Konkan

Konkan
Our driver, Ankush, on a red Mahindra traveller, was a rally driver. He hated using brakes. He never understood that the time he saved, reduced the age of passenger by ten times through blood pressure.

We left Thane by 8 A.M. , passed thro Mumbra, a Karachi looking town with 3 Ms, Mosques,Madrasas, Mutton. We took a left turn at Panvel(before Pune expressway), reached Pen ( reminded me of an Italian village). Our pit (?) stop was at Wadhkal naka for breakfast. We passed thro Nagothane,Kolad, and entered state highway at Mangaon. We passed thro Mhasla, another moslim town , with lots of girls going to women’s college and reached Harihareshwar temple on the coast. Beautiful temple on the sea shore.Young man with an uncle doing final rites of his father, by immersing ashes in the sea. Lunch at Gurugeetha. We traced back to Mhasla, thro Goregaon ( nice forest route), joined the highway at Lonere, after a few kms took a turn to Ambed ( Anthulay’s gaon). Lots of trucks taking away sand from the river by dredging. Thro mandangad, reache Dapoli at 6 P.M. Dusty place, lousy lodge, noisy record dance music till 1 A.M., opp to ST Bus stand, ants crawling onhe wll next to my face, lungi clad Muslim surprising ladies in corridor,red dust on all leaves of the trees, Owner’s ( Sri.Namjoshi’s bank friend) conducte tour of his self designed house,enthusiastic servant boy, dinner at the manager’s house miles away thro pitch dark roads,salwar –kameez clad girls leaving bicycles in the hotel to attend college next door,vertical boiler fueled by firewood,poha breakfast, restless owner, authoritative wife,son in Australia.

Next morning visited Parsuram temple near Chiplun, steps to go to temple, known shop owner,kokam sherbat, mango cakes. Next stop, Dervan, Chatrapathi Sivaji’s life story in colourful statues,too much fuss on Shivaji. At Aral, took a turn to Burambad, Sri.Namjoshi’s village, oldShiva temple, most peaceful, pied wagtails in tank, farm house lunch, Body builder, buffaloes,desi ghee,paddy bags, ricebins, his eating exploits in Mumbai, Namjoshi’s old house,bats on rafter ceilings, sloping roof tiles, nostalgic for him. Joined back the highway, reached Ganapatipule by evening thro Hathkamba. Main deity closed for repairs. Temple not very impreesivre, location superb on the beach.,very touristy. Reached Ratnagiri thro coastal road , decent hotel,dinner at Shiva darshan. Mom did not like mix of both veg and non veg. , watched Arsenal 1-1 draw with Middlesburough, replay of India collapsed against Newzealand in 2nd test. Had good breakfast in pure veg rest opp the hotel.
Ratnagiri captured my heart with its beautiful surroundings, hils, river joining sea,big green uninhabited island in the middle of river when you view from Thiwah point.. Thiwah Palace, where Burmese king was kept a prisinor by the British ( made famous by Amitav Ghosh’s book Glass Palace). You could imagine the King sitting in his throne chair on Point watching the river with boats, reminding him of Burma) Somehow the scene reminded me of King & I. Unfortunately, the palace is badly maintained with the beautiful wooden louvers in the windows falling apart. There is a museum with the kings and queens photos, their, chairs , bed and their grand daughter who lived in the palace till her death recently.

Travelled via Hathkamba, Sangameshwar, took left turn to reach Hedvi, thro wild roads, no humans. Hedvi temple has Ganapati with 10 heads, very nice and peaceful. Next stop Velneshwar, nice peaceful temple by the sea. Reached Guhaghar, big town , Stayed in Mrs. N’s house( now owned by friends) , opp to Mrs. N’s plot near Kismet hotel. Old budjee hanging to his dear multi coloured bag all the time,very alert old man, people moving in and out of the house like nodody’s business, lots of kids, Devika the dancer, Vasantha the boy, lot of cats, wooden bench in the front, two rooms for guests, hugh spider on the roof, We walked to the beach in darkness thro backyard, sky clear with stars, lights of Enron loading oier. Dinner with old bugjee telling ghost stories, all listnening with open mouth., loo faraway in darkness, good sleep with the spider.
Early morning fresh with lots of birds, had tea, went to beach , did yoga in peace, Aish & R went for a long walk on the beach, visited local Yaadeshwar temple, Durga temple, lotus pond on the way,big frogs in the temple pond, bought mango pulp from a house, went to Aunt’s place by the beach, fishing village, fishy smell, had lunch, nap, Next went to Namjoshi’s aunts place, two very old brother and sis, with slightly very old son, kokam sherbat, mom mistaking lamp in wall niche for a tap, stoneware water storage,pineapples in garden, special stove for keeping milk hot, pregnant women’s dark room, Aish given coconut and rice by elders, photo session on the outside.
After lunch, bade budjee with the bag,goodbye, Guhagar to chiplun, had lousy idli and coffee in a highway rest and reached Cuffe parade by 7. 30 P.M.
Generally, Konkan is very beautiful place, nice winding European Dil Chahata Hai type hill roads, greenery, rivers, mountains, simple, peaceful temples worth a visit. I wish I had more time and more comfortable places to stay.

K.Jayaraman ( Jay)