Simple... A day...

A pending post... about being "Simple..." what I learnt from “A day...”

Not any specific purpose to talk about the topic... neither I do have something special to tell which has happened, I know people would have been least interested to know anyways if there would have been something special too to tell. We have our own worries, concerns, celebrations to deal with, so no time to appreciate or to feel good about some other person's day. But still, why not to describe it... atleast you yourself dealt with a day, just another day, and if describing it to you, yourself makes you feel good, nothing is important than that, at present... You got time for yourself... lucky!!!

Saturday normally is defined in my dictionary somewhere, and that is also defined to change the definition of the same in my dictionary, for sure... I always wish and think that every Saturday will change something, some meaning of a weekend, something which I don't expect as and from a normal like weekend. Not to think about friends, not to think about home, not to think about outing, not to think about a movie, not to think about car service, bike service, not to think about anything which comes into the mind when weekend arrives... at all... And every weekend pass away with these things only... I always think to wake up at 7:00 AM on Saturday; this number 7 has been stuck in my mind, somewhere deep inside... But whenever the alarm rings at 7 on any Saturday, feeling of weekend kills that alarm ring. Today also this happened, I woke up at 7:00 AM, but again got into sleep to stand up in another 10 minutes, and I ended up with sleep at 11:00 AM... again I repeated the things this time, like last Saturday, like all other Saturdays...

The first thing I had so strong in my mind was not to take this day as a normal weekend, and to let the things happens without being feeling of a weekend... Somehow I achieved this too, in partial ways. I made up mind for some tasks which were pending since long back, and not to do 'regular' weekend jobs. But eventually, in this way also I was treating this day as a weekend only. Good thing happened was, I did something unusual, because it was not in schedule, I will discuss that sometime later...

So as per plan, I had to meet my old friends, the dogs. I was missing them like anything and I needed to spend some time with them, to feed them with their favourite food, biscuits. One thing which I always like the most in them is their eyes... it always gives a feeling to be hopeful... sounds crazy thought, but true for me. It’s just don't look at any lousy dog, or that will force you to yawn even after an energy drink..., so don't give a thought to look at a lousy dog at all ... :). Whenever I go to them, their eyes says lots of things... how crazy life is, be hopeful, don't be sad, everything is uncertain, life is beautiful, what if you are not getting everything you wish, life will still remain beautiful, you can't change that fact... and a lot more... their eyes express... funny, but true... try to look into their eyes, read... After spending some time with them, I went to do some weekend stuff...

The time I reached some place for some work, it was 3:30 pm. And from one of my well-wisher, got a call about JV meeting, with Ashok ji. Without a thought, I made-up my mind to attend that meeting, to go through what it is all about, what the talk we can have there. Meeting was in IIT in some canteen area, one of the favourite areas for the people like me. Where you can see such young enthusiastic people, with lots of dreams for future, with new inventions going on in their mind, some romantic short documentaries, some you can find fighting with their own identity among the heavy ones. Clicked some snaps there, like a group of students discussing something very important without talking, with the gestures from their hands, on bird which just came and sit in front of me on my table and started picking the tea I left in the glass, the ultimate canteen with most of the workers sweating and the drops were pouring into the tea, samosas etc... (Lovely feeling, like I was in a rewind phase of my own college days...). So I noticed and clicked all these things while waiting for Ashok ji.

As he described himself to me on the call, he was just like that and without any second guess if he was himself Ashok ji, I gone forward to introduce myself. Just after the moment he came down from the car. So we two were sitted now, he with the glass of fresh juice, and I, with another cup of tea. Tea is something I feel very attached to, it is something to teach you patience, to teach you go slow, learn, understand, grasp, to be silent, as per its nature. What we talked about, what was the purpose of the conversation, what I achieved after talking to him, what I learnt, what I understood... what is JV... all these things I am keeping for another blog, as that is something still to think and also about choosing proper words for it. After some time, few more friends joined us and the discussion continued, it lasted for more than one hour, with more cup of tea in between, with more concentration and likeminded frequency.

In the end, when the departure time was there, the sense of achievement and satisfaction was there. Although, when I use the word 'achievement', it doesn't mean anything and nothing to do with any criteria when I go and meet someone, but I use this word because I was happy, and I was smiling. Achievement can also be defined as a void substitution class for nothing, just as you get nothing if you throw a piece of stone into the water, but you feel good. Like for me, on that Saturday, being a smile on my face was the most important thing to get, to achieve, so that sense came. We concluded that we are lost somewhere into this big race, because of being competitive, being jealous, being shopkeeper who also look for some monitory profit and gain out of anything, being selfish. And in between all this, we forget that the most important things ... being 'Simple'. Being simple, to keep things simple, to make things simple, should be our main purpose. To make ourselves worth, to make ourselves being noticeable, to make ourselves on a mark and as a note, we do many things which are not at all required, which we should not concern at all. The only and special thing we need to do is... be simple... accept simple... live simple... Life is really simple, and is really all about the simplicity and to accept simple... but we really insist on being complicated... to make it complicated...

That was a Saturday I lived, I learnt, I understood a bit and wanted to share... One fruitful Saturday, for which this write-up was all about... and I am bound to copy one thing here from Hans Hofmann... "The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak...". Let’s accept this, try this, practices this, and start moving towards that...

God Bless... :)

Society

Its logical and conceptual... a logical word... just like some IT generated word to define something which you can't describe... which exists but don't exist at all. Which is there, but not present, present, but not there. It can be created anytime, anywhere, it can be destroyed anytime, anywhere, and both the creation and destruction can happen while someone wants to fight with himself/herself into his/her crazy existence. It is the thing which just can't be ignore.. you have to either live in that, or either have to create and destroy one for you. As said, it a logical paradigm, so it exists without any boundary of time. It was already there when the social term itself was not defined... a society of 'no mankind', it is there at present when we are fighting with homogenously multiplexed issues into this world which are far crucial than this existence of term 'society', and it will be there when everything will get destroyed for the new transformation, it will be present as 'a new world arrival'. In different forms, it hit and run, but always show and introduce, present, exists.

I had a so called another 'useless' day here, apart from one thing I did which eventually made it a worth, made it a worth 'logically'. I love this 'logical' word most now days, because everything compressed in it for me, like everything is 'automata', everything turns 'logical'. It exists, but it doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist, but still it has a presence, in one way or another, and you have to live with it. So the worth thing for me which happened was I gone at some place to give some gift to some of my unknown friends, people who don't know me or neither they bother who I am, and then a thought hit my mind. Those also have a society for me... 'Unknown society'... And that was the time I had to stop writing for my other pending blogs (like I am a professional blogger...) and thought to give a shot for the term 'society'.

In everything, whatever I do, damn confusion starts with me, myself. Yes, I respect this feeling that you need to start analysing part with you, but also I too need the space to analyse something and someone else and to start writing and thinking things with, the space which I don't and can't have. So when it started, I got confused. To which society I belong? Whether the one which I created and opt, or the one which created me, as myself, as how I am. The thought process can be mine; it can be what I think, how I think, what I want to do, and how I want to do. But as a mankind, as a contract between the mankind, it should also get derived either for a society, or from a society. So while searching the identity, for some society, you gona be in some crisis, or for some, an advantage. Means you, yourself doesn't mean anything here. It’s one side, or the other. Either you have to accept one, or create one. It’s the concept. Its how all this has been gestate, contrived.

But one good thing is, you have an option... as you always have a chance. You can create one too, 'conceptually', on the basis of your choices. Society doesn't exist as a substance, as its logical term, and as soul can't be created or destroyed, so goes with society. So conceptually you are free to enter into any game of it. If one has to be a strict religious, people are waiting, if one has to be liberal, people are waiting, if one has to change the world, people are waiting, if one has to save the world, people are waiting, if one has to play with rules, people are waiting... every time, everywhere, anywhere... conceptually you are into some society... to comprehend you, or to mistake you.

I am happy with one of the great quote I got... "Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals...". And yes, isn't it like that? Individuals, with their own thoughts, own findings, own learning, own experiences, own decisions, own sufferings... but where this word 'individual' lost when after an unspecified period, it get derived for or from a society? But yes, the people who made the difference, made some of theirs, it’s always not 'from' a society for them, it’s their own 'individuality' which they remained or remaining, and people follow those, to enter into their society.

We are what we have been taught, we became what we had been bound, bound to think and to do calculations. I have been thinking a lot to take an advantage of being a human being and also because I got liberty to think... so I am doing that... and one thing which is popping up again and again... what Buddha said... "Because mind is a creation of the society. It has been educated. The heart is unpolluted. It is pure existence, hence, it has a sensitivity. Look from the viewpoint of the heart, and the contradiction starts melting like ice...". Here is a start... for a new society... :) Come people... join...

No, there is no conclusion of all this, about me, about you, about this blog. If we conclude something, then it means we stop... we stop somewhere... and in contradiction to that, heart can't stop... can't stay... it always like just be ready and receptive... so be it.

A song I want to add...

It's a mistery to me

we have a greed

with which we have agreed

You think you have to want

more than you need

until you have it all you won't be free

society, you're a crazy breed

I hope you're not lonely without me

When you want more than you have

you think you need

and when you think more than you want

your thoughts begin to bleed

I think I need to find a bigger place

'cos when you have more than you think

you need more space

society, you're a crazy breed...

there's those thinking more or less less is more

but if less is more how you're keeping score?

Means for every point you make

your level drops

kinda like its starting from the top

you can't do that...

society, you're a crazy breed...

society, have mercy on me

I hope you're not angry if I disagree

I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

Finally... one pic which I am missing the most, used to have in front of me for some hours in the daytime...

God bless!!! :)

An email I sent to my friends

Guys,

There are some thoughts roaming around in my mind about our mental and physical conditions. No doubt we are floating in our own world with smoking, drinking and several other stuff which we should either stop or atleast control upon. It reminds me a good quotation "Body is like our temple, we should take good care of it...". I know motivation never last, and motivational quotes etc hardly have any great impact on us apart from 1 or 2 days we remember those and then we again become as we are.

The thing for me as of now is not to explain the pros and cons about any good or bad habit, but to make sure that we can act on couple of points which may save us from any severe damage...
First and the least thing about all the below stuff is there should not be any RULE/DISCIPLINE to do anything. When the words like RULE/DISCIPLINE comes, it kills half of our enthu... I know!!!

NOTE: I know that to whomsoever I am sending this, they know me well that I am as lazy as an Laisk Loom ... not being bothered to do anything... So, the point is...some writing below is mine... and most of the stuff is copy paste!!! (So what... atleast I spend time for you and did all this...!!! Need appreciation…!!!).

-- "Start slow" is the mantra especially for the people like us who always find a reason not to do something or anything about the most important matter... our body. The best example I can put is
-- I remember for a month I didn't gone for jogging because my ipod was not working and my excuse was, without music, what the logic is to go for it at all...?? So, the conclusion is... you need not to be a gizmo freak or be in great attire etc. to do any physical activity. Clothes, accessories are not going to get any benefit, but you will if you do some physical activity.
-- Walk as much as you can… start enjoying it!!!
-- "Aerobic" exercises like cycling, swimming and running are best for cardiovascular fitness. They strengthen the heart and lungs. Make sure you do atleast one out of these for half an hour daily. It may be easier for you to spend ten minutes in the morning when you first get up, then again at night before you go to bed.
-- Games like basketball, tennis and soccer are of great help in terms of stamina etc... Make sure you play any out of these once in a week... (Don't give shit reasons like you don't have any club etc near by or you don't have so much money to do so... You can play basketball or soccer in your society's lawn etc too... and you don't require 5-10 people also for the same...)
-- Drink that H20! You'll need lots of water to stay fresh. You should drink water before, during and after any physical activity — even if you don't feel thirsty.
-- Accept the fact that our ancient Indian gift to us... "Yoga" is the best thing exist we can do for us and for the people around us too. Spare atleast two hours a week to practice the same... You can make it on weekends... (I know some people like me are more busy on weekends rather than weekdays, but I think now I need a small change in that sense... Remember... Only fools and naves are too busy for anything!!! Rest depends...)

Some more things we may think of...

-- Remember to be realistic about your goals. If you try to reduce the calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar in your diet AND promise to make a drastic change in your physical activity level, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Instead of trying to make many changes at once, set smaller, more realistic goals for yourself and add a new challenge each week.
-- Make healthy choices a habit. This leads to a healthy lifestyle! Make a commitment to eat well, move more, and get support from family and friends. Even better, start eating healthier and being active together!
-- Choose snacks that are nutritious and filling. A piece of fresh fruit, cut raw vegetables, or a container of low-fat yogurt are excellent (and portable) choices to tide you over until mealtimes. Take these snacks with you for a healthy alternative to chips, cookies, or candy.
-- Take your time! Eat only when you are hungry and enjoy the taste, texture, and smell of your meal as you eat it. Remember, it takes approximately 15 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full.
-- Forgive yourself. If you occasionally make mistakes, don’t give up! Forgive yourself for making that choice and keep working on it. Eat an extra healthy lunch and dinner if you had a high-calorie, high-fat breakfast. Add more physical activity to your day.

So guys... lets get together to celebrate a happy and beautiful life by start implementing small things, in bits and pieces... I will be more than happy if we will start pointing out the things we should do and what we should not do... among ourselves (later we can start nagging unknown people too about what they are eating etc, but first lets gain some strength by implementing any of the above mentioned things, so that in case someone start beating anyone of us, we would have stamina to recover soon...). I will be posting such things as and when I will cross any.

Comments/compliments are more than welcome!!! Cheers and good luck.... :)

PS: This my email is not meant for some of the recipients as none of the habit which may cause something bad to health they own… Its just a matter of group, and to let them know what situations we are in and how we are trying to cope up with that!!! But also… I have a something good for them… below…

"He was a good man… He never smoked, drank & had no affairs. When he died, the insurance company refused the claim!!! They said…. He who never lived.. CAN'T DIE!!!"

The pure

I have been thinking about this at times. Though, the fundamental of being right and wrong are reserved by individuals, but purity is nothing to do with that... What is right and what is wrong, will remain the same without any change in it, its just a matter of our own ease that we manipulate those right and wrongs at times. What 'Right' and 'Wrong' we know, are some facts created by us, the mankind, due to our own fears, may be to overcome from some fear, or to create some fear, don't know... What an urge comes sometimes is to face the real 'right' and the real 'wrong'. Those exists, you can feel their presence in this whole existence. But due to how the mankind's upbringing has been done, we start believing in their absence, and we already been constructed for the presence of something which don't exists, or rather, the presence of the facts which we created. This is again a question of man made 'right's and 'wrongs', if you want to believe this, anyways you will, and if you wish to argue on the same, there can be several wrongs here. The part of "convincing" ourselves I had put in my previous blog, so let it be there. What I am trying to figure out is about "What is pure", irrespective of any 'right' and 'wrong'. Purity can't be judged; it can't be parameterized in any such logical calculations of 'rights' and 'wrongs'.

As Osho mentioned... "Your innermost core has always been pure. Purity is intrinsic to you, it cannot be taken away. Your virginity is eternal. You cannot lose it, there is no way to lose it. You can only forget about it or you can remember it. If you forget about it, you live in confusion. If you remember about it, all is clear." No-one can take the purity from your inside... its there, it should be. You may be doing something unacceptable to the world, to the so called society, but the feeling to do the same thing, at there right moment, is pure. You can't manipulate that. And if the purity presents there, how something can be wrong?

It takes a lot of courage though, to be pure. Its there, but to let it come out, it takes lots of courage. Its unforgiving sometimes, but its lovely. Tough to understand, though beautiful. Anything it can take from you, but return everything. It is always right, dancing inside you to come out. But may take ages to feel you like dancing with it. Once it gets start, its unstoppable. Its not a matter of faith or belief, because these words are highly attached with the contradiction between what you have been tout since beginning and what you feel. However, purity is a fact, its a basic instinct of everyone. We have been pure since beginning. It’s just the layers of some conscious and sub-conscious things which hide it. Purity can't judge, between right and the opposite of it. It is what it is. It can't be this way or that way, it can't happen, it can't be created. It’s not to be discussed, as it can't fold itself in topics. Arguments on it can’t be useful, will not help. It’s for yourself, can't be for anyone else. When the world, the so called society get exaggerated on it, it gets impure in a way. Its simple, yet complicated...

"My death, taking the light from my eyes, gives back to the day the purity which they soiled..." -- Jean Racine

God Bless!!! :)

Blank...

I need to break this travelog for this post... I feel so...

So when I am writing all this, I am "being", its like A 2 Z... or nothing, thinking nothing, because can't.

Its here... right now!!! I am happy, I am sad, I am confused. I convince myself sometimes by the quotes like "Confusion is the most honest state...". I know this is. People worry more about their sufferings rather than enjoying the moments which they can. Sufferings override the best moments they have at present... But as I said, I am highly confused; I don't expect myself not to show this. So, I also think that this happens, the suffering overrides the little moments of happiness, joy, a feeling of being juvenile again, a feeling of being in college again... :), but it can't take that from you. As I said I am confused, I can't explain everything... actually, not anything. And I don't want to do so also. If you force yourself to do so, that's being injustice with the moments.

Words like joy, happiness are often getting used now a days. The whole world seems to be trying to show this. We forget about reading the faces and feeling this thing, but we learned to talk about this a lot. That's a good thing also, we learned something... But the nucleotide thing is... what makes you happy, joyful? Can you do a bifurcation between happiness & satisfaction? I felt happiness inside me because I felt satisfied sometimes back when I was able to deliver some message, though hints, and in bits & pieces. I was confused, I am confused and I will remain confused about the same. And that is my source for happiness. To being not in this state, I will loose the source.

I read something very interesting about Joy... "Joy is not the result of what you do; Joy is a state of being that enters your heart when you are open to learning and taking loving care of yourself. Joy is the feeling of exuberance and oneness that envelopes you once you have opened to feeling your pain, learning from it, and moving through it." ... Though not completely agreed, as people may have different views/definitions, but I feel good to read this.

I am blank, I am empty, I am full, I am sad, I am happy, I am feeling anything, feeling nothing, I am feeling everything. Its not about love, liking etc..., it can't be. Either it is nothing or more than that. I always wakeup my lazy person inside while defining or giving name to something. Giving name would be injustice... defining may be injustice...Its here and there, its everywhere... its now!!! Experience life in all possible ways -- good-bad, bitter-sweet, dark-light...what matters is you should either feel good about everything, about the experience you are gaining or you have already gained, or should not feel anything. Being sad also can be beautiful, feeling being lonely can have its own experience. Don't know, may be depends...I am still on my stand... I am confused...If you really want to know what it is, you need to be absolutely blank.

As Osho said... "Mind can accept any boundary anywhere. But the reality is that, by its very nature, existence cannot have any boundary, because what will be beyond the boundary - again another sky. That's why I'm saying skies upon skies are available for your flight. Don't be content easily. Those who remain content easily remain small: small are their joys, small are their ecstasies, small are their silences, small is their being. But there is no need! This smallness is your own imposition upon your freedom, upon your unlimited possibilities, upon your unlimited potential."

"All the Buddhas of all the ages have been telling you a very simple fact: Be -- don't try to become. Within these two words, be and becoming, your whole life is contained. Being is enlightenment, becoming is ignorance."

So when I am writing all this above, I am "being", its like A 2 Z... or nothing, thinking nothing, because I can't. I don't have any problems when the time will come and I will say I am "becoming"... because I don't feel any issue being a human... We, the humans always have our own right and wrongs, we manipulate things, we always trying to "becoming"... not "be"... so what...? We are also leaning things, its learning phase... and at some/any moments in our lifetime, we will feel that we should be "being" and will implement...

So many things or may be nothing... :) ... but its like a feeling of joy, may be I take everything like this way, happiness, sadness... anything... I always take an advantage of being confused... someone can vouch on me for this, can say anything to me, good, bad, weird... Its again like being A 2 Z or nothing...

God bless!!! :)

Mumbai - Shani Shingnapur - Shirdi - Trimbkeshwar

This post I am writing regarding a ‘sacred trip’ which eventually turned the 'adventures trip' due to the weather conditions. We had been there many times, however, the best trip was this one which we enjoyed the most due to the reason of being in our own vehicle and I got a chance for a long drive of around 700 Km. Every time we made a plan to go Shirdi; our route was predefined (however not achieved sometime due to time constraint). So the decision was made to be at those pilgrimages on the weekend. We decided to start on Saturday morning and we planned to cover Shani Shingnapur and Shirdi on the same day itself following with Trimbakeshwar next day, post a halt in Shirdi on Saturday night.

We decided to start the trip at 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM on Saturday, however, we had the great 'time-killer' and 'trip-spoiler' this time with us, MM, 'the supari-man' (yeah, he was a replica of super-man, just some supari in his mouth every time). So there was no chance we could have start on time. I don't know exactly by what time we started as I didn't had time to note it down as we were hell late. Initially the plan was to reach Shani Shingnapur by 3:00 PM, reach Shirdi by 6:00 or 7:00 PM but due to our 'Supari-man's' expected delay, we were not even thinking to make this happen.

So we start driving towards Pune as if you have to go Shani Shingnapur first, that route is best. If you have to go as Trimbakeshwar -- Shirdi -- Shani Shingnapur, then you need to move towards Nasik first. Weather was cool and we had our 10 years old wonder-car with only one driver as me in that. 'Supari-man' (MM) and another desi version of 'Super Comando Dhruva' Mr. SPS already showed their intention not to try their driving skills with that wonder-car because the technologies as well as the supersonic systems of that car were not as per their standards. According to them, they are high maintenance guys (with empty pockets).

So we were on the express highway of Mumbai-Pune to cover the time we wasted (which was impossible). There is nothing as scenic as Mumbai-Pune highway during rain but on express highway, halt is not allowed. You can only stop on the patch of 8 kms (Lonavala) which is common for highway and express highway and we had foto sessions there. Driving was going smooth and we took a left turn for Ahmadnagar which straight goes to Shani Sighnapur. We reached there by the evening only, curtesy our 'supari-man'. Before I go ahead and start journey to Shirdi, there is something I want to explain about Shani Sighnapur pilgrim. Information is widely available on internet but there is no harm to repeat it and involved in this blog.

There are many Lord Shani temples in India, out of which, two famous places of Lord Shani are, Shani Shinganapur in Maharashtra, and one is Shani temple in Kosi Kalan (Mathura). Shani-Shinganapur lies 6 kilometers off Ghodegaon- an important market place along Ahmednagar-Aurangabad road. Ghodegaon is 35 kilometers from Ahmednagar. Distance from Mumbai is 330 Kms approx, via the route Mumbai-Pune-Ahmednagar-Shani Shignapur. This village is famous as a pilgrimage as well as for its door less mystery. The houses here have gaping, rectangular spaces at the facade of every home. No door frames, no latches, no padlocks or any other safety measures to guard the house. The door less architecture makes its presence felt right from the famous temple Sri Shaneshwar Graha Devatha. Male devotees clad in saffron cloth take a head bath before entering into the temple. Devotees also perform Abhishekas (rites involving
pouring of certain liquids over the idol) with water and til (mustard) oil. Thousands of people gather on Shani Amvasaya to perform puja.

One of the unique aspects of the village Shinganapur is that houses here have no door- frames or locks on them for safety. They are in fact not needed. The people here believe that it is the benediction of the god that no crime ever occurs in this village. Another belief attached to this place is the story of Neem tree standing to the North of the Shani idol. It is believed that the tree sheds its branches if one happens to cast a shadow over the idol.

Back to journey... we had our prayers at Shani-Shiganapur and moved towards Shirdi at around 9:00 PM. Our plan was to stay in Shirdi and to attend the early morning aarti, however, we forgot that planning is not what we should do to make things happen on time. We reached Shirdi by 11:00 PM and if there is some space to believe, we didn't got any room in any hotel by 3:00 AM, night. Every hotel was full as there was Saturday, Sunday and almost all the devotees came to Shirdi to offer prayers. Finally at 3:30 AM, one hotel staff shown some mercy on us and we got a room there. Our plan to attend the early morning aarti got failed as Mr. Supari man declared that he can't make it as he is hell tired and that statement was strongly backed by SPS. I was finding out the reason what made those guys so much exhausted because I was the one who was driving all the way. But there was no logic to convince them at that moment they got a bag full of reasons why not to go to temple at that time. So we drag into beds and wake up in the morning at around 9:00 AM. By noon 3:00 PM, we had everything done including lunch and we started for Trumkeshwar, Nasik. Again, before we reach Nasik, I would like to share few things about Shirdi.

Shirdi -- A pilgrimage for all. Its approx 80 km from Shani Shingnapur. It’s a place above all religions, castes and creed. Shirdi is the mystical town fragrant with the devotional intensity that sees devotees from across the world thronging to this small hamlet. Highly placed on the world map of spirituality, Shirdi is located in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and close to the holy city of Nasik. Shri Sai Baba is revered as one of the greatest saints ever seen in India, endowed with unprecedented powers, and is worshipped as a God incarnate. Shri Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and 1918, whose real name, birthplace and date of birth are not known. An Indian spiritual guru and a fakir that transcended the barriers of religions, Saibaba of Shirdi was regarded with great reverence by all religion followers.

Back to journey...it was around 7:00 PM when we reached Trimbakeshwar, which was approx 110 km from Shirdi, around 22 km from main Nasik. Quite late because it was Sunday and we had to reach Mumbai to attend office next day. But the way from Nasik to Trimbakeshwar, the stretch of 22 km was so much beautiful so that we had lost the thought of next day. It was raining and road was superb with great maintenance. Although, we were unable to get a speed due to slippery way, but due to the reason we had a warm welcome by the environment, we didn't thought of speed. We offered our prayers at Trimbakeshwar and by 9:00 PM, we were ready for our way back. Something about this holy place…

Trimbakeshwar -- It is a religious centre having one of the twelve JYOTIRLINGA of the world, approx 180 km from Mumbai and 22 km from Nasik city. Trimbakeshwar Temple was built by Shrimant Balaji Bajirao aka Nanasahib Peshawe in 1788. This Nagara style temple is built with local black stone and the sanctum features a beautiful tower. Out of the four doorways, three have porches which are adorned with arches and pillars. The deity installed here has five heads which faces towards different mountains surrounding Trimbakeshwar. The temple houses three ‘linga' of the size of a thumb and they are called as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). The Shivling in the main shrine of the temple is covered with a single-faced silver mask which attracts thousands of devotees from all over India. There is a continuous issue of water from the top of the Shivling. There are numerous teerths including the Gangadwara teerth, Varaha teerth and Kushavarta teerth in the vicinity of the temple. The temple is known for its appealing architecture and sculpture and is at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri.

So it was time to get a start for back to Mumbai. As said, it was already past 9:00 PM somewhere and we were planning (again!!!) to reach Mumbai by 12:00 midnight to get a decent sleep of 7-8 hours, so we were cool. We crossed Nasik city by 10:30 PM (had dinner too in between) and as I said, we PLANNED to reach Mumbai (a distance of around 160 km) by 12:00 midnight, we were happy about our intelligent thought until the rain started like anything. It was so heavy rain that was making impossible to have a clear vision of even 10 meters, and that made us to stop the car for more than an hour in a dhaba. The clock was showing more than 12:00 when we again started our journey when the rain was not properly stopped, just drizzling, and I was able to drive at the speed of 40-50. Just after a drive of 30 minutes, we again had that show-stopper rain which was even heavier than last slot. All the three bravehearts took the decision not to stop this time and to continue the journey at the speed of even 20-30. It was dark everywhere and Nasik highway was under construction so we even didn't knew how much was the distance between the valley and the car tyres. It was impossible to have any idea about the road and still the roadies were jogging on that in a car. Twice it happened that a truck tried to smash our lil beast with inside us and that was for sure unintentional. We came to know that we were about to come under truck when its headlight were visible at a distance of a meter or so. But as we were not at a high speed, rescue was done on time. One more incident I remember was, due to the construction work, some big stones (from which divider boundary has been made) were there with the divider and were invisible. Our car's driver side's front tyre hop on it and it cost my full strength to control the car. In brief, the scene was completely looked like a crop from any horror movie, night was dark, the road was under construction and was dangerous without lights, heavy rains which made visibility the worst, a car with only one driver (I have right to appreciate me now!!!) who was driving from last 2 days with a small sleep of 3-4 hours, two other members out of which supari-man had no concern at all about what was happening as he devoted all his life to God (he turned saint and he was sleeping on the rear seat like anything...). For some more time I drive like that till the time it got unacceptable. It was almost 2:30 AM and we thought of another break. We again parked our car at some dhaba, I decided to stay in the car itself and to get some sleep, rest two of their own mankind decided to get into the dhaba to get some food (they were hungry as they though they were tired because of all that what was happening... OR may be like they were busy clearing the road to make me drive...). Another hour past when MM & SPS wake me and asked me if I need something to eat or should we push of as the rain was stopped. A thought of being a ‘driver’ crossed my mind at that moment... ;). So we again started after I toasted hell amount of water to wake me up while driving. It was a kind of night safari which we were doing since last 6 hours with worst road condition in the tan dark night, with heavy rain falls etc. and with antiqpieces like 'supari-man-- the MM' and SPS. It all looks like a fun now when we think about that night ride; however we were bit disturbed about what the aura was at that time. We would had not find any mechanics etc. if something would have gone wrong with our car and spending night in a still car with heavy rain falls is not something very enjoyable especially when you have to attend the office next day. But I must admit that my first car had not made us suffer from any of the crisis, not only on this trip, but by the time she was with me. That’s how I named it wonder-car...

We finally reached Mumbai and at our home by 5:00 AM in the morning. Nobody would be believing the fact that to cover approx 200 kms, it took 7 hours especially with a driver who got a sleep of just 4 hours in two days, and with the 10 years old spicy Zen. But that was again a very sacred turned adventurous trip of our life with 'three idiots' in one wonder car. (Sorry to use Aamir's movie name before it get release, but now I guess from where the producer got this movie name...). These are the only things which you cherish throughout your life, no matter how much uncomfortable and unacceptable situation you were in. But once you crossed those kind of difficult situations, the same moments turns into sweet memories...

Some more info on the route, places etc...

If you have any plan to go Shirdi, you can add Trimbakeshwar & Shani Shinganapur in that because it is very much possible and achievable to club those two pilgrims and to cover all three in one day. Though, it will be bit hectic if you are with family, children etc, but the pleasure of being at those two places is much larger than a bit of pain which may cause due to travelling etc.

There can be two ways you can schedule your trip.

Mumbai - Trimbakeshwar (Nasik) - Shirdi - Shani Shingnapur - Mumbai (via Pune)
OR
Mumbai - Shani Shingnapur (via Pune, Ahmednagar) - Shirdi - Trimbakeshwar (Nasik) - Mumbai

Mumbai - Nasik: approx 190 km
Nasik - Shirdi: approx 90 km
Shirdi - Shani Shinganapur: approx 80 km

Total: approx 360 km

OR

Mumbai - Shani Shingnapur: approx 330 Km (Mumbai-Pune-Ahmednagar)
Shani Shinganapur – Shirdi: approx 80 km
Shirdi - Nasik: approx 90 km

Best is to start on Saturday early morning around 4:00 AM towards Shani Shingnapur, reach there by 10:00 AM, reach Shirdi by 1:00 PM and have a lunch break there only, then push off to Trimbakeshwar by 4:00 PM (if you will be lucky enough to have 'darshan' with in an hour or so), reach trimbakeshwar by 6:00 PM, attend the evening 'Aarti' and push of to Mumbai by 8:00 PM. To have a smooth trip, you may have a night stay at Shirdi, attend early morning 'Aarti' next day, and then push off to Trimbakeshwar.

Whatever suits, it’s always been a pleasure and peace to be at those places. Some snaps below...

Some valley on the way....

Nasik - Trimbkeshwar road... something to talk about!!!

Wonder-car!!!

Happy journey... :)

Mumbai to Ratnagiri/Ganpatipule

Ganpatipule beach is basically named on Lord Ganesha. There is a Lord Ganesha's marvellous temple on the beach and in rainy season, sea waves use to come till temple dwar. One can't describe its magnificent view in words. Its a svayambhu (self-originated idol) Lord Ganesha idol, means no-one made the statue, but it is self-originated. It is one of the 'Ashta Ganapatis' (eight Ganpatis) of India and is known as 'Paschim Dwar Dewata' (Western Sentinel God). It’s a belief that whatever you wish here in this temple, it will get fulfil.

This place is really awesome. If somehow I would become the Tourism Minister, I will definitely put a proposal that "if any tourist comes here, and if s/he will not find the trip worth, the money will be back"... :). Whatever you want, peace, neat and clean beaches, temples, good market, helpful people, scenic highways, good roads... everything which comes under the radar of your brain, when you plan to go out somewhere, you will get it. This is a place where when I came first, I thought to buy some house to stay my old age there. I had been to this place twice, once, only and especially to Ganpatipule with AT, RN and SP. Another trip was not specific to Ganpatipule, but we (me, SP and RK) explored Ratnagiri as much as we were able to, within the given time. Second time we had great advantage of being SK with us who is working and residing there.

So I am here describing my two trips to Ratnagiri.









Ganpatipule Temple...

Phase I -- Specific to Ganpatipule with AT, RN & SP.

There was a public holiday and we took one day leave in continuation with Saturday & Sunday and the boys were ready with their bags. But before that, RN told us acc to his previous experience that if we are going to Ganpatipule, there is no other place as good as MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation) to stay. As a matter of fact, in all Maharashtra coastal regions, taking MTDC resorts is always the best option. MTDC has its all resorts just on the beach.

You need to get up from your room, take a small walk of 20-30 steps and you can wash your face from the sea water if you think you are a superhero and salty water will not have any affect on your eyes. So we booked a tent house of 4 in MTDC resort. Now the pending thing was travelling etc. After our great analysers ruled out the road journey, we planned to take the train option. Jan-Shatabdi express is train from Mumbai and Goa, everyday and it stops at Ratnagiri station. Travelling in this train itself is an experience. It has AC chair class option and no doubt this train is full with all the non-social kind of elements like us who goes to Goa on and of.
Stylish hairs, colorful clothes, some with their guitar etc, making pranks, throwing jokes and happy-go-luck-persons kind of creatures. Though, some of the elite class families were also there, with some 'Phoren' friends but there was no time to take care of all them!!! When you have destination like Goa, you already filled with some kind of nostalgia and dramatic feeling and already your level of energy booms like anything. There is no doubt that train is always the best option for Mumbai to the places like Ratnagiri and Goa. It roughly takes 5 hours to Ratnagiri and 7 hours to Goa. The route is one of the most beautiful and scenic route in India with river crossings, green fields, tunnels etc.

So we had MTDC resort booked and train ticket booked in hands and we were ready. AT came to Mumbai at night itself and we were at the Panvel station with our bags at 6:00 AM in the morning. At 6:30 AM, train arrived and the journey started. As described earlier, there were various kinds of people inside, hip-hoppers, rockers, decent couples etc. After sometime of settling down, we had our photo sessions etc while standing on the gate etc. Had seen many guys requesting to TT to let them be on the train, their tickets were not confirmed and some with other issues. I doubt if we had that kind of respect anytime in our eyes for our teachers, school principals, college lecturers etc which some people were showing to that TT. The voices were so smooth and honey dew like TT has to provide them a million dollar loan amount. If there would be a bucket, one could have collected some kilos of honey which was dribbling from their voices. We guys are like that...if we meet some person who is their for any kind of audit purpose, like policemen, TT, our personality suddenly change with in a friction of seconds. From juvenile, we immediately turn very social creatures who know that we are at fault but excuse we provide is always bigger than that.

We reached Ratnagiri at around 11:30 or so and one of our friend's driver was waiting for us. SK, our friend, who had his job there, had done arrangement for rest of our way from Ratnagiri to Ganpatipule, a distance of around 50 km. We first had our lunch at his home, and then pushed of. He also gave us the company for that day. So finally we were at Ganpatipule MTDC resort, just opposite to the beach. The first thinking was a big 'wow' from me and AT side. RN had been there once so there was nothing for him to say, SP, as always was in his own world of laptop, some office work, analysing something that he also didn't knew, looking at the tent house if that was in 'good' condition or not etc. etc.

The stretch...

The beach was neat and clean, well maintained, with white sand and green water. SK gave us company till evening and then he pushed of to his home, Ratnagiri. We all enjoyed our time of 4 days and 3 nights there. While SP was getting lost in his own world 'at times' (and recurrence of his this kind of 'space for himself' is too high), me, AT and RN at all the nights were getting into the mode of 'I love you guys' and 'I love the world'. Routine was predefined. Getting up at 11:00 AM or 12:00 noon types, have something, go onto the beach, play rugby kind of thing (still don't know what name should get assign to that play) with our sleepers, get back into tent house by 3:00 PM, have something which we named as 'lunch', but waiters were also sceptical about our orders, as according to SP, he never had in a mood to have lunch, AT always had some list of menu in his mind which he never solved what he really need, me, as always had a doctor inside me who suggest why 'not' to eat this thing or that thing at that time, and among all of us, RN was the coolest personality who always go with the wind and never say no to anything. Whatever friends decide, he goes with that. His theory I guess is not to get into arguments with fools and always do agree with them as that saves a lot of time and energy. Intelligent creature!!!

MTDC resort and view from there...

Evening time was again a kind of game time for all of us (the kind of games which are still searching for their existence in the dictionary...like playing rugby kind of thing with sleepers, pretending like we were in warfare and fighting with waves, drawing competition etc...). And sometime, SP set himself far away from the water, fixed himself on sand, thinking as he was the loneliest creature of his own kind in the world and asking to God that why either all the good or all the bad things happening to him only. His silent mode sometimes throws very powerful ultrasonic waves. Apart from his silent mode, the best thing is you never knew when again the bulb turns up and throw some enchanting light using the mode of smile. Yes, apart from exploring this 'sage' side of SP, we did many other things like bonfire on the beach at 3:00 in the night. Actually that got organized by some two other guys, with which we became 'janam-janam ke saathi' after we came to know that they have organized such a thing. Those guys were also finding the reason why they were at the beach and we gave them...to enjoy!! We gel along them and after some time, those two kind hearted people pushed off and we again were our own, AT -- 'I don't know what to do' theme guy, SP -- the lost sage, RN -- the 'no problem' bike imported from a south India coast and me -- a multi personality disorder. We had dance, photo session, some weird games in the sand like donkeys, also had some sleep etc kind of activities there, till the guard came and told us that staying late night on the beach is not allowed. He had a solid 'police wala danda' in his hands and we didn't wanted someone to kick us at that time when we will not find any hotel also. So we had to be inside the province of MTDC resort which was just 20 steps from the beach and again we were on the same 'hot' topics like 'ladkiyan and life mein kuch karna hai yaar... etc...etc...' till the time we realized that we need to get up again next day and to able to do that, we need some sleep.

Few moments...

So with this schedule, we spent 3 days there, and on the 4th day, we packed our bags again for Mumbai. Before pushing off from there, we had to go for Lord Ganesha temple (village name is Ganpatipule due to this reason...Ganpatipule, the Lord of the 'ganas' or army and "pule" means sand dunes). We gone to this utter beautiful temple and had blessed.

We didn't had any plans to call SK again from Ratnagiri to pick us and to drop till Ratnagiri station, so choose the MSRTC bus option to reach Ratnagiri station. It was very hot but as soon as the bus started and wind crossed our hairs, there was no time to think about that. It took an hour or so to reach Ratnagiri station and we had around 2 hours in our hands. So we decided to have our lunch there only, which ultimately turned something else...party time. We were lucky enough to get all the desired and delicious food there, and before half an hour of train time, we reached at Ratnagiri station to catch Janshatabdi express. Train was late and again our photographer knock the heart, so we clicked some snaps, did some more chit-chat and boarded in the train. Unlike while coming in this train, people were tired, exhausted and had a scary feeling of going back to work next day on their faces... :). We had also nothing much to do so slept for sometime and due to effected by Mr. SP, gone into silent mode until we reached Panvel, Navi Mumbai station.

Policemen were waiting there for checking the bags etc due to the reason most of the people buy whisky/scotch etc. from Goa due to price factor and which is not permitted in Maharashtra. You can't enter with the bottles with a tag of "For Sale in Goa only". That’s a common rule that you can't take one state liquor to another state, but you can't find that kind of police checking which we seen there. Anyways we all are good guys so we don't do these things (and even if we do, this is not the right place to mention that...) and moreover we were coming from Ratnagiri and not Goa, so we seen a kind of disappointment on 'police wale bhaiya's' face after we told him so... :).

We took a local from Panvel to reach our places, RN had a bit long way to go then us, me, AT & SP came back to our flat from where AT pushed of to Pune and as always, with a great experience for lifetime to cherish...!!!

Phase II -- Specific to Ganpatipule again, but turned 'exploring Ratnagiri' after reaching RK's place.


As said earlier, it is one of the most beautiful and peaceful place atleast for me and during my first visit, I decided to be there atleast once in a year. And this time when I decided to go there was New Year eve. Like all the past times, the first person I tried to contact for this trip was AT. I applied all sort of 'dosti ke vaste etc...' things on him but he had some assignments to finish. RN was out of town and SP was not at all in the mood to join. So after all this emotional dramatic stuff, which continued for 2-3 days, I decided to go alone there. RK, one of our friend's friend was still working in Ratnagiri and I talked to him about my arrival.

The most difficult thing to do for this trip was to get the train ticket and MTDC resort at Ganpatipule. As I didn't had much time in my hand and that was again going to be a new year, one of the biggest carnival in Goa etc..., one have to plan atleast two months before while going to Kankan stretch like Ganpatipule, Goa, Velneshwar. You will not get hotels or either you will need to do some compromise regarding the quality etc which may ruin your trip. December is anyways a peak season for Goa and the Christmas celebration, new year ever attraction pack Goa like anything. So it was just a week in my hands and neither I was getting the train ticket, nor the MTDC resort. I convinced myself to take the bus route to reach Ratnagiri (I hate long trips in buses, though, didn't had any option), I talked to RK and he convinced me about staying there and luckily I was getting the ticket for way back to Mumbai in Janshatabdi express. It was just a day before when I was about to book bus and train tickets, somehow somewhere a light flashed, some announcement happened in sky and SP's soul waked up for salvation. He asked me to book two return tickets as he was also joining me. That was actually a good thing happened because even if I planned to go alone, but 'what is life without friends' theory was hitting me again and again!!! So finally on the same evening I booked two bus tickets for Ratnagiri and two train tickets for way back. For stay and all other requirements, we decided to make RK one of our best friend for next week.

The day came and we boarded on the bus in the night. The drive was hectic, even that we were in AC volvo. The worst thing is you hardly get space to adjust yourself. But the thought of being in Ratnagiri/Ganpatipule was enough to overwhelm that pain of journey. We reached Ratnagiri bus stop in the morning around 5:30 AM. Had tea there which was the first 'feel good' factor. The air was neat and clean and was adequate to leave the bus experience on the bus stop itself. We hired one auto which was very much unknown to any name like RK, and the best part was I had a rough idea of address in my mind. This was again the result of thinking me as a bond, who never forgets something which he read or hear once. RK explained me the address on phone, I noted it down on some corner of some paper, which somehow I lost in my flat (which was more of a chemistry lab, where all the chemicals are misplaced and one never find anything on time one require the most). There was no reason for me to say anything about that piece of paper where I wrote down the address and a map of Ratnagiri treasure... "SK's house". I somehow managed to recall the place name and I gave kudos to myself for my sharp memory (without looking at SP, who was already gone into his deadly silent mode and was staring at me...). So the 'rick wale bhaiya' dropped us at the place which we told to him and we had to find out the building of where our proud engineer RK was staying. We didn't want to disturb RK as it was just 6:00 AM in the morning and he might be sleeping at that time like normal people. Some people have quite normal life and not like us, so why should they suffer...? Yes, we had to ring the bell once we would have been reach there, but why to make him get up from sleep before that, so being on this idea, we started recalling our last trip to Ratnagiri and SK's building (Courtesy: Phase - I of Ratnagiri) as RK had acquired SK's flat post SK shifted to north India. We got the building but flat number was still a mystery for us so we then decided to call RK. To our surprise, he picked the phone in first call itself. I think he was really working on 'Athiti Devo Bhava' quote before that, but RK didn't knew that sometimes 'Athithi' like us makes the 'host' to feel like 'Athithi' in his/her own house. We acquire the host's house and before anyone say 'feel at home', we make the host to think 'feel at home' for himself...we guys have a big heart and accept the things without any issue(s)...

So we put down our bags like RK's flat was our ancestral property and RK was just a caretaker. RK also was surprised to meet such nice guys... ;). We were at rest till evening and in between we discussed about our this trip, what to cover, what all the place to see etc...etc... Eventually our trip turned to "Ratnagiri Darshan" rather then "Ganpatipule revisited". RK told us that there are more than 10 unexplore and non-commercialized beaches in Ratnagiri itself. So we alter our plans and decided to go to Ganpatipule only on 31st December to celebrate new year eve. Before that, we were about to unfold Ratnagiri only.

Exploring Ratnagiri...

RK had a bike and he took one of his other friends bike because we were 3 people. It that 2 days in Ratnagiri was an experience in itself which one can only feel and atleast for an immature write like me, there are no words to explain the same. At the end of this blog, I have described what all the places one can roam in Ratnagiri and I am attaching couple of snaps too. It is a beautiful place with some hidden beaches (known to localities only), good roads, lush green sights and great taste of food. Two days we roamed with RK as our guide and he really made our trip worth to write this Phase II of Ratnagiri. He was in Ratnagiri since an year when we had our trip and he explored almost all the places there. Such a nice person, who never said no for anything, and yes, we tested his patience thoroughly. He made us so comfortable and we gel along with him so well that once we felt that we are his roommates and we are residing here only since long back. He told us about all the places of Ratnagiri according to whatever he has gained in an year and which was quite enough for us being new to that place.

So after collecting non-mentionable memories in two days, third day, the 31st December, we decided to go at Ganpatipule beach. Again the issue was getting a place there to stay, as we were planned to celebrate our new year eve there and we were not in a temper to come back at Ratnagiri after that. That was the most difficult thing to get a room in any hotel at that peak time, however, due to Mr. Ratnagiri, SK, we got a room in a hotel which was also near to the beach and MTDC resort. So we reached Ganpatipule by 5:00 PM in the evening and by 6:00, we were in between the waves...We came back to hotel after we got enough slaps from the sea and like all the past times, we declare the end of war by showing white piece of cloth to the ocean. Unlike to last time, it was more aggressive, as like he was also celebrating the New Year... We again got back onto the beach after change and some rest. This time, just to sit on the sand of the beach and to see its beauty at night, it was around 10:00 PM. People were celebrating, some had arranged the bonfire, and some couples got very cosy, and there were enough policemen to take care of any mis-happening and to keep people away from the sea shore. At 12:00 in the night, we saw enough fireworks in the sky to welcome new year. It was a very beautiful scene, water everywhere, some ships/boats with light in the sea, colorful fireworks and some funny people on the beach... it was a "cheers to life" moment... what kind of beautiful paradise it was...

Beaches @ Ratnagiri...

Post our New Year celebrations, we slept for a while on the beach itself till some policemen again came and asked us to go back to our respective hotels. This happens with us everytime, don't know why we are so precious to this world that everyone starts caring about us, wherever we go... ;). So we got back into our hotel with a magnificent picture in our mind. That was the most delighting New Year celebration and till today it is. What you want and how you want the things to happen, and atlast those things happens in the same way, what could be more beautiful than that...!!!


Next day before pushing off, we had gone to Lord Ganesha temple and this time, we had parikrama too (Its about 1 kilometre, round to the temple). Post that, we pushed of for Ratnagiri. Our train time was again in the evening at 5:30 PM like last time as I said that is a fixed and the best train from Mumbai to Goa and vice-versa. Train was late by an hour or so and in the meantime, RK took us to his office which was near to Railway Station itself. As like all other government offices, the picture was same with a difference of cleanness. It was pretty big and everything was properly arranged. We had some hearty and heavy lessons on semiconductor devices etc from RK. It was kind of KT that happened for another an hour and we were back on the platform. Train took another half an hour to arrive. Again we were on the way back to Mumbai with bang-up memories which will never fade and always become a cause for smile on our faces...


Description of Ratnagiri/Ganpatipule (Some copy-paste stuff…)


Kankan, one of the most beautiful stretch of Indian ocean covering Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka and famous for white-sand beaches and palm trees, mostly coconut and betel nut. It covers Maharashtra's districts of Raigad, Mumbai, Thane, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the state of Goa, and the Uttar Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. The geogrophical location states that the eastern boundary of the Konkan is "Sahyadri Mountain range", the western boundary covered by "Arabian Sea", "Gangavali River" coveres its southern boundary and "The Mayura River" forms the northern boundary.

The district of Ratnagiri is located at a distance of 370 kilometers from Mumbai. The main languages here are Konkani and Marathi. Rice and coconut are the main crops produced in Ratnagiri, but it is also famous for cashew nuts, and fruits, delicious "Hapus" (Alphonso) mangoes across and abroad the country.
Other local vegetation includes fruit-bearing trees like betelnut, banana, jackfruit etc. Fishing is an important industry in Ratnagiri. Heavy rainfall results in highly eroded landscape in the coastal region. The climate is pleasant there all the months, throughout the year, except April to September when there is a high humid and sun reaches a point directly overhead.

Ratnagiri district offers the most diverse attractions and endowed with many tourist assets. The beauty of this place is a contribution of the rising hills of Sahyadri on east and the depths of Arabian sea on the west. It is blessed with hills, sea shores, creeks, beautiful rivers, hot water springs, forests and water falls among many others.

A few nationalist, socialist and educationist, including Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak; Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Kehav Karve and Raghunath Purushottam Paranjpe, were born in Ratnagiri.

Places to Visit:

There are more than thirty places in Ratnagiri distric to visit and are main tourist attractions. Out of which the below are most famous.

Places of worship: Ganapatipule, Velneshwar, Marleshwar, Hedvi, Hatis, Parshuram (Chiplun), Rajapur
Caves: Panhalekazi, Sangameshwar
Palace: Thibaw Palace (Ratnagiri)
Sea Shores: Kelshi, Murud, Guhaghar, Palshet, Ganpatipule, Velneshwar
Beaches: Mandovi (Gateway of Ratnagiri), Bhatye, Guhagar, Anjarla, Ganapatipule
Birth Places of eminent personalities: Ratnagiri, Malgund, Dapoli, Palgad
Forts: Bankot, Mandangad, Ambolgad, Jaigad, Ratnadurg, Mahipatgad
Sea Forts: Ratnadurg, Harne, Purnagad, Jaigad
Bird Sanctuaries: Vanadi valley, Anaskura Ghat
Exotic forests: Pat Panhale, Bavnadi valley
Water Falls: Parshuram, Prachitgad, Marleshwar
Hot water Spring: Unhavare, Aravali, Tural, Rajapur


Prime Attractions

Ganpatipule: This is the land of Ganpatipule, one of Maharashtra's almost virgin beaches. It is idyllic. It is famous not only because of its blue water and white sand, but for Swayambhu Ganpati Temple (Swayambhu means a self-originated idol, Ganapati). It is flooded by thousands of devotees and tourists every year. The beach here is still natural and pristine as ever. Sparkling blue waters, endless stretches of golden or silver sand, a cool breeze whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

Devotees take a "Pradakshina" around the hill where the temple is located, not just around the temple. Pradakshina is a form of showing obeisance. It is said that the will be done if devotees make a Pradakshina by their sole heart.

Thebaw Palace: The Thebaw Palace was built in 1910-11 for the 1911-16 stay there in exile of the king and the queen of Burma (Myanmar). The place has tombs of the royal couple.

Malgund: The famous Marathi poet, Keshavsut, was born in the village of Malgund. His house has recently been renovated and converted into a students' dormitory. It is just a kilometre away from Ganpatipule. Visitors like to take a look at the house of the poet, now a student’s hostel. Also a must visit to beautiful monument called the Keshavsut Smarak. It has also constructed in Malgund.

Jay Gadh: This 17th century fort offers a spectacular view of the sea. Standing high and proud on a cliff with a spectacular view of the sea the fort is at the entrance of the Sangameshwar river and is 35 kms away from Ganpatipule.

Pawas: Naturally beautiful and serene the place is also prominent for the ashram of Swami Swaroopanand a spiritual leader who influenced an entire generation of Maharashtrians. His residence has now been converted into an ashram.

Velneshwar: Velneshwar is located 170 km from Ratnagiri. Its adjoining beach is clean and lined with coconut trees. There is a well-known Shiva temple near Velneshwar. The village comes alive each year during the Maha Shivaratri far when pilgrims in large numbers visit the Old Shiva Temple.

Ratna Durga: This fort was built during the Bahamani rule. The Arabian Sea surrounds it on its three sides.

Parashuram Temple (near Chiplun): This temple was built in 1685 by Maharshi Brahmendra.

Shivasamarth Gad (at Sawarde near Chiplun): contains sculptures from Shivaji's times.

Getting to

Getting to Ratnagiri is easy and convenient. Travelling by road to Ratnagiri is an experience by itself. The vast Konkan stretch abounds with scenic greenery. There are narrow mud-roads, the earth is red and the roofed houses with clean courtyards add a quaint touch to the panorama. The district of Ratnagiri is well-connected by roadways with all the major cities and towns such as Kolhapur, Mumbai and Pune. NH-17 passes through the district. From Mumbai, (Ex Panvel) a comfortable car journey to Ratnagiri will take around six to seven hours.

The National Highway 17 connects cities and towns of different states as follows Mumbai, Mahad, Ratnagiri, Panaji, Madgaon, Karwar, Kumta, Bhatkal, Udupi,
Surathkal, Mangalore, Kasargod, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Kozhikkode, Kodungallur,North Paravur and Kochi. The NH 17 passes through hills, forests, rivers, rivulets, and streams,. Most of region has typical scene like coconut trees dotted all along with paddy fields. The road is not even, with humps, bumps, curves, steep rises and narrow paths in between hillocks are found all over this highway.

Apart from Road, Rail journey is having an owesome experience for life. It is called the most scenic railway track so far. Ratnagiri is having a distric railway station where most of express trains halt. From Mumbai, Jan-Shatabdi express from Mumbai to Goa halts here which could be the best option due to AC chair option and its time. The train starts from Mumbai at 5:00 am and takes aprox five hours to reach Ratnagiri. From here, you can take a taxi/cab to any hotel in Ratnagiri or Ganpatipule. Ratnagiri city from Railway station is five kilometers.

Distance

Mumbai to Ratnagiri - 370Km
Pune to Ratnagiri - 380Km
Goa to Ratnagiri - 220Km

Where to stay

A number of good options are there in Ratnagiri, from lexurious suits to economical rooms. If you are going there just for Ganpatipule, MTDC resort is incomparable. The best feature of MTDC resort is you open your eyes in the morning and the sea is around you. This government resort is on the main Ganpatipule beach and consists of AC cottages, Non-AC cottages, general rooms and tent houses under coconut trees for those who want to feel a forest touch.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Ratnagiri is either between the months of April and June or October and December.

Happy Journey... :)