Revdanda

Till a few years ago the coastal road that goes south from Alibag used to terminate at Revdanda where it encountered the Kundalika creek. A bridge now spans the creek and the whole stretch southward of Revdanda up to Murud-Janjira has now become accessible. Part of the town is situated within the premises of Revdanda fort, an old Portuguese fort.

Revdanda fort is where St. Francis Xavier delivered one of his early sermons in India. The chapel still exists in a run down condition. The chapel is within the walled fort, on the south side and not far from the main road. There are many places to watch out in Revdanda. Revdanda is a historical place and relates closely to the era of Shivaji, though it's not one the famous places in history related to Shivaji.

Revdanda came into limelight when Russian historians found out that the first Russian traveller to India landed in Revdanda. A monument was raised in his memory on 23 November 2000. A foundation stone for the monument in memory of Afanasy Nikitin, the first Russian traveller to India was laid at Revdanda. A high level delegation from Russia, accompanied by Mr. V.T. Trubnikov, the first deputy of the minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. A.M. Kadakin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, all senior diplomats from the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai, attended the function. .

Revdanda is one of the most important places of Konkan, Maharashtra for the Indian Jewish community. Almost 700 years ago after the destruction of the Holy Temple of Israel in Biblical era, a group of Jews who already knew about India and had been in contact with India. This group of people arrived in Nagav which is 15 minutes from Revdanda. They adopted Indian culture, names, lifestyle and founded an Indian Jewish community.

The area is known for the coconut and beetlenut plantations in the region. The plantations of coconut trees is called "naralachi baag" or "wadi" in Marathi language. The place is also known for a species of aromatic flower called "Bakuli". It's a small flower with a wonderful fragrance. Apart from the plantations of coconut and beetlenut the livelihood of people in this region comes from the production of rice. The best time to visit Revdanda is December and during the Monsoon season.

Datta Mandir located in the Chaul part of Revdanda. It is a temple dedicated to Datta, who is mainly worshipped by Marathi immigrants to the Konkan. The temple is situated at the top of the peak with almost 1500 steep stairs to be climbed to reach the peak. The entire region around the Revdanda can be viewed from the temple. The temple is said to have been built during Shivaji's reign to keep an eye out for hostile forces.

The red-domed temple of Datta Mandir situated at the hill top is said to have been constructed by a Swami Bramhendra. The temple has a three-headed statue of ShriDatta and this idol represents the trinity of Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.