Seaside Sojourn In Shrivardhan

genesis

Spent a long weekend in January in the coastal town of Shrivardhan ( 4 hours from Mumbai). The fact that my friend has a house there was added incentive! From Shrivardhan we did day trips to Dive Agar and Harihareshwar. Harihareshwar, home to a famous Kal Bhairav temple is also known as the Kashi (Varanasi) of the South due to its religious significance. A circumbulation of the temple adjoining the beach takes you up a cliff, down a periliously steep staircase and then opens out on a spectacular rocky outcrop (accessible only during low tide), providing magnificent views of the coastline on one side and strange shaped formations carved out by waves on the other. Dive Agar's claim to fame, other than a virgin beach and lush coconut plantations, is a temple built around a gold mask of Ganesha which was uncovered by an old lady a few decades ago. While most tourists end up going to the 'official' temple where the mask and treasure chest is housed behind bars, a quick jaunt down a side road takes you to the original discovery spot where the lady now has installed a small shrine, selling photographs and stories of how she was stiffed of a reward by the government! The other highlights of this restful long weekend were the daily jaunts to the beach, crossing the creek to Jivna Bandar to buy fish off the boats, a fiesta of fresh coastal cuisine and sitting by the sea with the waves lapping in the background. Sea food in Mumbai does not taste the same again!

Photos from the trip are posted at:

http://www.soumya.org/genesis/2009/0...rivardhan.html

IsntLifeATrip

Wonderfully written, thanks a million for sharing!