we a group of 10 people which included 3 children visited some of these places and it was a real hevenly journey.
The train left the station at 6.10 am and our heavenly journey started.The train had the same travellers who were excited of having to visit their near and dear ones or some of them of having to visit a new place.
Konkan authentically can be called the paradise of greenery. With its trees and mountains and ever flowing streams, the entire scenario is just awesome .We reached the station kankavli at around 12.45 pm one of our cousins had arrived at the station to receive us.
Kankavli is like a small town and the moment any train reaches the station, there is a flurry of activities. One will find people running around to search of potters and cabs. Of course the number of porters will be larger then those searching for one. However, people coming here from bigger cities take some time to settle down to the peaceful and laid-back attitude of the locals. Once the train clambers out of the station, you find the station back to its usual self of relaxation. Yes, people here are too relaxed to worry about any thing.
Nature has given this region bountifully so the people have developed a “sushegat” not to worry about anything attitude.
We reached the place of destination, freshened, and had a scrumptious meal. In the evening, we visited the “Gopuri ashram” situated at kankavli.
Kankavali is a prominent city and a taluka place situated on Mumbai-Goa National Highway and about 460 KMTs from Mumbai city.
A hermitage of P.P. Bhalchander Maharaj and "Gopuri Ashram" of late” Aappasaheb Patvardhan”, also known as Mahatma Gandhi of Kankavali. Sihngad Fort. Ganesh Temple and 'Surya Murti' from Kharepatan Talukas are also places worth a visit.
After a tour in the entire Gopuri ashram we were enlightened by the supervisors of how this entire ashram is self sufficient with water, growing their own farm products and a selling counter where fruits ,hand woven cloth like bedsheets towels etc and other typically items well known in the konkan region are sold.
Self-discipline and self-sufficiency seem to be the motto of this ashram (a place run by trustees and used principally for social upliftment.
The items we ate that day were ghavane, kalya watanyachi aamti. Phanas and aambe. These are all typical food eaten in the konkan regions.
(These food items and many other typical Konkani things are to be explained in a separate chapter some times later).
Konkan' the coastal region of “Maharashtra” state facing the Arabian Sea. , is a thin strip of land, about 720 km. It is widest between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats or the Sahyadri mountain ranges it is made up of the districts of Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, and Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg. The Konkan region is separated from the rest of the state by the Sahyadri mountain range also known as the Western Ghats. 'Konkan railway' - the rail route that connects Mumbai (Bombay) with the entire western coast of India. There are also buses plying from all-important cities of India.
Here i would like to acknowledge that some names of the rivers, hills animals and some of the geographical areas and people origins where research has been done at wikipeadia and later confirmed by this author the rest is authors own expeirience .
to be continued................
