Ratnagiri & Malvan

This was my first study tour Post College and job…. I was very excited when I came to know that the course which I am doing has study tours where we will get firsthand experience on things…. Our 3 day tour was in Ratnagiri and Malvan.I boarded a bus on 20th Dec ’10 for Ratnagiri…. Ratnagiri is a port city surrounded by Sahayadri Mountains in the east. The road trip was exciting, bus travelling on serpentine roads of the ghat… It was just beautiful….

I reached Ratnagiri on 21st Dec early morning (6:30 or so). Our booking was done at Hotel Swaroop on the Bunder road. The Hotel is 10 min away from the bus stop and the hotel tariff is reasonably cheap (double occupancy – Rs 700/- per room per day).

Post breakfast we had to go to Mumbai University Sub centre with our Course Director Deepak Apte for his lecture there. After which we started for Undi Beach, to study rocky shore assessment and habitat profiling.

A rocky shore is the area where rocks predominate. This intertidal zone consists of rocky ledges with pools of salt water which are biologically rich. One can observe a wide range of species and biological processes. The habitat profiling is done by transect method. A particular area is divided into no of quadrants and then each quadrant is studies for the organisms present… then the extrapolation is done for the number of species on that entire shore front.

We observed a variety of species present in that area and also we got an amazing experience snorkeling in rock pools. All in all this session was truly learning experience for me.

The next day we started for Malvan via Ambolgadh. Ambolgadh plateau which is a study site is almost 2 hours from Ratnagiri. The Jaitapur nuclear power plant project has been proposed which will affect the ecology in 100km area all across. This study site might also get disturbed so BNHS is proposing options that might reduce the thermal discharge and minimize the effects of it. We were explained in details about this project.

After this session we started for Malvan where we were to stay till 23rd. We had booked a homestay at Chivla beach. Post lunch we went on to the beach to study the species present in the area and the ecology of it.

On the last of our study tour we went to Sindhudurg fort. We went there again to study about the marine conservation projects and all. This was the last session of our study tour post which everyone departed for their respective places…

I stayed back for one more day to roam about a little. To start with let me first give you a little detail about the homestay, Chivla beach and the fort post which I will pen down about the other places I visited.

Homestay: The place where we stayed was Vasanti Bed & Breakfast which is on Chivla beach and near to Nath Pai Sevangan. The owner was Mr. Ramchandra Patil who is a retired air force veteran and his wife Vasanti Patil. The homestay is MTDC approved and the charges are Rs 500 - 550/- per room per day.

Chivla Beach: This beautiful arc shaped beach with clean sand and clear water offers total serenity and calmness. The best thing about this beach is that it’s not crowded and is ideal for homestay. Just loved the beach….

Sindhudurg Fort: It stands tall and impregnable on a rocky island barely a km from Malvan. The fort is approached by a boat through a navigable channel between 2 smaller islands of Dhontara and Padmagadh. Sindhudurg was built in 1664-67 AD by Shivaji Maharaj. The construction was done under the supervision of Hiroji Indulkar, an able architect. One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, the 48 acre Sindhudurg fort has a four kms long zigzag line of 9 metres high and 3 metres wide rampart with 42 bastions. On the parapet, close to the entrance, beneath two small domes are the imprints of Shivaji’s palm and foot in dry lime. Also, in the fort there is the Shivaji temple 'Shri Shivarajeshwar temple’ the only one of its kind in the country where the image of Shivaji is without a beard.

The other places which I saw post our study tour was the Devbaug beach, Jai Ganesh Temple and rock garden.

Devbaug beach: A confluence of Karli river flowing into Arabian Sea can be observed from this beach. The beach is situated around 14 kms from Malvan. The beach offers an enchanting sight of hundreds of seagulls flying in a harmonized manner. The beach offers a picturesque view of the sunset. Because of its remote location, very few tourists venture here and as a result the beach is clean and the serene aspect of it has been maintained.

Jai Ganesh Mandir: The Ganesh idol is of pure gold. This main idol in the sanctum sanctorum is in the traditional pose with Riddhi- Siddhi (consorts of Lord) on both sides. The hall has eight idols of Ganesh carved in the ceiling. One gets a very comfortable feeling of Lord Ganesh looking generously from all the eight directions at his disciple. The interior of the temple is very rich and has used soothing colors.


On 24th Dec, I left from Malvan by bus and reached home on 25th around 5 am. I must say, that this trip I enjoyed thoroughly and I got to learn a lot from Mr. Apte. I would definitely love to go back to Malvan and experience the tranquility which the place offers again.