Hello to all the Moderators and Local Guide friends!
Today I am going to tell you about our family tour to ‘Ratnagiri’ district in Maharashtra state of India. We have visited ‘Ratnagiri’ several times before and we went there again recently to attend a family function.
‘Ratnagiri’ is located on the southwest part of Maharashtra and it is surrounded by beautiful hills of ‘Sahyadri’ ranges on one side and on another by ‘Arabian Sea’ with untouched white beaches, beautiful waterfalls, hot water springs and palm groves. ‘Alphonso’ mangoes of Ratnagiri are very famous in Maharashtra. ‘Ratnagiri’ is one of the gems of ‘Konkan’ region. It is a joyful weekend getaway from different cities of Maharashtra including Mumbai.
During this visit, we went to the 3 most famous tourist spots here. Today I am going to talk about these wonderful places.
‘Ganapatipule’ is about 25 km away from Ratnagiri city. It is famous for the ‘Lord Ganesha Temple’ which is situated right on the beach and surrounded by a hillock. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Maharashtra come here every month to gain blessings from ‘Lord Ganesha’ on ‘Sankashti Chaturthi’ [Holy day of Lord Ganesh]. There is a wonderful walkway around the temple; the experience of taking a tour around the temple along this walkway was unforgettable for us.
On the way to Ganapatipule, the roadside sceneries are very wonderful with narrow roads, red soil and roofed houses. Ganpatipule is the jewel in Ratnagiri district. We have visited Ganapatipule several times before, and like other times we enjoyed a lot this time too.
How to Reach:- From Ratnagiri MSRTC bus stand one can get bus to Ganpatipule.
Auto-rickshaws are also available; they will charge around Rs.400/- for 3 persons.
‘Aare-Ware’ twin beaches lies in between Ratnagiri and Ganpatipule. It is around 12 km away from both sides. These twin beaches were formed due to the corner of the mountain that submerged in the sea. It is a geological wonder in itself. The two sides of the same mountain, the Aare and Ware beach were formed due to the convergence of the mountain into the ocean.
We were mesmerized by its beauty and the serenity of nature, and instantly fell in love with the untouched and crescent looking twin beaches of Aare and Ware.
‘Ratnadurg fort’ is about 4 km away from Ratnagiri bus stand. It is surrounded by Arabian Sea on three sides and is a structure in a form of horseshoe. A splendid ‘Shree Devi Bhagwati Temple’ is located at the highest point inside the Ratnadurg fort which is an ancient architectural marvel. The temple is very clean, quiet, peaceful & huge in size. Every year during ‘Navratri’, a huge festival is organized in this temple.
‘Ratnadurg fort’ gives us a splendid view of the sunset and Arabian Sea. It has multiple viewpoints to see the amazing scenery of waves splashing across the cliffs. We experienced the positive energy and divine atmosphere at this place.
How to Reach:- To visit this fort Bus service is not available; Auto-rickshaws will charge around Rs.100/- for 3 persons. Or you can visit with your own vehicle.
With the visit of ‘Ratnadurg fort’ we concluded our tour to Ratnagiri.
How to reach Ratnagiri**:-**
- **By Air:-**Ratnagiri does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is Pune, which is 325 km away and another is at Mumbai, which is 350 km away from Ratnagiri.
- **By Bus:-**Ratnagiri is well connected by M****SRTC buses and private tourist buses also.
- By Train:- Ratnagiri is well connected by Konkan Railways.
