HARIHARESHWAR
Harihareshwar
is a small town about 200 Kms, from Mumbai, and has one of the most beautiful
beach. The nearest place is Shrivardhan, which also has a long beach. These
beaches are clean and the waters are mostly shallow. Harihareshwar is accessible by road and takes about 4-5 hours
from Mumbai. The nearest railhead is Mangaon on the Mumbai Goa track.
We
left Mumbai at 5.30 a.m. and took the Mumbai Goa highway via Panvel – Pen –
Nagothane – Kolad – Mangaon - Lonere. There are two forks off Mangaon. The
Goregaon Phata as it is known. The
first right turn goes through the Mangaon town and is narrow in the beginning
and flares up into a broad, smooth and winding road to Shrivardhan. I would
recommend this road as it is a good road and shorter than the other fork.
The
second right is also known as the Lonere-Goregaon Phata is a narrow road, which
winds through lot of ghat sections. The road here curves in a serpentine manner
for a long distance. The ghat seems endless, you climb one and as soon as you
descend, there is another. The journey on this road is monotonous. The only
saving grace was the stereo in my car. If you have travel sickness, it is
advisable to carry anti vomiting tabs. After an endless travel along this ghat
section, we came to Shrivardhan junction. There is a T-junction here. The left
goes to Harihareshwar and the right to Shrivardhan. Shrivardhan is only about
3-4 kms from this junction and Harihareshwar about 19 Kms.
There
are a lot of food joints along the Mumbai-Goa highway. Have your breakfast
before you reach Lonere-Goregaon phata. There is a good open air hotel just
after Mangaon, - Open Umbrella - the food is very good and the toilet
facilities are good too. It is advisable to take a rest here for about half an
hour before you proceed. Fill up your tank and check the tyre air pressure as
there are no petrol pumps on the way to Shrivardhan. There are not much
vehicles on the ghats so drive carefully, slowly and safely. The entire stretch
is through wooded areas and is a pleasure to drive though the road is bad at
certain areas.
We
reached Shrivardhan T-junction at around 9.30 a.m. and took the left turn to go
to Harihareshwar. We had booked the MTDC resort tents in advance so had no
problem with accommodation. Here I would like to emphasize the need to book
your accommodation well in advance as it becomes full at week-ends or holidays.
We booked just one week in advance and got only tent accommodation for 4 days.
The tents are made of World War II parachutes, and can house 4 persons in one
tent. There are two cots, two cupboards , one table, 2 chairs and two fans. For
those who book early, have the opportunity to book the luxurious AC tents. The
tariff is quite economical and the service is good. For those who opt for the
tents, there is a public toilet and bath facility. There is no hot water here.
These facilities are available for the AC tents and other rooms if available.
One
important thing is that your mobiles do not work at Harihareshwar. There are
some STD booths near the temple, and you may have to ask if it works. So rest
assured, your holidays are going to be mobile-free.
We
checked in one of the tents after completing the formalities, and freshened
ourselves. There is a canteen which caters to veg and non-veg cuisines. The
rates are a bit high but the food is good enough. You also get breakfast at
8.00 a.m. There is room service too. In all the ambience is great with the
tents being very close to the beach.
Harihareshwar is one of the finest places in
Konkan. It is famous for a temple on the seashore as well as the beach and the
natural beauties here. The temple here is one of the major attractions.
Harihareshwar is known as Kashi of Southern India. The hill on the seashore at
Harihareshwar is also known as 'Harihar' or 'Pushpadri'. The temple consists of
idols of Brahma - Vishnu - Mahesh and Devi Parvati.The other temples in the
premises are of Shri Kalbhairav and Shri Yogeshwari.Truly, Harihareshwar is a
place of temples and beautiful seashore. The seashore, beach, the dark woods
near the sea and the temple are worth to visit. The sacred Harihareshwar
is surrounded by four holy hills, namely, Harihareshwar, Harshinachal,
Bramhadri and Pushpadri. The temple of Harihareshwar is the must visit
attraction in Harihareshwar. One of the great place in Konkan is Harihareshwar.
(South Kashi) The lord Shiva temple constructed in 16th century consists of
idols of Brahma - Vishnu - Mahesh and Devi Parvati. The other temples in the
premises are of Shri Kalbhairav and Shri Yogeshwari. Besides a major pilgrimage
centre, Harihareshwar is a popular beach resort with two unspoiled and pristine
beaches, one to the north and the other to the south of the temple.
There
are a lot of places to visit at Harihareshwar :
·
Harihareshwar Temple -
8 kms (Gayatri Tirth, Sita Sansar, Vishnu pad, Pandav Tirth, 101 Kaurav Astitv)
·
Birth Place of Srimant
First Peshwa - Maratha Kingdon (10 kms)
·
A Gram Devata -
Somajadevi (10 Km)
·
Jeevaneshwar Temple -
Swayambhu Shivpind (12 kms)
·
Jeevnabander - Fish
Port (12 kms)
·
Pure Gold Casting
Ganpati Idol - Diveagar (21 kms)
·
Devkhot Pandv era Caves
·
Shrivardhan Sea Shore
(10 kms)
·
Aaravi - Shekhadi -
Walvti most beautiful sea shore (13-21 kms)
·
Shrivardhan Town
·
Laxmi Narayan Temple
·
Diveagar Sea Beach (21
kms)
·
Rupnarayan Telple
Diveagar (22 kms)
·
Dighi Bandar - Janjira
Fort (36 kms)
·
Savitri River - Bankot
Creek (4 kms)
·
Bankot Fort ( 5kms)
·
Rotha Supari of
Shrivardhan
·
Bhairvnath, Kusumadevi,
Rameshwar, Bharadhkol Vitthal Temple
·
Bhimachi Kawad (Trekking
Point)
·
Tambadi (Trekking
Point) Table land
·
Samsher Baba Peer Darga
(Trekking, "S" Waterline Point)
In
the afternoon, we left for the Hareshwar Temple which is about 2 kms from the
MTDC resort. There are a lot of hotels around the temple precincts. There are
signboards at all the “Khanavals” or eateries which display – Meals Ready – all
these joints are in the small cottages of locals and the food is real good and
tasty. The food here is vegetarian. Though there are a few non-veg khanavals a
little further down the road to the temple. The temple area is very sacred and
holy.
After
eating at a local khanaval, we entered the temple and paid a visit to the
Kalabhairav and Shiva temples. The visit is complete after the pradakshina to
the temples. The pradakshina is a path around the temple which climbs a hill
and into the sea and around the shoreline back to the temple.
We
began the Pradakshina, which is a steady climb with rock cut steps, winding up
to about 200 feet, then there is a descent of another flight of rock cut steps
which lead out to sea. There is a flat table top ledge with overhanging rocks
eroded by the ever battering waves of the sea during high tides. It is not
advisable to enter into this area when the tides are high. Pradakshina can be done
when the tide is low. Our first attempt to complete the pradakshina failed
because of the high tides and had to return in the evening and what a sight it
was. Against the golden setting sun, the waters reflected the sun’s rays and
all around the rocks, the beauty was hypnotic. There is the Gayatri Tirth just
as you enter the pradakshina area on the right side within the tall rocky face
of the hillock. From here, the ledge flares appreciately, giving a majestic
view of the jagged rocky wall on the right and the chopping sea on the left.
The sunset is very spectacular from this point. The rest of the pradakshina was
completed in about 15 mins, and at every step we gulped in the beauty of nature
at its best.
Pradakshina
completed, a sense of fulfillment enveloped us; the visit to the temple was
complete. We returned back to our tent and after a short snack break, we went
to the beach, a few meters away from our tent. The beach of Harihareshwar is a
real beauty. Golden sands, tranquil waters, and peaceful surroundings. One
doesn’t feel like returning back from this beach. We had our share of fun and
frolic at the beach. Watching the sun go down from behind the hills, casting
dark shadows all around us. There were clouds in the sky and the setting sun
giving them a golden glow.
The
next day, we went to Dive Agar, to see the golden idol of Lord Ganesha. Dive
Agar is a coastal village, and boasts of a great beach. Dive Agar is about 6
kms from Shrivardhan and about 25 kms from Harihareshwar. The place is famous
for its Ganapati Temple and the gold mask of Lord Ganesha. It is said that the gardens
of Draupadi Dharma Patil in the small village of Dive Agar, yielded more than
vegetables when workers uncovered a meter-long copper box two years ago. Inside
was a 3.3-pound, 1.25-foot high solid gold Ganesha mask, dated to the 17th
century. The discovery has turned the village into a holy place, with pilgrims
visiting from far away to see the exquisite artifact.
We
were awed by the magnificence of the gold mask. Photography is totally
prohibited but photographs are available inside the temple itself.
We
visited the Shrivardhan beach on the third day, and enjoyed the beauty of white
sands which spread for miles on either side. The expanse of the sea was
turquoise blue and there were some college kids playing foot ball in the water.
The shores are clean and the water shallow. Good place to enjoy swimming here.
After about an hour at the beach, we had our food at Shrivardhan. There are a
lot of hotels here, Shrivardhan is a large place. Shrivardhan
is a city and a municipal council in Raigarh
district. There are a lot of hotels available for the tourists. Many
people plan their trip to Shrivardhan and then visit Harihareshwar and Dive
Agar.
Our tour had come to an end now, but we were not inclined to
return back to Mumbai. The soft lapping of the waves on the shores were echoing
in our ears. The quiet and solitude was better than the chaotic traffic of
Mumbai. The soft breeze was filled with the aroma of the sea and the seafood.
But it was time to return back. I have decided to return back to Harihareshwar,
a retreat from the bustling Mumbai city life, a life of comfort and slow pace,
where time stands still. The clean beach will always remain fresh in my mind
unlike the messy beaches of Mumbai.
Yes folks, one visit to Harihareshwar, and you are hooked to
nature.