Tourist Places to Visit in Ganpatipule

Ganpatipule temple is a holy place located in Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra. This temple is located on the coast of beautiful Ganpatipule beach. Ganpatipule is famous for this Swayambhu Ganesh Temple as well as for its beautiful beaches. According to Ganpatipule temple history, Lord Ganesha (Ganpati) was annoyed by a remark and left his home then reached to Pule. So the town got its name as GanpatiPule. While some people believe that Ganpatipule got this name from the white sand (Pule in Marathi) from which the idol of Lord Ganesh was crafted.

House of Wax Ganpatipule is one of the popular Art Gallery located in ,Malgund listed under Art Gallery in Malgund ,

One of the major attractions of Ratnagiri city situated on a small hillock. There is also a best sunset point from here. One can have a panoramic view of Someshwar creek, Bhatye bridge to pawas and Arabian sea. This palace was used for keeping the King Thibaw, last king of Burma (now Myanmar) under house arrest. Thibaw ruled the Burma for 6 years.

Aare Beach is one of the lesser known beaches of Ratnagiri, located at a distance of 15 km from Ratnagiri Town, towards Ganapatipule via Nevare Village. It is mostly an untouched beach, one of the few in Maharashtra and is about 3 km long

Jaigad, The Fort of Victory as its name says, surrounded over an area of nearly 4 Acres , stands very close to the shore , not more than 200 feet above the sea level. The fortifications consist of a strong upper fortress on the brow of the hill, with a lower line of defenses on the shore immediately beneath it, joined to the upper works by a connected line of bastions down the steep slope of the bill, the whole enclosing a considerable space occupied by a few huts.

The Jaigad Lighthouse is situated in one of the bastion on the western edge of the Jaigad Fort. This impressive lighthouse offers breathtaking panoramic view of the area as it is situated on top of a hill.

Ratnadurg Fort is located in the town of Ratnagiri in Ratnagiri District of Maharashtra. Built by the Bahamanis in the 16th century, this fort later became the property of the Adil Shahis. The fort, situated at a distance of 4 km from the town center, is one of the chief attractions of Ratnagiri.In 1670, after several decades of Muslim rule, Chhatrapati Shivaji annexed Ratnadurg Fort into the Maratha Empire. Later, the fort was handed over to Aangre, who lost it to the Peshva in 1753. The British captured the fort from the Peshva in the year 1818.

At a distance of 600 m from Ganpatipule Bus Stand and 1 km from Ganpatipule Beach, Prachin Kokan is an open air museum situated in Ganpatipule. It is one of the top places to visit in Ganpatipule. Spread over an area of 3 acres, the museum has several exhibits depicting the traditional Konkan way of life.One can get the glimpses of local rural life including the local deities, the lifestyle, barter trade of the olden days, various professions of the people, etc. inside the museum.

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.

Marleshwar located about 60 Kms from Ganpatipule is a good one day trip option from Ganapatipule especially during and just after monsoons. The Shiva cave temple here is the main attraction apart from the waterfalls. Marleshwar is known for the dense population of king cobras.Marleshwar Temple is located in Marleshwar of Ratnagiri district. It is a cave temple and is circumvented with sacred grooves. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva. The Marleshwar Yatra which takes place during the Makar Sankranti is a major event of this temple.

There is a small aquarium in Ratnagiri city. Main attraction of it is Huge skeleton of a Whale. Unfortunately some visitors to the aquarium have written their names on it spoiling the artefact. There are a number of specimens of exotic fish and turtles in tanks. The aquarium is certainly worth a visit if you have the time and inclination.

Pawas, a village with captivating natural beauty. This is a prime spiritual place in Ratnagiri district due to a very long stay of Swami (saint) Swaroopanand. Swami Swaroopanand was a follower of Warkari Sampraday ( Tradition).Pawas is at a distance of approximately 20 kms from the city of Ratnagiri. A decent bus frequency is being maintained by MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation). From 6 o’ clock in the morning up to 9 pm there are many MSRTC buses at every 30 mins interval from Ratnagiri Bus stand to Pawas.