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 Maharashtra’s
coastline runs from the Gujarat border all the way down to Goa.
For those with a penchant for sand, sea and surf, this state has
lot of options in store. Juhu is the popular shore of Bombay suburbs.
One can take a camel ride, or a pony ride or
a horse ride or go for a spin in a tiny
rented boat. Versova, just a little distance
away, is a long, clean pleasant and
relatively empty stretch of beach. From Madh
Island the beach stretches north to Marve
and Manari and Gorai. Murud,
is beautiful with a wide, palm tree bedecked
beach. Harihareswar too has good
beaches.
Further south on the border of Goa, the
little town or Malvan has an
excellent beach resort. Sindhudurg an
excellent beach resort. Sindhudurg is
48-acre island off the coast, is surrounded
by beautiful sandy beaches. Just a few
kilometers further south is Vengurla.
Its beaches are shaded by groves of cashew,
coconut, jackfruit and mango trees. Ubhadanda
Beach is the last of Maharashtra’s
beaches before the coastline becomes that of
Goa.
Best time to visit: September to April
Chowpatty Beach
This is a popular beach where celebration of
festivals such as Coconut Day and the
Ganesh Chaturthi immersions take
place. Besides little kiosk selling Bombay’s
special snacks, Bhelpuri & Kulfi (local
ice cream) one can find professional
masseurs, pony-leaders, bee bee-gun shooting
galleries, contortionists, snake charmers,
monkey-trainers, balloon sellers,
flower-girls and lot more.
On the beach are statues of India’s
freedom fighters, Lokmanya Tilak and Vithalbhai
Patel who symbolize the freedom
struggle. Chowpatty occupies a special place
in the life of Bombay. Having been the venue
of mass political meetings in the
pre-independence era
Ganapatipule Beach
Visit the vast stretch of unpolluted silver
sands on the western coast of Maharashtra,
bathed in golden sunshine and silver
moonlight and lapped by gentle foam-flecked
waves from the expanse of the Arabian Sea.
The beach is Laced with the unforgettable
aroma of fruits, flowers and mangroves
carrying the timid whispers of swaying
coconut trees.
This is Ganapatipule, the land of the 400
- year old Swayambu Ganpati and eager,
enthusiastic tourists. Set along the western
coast of Maharashtra, is a small little
village, called Ganapatipule. It is known
for its serene, sedate beach. Unlike most
beaches, which are spoilt by tourist
traffic, the Ganapatipule beach is as
natural and pristine as ever. Even today,
the waters are blue and the sands white.
Traveling to Ganapatipule by road is a
vacation in itself. The entire ‘conman’
region is paradise - for miles. There is
something new to discover, in whichever
direction you go: narrow roads, red soil,
roofed houses, clean courtyards, innumerable
fruit-bearing trees (including mango, betel
nut, banana, jackfruit , etc.) and
casuarinas lining the coast are a common
sight. ‘Meeting the ever-friendly and
hospitable ‘Konkanis’ and chatting with
them could unearth innumerable delights of
holidaying in this naturally gifted countryside.
Besides the beach, Ganapatipule is an
important pilgrimage center. The temple of
the ‘Swyambhu Ganapati’ is known for its
unique idol of Lord Ganapati and its
magnificent temple (‘Swayambhu’ or
self-originated, not man-made, ‘Ganapati’
or the lord of the ‘ganas’ or army. ‘Pule’
is sand dune. That’s how the name
Ganapatipule evolved). The temple is 400
years old and is at the foot of a hillock.
Most pilgrims believe in taking a ‘pradakshina’
around the hill instead of just the
temple. (Pradakshina is a form of showing
obeisance wherein devotees walk in a circle
around the idol of the deity or around the
temple in which the idol is housed). For
tourists, it just means a good, long walk.
Ganapatipule is one of the ‘Ashta
Ganapatis’ (eight Ganapatis) of India and
called the ‘Paschim Dwar - Dewata’
(Western Sentinel God).
For you, MTDC has developed special Beach
Tents, amongst the enchanting casuarina
trees, complete with beach umbrellas. There
is also a beachside restaurant Tarang, which
serves you some of the finest cuisine in the
region. Besides the tents, there is also the
MTDC Resort placed just on the slope of a
hill facing the sea. Next to it is a lagoon
where MTDC provides you with water sport
facilities. All these make your stay at
Ganapatipule comfortable and eventful.
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