Jai Ganesha , Jai Maharashtra. Review on Ganpatipule

Ganapatipule

Returned last week from this heavenly abode. had been there for two days. My best friend recommended the place as I was looking for a place away from the cityscape, a place where I could find solace, find peace, basically for a real weekend getaway.

And the place was perfect.

I left from Mumbai city and took the Madgaon express train at 8 am and reached around 2 at noon the same day in Ratnagiri. Before I go any further, If you go there take your cameras and digicams with you as the scenic beauty to ratnagiri is simply breathtaking. Rivers , lakes, forests , mountains throughout and there are Huge long distant tunnels in between. You get down at ratnagiri and you have few real good places there too like the kohinoor beach, theebha palace, from where you get to see the whole of ratnagiri at one point. very near to Ratnagiri station just about 5 minutes walking you come to the bus stop where you have the Bus to the Holy Shrine of Lord Ganesha - Ganapatipule. Its about 50 kms from there and the bus journey is such a bumpy ride that only those with a young heart will have a real blast through the journey to the destination. It takes about 50 minutes to reach and get down at Ganapatipule - Ganesha Temple.

Very near from that stop is your temple and the people there were so sweet and nice ( it helps if you can speak in marathi - I had so much Fun ) . You visit the temple, offer your pooja , take the prasad ( offering ) bow down , read out whats written at the top of the lords abode - its in sanskrit , sit for some time, close your eyes and BY GOD you find peace in you heart and soul. The place has so much positive vibration.

Then you ask for how you take '' PRADAKSHINA '' as the temple is so UNIQUELY designed that in order to complete one pradakshina you actually have to walk the whole HILL round once which takes about 20 minutes and trust me the view outside the temple , behind it to be more precise is just as beautiful. From there as you come back completing one circle you get the whole view of the SEA / BEACH just in front of you and you do not have to take initiative to go there..... your feet get drawn to the place automatically.

The water in the beach is so clear you can almost drink it. And with all honesty you find more crowd here than inside or around the temple.

You can either get inside and drenched and take complete fun of the sand / water all over you or just sit back at the dry sand area and enjoy the Tender coconut water ( Rs.10/- ) and dont forget to eat the coconut Malai. Its very tasty.

There are MTDC lodges and other lodges like Kelkar lodge where you get rooms at a varied range thus selecting the ones as per your budget. The food is awesome if you enjoy genuine Maharshtrian Thali - which I do and is very affordable.

the place is yet to be discovered and developed... more marketed really as the temple and the beach both are splendid and both visited and well enjoyed.

Any season to be there is good but I have heard its great if you can visit it at the start or mid - monsoon as the view is well.... AWESOME !

So anytime you get two - three days off from your rigid schedules and of course you are residing in INDIA... you can visit the place and enjoy it fully within those two days even and make your small and quick trip worthwhile.

Be Well

TD