Ganpatipule

This year, I had decided to celebrate a completely eco-friendly Diwali. Completely, I meant it! Thus, I decided to spend the two holidays showered on us for Diwali, elsewhere. I narrowed down on Ganpatipule, which is a good place to visit for two days.

   

Ganpatipule is a small village on the western coast, and is 375 kilometres from Mumbai. Though it is famous for the Swayambhu Ganapati temple, the crystal white sand beaches and the serene and clear sea are the biggest attraction. If you are the person who wants to run away from the maddening city crowd, traffic, unending office work, hourly status updates to bosses, then this is the ideal place. For, you will hear nothing but the splashing waves, and see nothing but the sea.  

The best way to reach Ganpatipule from Mumbai is to drive by car. It should take seven hours, depending on how fast you can cut through the Mumbai traffic. If you don’t have a car, then train should be the best and most convenient option. Ganpatipule does not have a railway station; you have to get down at Ratnagiri, which is 35 kilometres from Ganpatipule. The third mode of transport is by a private bus, and here as well, plenty of options.

The trains were full - as always - and being Diwali time, I couldn’t even get a tatkal ticket. So, I booked a bus with KSB travels. I got into the bus at 7.30PM and crossed Panvel at 12.30AM. Five hours to just cross Mumbai. After that, the bus went at a superb speed. I woke up at 5.30AM to find the bus parked next to a dhaba. I thought it was a loo break for the driver. But an hour later, we were still at the same place. Upon enquiry, I found that there is a problem with the bus and that it would take an hour to repair. Time passed and the bus didn't move. A mechanic came down and told that it would be evening before the bus could be repaired. Then, the travellers accosted the driver and his helper, in Marathi. They demanded a separate bus; some took pics of the bus. I did neither! Thankfully, the bus broke down close to a town called Khed! I went to Khed bus stand. The next direct bus to Ganpatipule was four hours away, so I got into a bus to Ratnagiri, which took me three hours. The journey was very tiring, but the surroundings were exquisite. The road ran through picturesque valleys, rivers, mountains. It was then that I felt that one should drive down. I got down at Nivli Phata, twenty kilometres before Ratnagiri and hired an auto-rick to drop us at Ganpatipule, which is thirty five kilometres from this place. I was cursing the bus journey and my fate as well. Finally, we reached the MTDC resort in Ganpatipule completely sapped due to the strenuous journey.

The MTDC resort is exquisite. Spacious villa type rooms amidst plush greenery and facing the sea! The location of the resort is the best part; it is adjacent to the Ganapati temple and the beach. The room I booked was very big; even the bathroom was bigger than the bedroom of my house in Mumbai. The rest of the day went into exploring the village. People were having fun in the beach; some were playing volley ball, some were swimming. There isn’t much crowd here, probably, thats why most couples prefer to come here. We found out a tour operator who would take you on sight-seeing for a full day, to all the places around Ganpatipule. Most of the places – other beaches, forts, and museums – are near Ratnagiri. The tour was economical, but we decided not to go. Already a full day went into a bus journey, and we weren’t ready for another one.

The next morning, we woke up early and came down to the beach. There was ample light already and the other guests from the resort were there too. I was searching for the sun on the horizon, and suddenly realized that I was on the west coast, and not on the east – old Vizag habit. We took a long walk in the beach, occasionally collecting shells. The morning chillness, the faint moisture on the skin, the splashing of the waves on the feet, the grainy sand adding cushion to your walk, boy, it was just wonderful. Tranquillity! It wasn’t until then that I realized how much I missed Vizag. The white sand is the perfect setting to the gentle sea waves. No wonder Lord Ganapati had chosen this place to self-manifest.

After breakfast, we went to a museum nearby, where the ancient Konkan tradition is depicted with life-size mannequins. A Konkan village and the traditions are well constructed. A guide takes you through the entire museum explaining the significance of each Konkan tradition. I knew that Kerala came from the sea when Lord Parashurama threw an axe into the sea, and the sea receded. However, the guide told us that the Konkan also came the same way. So thanks to Him, for throwing the axe, for, this beautiful coastline came into existence. Later, we took a motor boat ride into the sea, and were lucky to spot a few dolphins.

In the evening, we took a bus to Ratnagiri, from where we had to catch a train to Mumbai, which took 2 hours. We got into the Konkan Kanya express at 22.30 hours and reached Mumbai at 5 AM next morning. That much convenient the train journey is.

So, that is how my eco-friendly Diwali went. So much eco-friendly it was, that I didn't even light a match stick!