Dive-Agar ; Harihareshwar -- 10/11-Mar-10

Since many days, in fact months i was to write this blog, about our trip last year [March 2010] :-(

when i saw some blog couple of days back while planning our next trip to Alibag, i just decided to write this pending blog this thursday ... and here i am with it......

we all Tata guys (office colleagues) had decided to go somewhere out for a change and we decided Dive-Agar.... what else could be ... nearer to pune (just 160 kms).... completely away of tourist rush... it was an uniform choice.

we started off from our company (at Pimpri, near Pune) by 5.00 pm went to Sharad's place and left from there at about 5.45 pm --> myself, Nitin, Sharad, Vishal, Sourabh & Arun. we had hired a Sumo.

we took the Hinjewadi - Pirangut - Paud - Mulshi - Tamhini Ghat route

Tamhini Ghat was horrible.... road condition was terrible and by the time we reached Tamhini it was dark.... our driver must have had difficulty in driving in that condition. he was saying that he needs to do 'all doors setting' of his vehicle after one trip from Tamhini... ;-) because of the road conditions.

after Tamhini one needs to go to Mangaon which is the next big town. here we had our dinner in some really famous hotel (i forgot the name ... sorry ... since it was last year). Sourabh suggested that hotel since it's very famous in that area. after the dinner and the tank full for our Sumo we embarked ahead towards Mhasala and then to Dive-Agar. Time : around 10.30 pm.

We had our booking confirmed from Pune at Mr. Avalaskar's. they have their office at Swargate where we need to pay the booking amount. the house is just ahead of the Suvarna Ganesh Temple. Beach from here is about 5 mins walking. facility here was nice. it was one big room, comfortable for 6 people; with beds & blankets. Hot water was available. however, they don't provide food; its only lodging. but that's not a problem; it can be arranged. "Ukdiche Modak" from Bapat's are very famous there (we didn't had that because of lack of time; as we had to move to Harihareshwar & back to Pune by evening).

Night-walk

Then at 11.00 pm we decided to go at the beach (?) it was complete darkness everywhere. we managed to go near the beach. we could here the sound the waves, but we were not able to see anything; we couldn't make out exactly how far is the beach. hence we finally returned back to come again next morning.

we returned back to our room; did some tp before we slept for the day.

next morning by 6.30 am we were at the beach. for the next 2 hrs ONLY WE - nobody else - were there on the whole of a km-stretch.

Sunrise at Dive-agar

we had a gr8 time on the beach in the morning. had an awesome sunrise, played in the sea waters to the fullest & came back by 8.30 to our room. got freshened up, had a break-fast at the neighboring house and went on to see the Suvarna Ganesh Temple.

On 17th November 1997 (Sankashti Chaturthi according to Marathi dinadarshika) While digging in coconut and bettlenut bagayti of Shrimati Draupadi Dharma Patil, she found approximately 30 Kgs. of copper trunk admeasuring 1.25 ft. in lenghth and 1.5 ft. by breadth. In that trunk 24 carat pure golden Ganesha's mask of 1 Kg 325 gms. was buried in land for more than 1000 years as per expert's opinion. The date found on trunk was Friday, 10th November, 1060. Hence, it was concluded by experts that the mask may be made prior to the date mentioned on

the trunk.

(Courtesy: http://www.dive-agar.com/)

Temple is very simply built. it has the Gold Idol by the side covered. also the copper box in which this idol was found is also kept for display.

only external snap is available since photography was not allowed inside.

Suvarna Ganesh Temple

Then we moved to Shrivardhan - just a stop at Sourabh's aunt's house - and then towards Harihareshwar.

view of Harihareshwar beach from top

after visiting the temple, we went for the rocky sea-face for which Harihareshwar is famous for. it is dangerous to go near the sea during high tides. names of people who died (due to washed away) are written on the rocks there.

rocky seaface at Harihareshwar

after a tiry walk climbing the mountain around the temple and getting down towards the sea (with high & difficult rocky steps), the view that one sees is just awesome.

they say dolphins are seen here

either we weren't lucky enough or there aren't any dolphins ;-)

after the lunch at a restaurant nearby, we started for our return journey. at Mangaon, we stopped to see the Ice Factory of Sourabh's uncle. it was a cool experience. he explained to us the process if ice manufacturing. it was something new learning for us. Finally. we reached back to Pune by about 8.00 pm.

Coordinates:
Dive-Agar          18 - 7' - 5"   N ; 72 - 58' - 37" E
Harihareshwar    18 - 2' - 56" N ; 72 - 59' - 0"   E