We reached by train from Mumbai to Ganapatipule, a coastal town in Konkan’s Ratnagiri Dist (Maharashtra) known for its ancient Ganpati Temple and serene beaches (30 km from Ratnagiri).
For the first hour I wondered if something was missing! Everything looked same as if lacked an individual soul and yet a strong presence of something divine like a strong soul connecting every piece of thing that existed in this town! Living and non-living did not matter!
One soul connecting all! That sounded interesting, so I started exploring!
Taxi dropped us at this beautifully located property of MTDC, Ganpatipule, he told us you are staying at the best place, My wife smirked, I mean she wasn’t expecting we indeed were! We stopped at the reception, while I was busy taking the luggage out, she went ahead to the reception to sort out our check ins, the car was just leaving when she came running out and said the ‘bamboo houses’ are further down half a km. The car driver may have heard the commotion and offered us to put the luggage back and drop us right down. Uff! I am used to Mumbai rudeness probably but from the MTDC reception (Govt Employees) to the cab driver , all seem to have suddenly become someone wanting to add to us , genuinely!!
Bamboo houses, sea facing and some non-sea facing, the beach front literally a jump away. That’s what living on the beach must be. I slept off, and woke up to the sound of waves, but there was a certain calmness about the sea. As if Mother Earth sleeping and sea singing for her, calm and a soothing voice, high and low notes, must be her favourite song!
The beach (Ganapatipule) front was clean, perfect soft silvery sand beach, with sporadic presence of ‘us’ . The view was mesmerising, with Sun having shifted to an orange tint and water reflecting orange all over, even sky had changed its color, as if giving a final salute to a departing soldier! Sparkling clear blue water, sun beams dancing through the swaying palms, waves playing with the sand dunes and a powerful temple of Lord Ganesha, this is the land of Ganapatipule.
We walked along the beach, cool breeze with the most beautiful scenery around, looked like I had seen this place before, I thought hard – where? A place straight out of my dreams, the colours unseen before as if non- existent to this world, light coming from another!
We reached the temple walking alongside the beach, could hear the temple bells from a distance, Aarti had just started. A simple and yet elegant Ganapatipule temple (a 400 years old Swayambhu Lord Ganesha’s orange idol inside the Temple), a breathtaking green backdrop and extremely beautiful architecture, bowled over by the sprawling temple premises, it was sure to make you soaking in spiritual aura. everything was so calm, there was no rush despite the rush, no one was in a hurry, everyone waiting, as if waiting for the God to whisper to them to see him.
We were offered dinner at the temple , we sat and had the most delicious food. We knew we will return the next day not just for the dinner but to breathe in some calm and peace!
Bhau Joshi Bhojnalya and MK’s Khau Katta are 2 places serving home cooked Maharashtrian food if the temple food doesn’t satiate the hunger of the explorer in you!
There is nothing to see and yet so much to feel, just absorb the nature, see the beautiful tint of sky mixed with the blues of the water, be lost in the goodness and simplicity around, walk barefoot on the sand with the waves playing with you and loose yourself without a reminder of the time!
A memorable and rejuvenating short break from the chaotic life of Mumbai.