Ganpatipule

According to local folklore, the Hindu god Ganapati, taking umbrage at a remark made by a native lady, moved to Pulé पुळे (a few km before the town) from his original abode of Gulé. Thus the region was named Ganpati-pulé.

The 400-year-old Ganpati idol at Ganpatipule is said to have sprung up from the soil.[4] This deity faces the west, so as to guard the western gates, unlike deities in other Indian temples who face the east. The temple is at the base of a hill, and pilgrims walk around (pradakshina) the hill as a mark of respect.

Ganpati temple

Ganapatipule is approximately 375 km. south of Mumbai, along the Konkan Coast. It is a small town with about 100 houses, and its beach is a tourist destination. The temple of Swayambhu (self-originated) Ganesh is frequented by thousands every year. The God is considered to be the Paschim Dwarpalak (Western Sentinel God of India),[5]and those who visit Ganapatipule make it a point to pay their respects to this deity. Ganapatipule is rich in flora, including mangroves and coconut palms.

Ganapatipule is governed by the Ganapatipule Grampanchayat.

After March, the temperature starts rising but rarely crosses 30 °C. May is the hottest month, with temperatures reaching 40 °C. The monsoon lasts from June to October, when rains are usually plentiful and regular.

Marathi is the most widely spoken language. Hindi and English are understood and spoken by many. There are Marathi medium schools run by Ganpatiphule Grampanchayat / Ratnagiri. The nearest college is at Malgund. There are many villages in Ganapatipule which are full of greenery. The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture and service business . Rice and coconut are the most common crops in this area. Many festivals are celebrated along the Konkan Coast. Among the most significant are Gauri Ganpati and Magh Chaturthi (the fourth day of the lunar month of Magh).

With the development of tourism, a number of resorts and hotels have opened in this small town, the most significant of which is the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation resort near the beach.[6] Other resorts and spas include Greenleaf Resort, Abhishek Beach Resort and Spa, Areopagus Spa, and The Blue Ocean Resort and Spa, Hotel Heramb in Ganpatipule and also a few smaller hotels also Bhakt Nivas available for tourist in this town.

The village of Velneshwar, situated north of the Shastri River, has its own peaceful, coconut-fringed beach, where one can relax in tranquility. The village comes alive each year during the Maha Shivaratri fair, when pilgrims in large numbers visit the Old Shiva Temple. According to folklore, a fisherman had found a statue in his net which he had promptly thrown back into the sea. He again found the statue back in his net. Angered by this he banged the statue on a stone, but the statue started bleeding. The fisherman picked up the statue and place it in a small temple which then grew into the Velneshwar Shiva Temple.

About 26 km from Ganapatipule lies the district headquarters town of Ratnagiri. This region has a long illustrious past and is even mentioned in Indian mythology.

Malgund, a small village 1 km away from Ganpatipule, is known as the birthplace of the Marathi poet Keshavasuta, born in 1866. He is regarded as a poet who heralded the dawn of modern Marathi poetry. There is a monument at Malgund dedicated to his work and also a museum where one can find information on most of the modern-day poets of the Marathi language. Malgund also houses Nirmal Nagari of Her Holiness ShreeMataji Nirmala Devi of Sahaja Yoga fame.

Resting on a cliff, at the entrance of the Sangameshwar river, just 20 km from Ganapatipule, is Jaigad Fort. This 17th-century fort offers a view of the sea and of Konkan village life.[7] A 15 km back road connects Ganpatipule to Jaigad via Malgund.

Besides its natural environment, Pawas is well known for the Ashram of Swami Swaroopanand, a spiritual leader who influenced an entire generation of Maharashtrians. The distance from Ratnagiri to Pawas is approximately 20 km. There are extensive views from the lighthouse, around 6–7 km from Jaigad Fort. It was completed in 1932 and is still completely operational and serving on the coast. Around 13.7 kms north on route to Jaigarh fort from Ganpatipule Ganesh temple is the newly built Jai Vinayak temple.[8] The temple has pagoda-style architecture. The temple was built in 2003 by JSW group when they launched their thermal power project at Jaigarh.

Sunset at the Ganapatipule beach

The town has a small bus stand, State transport buses to Kolhapur Pune are available town is easily accessible from the port city of Ratnagiri, which also has a railway station and an airport.

• About Ganpatipule

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ganpatipule.

• Ganpatipule Temple
• Konkan Darshan with pictures
• Maharashtra Tourism Department website
• Maharashtra Tourism Development Corp - Resort Ganapatipule
• Ratnagiri District website
• How to reach Ganpatipule
• Visiting Ganpatipule Temple