Our day started with 6 individuals from different backgrounds set on this journey to explore some unseen places in Konkan. We travelled in two cars, 3 people in each.
We departed from Chandani Chowk, Pune, at about 6:30 am- an Indian standard time delay of half an hour. Our next stop was at a café in Tamhini Ghat for breakfast. We reached the place at about 8:30 am and had a sumptuous breakfast. Here the group got their first chance to interact with us. It was interesting to learn about each individual, what they did and why they wanted to come on this trip.
After the meet and greet were done and our bellies full, we took off for our next pit stop in Dapoli for lunch. We stopped here in a local khanaval (dining hall) to experience the first taste of the local cuisine. We had a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarians. This local khanaval was a tiny place but was packed as it offered good food at reasonable prices. We all had a good meal, and then we set off to our next point of interest.
We drove to Unhavre Hot Water Springs to experience this unique phenomenon. This water that comes out of the earth is crystal clear, and the temperature is at about 70 degrees Celsius. The steam from the channel that carries the water rises for about 4 feet and can be seen with the naked eye. The channel guides the hot water to a 10 feet x 10 feet kund (a small tank or reservoir) where one can dip their feet in. At first, the water felt extremely hot, but our feet got accustomed to the heat in a bit of time. (Please do not dip your feet if you are uncomfortable as you may scald your skin.) We spent about 30 minutes here, had a cup of tea at the general store, and pushed off to the next place we had mapped.
Unhavre Hot water spring was a unique experience for everyone because something like this was never experienced by anyone. On the way to our next destination, the Panhalakaji Caves, we discussed how the entire region could benefit if this was made more accessible and maintained nicely. The first thing that came to my mind and a direct parallel I drew was the Roman Baths in Bath, England. Although the scale and grandness of that place are totally different from the callousness of this place, just to understand how the Romans built it and later the British preserved it and made it a tourist attraction is something worth exploring.
Our next stop was Panhalekaji Caves; these caves are about 2000 years old and are along a freshwater river. The vicinity of these caves is surrounded by giant mango trees. This cave complex has around 30 Buddhist caves. These caves have a mixture of stone carvings and Brahmi and Devanagari script inscriptions. A walk along these caves makes you think about how the earlier generations would have built it, the patience required to start and complete something like this, and how the chief architect would have laid out a plan to execute this cave complex.
After spending some time here in the caves and around, we found our way to the river flowing from there. The crystal clear waters and untouched beauty of the space forced us to dip our feet in the water there and click a few pictures to remember that moment.
We headed to our final destination for the day, Velneshwar, where we would halt for the night. On the way, we stopped at a secluded part of the Guhagar beach, which was shown to us by the locals there. The drive to the beach was stunning. The ghat that led us to the beach was really picturesque. The sun was setting, and the golden reflection of the rays on the water took away all of our tiredness. As soon as we parked near the beach, the group got ready to take a dip in the ocean. The clean water, beautiful waves, and hardly anyone on the beach made the moment very special; it was like out of a fairy tale. The dancing reflection of the sun made each and everyone in the group a photographer! Everyone was trying different angles to capture that scenic moment. Video calls to families and kids were made to show them this heavenly place; spouses and kids were a little jealous that they went to this place without them; promises were made that they would definitely come back with them.
After spending a good hour on the beach and seeing the sunset, we drove to our final destination at our beautiful beachside bungalow on Velneshwar Beach. We reached there around 7 pm, but it did not feel that tiring as everyone was refreshed with the scenes and things they had experienced all day. The group then dispersed in their respective rooms to freshen up and gathered after an hour to chat over a couple of drinks. Freshly made dinner by a local was served to the group, and we had a great time savoring the veg and non-veg food flavors. The food was made in a typical Konkani manner and had all the yummy ingredients to delight the Konkani meal. After dinner, the group decided to take a night walk on the beach and enjoy some quiet time with themselves. Slowly and steadily, the group dispersed to their rooms, and we called it a successful Day 1 of the pilot trip.
The day started at about 6:30 am, and a couple of people wandered off for a morning walk onto the beach. I joined the group a little later, tired of driving the previous day. On the far right of the Velneshwar beach is a little hillock which has a platform with one part jutting into the ocean like a peninsula. We decided to walk there and see what the view was like. As we walked through the stones and boulders and reached the flat stony mass, the view got better with every step until we finally came to the point that felt like we were on the edge of the world. The waves crash at your feet, and the energy of the ocean through its wave is magically transferred to you. Just to be there and taking in the sights was one of the best feelings I have felt in a long time. The energy that the ocean had cannot be explained in words. During high tide, all of this part is submerged in water. We were able to see various plant and animal life trapped in little pools and crevices with their own ecosystem. Around the bend is a rock formation like a blowhole, where the water rushes in through a channel and splashes up high in the air. There are plenty of rocks on which one can sit and experience the crashing of waves, be submerged in your own thoughts, and let off all the stress go!
After this captivating experience, we walk back to the beach house to be served freshly made poha with coconut and garma garam chai (hot tea). At this point, we were sitting on the bungalow's patio, watching and enjoying our breakfast and light-hearted conversations while watching the high tides rolling in. Once the breakfast chitter-chatter subsided, we wandered in the beautifully manicured landscaped garden and the coconut wadi. We met our Maadi wale kaka, who showed us how he climbed up the coconut tree and collected the Maadi. Once he came down, he offered us to taste this unique beverage. We all had a little swig of the Maadi, thanked him, and went on to freshen up and depart our beautiful beach home.
We went to the age-old Shiva temple from our beach house, about a 5 minutes drive. We wandered around the temple complex, had our darshans, and left for the next destination on the itinerary, i.e., a walk through Guhaghar village, some local shopping, and lunch in a typical Kokani Brahmin home that serves delightful pure veg food. This khanaval is run by two old aajjis who looked like they were in their 70’s. The two of them had certain positive energy as they served and forced us like we were their own grandkids.
The food started with about 6 types of chutneys and achar served to us. One by one, the koshimbirs, the vegetables, dal, and chapattis began rolling out. Each chutney had a different flavor and hit an additional note when eaten: spicy, sour, and sweet. First, Fansachi bhaji (vegetable made out of raw Jackfruit), a very typical vegetable of this region, was served to us; although I do not like jackfruit, I tried the sabzi, and it was delicious! Then came another hit bhaaji, the aloo and baingan combination. The group went absolutely gaga about the simplicity of the food and its flavors. The daal was equally good and packed a punch of tanginess and other spices. To top off this beautiful thali, Ukdiche Modaks were ordered. With a dollop of sajuk tup, we were all transformed towards heaven!
Filling up our bellies, we slowly plodded towards our car and set off to see the Gopalgad Sea fort and Anjanvel Light House. We reached Gopalgad fort at about 2:15pm, parked our vehicles under a huge tree, and entered the fort through one of the smaller doors along the massively fortified walls. Along the fort is a moat (a depression surrounding the fort) that was used to defend the enemies as it prevented moving towers or battering rams or elephants.
The fort is sitting on top of a hillock giving sweeping views of the ocean and the dangers approaching the fort. The fort now in ruins has a mango orchard inside and dry pools and wells. Overall, this sea fort gave us tremendous opportunities to click great photographs and videos.
Once all our curiosity about the fort was covered and the afternoon’s sun took its toll on us, we decided to go to our next destination, but not before a cold glass of kokam sharbat served by a local inside the fort. The cold juice was just what the doctor had ordered. Once we were refreshed, we drove to the Talkeshwar Point lighthouse (Anjanvel lighthouse), about 5 minutes from there.
Anjanvel Lighthouse is one of the few lighthouses where you can see it from inside and go on the viewing deck. The view of the ocean from here is breathtaking.
On top of the balcony, you have a 180-degree view of the ocean and see various small dinghy boats carrying their catch towards the nearby village. The experience of seeing the lighthouse was like a childhood dream come true. We finished our lighthouse tour in about 30 minutes, after which the compass directed us towards our accommodation for the night at Kolthare.
We reached Kolthare by taking a ferry from Dhopve. Kolthare is a small village that is rich in flora and fauna. It is one of the most remote villages which has zero network connectivity. Once you are in Kolthare, you can recharge your batteries without any connection to the world, an ideal getaway for a few! We kept our bags, freshened up, had a cup of chai, and left to explore the beach and catch the sunset on Kolthare beach.
Before reaching the beach, we spotted the festival of Shimga (Holi) being celebrated outside a house. This Shimagotsav is celebrated approximately for eight days all over. Locals believe that Shimga represents the arrival of God and therefore carry idols of the deities to their houses in Palkhis or palanquins. Earlier on the way to Velneshwar we had encountered a man dressed up as Shankasur (a part of the folklore of Shimga).
When asked about Shankasur, we could learn from him that they dress up as this asur, and symbolically, during the festival of Shimga we get rid of the asur (demon) inside of us.
While walking on the Kolthare beach, we spotted a rare bird, the White Bellied Sea Eagle, which had built a nest on top of a tree about 100 feet high. We spotted both the males sitting on branches near the nest and the females making frequent flights to get food for the little ones. One of the group members was an avid bird watcher. He shared his experience and know-how about the different birds we saw in and around Kolthare.
A walk along the beach brought us to a point cordoned off with a green cloth, and a few baskets were kept in there. On inquiring, we learned that these were the eggs of the Olive Ridley Turtles and were to hatch anytime soon, but not right away. We were both excited and disappointed at the exact moment. We left for the accommodation, only to see two foxes cross the road in front of us. We stopped the car and tried to see if they would still be in the bush they ran into, and to our surprise, both of them were standing at the side of the road staring right back at us. We impatiently waited for a minute or two before going for the camera. Still, as soon as they spotted our movement, they rushed off into the dark.
We had a quick shower and gathered around the dining table, and discussed the things we had seen and events that had excited us on this last leg of our tour. Here we were treated with a very new kind of local fish called the Dhoma. The fish lovers relished this dish along with the prawns and pomfret ordered for them. The vegetarian enjoyed hot crispy kanda bhaji and some delicious local food. Once we wrapped up dinner, we hit the bed and planned to do some bird watching early in the morning.
Day 3 broke with the chirping of birds and the sounds of nature around our accommodation. As mentioned earlier, Kolthare is rich in flora. While walking on the road and around our lodging area, we spotted about 8 different kinds of birds.
Next, we went back to our resort, picked up our towels and swimming gear, and headed for a rivulet just 5 minutes walking from the place of stay. This rivulet was so clean that we could see the stones and fish swimming in it. We experienced something extraordinary in the water there. The water closer to the bank was nice and cold. Still, as we ventured a little deeper, the temperature of the water changed every two feet; it was a combination of warm and cold flows.
After we swam our hearts out, we headed back to our rooms and had a quick breakfast consisting of Misal and bread and a dish called Ghavan. Ghavan is a traditional breakfast recipe from the Konkan region similar to near dosa. It is basically like a rice pancake. This was one of the highlights of the trip.
With our bags packed and bellies full, we hit the road to head back to Pune. We decided to take the coastal highway and drive through the picturesque Anjarle, also known for turtle hatching. The drive along the beach was beautiful, but the roads leading to it were a real mess. We encountered a bridge closure on the way back and had to take a detour to board a ferry to get to the other side. This 5 minutes drive across the bridge took us about 2 hours by ferry, not because the distance was too much but because there was one ferry doing all the work. The traffic had piled up for quite some time due to limited availability and space on the ferry.
Finally, we reached Pune at about 7:30 pm, and by the time the group dispersed and promises were made to stay in touch and share pictures and videos, it was 8 o’clock.
So, all in all, we covered 630 kilometers in about 60 hours, dipped our feet in a hot water spring, jumped, and swam our hearts out in a freshwater lake. We also saw caves that were 2000 years old and a fort that had changed hands from Adil Shah to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to the British Empire. In our short trip, we spotted foxes, saw some beautiful birds and ate some really delicious meals, tasted the local Maadi, and got a chance to experience the preparations leading to the local festival of Shimga.
Finally, we met a group of people from different backgrounds and learned so much from each other. We shared some memorable moments bonded, and connected over discussions of work and travels.