We landed at Vengurla beach because we were searching for a secluded and not too touristy location on the Konkan coast. We had already been to the touristy Alibag and preferred something a lot like Akshi beach minus the dark sand.

MTDC Vengurla View at Picasa MTDC Vengurla27-Feb-2010 14:49, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.006 sec

We saw a few photographs of the MTDC Sagareshwar resort and decided we would love to visit the place. The MTDC resort is located right next to the Sagareshwar beach and has direct access to the gorgeous white sand beach. We took a bus from Pune to Goa which dropped us at Kolad and we woke up a rickshaw driver at the abandoned bus stand asking him to take us over to Vengurla. He drove at top speed through the fog and we were left wondering if did actually manage to wake him up. We reached MTDC Sagareshwar resort at nearly 6:00 in the morning. The fog was so thick it was barely visible beyond a few metres. The dew drops were still clinging to the leaves and it was mildly humid, mildly cold and completely heavenly there. We were not able to see it, but the sound of the waves hitting the beach was what we heard and that led us to the thatched huts which were to be our abode for the next few days. We loved it then and there.

Dewdrops at Vengurla View at Picasa Dewdrops at Vengurla27-Feb-2010 07:34, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 3.2, 10.8mm, 0.01 sec

We doodled around for a while at the beach, taking photographs and watching the fishermen start their day at sea. The complete lack of any affectations of being a touristy place was what encouraged us to wander around. Some photographs of the early morning on the beach.

Vengurla Beach in the morning View at Picasa Vengurla Beach in the morning27-Feb-2010 07:41, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 9.1mm, 0.004 sec

Fishing Boat at Vengurla Beach View at Picasa Fishing Boat at Vengurla Beach27-Feb-2010 08:01, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.003 sec

Fishermen at Vengurla Beach View at Picasa Fishermen at Vengurla Beach27-Feb-2010 07:55, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 68.7mm, 0.002 sec

After wandering about we also had a look at our huts at MTDC Sagareshwar Resort. These huts are barely furnished with elevated wooden floors and small toilets. With an unreliable cellular network, living on a very secluded beach did get frightening for my city bred nerves.

Here is a snap of the beach hut at Vengurla’s MTDC Sagareshwar beach resort.

MTDC Vengurla Beach Huts View at Picasa MTDC Vengurla Beach Huts27-Feb-2010 14:58, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.01 sec

Yet to come : Food at Vengurla

Window to the world @Shillong View at Picasa Window to the world @Shillong18-Nov-2011 02:22, NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D5000, 11.0, 20.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400

Window to the world – through the grubby glass and old, peeling paint, wood frame.

For the young, its the world out there that needs to be seen and conquered, for the old its the memories that the sight evokes, for each one of us, its a different sight and a different feeling.

Every city has its charms and and like a charming woman it reveals its charms to those who love it the most. The city of Pune lies on the Deccan plateau and is surrounded by hills. While there is the usual lot of politicians trying to make the quick buck and alert citizens opposing the deforestation of these hills, the hills are still fetching and as beautiful as ever. Baner hills are located at Baner – of course and there is a fetchingly beautiful marble stone temple built on top of one of these hills. The pathway up the temple is through a small locality along properly constructed concrete steps. From the temple, one can have a view of Aundh, Baner and surrounding areas. The hills near and around Baner temple are perfect for mountain biking, short hikes and may be a camp fire with friends at night.

Baner Temple View at Picasa Baner Temple20-Dec-2008 16:27, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.006 sec

View from Baner Temple View at Picasa View from Baner Temple20-Dec-2008 16:12, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.004 sec

The Pashan Lake adjoining the Bangalore Pune highway, is a beautiful, serene piece of land right in the city. It also is slowly being destroyed to ensure that the funds provided by the Central Govt are properly misused.

Dried out waterfall at Baneshwar near Pune View at Picasa Dried out waterfall at Baneshwar near Pune22-Mar-2009 18:38, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 9.1mm, 0.008 sec

Baneshwar is located nearly 35 kms away from Pune and is a wonderful place for a small picnic. Baneshwar is named so as it is located in a thickly wooded area and Ban means “Forest” in the local parlance.

Baneshwar temple was constructed by Bajirao Peshwa. Inspite of being this old, the temple surroundings are serene and clean. The temple at Baneshwar has five shivlingas and two idols of Lord Vishnu and goddess Laxmi inside the inner sanctorum. There is an ancient bell, a dharamasala and a tank of water besides a small garden behind the temple.

Baneshwar near Pune View at Picasa Baneshwar near Pune06-Jun-2009 18:42, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 3.2, 9.0mm, 0.013 sec

Just a short distance from the temple is a waterfall, which when we visited was nearly empty, but is usually full of water and a great place to relax. The stream and waterfalls are the major attractions of Baneshwar temple. Baneshwar is surrounded by verdant greenery on all sides, with small huts and fields dotting the landscape.

Beautifully painted hut at Baneshwar near Pune View at Picasa Beautifully painted hut at Baneshwar near Pune22-Mar-2009 18:32, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 3.5, 26.8mm, 0.008 sec

Apart from the small eateries that you find in the town adjacent to the temple, there is not much foood available around Baneshwar. Best option is to have food before you leave from home or pack your tiffins and eat in the pleasant shade of the trees around Baneshwar temple.

Small lake at Baneshwar around Pune View at Picasa Small lake at Baneshwar around Pune22-Mar-2009 18:27, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.1mm, 0.002 sec

How to Reach Baneshwar:
Baneshwar can be accessed by state transport buses from Shivaji Nagar and Pune station.

If you decide to drive down to Baneshwar, you can take the Pune Blore highway – NH 4 and move on the same till you reach Narsapur village and pass by BPCL Coco Petrol Pump. Turn right and move on the approach road to Baneshwar temple.

Early morning at Akshi Beach on the Konkan coast around Pune View at Picasa Early morning at Akshi Beach on the Konkan coast around Pune28-Mar-2009 18:58, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 2.7, 6.0mm, 0.04 sec

Beautiful coconut and betel nut trees looming over the narrow streets, clamouring for space next to the jackfruit trees. Banana plants grown in beautiful vegetable gardens supplemented by small wells in the backyard. Akshi Beach, a stone’s throw away from its glamorous neighbour Alibaug doesn’t have much to offer to the busy traveller. But for anyone looking for some peace, quiet and solitude, Akshi beach is where serenity reigns.

Akshi has a nice beach front covered with causarina trees. A few bed and breakfast places along the narrow street lead to the beach. The Akshi beach is a beautiful white sand beach. The beach has very shallow waters and one can enjoy walking on the shoreline watching the beautiful sunsets in solitude. The quiet beach at Akshi can also provide the perfect setting for a small group of friends to party with a small camp fire. During the day time, there are a few stalls which dot the beach.

Brinjals at Akshi Beach homestay View at Picasa Brinjals at Akshi Beach homestay29-Mar-2009 09:31, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 2.7, 6.0mm, 0.017 sec

Akshi is also considered to be a very good place for bird watching and bird photography. Akshi can also be used as a base location to explore the nearby beach at Kashid and the superb sea fort at Murud – Janjira. But we would suggest that you go to Akshi for enjoying the slow pace of life in the village. While Alibaug is the larger city with more options for stay as well as transport to explore the Konkan coast, Akshi is the place to come when you want to unwind after a hectic week.

We went to Akshi for a leisurely weekend and lived in a small bed and breakfast homestay strolling on the beach with all the time in the world, having fresh home cooked food served three times a day and enjoying the beautiful orange black sunsets on the beach. We were served food cooked from the vegetables plucked straight from their vegetable garden. Here is one snap of their superb brinjals.

Evening at Akshi Beach on the Konkan coast around Pune View at Picasa Evening at Akshi Beach on the Konkan coast around Pune28-Mar-2009 18:44, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.008 sec

How to reach Akshi Beach:

Akshi is at a distance of around 100 kms from Mumbai and 140 kms from Pune and is easily accessible from Alibaug which can be accessed by ferry or through land from Mumbai. Regular buses also run all the way to Akshi village from Mumbai as well as Pune. Please check out the MSRTC  timetable on its website for further details about the bus timings as there arent too many buses leaving for Akshi from Pune. Travelling by a bus which goes through the lush green towns and villages along the Konkan coast is a wonderful experience.

More fresh undried cashews at Alibaug market View at Picasa More fresh undried cashews at Alibaug market28-Mar-2009 11:02, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 11.1mm, 0.002 sec

Alibaug is the seat of Raigad’s municipal council and due to its strategic location, it hosts a very lively fruits and vegetable market. And with my love for food, I wasn’t able to resist clicking a few snaps of the variety of fruits on offer.

Vegetable market, Alibaug View at Picasa Vegetable market, Alibaug28-Mar-2009 10:59, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.005 sec

The abundant rains and proximity to the Arabian sea ensure that the Konkan coast produces some of the most eclectic fruits and vegetables I have seen like white onions, palm fruit (Tadgola)jamuns, tamarind balls, water melons and cashewnuts. Apart from the fruits and veggies, Alibaug is also famous for its Konkani cuisine primarily consisting of sea food. It also has a large variety of fresh fish such as Pomfret, Surmai, Ghol, Saranga as well as dried fish.

In fact, Alibaug was named so due to its abundant plantations. Alibaug was once home to the Bene Israeli Jewish community which has since migrated away to places like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Israel. One of the more famous members of Alibaug’s Jewish community was Bene Israelite Ali who used to possess many plantations in the area. Due to this the region came to be called as Alibaug (Ali’s Gardens).

One of Alibaug’s attractions is the Kolaba Fort – not to be confused with Mumbai’s Colaba. The Kolaba fort was fortified by Shivaji Maharaj after the whole of south Konkan came under his command.

Kolaba Fort, Alibaug View at Picasa Kolaba Fort, Alibaug28-Mar-2009 12:38, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.002 sec

We can reach the fort by a short ride on a motorboat. Safety equipment such as life jackets are provided by the boat operators and the journey to the fort is a very short one. This sea fort has a sweet water well – a structure very similar to that of the sea fort at Janjira. 

Sweet water well in Kolaba Fort, Alibaug View at Picasa Sweet water well in Kolaba Fort, Alibaug28-Mar-2009 12:32, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.005 sec

The fort structure is decrepit and not unlike most of India’s crumbling monuments. Apart from the well, there is a small temple within the walls of the fort and nothing much apart from the usual fortifications built during its heydays.

Kolaba Fort walls at Alibaug View at Picasa Kolaba Fort walls at Alibaug28-Mar-2009 12:05, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 3.5, 41.6mm, 0.004 sec

How to reach Alibaug

For those travelling from Mumbai, there are ferries or catarmans available from the Gateway of India, regular MSRTC buses from Mumbai Central apart from the option of travelling by cars or even bikes. The roads leading to Alibaug are smooth and generally well maintained. And as is the case for most of Maharashtra, travel by MSRTC will be painful and beautiful.

Old, Worn Out Aravallis near Udaiput View at Picasa Old, Worn Out Aravallis near Udaiput04-Dec-2010 14:06, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 4.0, 6.0mm, 0.001 sec

Udaipur lies in the foothills of the Aravalli Range, the oldest mountain range in India. It is said that while the Himalayas have grown in size over the years, the Aravalli mountains have shrunk to a much smaller, weather beaten form. The mountains have been heavily mined for stone and have fuelled construction activities in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Gujarati’s love of travel is complemented by their desperation for “Daaru”. And as we crossed the border of “Dry Gujarat”, the demands for a stopover at a local thela started in the bus. The landscape throughout the ride was typically non descript. Gujarat has some of the worst terrain I have seen in all my travels. Even the fields look disgusting with their prickly cotton plants. I wish they could at least grow some sunflowers. The houses and huts all along the road to Udaipur were made of slabs of coarsely cut stome. Hyderabad and the villages around it also had houses built in a similar fashion. The numerous lakes in both these cities can also be attributed to the rocky terrain besides the lack of regular rain.

The Beautiful Jaisamand Lake Resort View at Picasa The Beautiful Jaisamand Lake Resort04-Dec-2010 08:49, NIKON COOLPIX S4, 4.0, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50

We jumped on our boat from one end of the Jaisamand Lake, which, as we later learnt, was the marble dam created by Maharana Jai Singh over the Gomti river to create the largest man made lake in Asia.

The Jaisamand Lake Resort is a beautiful, royal retreat in the midst of this huge artificial lake.

Jaisamand Dam at the Jaisamand Lake Resort View at Picasa Jaisamand Dam at the Jaisamand Lake Resort04-Dec-2010 16:46, Nokia E63, 3.2, 4.9mm

Near the resort, on its marbled shores, there is the Hawa Mahal, and a few other palaces on hillocks nearby. The Hawa Mahal was considered to be the Summer Palace of the Maharana of Mewar and the queens it was believed, used to live on the hillocks around. How they commuted, living such far apart and if they were divorced is still a mystery. but here are some views which do explain why the Maharana would not leave the Hawa Mahal.

Noticed a few honeypots on the way back too. Did you know that the honey we usually eat has HUGE amounts of anti biotics – to protect the bees and kill us.

Drugged Honey Bees at the Jaisamand Lake Resort View at Picasa Drugged Honey Bees at the Jaisamand Lake Resort04-Dec-2010 14:25, Canon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 3.5, 33.2mm, 0.004 sec

And finally, another wonderful view of the gorgeous Jaisamand lake resort.

Jaisamand Lake Resort near Udaipur View at Picasa Jaisamand Lake Resort near UdaipurCanon Canon PowerShot S3 IS, 2.7, 6.0mm, 0.001 sec

Somehow i feel that i am one of the few unfortunates blessed with good taste, a high sense of self worth and bad looks. The combination makes me particularly vulnerable to the dangers of singlehood. An inveterate introvert like myself has few options for socializing and fewer still to meet like minded individuals while socializing. Thats what i do lament at all times living in this city. The Mecca of Architecture sure does have more than enough to enthrall its visitors, yet sadly the local populace lacks the sense required to appreciate its landmarks. Somehow in our quest for money we don’t give art the importance it deserves. The result is that even in a college of repute like Nirma we fail to find students who can really understand and create beauty. Beauty in writing, in music in any art. Rather the paucity is of students willing to sacrifice their time in these seemingly meaningless pursuits. The result is that you have to contend with nincompoops who dress up in fashions that reflect the tastes of all the decades starting from the 50′s. The nadir is when compelled to complement them on their impeccable style.