Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Wrapped away in the Konkan coast, Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar beaches are small beaches in Raigad district of Maharashtra. Shrivardhan is a secluded beach that can offer the perfect relaxation you expect on a weekend, whereas Harihareshwar beach is the place to be if you like some hustle bustle.
The unique selling point of this beach is its black sand. Shrivardhan is shadowed by a more popular destination namely Divegar. Nevertheless, this can be considered as a blessing in disguise because the beach is not crowded and hence very clean.
The two beaches are located in a fishing hamlet and fish is a popular offering here for tourists. The local population is either involved in fishing or coconut and betel nut tree farming. There are a few resorts that are developing on the beaches now, which makes it exclusively apt for a group picnic.
How To Reach The Shrivardhan Harihareshwar Beaches?
By Air: Pune airport is the closest to Shrivardhan beach. You can take a bus or taxi to reach Shrivardhan in Raigad district. It is a total distance of 160 km. Mumbai Airport is at a distance of 185 km.
By Train: The nearest railheads are Kolad, which is at a distance of 70 km, and Mahad, which is at a distance of 71 km, from Shrivardhan. You can take a taxi after alighting from the train to reach Shrivardhan beach.
By Road: Shrivardhan beach is about 4 hours away from Mumbai on road. It is 189 km and the different roads you could take are the Bangalore-Mumbai highway, Mumbai-Pandharpur road, Mumbai-Pune Highway, and Pen-Khopoli road.
Harihareshwar is only 18 km from Shrivardhan and can be reached by a cab or by using local buses. The local buses are not very frequent, so it is recommended not to rely on them.
Best Time To Visit The Shrivardhan Harihareshwar Beaches
PC: Ankur P
Winter is the best time to visit these beaches in the Konkan coast because the air is brisk and not too cold. Summers are hot and humid, and make the whole experience painful. Monsoons can be considered safe to visit if you do not mind the rain playing a havoc on your beach time.
Shrivardhan Beach:
PC: flickr.com
Shrivardhan is one of the oldest towns in Maharashtra. The Shrivardhan port is an important port in the history that makes an appearance in the travel accounts of leading European travellers like Ziffardan. There are many other beaches nearby namely Khandivali beach, Diveagar beach, etc. This beach has a long coastline with a beautiful garden and some benches for you to sit and enjoy the sunset. Many adventure sports like paragliding, water surfing, water biking, etc., can be enjoyed at this beach.
Harihareshwar Beach:
PC: wikimedia.org
Surrounded by 4 hills that are considered to be holy by the locals, Harihareshwar boasts of 2 beaches on either side of the Harihareshwar Temple. The main attraction of Harihareshwar is the temple, followed by the beach. These beaches have high tides in the evenings, so caution and intuition has to be exercised before stepping into the beaches.
Diveagar:
PC: wikimedia.org
It is a small town that became famous when an ancient Gold statue and ornaments of Lord Ganesha were plundered from the temple and found in a farm. Diveagar has some excellent views of the coastline while travelling. The beach in Diveagar is nice and loud. If you are bored of the quiet beaches at Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar, drive down to the Diveagar beach.
Dolphin Sighting:
PC: wikimedia.org
Shrivardhan Harihareshwar beaches offer Dolphin sighting trips. You can ask the help from local fishermen and pay them a nominal amount. They will be only more than happy to take you along! If you are lucky enough, you will spot at least a couple of Dolphins.
Harihareshwar Temple:
Harihareshwar is referred to as Devghar sometimes. It means "house of God". The town is home to temple of Lord Harihareshwar, who is said to have blessed it. Hence the name. True to its moniker, Harihareshwar is known for its temple. It is also called Kashi of the South, owing to the temple of Lord Shiva. There's a Kala Bhairav temple close by and it is customary to pay respects to Lord Kala Bhairav before going to offer obeisance to Lord Harihareshwar. The temple gets very crowded during Bhairav Jayanti.
Ganesh Gully:
Located very close to Shrivardhan, this is a narrow gully (colloquial for road), which is 3 feet and is situated between two mountains. This is an exciting and different experience. It offers great opportunities for photo sessions.
Somja Devi Temple:
Goddess Somja Devi is believed to help in the extraction of snake venom from the body of the locals. It is said that the person bitten by a snake must pray and offer pradakshinas by going across the temple lying on the floor of the temple to get cured of the snake bite.
