“The only journey is the one within.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Shore Temples in Raigad, Konkan
Leaving the shores of the Siddi rulers near Murud Janjira, we headed to explore the rest of the Konkan coast. The Ro-Ro service from Agardanda jetty is an efficient and smooth ride to Dighi, where the road takes over. The day’s journey covered the 124 kms distance to Ladghar in 5 hours. A single cart road through the scenic beaches and shore temples in Raigad, Konkan is worth taking as slow as it could.
Four destinations marked this section, Diveagar, Harihareshwar, Bankot and Velas. Apart from beaches, the first two are famous for the shore temples of Suvarna Ganesh (Golden Ganesha) and Harihareshwar. Bankot is a fort and Velas, a destination for checking out the conservation programme for the Olive Ridley turtles.
Legend of the Suvarna Ganesh
Diveagar’s history connects to the Shilahar dynasty from the 13th century. The SundarRup Narayan Temple is a remnant of that era, but the beach town of Diveagar is more famous for the Ganesha that is Suvarna, meaning golden. The discovery of the Ganesha idol made of gold in a farm in 1997 led to the construction of this temple.
The golden idol ensconced in a copper box from the 10th century lay buried in the same place as a copper plate (Tamr-Patra) found earlier. The fame of Diveagar increased manifold after this. In 2012, thieves stole this idol and destroyed it for its material value, but devotees still visit the temple for Ganesha’s blessings.
The shore temple of Harihareshwar
35 kms away from Diveagar is the ‘House of God’, Devghar, a sobriquet for Harihareshwar. Another beach town famous for not just the waters, but the ancient temple of Shiva and Bhairav. Many call it the Kashi of the South, for the lingas here were the ancestral deities of the Peshwas.
There are three temples in the complex, the chief deity of Harihareshwar and those of Kalbhairav and Goddess Yogeshwari. After worshipping at the temple, though, there is another adventurous thing to do at Harihareshwar. The circumambulation route bordered by the Bankot creek is not an easy one at all. Tidal rocks make the trek not just thrilling but if alone, scary, too.
Harihareshwar Parikrama
Path of the circumambulation begins behind the temple and climbs up the hill before one can see a 200 ft drop. Laterite rock steps take the path towards the sea where many small praying niches are. The puranas have a description of many of these. The lowest part of the shore with many tidal pools is Shukl Teerth, as named in the Puranas.
Savitri river that begins in Mahabaleshwar comes and joins the Arabian sea at this point in the Bankot creek. One can feel the power of nature in its rawest form as the wind and sea come together to pay obeisance to the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. As the natural path of the parikrama gets over and rejoins the man-made concrete path, we learn a lesson to be one with nature.
