Ratnagiri District Home

Ratnagiri: One of the four districts of the 'konkan' region of Maharashtra State in India. It is situated at north Latitude 17o and east Longitude 73o 19'. City is lying  at the center of the district and is bounded on north by Chiplun, on the east by Sangameshwar, on the south by Rajapur and on the west by the arabian sea. The chief rivers in Ratnagiri are the Shastri,  Bor, Muchkundi, Ratnagiri river. Ratnagiri is the district headquarters. It is the birth place of Lokmanya Tilak.  Also in the city are Ratnadurg fort,  Gitabhavan,  Bhagwati port, an aquarium, a college of pisciculture, Thiba palace, an aerodrome , a radio station, and a television transmission center. Nearby at Mirjole there is an industrial   estate.

History

In 1731 it came under the control of Satara kings; in 1818 it was surrendered to the British. A fort was built during the Bijapur dynasty and strengthened in 1670 by the Maratha king Shivaji, which is located on a headland near the harbour. It is one of the ports of the Konkan coast. It has a palace where the last king of Burma, Thibaw, and later Veer Savarkar, were confined.

It is also believed that the Pandavas having performed their pilgrimage on the 13th year had settled in the adjoining territory of the Ratnagiri district and when the Pandavas and the Kauravas had the famous war at Kuruskshetra, the king of this region Veeravat Ray had accompanied then there.

Prime attractions

Parashuram Temple near Chiplun, Ganapatipule and Pavas draw many visitors. Caves in the Chiplun, Khed, Dabhol, Sangameshwar, Gauhani Velgaum and Vade Padel are also worth visiting. The Buddhist legend in the Papanch, Sudan and Srath Appakasini record the conversion of Konkan to Buddhism and early as the lifetime of Gautama (BC 560-481) Chiplun, Kol, and Pabol caves indicate that Sarthawalas or Caravan-men donated some of them.

Thebaw Palace: Constructed in 1910-1l, the Thebaw Palace wasbuilt for the exiled king and queen of Burma (now Myanmar). Theylived in this palace from 1911 till their death in 1916. The fiveyears of their stay are now immortalised in stone with their tombs.In future, this palace might be converted into a regional museum or aheritage hotel.

Maigund: Birthplace of the famous Marathi poet, Keshavsoot. Itis a small peaceful village about 1 km. away from Ganapatipule. Thepoet's house was recently renovated and converted into a students'hostel. The Marathi Sahitya Parishad (Marathi Literature Society) hasconstructed a beautiful monument called Keshavsoot Smarak in memory ofhim.

Jaigad Fort: Nestled on a cliff, at the entrance of theSangameshwar river and 35 kms. from Ganapatipule is the Jaigad Fort.This 17th century fort offers a commanding view of the sea. Jaigad'ssea fort is situated at a sheltered bay. Its beach is small andsafe.

Pawas: Besides its natural beauty and serenity, Pawas achievedprominence when Swami Swaroopanand (a spiritual leader who influencedan entire generation of Maharashtrians) had made it his abode. Theplace where he used to reside is now converted into an ashram. Avisit there is still like a journey through time.

Velneshwar: 170 kms. from Ratnagiri is the sleepy, village ofVelneshwar. Its adjoining beach is clean and natural and is linedwith coconut trees. It is possible to swim there as the beach is freefrom rocks. There is an old Shiva temple near Velneshwar which isfrequently visited by pilgrims; a haven for those in search of quietmysticism in the ethereal presence of the master mystic - LordShiva.

Ratnagiri Fort: Built during the Bahamani rule. Later to become the property of Adilshah. In 1670, Shivaji conquered the fort.1761 saw the fort fall into the hands of a man impersonating Sadashivrao Bhau. In 1790, Dhondu Bhaskar Pratinidhi rebuilt the fort and strengthened its' ramparts.The fort never was witness to any decisive, or historically magnificient battles.

The fort is horseshoe shaped, with a length of 1300 metres and width of 1000 metres.Surrounded by sea on three sides, with land touching it on the fourth side. On one of the sea facing sides, part of the cliff has collapsed to reveal a cave. One of the fort's bastions, the ' Siddha Buruj ', still has a lighthouse, that has stood here for years. A picturesque temple of The Goddess Bhagwati is one of  the important places of worship in the area. A well near the temple has steps leading down.