Harihareshwar
Harihareshwar is a small town in Raigad district in Maharashtra state. It is referred to as Devghar, or House of God. This place is supposed to be blessed by Lord Vishnu. It is surrounded by four hills called as Harihareshwar, Bramhadri, Pushpadri and Harishinachal. Harihareshwar is a very popular tourist place. It has un spoilt; pristine beaches which are tourist delight. The sand is white, soft, clean and the waters are clear. Any person who comes here falls in love with the beauty of the beaches.
The Harihar hill is situated just on the seashore. It adds to the magnificent beauty of the place. Kalbhairav temple is one of the ancient temples in the state. The Harihareshwar temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. As the popular legend goes, Lord Shiva created Kalbhairava and blessed him with all mantras. The temple is a classic example of ancient architecture. The most interesting part is the Pradakshina along the beach side. It is a 10 minutes walk around the temple along the seashore. You need to climb the cliff and then descent down straight into the sea. The Yogeshwari temple here is also important. The nearness of the temple to the beach makes it all the more attractive. The cool sea breeze and the soothing sound of the waves makes you relax while you are on your religious mode.
Bagmandal is situated few miles away from Harihareshwar. It has historical importance as the Peshwas lived there for some time. There is a peshwe smarak and an ancient fort here. The fort is called as Bankot fort. There is a sea harbor in the forest also called as Jungle jetty. You can ferry here around the Bagmandal creek and to the Ratnagiri fort nearby.
There is a narrow 3 feet culvert in the mountains. This is called as Ganesh gully. There is a holy niche here at the end of culvert. An idol of Lord Ganesh is placed here. The niche is nearly 30 feet under water and you can see the idol during tidal periods.
Shrivardhan has a beautiful beach nearby Harihareshwar. The place is untouched and the beach is pristine and clean. The place is very peaceful, soothing and mind blowing.
Diveagar is a place filled with natural beauty. The road to the place in itself is very awesome and filled with beautiful scenes. The Divegar beach has white sand and clear waters. You can see seagulls on the beach feasting in the creek waters. There are a number of Suru trees on the beach. The most interesting thing is the presence of Belu trees on the beach. There is an idol of Ganesh made of pure gold, hence the name Suvarnaganesha. It was discovered in one of the beetle nut gardens on the auspicious day of Sankashti Chaturti. It was supposed to be buried there for nearly 1000 years.
Sundernarayan temple is also an ancient temple belonging to the 13th century. King Shilahar built it and it is one of the finest examples of sculptures. The idol has four hands, each has a Shank, Chakra, Gada and Padma carved in such a manner that it shows 24 different appearances of Lord Vishnu when seen in a clock wise direction.