Velneshwar
is a small hamlet near the sea shore in Konkan blessed with Lord Shiva himself.
It is a small village known for its virgin beach, coconut, betel nuts, Hapus
mangoes and the exemplary Konkani cuisine.
A
great place away from the crowds, this Konkan belt covering Guhagar –
Velneshwar – Ganpatipule remains untapped and unexplored by most.
By Road: There are three routes to reach Velneshwar from Mumbai:
Via Panvel on NH 17 upto Chiplun and turn to SH 78 (Chiplun-Guhagar Road) and then reach Velneshwar.
Via Khopoli on the expressway – after the toll take the left turn for Khopoli and from the service route drive towards Mangaon. From Mangaon – Khed- Mahad- Chiplun. From Chiplun take the SH 78 upto Palshet. At Palshet, take the turn for Velneshwar.
Via Dapoli – Travel On NH 17,
cross Karnala Bird Sanctuary – Pen – Wadkhal – Nagothane – Mangaon. Post this
turn right for Goregaon – Mandangad and heading towards Dapoli. From Dapoli
head towards Dabhol which has a ferry service available from Dabhol (20 kms
from Dapoli) to Dhopave. From Dhopave lead the car in ferry boat and cross the
creek to reach Anjanvel. Velneshwar is
approximately 30 kms from Anjanvel. You can check the ferry timings and fare on
http://carferry.in/dabhol-dhopave/
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| Sunset in Velneshwar |
Velneshwar
has a white sand clean beach surrounded by coconut and betel plantation, which
gives way to expanse of white sand and merges into the horizon. Swimming,
sunbathing and lazing on the beach are the only things to do here. One can
spends hours here by simply taking in the natural beauty. Don't miss the sunset
and especially early morning “moon-set”
Every
day in Velneshwar begins with cool breeze from the sea and the serene sound of
sea waves.
Popular Sites in Velneshwar:
Velneshwar Temple – is a beautiful temple of
Lord Shiva located right on the sea shore of Velneshwar. There are small
temples within the complex of the main temple of Lord Ganesha, Lord Vishnu etc. It
is said that the Lord in this temple instantly fulfils the wishes asked by the
devotees and thus is aptly named Velneshwar (Vel – n – Ishwar). “Vel” in Marathi
means not wasting any time and Ishwar means God.
The
entrance of the temple is welcomed by a tall Deepmaala. Mahashivratri
celebrations are celebrated in this temple with lot of fanfare which attracts
tourists and devotes from far.
Velneshwar Beach - The beach is spotless without any sign of commercial activity. It is fairly expansive and without too much of tourist crowd. There are a couple of resorts right at the beach, if you enjoy being next to the shore. If you are any early riser and venture out for a walk on the beach, you will find locals exercising a bit and tourists trying to collect a few sea shells.
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| Velneshwar Temple |
Velneshwar Beach - The beach is spotless without any sign of commercial activity. It is fairly expansive and without too much of tourist crowd. There are a couple of resorts right at the beach, if you enjoy being next to the shore. If you are any early riser and venture out for a walk on the beach, you will find locals exercising a bit and tourists trying to collect a few sea shells.
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| Velneshwar Beach |
Popular Sites in Hedvi:
Hedvi
is located approximately 5 kms towards south of Velneshwar. Another white sand beach, totally secluded is Hedvi
beach which is hidden beyond small roads. Temple of Uma Maheshwari is located on the sea shore.
Brahmangal - Near the hedvi beach there is a 20 feet deep gorge in the black rocks wherein the sea water gushes in and when it hits the end of the gorge, the water rises as high as 20-30 feet. During high tide it is a sight to behold.
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| Hedvi Beach |
Brahmangal - Near the hedvi beach there is a 20 feet deep gorge in the black rocks wherein the sea water gushes in and when it hits the end of the gorge, the water rises as high as 20-30 feet. During high tide it is a sight to behold.
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| Brahmangal, Hedvi |
Dashabhja Ganesh Mandir - Hedvi is famous for this temple which is very well maintained and peaceful in nature. The temple of Lord Ganesha is carved in Marble and as the name of the temple states has 10 hands. The temple dates back to the age of Peshwas.
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| Dashabhuja Ganesh Temple, Hedvi |
Popular Sites in Guhagar:
Guhagar is 15 kms away from Velneshwar and is a beautiful drive through ghats.
Guhagar Beach – is a beautiful and well
maintained beach in Konkan. The beach is walking distance from the cneter point
of Guhagar. The beach also has parasailing and water sports options.
There are many beaches near Guhagar like Budhal Beach
(20 kms), Borya Bunder & Karul (22 kns) and Palshet Beach (13 kms)
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| Way to the beach |
Vyadeshwar Temple & Durga Devi
Temple – Vyadeshwar
Temple is literally a stone thrown away from the main market of Guhagar. The
temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Guhagar is a treat for temple lovers as it
boasts of many outstanding temples such as Vyadeshwar Temple, Tolekeshwar
Temple, Udaleshwar Temple, Balkeshwar Temple, Ufratya Tondacha Temple and many
more.
There is a small shop near Vyadeshwar Temple from where
you can shop for kokam, kokam sharbat, aamla, aam papad, pickles, amba poli,
phanas poli etc. It is the perfect place to pick up famous food delicacies of Konkan.
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| Vyadeshwar Temple, Guhagar |
Other places to
visit near Velneshwar:
Jaigad – From Velneshwar, drive to
Tawsal to take a ferry to Jaigad. This is
a RORO (roll on/Roll off) ferry and will transfer you along with your
vehicle to Jaigad. Please check out the timings & fare on carferry.in/jaigad-tawsal-2/
Once in Jaigad, explore the Jaigad fort which stands on a cliff overlooking the
Jaigad creek.
Ganpatipule – is a small town famous for
Swayambhu Ganpati Temple and its pristine Beach. The Ganpati idol is said to
have originated from soil and thus called swayambhu. Unlike the Indian temples
wherein the idol faces east, in this temple the Ganpati idol is facing west and
is said to be guarding the west.
How to reach Velneshwar?
Velneshwar is around 300 kms from Mumbai and it should take around 8-10 hours.
How to reach Velneshwar?
Velneshwar is around 300 kms from Mumbai and it should take around 8-10 hours.
By Road: There are three routes to reach Velneshwar from Mumbai:
Via Panvel on NH 17 upto Chiplun and turn to SH 78 (Chiplun-Guhagar Road) and then reach Velneshwar.
Via Khopoli on the expressway – after the toll take the left turn for Khopoli and from the service route drive towards Mangaon. From Mangaon – Khed- Mahad- Chiplun. From Chiplun take the SH 78 upto Palshet. At Palshet, take the turn for Velneshwar.
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| View from Ferry Ride |
By
Rail: The closest railway station for Velneshwar is Chiplun. From Chiplun, take
a bus or taxi to Velneshwar.
By
Air: Nearest Airport is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai which
is around 300 kms from Velneshwar.
Where to stay?
MTDC has a resort at
a distance of around 500 metres from the beach at a slightly higher altitude
with a beautiful view of the sea. MTDC offers stunning view of the sea and is a
nice spot to spend time especially in the evening.
Other resorts in
Velneshwar are Kinara Velneshwar Beach resort, Privilege Resort, Athithi Beach
Resort. All these resorts including MTDC are standard resorts and cater basic
amenities. If you are looking for a luxurious stay, Shantatai in Guhagar is 15 kms from Velneshwar
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| View from MTDC, Velneshwar |
