RATNAGIRI - MARLESHWAR (FROM RATNAGIRI)

At a distance of 4 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand, Ratnadurg Fort is a historical fort situated on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Ratnagiri. It is one of the popular forts in Maharashtra, and among the top Ratnagiri places to visit.

The fort of Ratnadurg was constructed during the rule of Bahamani Sultans. It was captured by Adilshah and then Chhatrapati Shivaji conquered the fort in the year 1670 AD. Later, the fort was controlled by Kanhoji Angre, and later handed over to Peshwas. The British captured the fort from the Peshwas in the year 1818 AD. It is among the must-visit places during your Ratnagiri trip.

Spread over a vast area of 120 acres, Ratnadurg Fort was once a stronghold of the Maratha Empire. The fort was used as a watchpoint for keeping vigil on the pirates. Ratnadurg Fort is .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand, Marine Aquarium and Museum is located on Ratnagiri - Bhagwati Mandir Road next to Mandavi Beach in Ratnagiri Town.

The Marine Museum was established in 1985 by the Marine Biological Research Station of Ratnagiri. The Marine museum has some rare and beautiful specimens like Sea horse fish, Lion fish, Trigger fish, Sea turtles, Eels, Sea cucumbers, Star fish, Lobsters, sea snakes and many more. This museum also possess well mounted precious and age-old skeleton of Whale. The original length of the whale being 55 feet long and 5000 Kg in weight is strongly appreciated by everyone who visits this station.

Taking into consideration the growing demand of general public about aquarium, a beautifully arranged and well decorated separate freshwater aquarium section has been recently developed. In this section, along with beautiful and fancy colour fishes, one can also observe locally available freshwater aquatic species like prawns, .....

At a distance of 1 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand and 3.5 km from Ratnadurg Fort, Tilak Ali Museum is located in Ratnagiri Town of Maharashtra. The Museum is a monument of great historical importance and also one of the top places to visit in Ratnagiri.

Tilak Ali Museum is the ancestral house of Lokamanya Balgangadhar Tilak, a prominent freedom fighter of India. He was born in Konkan region and this museum depicts his life and sacrifice for Indian freedom. The house is a classic example of native Konkani architecture and it has been turned into a museum by the state government in order to preserve the memory of the great freedom fighter.

The Tilak Ali Museum depicts the life of Lokamanya Balgangadhar Tilak and his struggle for Indian Independence through paintings and pictures. The museum had a collection of personal belonging of the great leader. Visitors can also watch here lot of photographs related to the various freedom fighters. This museum is maintained by the Archeological .....

At a distance of 2 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand, Mandavi Beach is located in the vicinity of Ratnagiri Town of Maharashtra. This is one of the most crowded beaches in Ratnagiri region.

Mandavi Beach is blessed with beautiful seashore, which extends right up to Rajiwanda Port. This fabulous beach is surrounded by Ratnadurg Fort in the west and the majestic Arabian Sea to the south. The beach is known for its black sand and hence, the beach is often referred to as Black Sea. This beach is also known as Gateway to Ratnagiri, owing to the presence of the bastion situated at the head of the bay.

Mandavi Beach is one of the busiest beaches in Maharashtra, as it is popular among water sports enthusiasts. Mandavi Beach although appears a little unattractive because of the black sand, compared to other beaches, yet it is the most sought after picnic spot in Ratnagiri.

Mandavi also has the Ratnagiri Jetty along with Gateway of Ratnagiri, which is a place for evening hang out. .....

At a distance of 2 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand, Thibaw Palace is a historical building situated on a small hillock in Ratnagiri Town of Maharashtra. This is one of the major tourist attractions of Ratnagiri.

Thiba Palace is an architectural grandeur that was created for King Thibaw of Myanmar (Burma) who was in exile here. It is said that the Palace was built by the British in 1910 to keep the king of Burma under house arrest. The palace came into use from 1910 up to the king's death on 16th December 1916.

The palace is a beautifully constructed three storied structure with sloping roofs. Semi-circular wooden windows with beautiful carvings are the main attraction of this structure. There is a dancing hall with marble floor on the first floor. One Buddha idol is installed at the back side of the palace. This idol was brought to India by king Thibaw. Presently the palace is maintained by ASI and it is currently under renovation. There is also a museum in the palace which displays .....

At a distance of 3 km from Ratnagiri Bus Stand, Bhatye Beach is a marvelous beach situated at Bhatye in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Situated along the Konkan coast, it is one of the popular beaches that can be visited as part of Ratnagiri packages.

Bhatye Beach is a wonderful beach in the background of the jagged Sahyadri mountain ranges provides a panoramic view of the surroundings. The length of the beach is approximately 1.5 km and is very flat and straight. Bhatye Beach and Mandvi Beach are next to each other separated by a creek. One can enjoy nature at its best here. With the bluish water, a vast expansion of silvery sands, and the clean environs sprinkled with casuarina trees, Bhatye Beach is one of the best tourist places in Ratnagiri to admire the mesmerizing sunset.

The Ratnagiri Lighthouse and the famous Mandavi Beach .....

At a distance of 65 km from Ratnagiri, Marleshwar Temple is a cave temple located at Maral village near Sangameshwar in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Surrounded by the scenic Sahyadri mountain ranges, Sri Marleshwar Temple is one of the popular pilgrimage places in Maharashtra, and among the most visited Ratnagiri tourist places.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Marleshwar Temple is one of the famous pilgrimage places to visit near Kolhapur. It is believed that the temple was built by Lord Parashuram. The shrine is most famous for the cobras which are believed to live here with the shivaling and to date have not harmed anyone. This has resulted in increasing faith in the place and every year thousands of devotees visit the place as part of their Ratnagiri tour. This .....

At a distance of 6 km from Ganeshgule and 17 km from Ratnagiri, Pawas is a quaint village situated in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Pawas is an important pilgrim center owing to Sri Swami Swarupanand Samadhi Mandir which is visited by thousands of devotees every year.

Pawas is a serene place known for its natural beauty. Pawas came into the limelight after it was chosen by Swami Swaroopanad for his ashram. The Samadhi Mandir was constructed in the memory of Sri Swami Swarupanand who took Samadhi here on 15th August 1974. Swami was born on December 15, 1903 at Pawas to the couple Vishnupant and Rakhmabai Godbole. His original name was Ramchandra, but he came to be affectionately addressed as Bhau or Appa. At the age of 20, Swami took initiation from Sadguru Babamaharaj Vaidya of Pune and from that onwards he had begun his spiritual journey. Returning to Pawas, he undertook religious austerity and focused his mind on a deep study of Dnyaneshwari, Bhagvad Geeta and Dasbodh. Swami .....