Ratnagiri

303 Kms
3 / 5
Reviews (0)

Best Season: November to March

Rate :

3.00 avg. rating (63% score) - 3 votes
Write a review

Best Season: November to March

Location: In Ratnagiri District

A port city on the Arabian Sea, Ratnagiri is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Konkan, famous for its beaches, temples and cuisine.

Info

Ratnagiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea in the southwestern part of Maharashtra. It is the headquarters of Ratnagiri district. Ratnagiri is a popular picnic destination. It attracts many tourists annually, especially those from Maharashtra.

It is at a distance of 300 km from Pune which is a drive of about five and half hours. There is state transport as well as private bus services available from Mumbai, Pune. Ratnagiri is connected to major cities like Mumbai, Mangaluru, Madgaon by the National Highway NH 17 and to Kolhapur, Nagpur, Sangli, Solapur by the National Highway NH 204. Ratnagiri station is one of the most important stations on the Konkan Railway. Almost all trains running on the Konkan Railway line halt at Ratnagiri.

Ratnagiri is probably best known for the famous Alphonso mangoes or “haapus” as they are called in the local language. About 80,000 hectares of land is dedicated to the cultivation of Alphonso mangoes.

Although not known to many, Ratnagiri has given the country many great personalities. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the great freedom fighter who gave the country the motto of “Swarajya is my birth right and I shall have it”, Bharat Ratna Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve, social reformer and educationist, Wrangler Paranjpe, mathematician and educationist are to name a few. Lokmanya Tilak’s birthplace, where he spent the first 10 years of his life has been converted into a museum. His cap or “topi” and few clothes are on display in the museum.

There are many other places that you must pay a visit to in Ratnagiri. The town of Ratnagiri is pretty small & easy to navigate. Although there are city buses for intra city travel it’s better to hire a taxi or auto rickshaws. The best time to visit Ratnagiri is from October to March. Although June to September is the rainy season, you can enjoy a very attractive and picturesque scenery.

Facilities

There are a number of hotels from budget friendly ones to those that suit heavier pockets.
Many restaurants are also available for traditional Konkani food.

Things to do

Aquarium and Museum: it is located at about 3 km from the Ratnagiri Bus Station. The main attraction there is a huge skeleton of a whale. Many specimens of exotic fish and turtles are also kept there.
Rajapur Ganga: There are fourteen black stone “kunda” (pools), each about 2.25 feet deep. Fragrant waters of Rajapur Ganga appear once about every three years in great force from one of the pools, and stay for about two months. The temperature of water in each pool is different, even though they are at a distance of 1 meter from each other!
Marleshwar: This is a holy place for Hindus where the temple of Lord Shiva is located 70 km away from Ratnagiri near Devrukh. The temple is actually inside a cave. A waterfall is located nearby. Hindus believe that Lord Shiva moved from Maral village to Marleshwar when the Mughal emperor attacked the Konkan region and was threatening to destroy Hindu temples.
Thiba Palace: The Thiba Palace was built in 1910–11 for the 1911–16 stay there in exile of the king and the queen ofBurma (Myanmar). The place has tombs of the royal couple.
Thiba point: The Thiba point is a sunset point where you can enjoy the sea view and sunset scenery. The coastal view of Ratnagiri is also visible from here. It is just opposite to Thiba palace.
Mandavi Beach: Mandavi Beach is also known as the Gate Way of Ratnagiri. It is 3 km away from MSRTC ST stand. You can hire an auto to reach the destination.
Bhatye Beach: This beach is located on the Ratnagiri – Pawas road and this beach has large suru-ban.
Mirkarwada Beach: It is the coastal station for marine professionals; all the fishing boats andtrawlers land here. It is the major trading spot in Ratnagiri for marine industry. Most of the fishes from here are exported to other city markets such as Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangaluru, and Mangalore.
Mālgund: It is the birthplace of the Marathi poet,Keshavsut. His house has recently been renovated and converted into a students’ dormitory.
Jaigad Fort-The 17th century Jaigad fort is about 37 KMs from Ratnagiri. Although in ruins Jaigad Fort is a perfect place to have a picnic perched on a cliff overlooking the confluence of River and the sea. Jaigad’s sea fort is situated at a sheltered bay.
Pawas: Pawas achieved prominence after Swami Swaroopanand, a recent influential religious leader in Maharashtra, settled in this town. His residence has now been converted into an “ashram”.Pawas is about 20 kms from Ratnagiri. It is an important pilgrim center which is visited by thousands every year.
Atulit Bal Dham: Atulit Bal Dham is a holy place. It is located at just 1 km off the main road in Ratnagiri city. Panchamukhi Hanuman is the deity in this Dham. Devotees believe they get incredible Bal (i.e. physical, mental and spiritual power) after visiting this place.
Velneshwar: Velneshwar is located 170 km from Ratnagiri. The adjoining beach is clean and lined with coconut trees. It is possible to swim in the nearby sea because it is free of rocks. There is a well-knownShiva temple near Velneshwar.
Ratna Durg: The fort is located about 4kms from the Ratnagiri bus stand. In 1670, Shivaji conquered the fort from Bijapur ruler Adil Shah. The fort has the shape of a horseshoe, with a length of 1,300 meters and a width of 1,000 meters. The Arabian Sea surrounds the fort on its three sides. There is a tunnel connecting the north and south divisions of the fort. There is also a Lighthouse which was built in 1867.
Ganpatipule: Ganapatipule is 21 kilometres from Ratnagiri. It has a well-known “swayambhu” Ganesha temple which is right on the beautiful beach. Ganpatipule has a series of beaches offering breath-taking views of the sea.
Parashurām Temple(near Chiplun)
Shivasamarth Gad: (at Sawarde near Chiplun) Contains sculptures fromShivaji’s times.
Nivali Waterfall