - Mahesh and Devi Parvati. The other temples in the premises are of Shri Kalbhairav and Shri Yogeshwari.

Truly, Harihareshwar is a place of temples and beautiful seashore. The atmosphere here is very auspicious and creates pleasure. The seashore, beach, the dark woods near the sea and the temple are worth to visit.

Caution: Beach is not very safe for swimming especially during low tide. It has lots of undercurrents.

Stay

• MTDC Resort Harihareshwar (Beach)
• Resort Harihareshwar (Hill Top)

Regards,

Premanand