RATNADURG FORT

A fort which is surrounded by the Arebian Sea from three sides. The fort is having a shape of Horse Shoe and a length approximately 1300 m and width 1000m. It’s having strong fortifications from south-east to west side. Approximately at the center of the fortifications, there is a main entrance gate. There is a Lighthouse on one of the bastion. This bastion is called as “Siddha Bastion”. Many plants are there in the area of fort.

 

This fort was constructed during the rule of Bahamanee. After that it was captured by Adilshah and from Adilshah Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (founder of Maratha Empire in India) took the charge of the fort in the year 1670. Ch. Sambhaji raje (sun of Ch. Shivaji Maharaj) stayed at this fort in the year 1680. In subsequent time this fort was controlled by Karawir Chatrapati. Then the fort was hand over to Aangre family. During the war between the Aangre and Peshva, Peshva won this fort with the help of britishers in the year 1753. But unfortunately in the year 1818, the fort was captured by the Britishers.

 One small temple of Hanumanji is at the entrance of the fort. After crossing the first entrance gate there is a door with ancient structure. We have to cross both of these gates while coming from the city of Ratnagiri. From the door itself we can view the entire area of the fort. At the upper fort i.e. Balekilla (in Marathi) on the left hand side we have one Lord Ganesh deity and a deity of Hanumanji on right side. In front of this there is a beautiful temple of Goddess Bhagawati. Due to this Goddess, the fort is also named as “Bhagawati Durga”. Every year devotees are celebrating the festival of Navaratri at the Bhagawati temple premises. One well of potable water is present on the left side of the temple in-spite of the surrounding sea. There is a tunnel joins the upper fort and the bottom foot of the fort on north and south side. There are many bastions on the fort. Some of them are called as Ganesh, Markya, Baskya, Vetal, Khamkya Rede, Vagha. From the west side of the fort, bewitching scene of Arebian Sea can be enjoyed by the tourists. The waves of the Sindhusagar (Arebian Sea) are hitting very strongly on to the walls of the fort. Indeed a beautiful view especially in rainy season!

GANPATIPULE

Ganapatipulé (Marathi: गणपतीपुळे) is a small town located in Ratnagiri district on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra.

Ganapatipule is approximately 375 km. south of Mumbai, along the Konkan Coast. Ganapatipule is a very small town with about 100 houses, having one of the most spectacular beaches along the Konkan Coast – an idyllic getaway that attracts peace-seekers, beach lovers, and pilgrims alike. The temple of Swayambhu (self-originated) Ganesh is much frequented by thousands every year. The God is considered to be the Paschim Dwardevta (Western Sentinel God of India), and those who visit Ganapatipule, make it a point to pay their respects to this deity. Aside from its clean beach and clear waters, Ganapatipule is rich in flora, including mangroves and coconut palms.

With the development of tourism, a number of resorts and hotels opened in this small town, the most significant of which is the Maharastra Tourism Development Corporation resort near the beach. The Best Western Blue OceMany festivals are celebrated along the Konkan Coast. Among the most significant are Gauri Ganapti and Magh Chaturthi (the fourth day of the lunar month of Magh, believed to be the birth date of Lord Ganapati).

Ganapatipule is one of the most spectacular beaches along the Konkan Coast - an idyllic getaway that attracts peace-seekers, beach lovers, and pilgrims alike.

The temple of Swayambhu (self-originated) Ganesh is much frequented by thousands every year.  The God is considered to be the Paschim Dwardevta (Western Sentinel God of India), and those who visit Ganapatipule, make it a point to pay their respects to this great deity.

Aside from its clean beach and clear waters, Ganapatipule is rich in flora, including mangroves and coconut palms.  Here, you can leave the hectic world behind as you laze around on golden sands or explore the many trails that lead from the beach.

THIBAW PALACE & THIBAW POINT

Thibaw Palace:

Thibaw Min ( 1 January 1859 – 19 December 1916) was the last king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar) and also the last in Burmese history. His reign ended when Burma was defeated by the forces of the British Empire in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, on 29 November 1885, prior to its official annexation on 1 January 1886.
Prince Thibaw was born Maung Pu,the son of king Mindon and one of his minor consorts, the princess of Laungshe. Thibaw's mother had been banished from the palace court by Mindon and spent her final years as a thilashin (female reununciant similar to a Buddhist nun). During the early years of his life, Thibaw studied Buddhist scriptures at a Buddhist monastery to win his father's favor. He passed the Pahtamabyan religious examinations and gained respect and recognition from his father and the chief queen.

One of Mindon's chief consorts, the Queen of the Middle Palace, Hsinbyumashin, helped to broker a marriage between her second daughter, Supayalat and Thibaw, who were half-siblings by blood.


Thibaw Point:

WAY OF TRANSPORT

ROAD:

Ratnagiri is connected by road to Mumbai, Mangaluru, Madgaon, Karwar, Udupi and Cochin by National Highway number 17 (NH-17). The Konkan railway also connects to these places by train along with Delhi and Jaipur.
Roads in Ratnagiri city as well as in many villages is at par above average compared to road conditions in Mumbai.

Many Volvo Bus plying towards Goa from Mumbai will always alight at Hatkhamba or Sangameshwar.
Mumbai Goa National Highway does not run through Ratnagiri city whereas it crosses 13 km away from Ratnagiri at Hatkhamba, and the point of access to Ratnagiri city is Hatkhamba.

Ratnagiri-Nagpur National Highway NH-204 connects Ratnagiri to important cities like Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Nanded, Nagpur and eastern parts of India.
There are two MSRTC bus stations. One is the main bus station frequently called Madhyvarti bus stand, and the other is just 1 km ahead of Main bus station called Rahataghar.

Rahataghar bus station is responsible for MSRTC services moving towards south or east of Ratnagiri, whereas Main Bus stand is responsible for MSRTC services moving towards north and connecting buses to different villages in Ratnagiri.
MSRTC runs intercity bus service from Ratnagiri to Chiplun, Ratnagiri to Sawantwadi, Ratnagiri to Kolhapur. Also MSRTC runs intercity bus service from Mumbai to Ratnagiri & very few Ratnagiri to Goa, Ratnagiri to Pune.

Although there are lots of MSRTC intercity bus services, there are few private tourists buses such as Ghatge Patil, Sairatna, Ashwini etc. bus services which ply towards Mumbai & Pune.Even volvo bus are available to come ratnagiri from mumbai.(neeta,purple)
Most important cities from MSRTC point of view in Ratnagiri Distrcits are Mandangad, Dapoli, Khed, Guhagar, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Ratngairi, Lanja, Rajapur.

RAILWAYS:
Ratnagiri station is one of the most important stations on the Konkan Railway. The nearest railway junctions are Pune and Kolhapur on the central railway. The Ratnagiri railway station is situated at a distance of 6 km from Ratnagiri city on NH-204. Nearly every train running on Konkan Railway stops at Ratnagiri Station.

Most frequently used trains to reach Ratnagiri from Mumbai are 10111 – Mumbai Madgaon Konkankannya Express, 11003 – Dadar Sawantwadi Express, 10103 – Mumbai Madgaon Mandovi Express, 12051 – Mumbai Madgaon Janshatabdi Express, 16345 – Mumbai Trivandrum Netravati Express, 12619 – Mumbai Mangalore Matsyagandha Express & 12201 – Mumbai Kochuveli Garibrath Express.

Also there are two passenger trains 50105 – Diva Sawantawadi Passenger train. To catch this train one can catch any suburban train from Mumbai moving towards Kalyan and get down at Diva station another passenger train is 50103 – Dadar Ratnagiri Passenger. 50103 halts at Dadar, Thane, Diva so one can opt any nearest station to board the train.

All the trains on this route runs have two time tables – a monsoon time table (usually running from 1 June to 31 October), where trains usually run at a reduced speed, and a regular timetable when trains usually run at normal speed.

The fastest train on this route is 12431 – Hazrat Nizamuddin Trivandrum Rajdhani Express and the second fastest train to ply MAdgaon is 12051 – Mumbai CST Madgaon Kokankannya Express which takes hardly 8 hours to reach Goa with two classes of journey ( one is 2S commonly known as Second Seating with a fare about Rs. 200/- whereas second is CC commonly known as AC Chair Car with a fare of around Rs. 800/-.

The MSRTC has introduced many bus services from the station to city. The other important stations in Ratnagiri District are Chiplun, Khed and Vithalwadi. While booking a train ticket to Ratnagiri, you should book your ticket a month early because most of the month the trains are full.

Karbude Tunnel: One of the Asia's longest tunnels, 6608 meters long, this is situated 5 km before Ratnagiri station from Mumbai. A monument has been built in front of Ratnagiri Railway station in remembrance of the people who lost their lives building this tunnel.

HISTORY

Ratnāgiri (Marathi: रत्‍नागिरी) is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.

The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east. Heavy rainfall results in highly eroded landscape in the coastal region, but fertile alluvial valleys in the region produce abundant rice, coconuts, cashew nuts, and fruits, "Hāpus" (Alphonso) mangoes being one of the main fruits. Fishing is an important industry in Ratnagiri.

A few illustrious Indians, including Lokmānya Tilak i.e. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prime leader in the nation's freedom movement in the British Raj days; Bharat Ratna "Maharshi" Dhondo Keshav Karve, a social reformer and educationist; and Wrangler Paranjpe i.e. Wrangler Raghunath Purushottam Paranjpe, a mathematician and educationist, were born in Ratnagiri or its vicinity.
Ratnagiri has also been featured in Amitav Ghosh's novel, 'The Glass Palace.' The Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project is located in the district.  
                                                                         

HISTORY


In 1731, Ratnagiri came under the control of Satara kings; subsequently, the British gained control in 1818.

Earlier, one of the Bijapur rulers Potu Sri Chenna Reddy had built a fort on a headland near the harbour of Ratnagiri, and Maratha king Shivaji had strengthened it in 1670.

Ratnagiri has a palace, where the last king of Burma (Myanmar), Thibaw, and, later, "Veer" V. D. Savarkar, a freedom fighter in the British Raj days, had been confined by the ruling British.

According to a legend, after their twelve-year exile, Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic had settled for a while in the vicinity of Ratnagiri during their pilgrimage in the thirteenth year, and the then king of the region, Veeravrat Rāy, had subsequently fought on their side against Kauravas during the Mahabharata war at Kuruskshetra. 

Marine Biological Research Station

The Government of Maharashtra under the Department of Fisheries established the Marine Biological Research Station (MBRS) in 1958 at Ratnagiri, which is presently attached with Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist.: Ratnagiri. The research station has a 10 hectare area as field facility including a three storied building at main campus, a well equipped 'Aquarium and Museum', a modernised brackish water fish farm, a Mechanized Fishing and Research Vessel, Seed Production facilities and various laboratories at its disposal.

The Marine Biological Research Station, Ratnagiri is one of the premier institutes, especially in the South Konkan Coastal Fisheries Zone, having a mandate for development of fish production technologies, transferring the technologies to fish culturists, entrepreneurs and the industry, and generating professionally trained manpower in fish culture.