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The Ganpati temple is on the way to Alibag from Pune,
at Mahad, 20 Kms. from Khandala, and is known as Shri
Varad Vinayak, the bestower of blessings.
One can easily fit a visit to the temple on the way
to Alibag.
The Ganpati idol is from one of the eight main Ganpati
temples or 'Ashtavinayak's'. The
Lamp (Nandadeep) in the temple has been continuously
glowing for past 100 years.
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The city of Alibag gained prominence under the rule of ‘Darya
Sarkhel’ Kanhoji Angre in the 17th century
who was Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s
famous naval chief. The city became important after the
fort of Kulaba was built by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The places you can see in and around Alibag are Kulaba Fort,
magnetic Observatory, Kanhoji Angre's residence, his samadhi
and the Hirakot fort. Alibag also has a beautiful beach
where you can enjoy the sunset with Kulaba Fort in the background.
The fort of Kulaba was built by Chatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj in 1652 to keep a check on the activities
of the foreign naval powers of English, Portuguese and the
Siddhi of Janjira. It is a testimony to the foresight of
the great maratha king. The Kulaba fort is still in good
condition and one can go to visit the fort by walking across
the seashore at low tide or by taking a buggy ride @ 25
/ 30 Rs. Per person. However be sure to check the proper
timings to visit the fort as it is dangerous to try to go
to the fort at high tide. You get approximately 3 to 4 hours
to see the fort and come back.
The fort has two main entrances, one at the sea side and
other towards Alibag. The average height of the fort walls
is 25 feet. The fort has sweet water wells and some buildings
inside its premises. The Siddhivinayak temple inside the
fort was built by Raghoji Angre in 1759. The Ganpati Idol
in the temple is very beautiful and many people worship
it.
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| Alibag Beach at Sunset with Kulaba fort
in the background |
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Located on Alibag - Revdanda road at 8/9 kms. From Alibag,
the beach at Akshi is a beautiful White sand beach with
suru trees dotting the coast. The water is clean and safe
for swimming. You can see the Kulaba fort and Alibag at
a distance from the beach. The beach further extends to
Nagaon. The Nagaon beach is also very beautiful. Both the
beaches are a favorite of the tourists. You can also visit
the nearby ‘Satad Bunder’ a small fishing hamlet.
Kashid beach is located
approximately 20/25 kms from Alibag on the road to Murud.
It is one of the most beautiful beaches
on the Konkan coast with pristine white sands and stretches
for 3 kms.. there are quiet a few good
Resorts along the Beach
Mandwa is a natural port located at 20 Kms. from Alibag.
Launches and Catamarans come here from Gateway of India,
Mumbai. Rewas is also an important port near Mandwa located
at 23 Kms. from Alibag. There is a considerable traffic
of passengers, with Launches and Catamarans coming here
from Mumbai and ferries coming from Uran.
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| Kashid Beach |
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Located at 12 kms. From Alibag, on the Mandwa-Alibag road
Kihim is a very beautiful place to stay, it has a long beach
which is excellent and clean. To come to Kihim from Alibag
you have to turn left at Chondhi And if you come by Launch
from Mumbai to Mandwa it is on Mandwa Alibag road. It is
a favorite weekend getaway of mumbaikars
as it is quiet convenient for them to come to Kihim on a
Saturday, stay there and go back on Sunday. MTDC has also
a resort at Kihim with tents for staying on the beach.
Chaul on the way to Revdanda is an ancient city which was
capital of the Shilahar kings. You can visit the Rameshwar
and Datta temple here, both the temples are worth your visit.
located at 17 Kms. From Alibag Revdanda is an important
port. The Salav bridge at Revdanda which joins Murud and
Alibag gives a cool view of the surroundings, You can see
a beautiful sight of Revdanda port, beach and The Vikram
Ispat factory from the bridge. A walk to the adjoining
beach will give you a breathtaking view of the Revdanda
Fort. The fort was built by a Portuguese Captain
by the name of Soj in 1558.
A visit to the fort is a must as it is
a very beautiful ancient fort, though in ruins it is worth
your visit. The view of the fort from Revdanda beach is
quiet picturesque. You can see some buildings inside the
fort. A walk along the fort will give beautiful views of
the sea and also the Korlai fort.
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| View from Salav bridge at Revdanda |
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Korlai fort can be seen from the bridge at Salav, located
at three Kms. from Revdanda, on the Revdanda - Kashid road.
The fort is an Old Portuguese outpost guarding the entrance
to the river. A small road leads up to the top of the fort.
There is a Lighthouse on the fort and a small climb from
behind the lighthouse will take you to the fort. The fort
is in ruins, but the view from the lighthouse is beautiful
and the rocky beach at Korlai is also good.
The sea forts of Khanderi and Underi are Located three kms.
in the sea near Thal. You can take a boat ride from Thal
to visit the forts. However there is no permanent ferry
to the forts and you have to hire a boat from the local
fishermen. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built
the fort of Khanderi and the fort was most of the time in
possession of the Marathas barring a few years of English
possession. The fort of Underi is at a distance of ½
kms. From Khanderi. There were continues fights taking place
between the Marathas and the Siddhi of Janjira for the possession
of these forts.
The ancient temple of Kanakeshwar is located on Kanakgiri
mountains at a distance of 13 kms. from Alibag. One has
to climb some 700 steps to go to the temple and the
trip is not for the faint hearted. The Temple is
very beautiful with stone carvings and a water fountain.
You also get a beautiful view of the surroundings from the
top.
The forts of khanderi and Underi
The beautiful temple of Shree Vikram Vinayak also known
as ‘Birla temple’ is located at Salav, 20 kms.
from Alibag. The Temple is built by the Birla Group of companies
which have their Vikram Ispat plant located here. The temple
surroundings are very beautiful and the temple has Idols
of Ganpati, Radha - Krishna, Shankar - Parvati,
Bhavani Mata and Surya. The Temple
is only open in the mornings and evenings.
The trip to Alibag is incomplete without a visit to Murud
Janjira, Situated at a distance of 42 kms. from Alibag,
Murud is fast becoming a hot tourist destination with equal
number of tourists choosing to stay in and around Murud.
While entering Murud you come across the Palace of Nawab
on the left had side of the road. The palace was built in
1885 for administration purposes. However you can see the
Palace only from outside as the palace is still owned by
the descendants of the Nawab and is a private property.
There is a very beautiful beach at Murud and a lot of Hotels
and Resorts along the beach to choose from. The Murud beach
is very beautiful, clean and safe for swimming. Apart from
the beach Murud is more famous for its proximity to Janjira
at Rajpuri - The majestic sea fort which remained unconquered
till the end.
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| Janjira fort |
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Located near Rajapur, Janjira is a majestic sea fort which
remained unconquered till the end. The fort was built by
Siddhi Amber who came from Abyssinia, the fort is an excellent
example of fort building architecture and its outer walls
are still in a good condition. I am sure you will be awed
looking at the fort by thinking how the hell people would
have built a fort in the middle of the sea? You have to
take a boat ride to go to the fort, and there is a lot to
see on the fort.
There are guides available who tour you through the fort
while giving you an interesting version of the forts history.
The inside premises of the fort are in ruins but still give
you a glimpse of its glorious past. The Huge cannons
by the names Kalal bangdi, Chavri
and Landa Kasam are worth
a mention, it is said that these guns could fire at a distance
of two Kms. from the fort, making it impossible for enemy
ships to come near. From the fort you can see the sea fort
of Kasa or Padmadurg which was built by Shivaji
Maharaj to counter the might of Siddhi.
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