Sightseeing in India Off the Beaten Path Historic Kolhapur & Konkan Coast
One of the sights of Kolhapur is the New Palace (left). The royal family stays in the upper floors and the public museum is on the ground floor. The road from Kolhapur to the Konkan coast goes through the mountainous ghats. Scenic spots along the highway are frequented by monkeys.
By Pramod Kulkarni
On the Road: This is the fourth episode describing my wife Jyoti and I’s visit to India during Dec.-Jan. 2016.
After returning from Hyderabad to Mumbai, we still had about 10 days before our return to the US. So, we decided to take another excursion, this time to Goa. At the time, however, the tourist season was still on in Goa, so we decided to an off-the-beaten path a little bit north — Ganapatipule.
The 300-mile Konkan coast is luscious with palm and coconut trees, jack fruit, and cashews (right). The local Malvani cruisine includes dishes made of pomfret fish and crustaceans such as shrimp, crab and lobster.
We would have normally taken the Mumbai-Goa highway, but our local friends told us that there would be delays due to construction as the road was being widened. Therefore, we decided to take an internal route via Kolhapur.
Kolhapur was one of India’s princely states. It was founded by Tarabai, the wife of Shivaji’s second son, Rajaram. During the reign of the Peshwas, they paid allegiance to the rival Maratha kingdom based in Satara, first ruled by Shivaji’s grandson, Shahu. After the British defeated the Peshwas, they selected the Kolhapur raja as the titular head of the region and gave him a 19-gun salute.
While Goa is the major tourist destination, the beaches near Ganapatipule are exquisite as well. The oceanside Ganesh temple at Ganapatipule was a favorite place of worship for Madhavrao Peshwa’s wife, Ramabai.
Kolhapur is famous for its Ambabai temple. After pilgrimage to the crowded temple, we saw the New Palace. Built during 1877–1884, the palace is constructed of black, polished stone, and has a garden, fountain and a wrestling ground.
Special features of the palace include a darbar with lobed arches filled with stained glass windows illustrating scenes from the life of Shivaji; carved columns with temple-like brackets that support a cast iron balcony above. The museum includes one of Aurangzeb’s swords and stuffed tigers, bears, and wild boar.
Resorts at Ganapati Pule may not be as luxurious as the ones in Goa, but offer creature comforts at a lower cost and less congestion.
The highway from Kolhapur to the Konkan coast passes through steep Western Ghats. There are numerous scenic posts along the way for the travelers to admire the mountain ranges and the greenery. Troupes of monkeys are always on hand to devour scraps tossed out by the tourists.
The pristine Konkan coast stretches for 300 miles between Mumbai and Goa. The geology is similar to that of the California coast with the sea, white sand beach, followed by a mountain ridge. Just like Highway 101, there is the Konkan highway as well as a railway that hugs the coast. Unfortunately, both regions are afflicted by rock and mud slides.
The town of Ganapatipule is well known for its oceanside Ganesh temple. The area has numerous resorts with access to the beach. Early morning or evening, you can enjoy a solitary walk along the beach and pick up screw-like shells. The local nature’s bounty includes seafood, coconuts, jack fruit and cashews.
The next episode of this travelogue will cover some of the out-of-the-ordinary sightseeing attractions in Mumbai.