Diveagar Beach- the Konkan Paradise

Diveagar Beach is one of the popular Konkan beaches. While the idyllic beach is the star attraction, Diveagar offers a great vacation to unwind.

Diveagar is the perfect combination of rural and town life and is a perfect weekend getaway from Pune.

Diveagar Beach was my second Konkan beach after one day trip to Alibaug.

I woke up to the distant calls of a rooster and the mild fragrance of neem flowers as against the cacophony of city traffic. I walked outside to acquaint myself with the surroundings of the sleepy town of Diveagar. I was in the middle of a Konkan paradise full of mango and banana orchards lined with coconut trees which swayed in the hot summer breeze. I thought to myself, ‘I could get used to this country life!’

About Diveagar

Diveagar is quaint yet stunning of all the Konkan beaches situated in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. It is situated 185 km from Mumbai and 165 km from Pune making it a perfect road trip over the weekend.

This coastal town was earlier a flourishing city under the many rulers who ruled Deepagar. It was only after the 14th Century that Konkan town got its name Diveagar during the reign of King Chitaraj. There is a copper plate is known as “Velasi Agar” which is identified with the village Velasi on the Dive Agar Velasi road.

Diveagar Beach and Places to visit nearby

I was in Diveagar for the weekend from Pune.

I had started late on a Friday afternoon so by the time I reached Diveagar, it was too dark to see anything. Against the other popular Konkan beach towns such as Ratnagiri, Ganapatipule, Guhaghar, Tarkali, Alibaug, Diveagar is fairly secluded and hence extremely pristine.

However, over the last few years too much tourist activity has made it commercialized with big resorts opening up and the introduction of water sports catering to tourist demands.

The otherwise sleepy town of Diveagar is perfect to unwind, just to be away from the city and be one with nature while switching off technology. I particularly loved walking on the clean beaches and reading a book on the hammock of my homestay. But since I was there, here are some places to visit in Diveagar if you get bored with the beach!

Diveagar Beach

I fell in love with the soft silver sand of Diveagar Beach. There is definitely some magic in Konkan beaches and I always feel belonging to these sandy areas. 

The beach was walking distance from my homestay but I decided to take the car anyway, so as to change clothes and keep stuff securely. There are no cemented structures, no pathways, just a countryside road all along the beach. Park anywhere and walk to the beach. A forest of Suru trees opens to the pristine Diveagar Beach. 

The beach had very negligible crowds when I visited and it was a perfect morning. The waves were strong and the beach was uneven and wavy, unlike the other calm Konkan beaches. Maybe that is why water sports have flourished so much here – perfect for sea surfing and banana boat rides. 

After a long walk on the beach observing the sand-bubbler crabs, seagulls flying over my head, and the locals persuading tourists to ride a bullock cart, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the simplicity of country life overlooking the hills of Western Ghats. I promised myself to come back post-monsoon, to see Diveagar drenched in the green blanket.

I dodged the urge to have tea, coffee, coconut water, and snacks like Vada Pav, Misal and Maggi sold by local vendors around the beach as I wanted to catch some local breakfast back at my homestay.

Roopnarayan Temple

I headed out to check out the Hindu temple in Diveagar post breakfast. Also known as Sundernarayan temple, the Roopnarayan temple is believed to have been built in the 13th century under the reign of King Shilahar and is devoted to Lord Vishnu, whose statue is 900 years old. The temple is built in black marble rock. 

The temple has carvings of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu i.e. the Dashavatar along with the carvings of Lord Brahma and Lord Mahesh are particularly noteworthy. The Vishnu idol has hands each accessorized with Gada (weapon), Shank (Shell), Padma (Lotus), and Chakra (Wheel).

Suvarna Ganpati Temple

Suvarna means gold. According to the legends, on November 17th, 1998 (Sankashti Chaturthi as per the Hindu calendar) a copper box was found beneath the soil in a nearby farm. It weighed 30 kilos, 37.5 cm(27 inches) in length,45 cm(18 inches) wide, and 17.5 (7 inches) in height. The box had a 24-carat gold idol of Lord Ganpati (elephant-headed god also known as Ganesha). 

A temple was made to honour this idol which made it special not only for the locals but also for the tourists who visited Diveagar.  Unfortunately, in 2012, the golden idol of Lord Ganesha was stolen by a group of thieves. 

However, they could not stop the worship. So the temple now has a silver Ganpati idol.

Also Read: Trimbakeshwar Temple Guide

Places to visit near Diveagar

Aravi Beach

Located 5k away from the Diveagar beach, Aravi beach is another pristine jewel of Konkan. Aravi Beach has mountains on one side, a beach on the other, and a road in the middle. The road covers almost 2 km distance where you keep passing by the seashore. Seashore covered with white sand and no trash at all, and blue water until the very end you can see.

Harihareshwar

Diveagar to Harihareshwar is only 40 km and these two places can be easily combined.

Harihareshwar Beach attracts a lot of visitors. The beach is also surrounded by four hills namely Harihareshwar, Harshinachal, Bramhadri, and Pushpadrib. The river Savitri flows nearby through the dense forest that adds to the charm of Harihareshwar. The beach is flanked by the Arabian Sea and is famed for its sandy shores and cool atmosphere. Harihara Hill located close by on the seashore serves as the prime attraction. 

Graced by the temple of Shiva in the northern part of the town, Harihareshwar is often referred to as the ‘Dev-Ghar’. There are 2 temples in the same complex – one is dedicated to Lord Shiva and another is dedicated to Lord Kalabhairav which is a fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva. The temple premises also has a shrine dedicated to Hanuman.

The Parikrama of this important temple in Maharashtra passes along the seashore. It is an adventure of sorts to attempt to do that as the route for this passes through the woods, where you have to climb, descend and walk through slippery rocks. There are numerous crevices and caves with idols such as Gayatri Tirth and rock carvings, such as Vishnu pad, on the big rocks jotting on this route.

Resorts in Diveagar | Diveagar Hotels

Diveagar can be best experienced by living in a local homestay surrounded by betel-nut trees and mango orchards. The charm of staying in a Konkani house is unique. And thankfully Divegar offers just that.

There are many homestays, which even offer freshly cooked homemade meals along with the stay. Tandula chi bhakri and sol-kadhi offered in these homestays are so authentic and fresh! There is a mix of Malvani and Konkani meals both vegetarian and nonvegetarian offered during the stay. And I honestly would any day prefer eating here than in any hotel because of the freshly cooked meals from the ingredients in the backyard.

Apart from homestays, there are many Diveagar hotels and resorts in Diveagar offering accommodation. Check them out here.

Hotels and Resorts

Cocohut Resort Diveagar, Exotica Beach Retreats Diveagar 

Homestay

Heritage Holiday Homes 

Food in Diveagar

The delicious Konkani cuisine is a must-have while in Diveagar. There are many eateries in Diveagar serving seafood (Kingfish, Pomfret, Prawns, Salomon, Mackarel). There are equally delicious vegetarian options such as modak, ghavne, and vegetarian meals consisting of tandulachi bhakri, rice, aamti and solkadi. 

Todankar’s Sai Centre is a good place for seafood and vegetarian meals. Rane Bandhu Khanaval and Kalaprasad Khanaval are popular among tourists for seafood and vegetarian fare. For pure vegetarian meals, Bapat Khanaval is popular in Diveagar.

Best time to visit Diveagar Beach

I went at the start of summer – mid-March. It was still quite pleasant then and tourists were fewer due to examination month! Peak summer temperature reaches 42-43 degrees and it could get really uncomfortable but on the plus side, one gets to enjoy the local variety of Mangoes – Alphonso! The tourists are fewer, which means the accommodation is more affordable.

I would suggest that you miss visiting Monsoon as the sea is rough and one cannot really enjoy the beach. The approach roads are bad and there is are power cut problems not to mention the dampness everywhere.

Winters or immediately post-monsoon are the best time but this also means there will be larger crowds. Post monsoon can reward you with waterfalls and lush western ghats.

How to reach Diveagar

The best possible way to reach Diveagar is by road. Roads starting from the major cities of Mumbai and Pune are considered to be the most convenient options.

By Rail 

The nearest Railhead is Mangaon (about 45 Kms) on the Konkan Railway. From Mangaon State Transport Bus Depot, regular buses ply to Diveagar and Shrivardhan. From Mumbai, it takes approximately 3.5 hours to reach Mangaon and from there it takes a further one hour to reach Diveagar.

By Road

Air-Conditioned state-run as well as private buses, run regularly from Mumbai and Pune to Shrivardhan. On reaching Shrivardhan, you could hire a taxi to Diveagar, which happens to be roughly within a distance of 10 km. State transport buses ply from Mumbai and Pune to Diveagar. By car from Mumbai, Diveagar can be reached through NH-66 (Panvel Kochi highway), the conventional route – Mumbai, Vashi, Panvel, Palaspe (NH -17 begins here), Vadkhal naka, Nagothane, Mangaon. From Pune, take the road from Chandni Chowk or from Hinjewadi via Paud phata to Tamhini ghat. Drive down to Mangaon in the Konkan region. From Mangaon drive down to Mhasla and ahead to Diveagar.

By Air

Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the nearest airport (about 170 Kms)

Local Transport in Diveagar

Most homestays and resorts are near the beach so one doesn’t really need local transport. And most visitors drive in their cars so it is easy that way. However, if you need, hotels and homestays do rent out a two-wheeler or bikes. 

Sustainable tips for Diveagar Beach Trip

• Do not dispose of food or plastic bags, wrappers, packets on the beach.
• Do not write on the walls of forts or temples.
• Do not play loud music while in a national park or anywhere out in nature. This disturbs the balance of the ecosystem. A bird may not be able to hear its mate’s calls

Read More Posts from  Maharashtra

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Junnar Tourism

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