Velas Turtle Festival and Harihareshar Visit

Are you looking for a weekend destination around Mumbai especially in summer? Participating in the famous turtile festival at Velas, a bonus visit to  Harihareshwar, hugged by golden beaches and delicious home made food -  a perfect choice, all in two days.

About Turtle Festival:-

The Olive Ridely turtle lays eggs at multiple places along the Maharashtra coastline. Velas in Ratnagiri district is the place where most of the action is concentrated. For years, the eggs were being stolen, sold and eaten. That along with pollution and fishing has driven the Olive Ridelys to near extinction.

Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra, in joint collaboration with the Forest Department, Ratnagiri, Kasav Mitra Mandal Velas and the Velas Gram Panchayat are trying to save the Ridelys. They conduct the Velas Turtle Festival in Mar-April time frame every year. During this festival, thousands of newborn Oilve Ridley Turtles are released into the sea.

Day 1:

We started  our journey in a private bus from Mumbai at around 11.30 PM. Hardly five hour journey will take you to Velas village in the early morning. Most of the village houses open their doors to the tourists for a nominal fee that includes all meals. This was homestay at its best.

After freshening up, we headed for the beach where the turtle hatchery is located. It was a long walk from the village to the hatchery at the beach.

Just a few feet away, one small area is cordoned off. That's the hatchery. Posters describing details about Olive Ridley Turtles were fixed on the fencing and I noted few of them:-

1. Olive Ridley Turtles are the smallest and the most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
2. These turtles are omnivores eating variety of prey including crabs,shrimps,lobsters,alage etc
3. Male olive Ridley turtles can be distinguished from females by its tail, which sticks out beyond the carapace.
4. The females come to nest on the same shore every year where they were born.
5. Large groups of females gather off shore for nesting, this phenomenon is called 'Arribada'
6. It is said that only 1 hatchling in 1000 will survive and reach adulthood.
7. These turtles are listed as 'Threatened' species in Red Data Book by IUCN.

Turtle eggs collected from all over the beach are brought here and again buried in sand - with a wooden stick next to it indicating the date on which they were put there. When the eggs are about to hatch, the movement increases.  These are then brought to the surface and a basket is kept on top of them.

People had gathered around the barricades with lots of excitement and had positioned their cameras as well. We were lucky to witness the journey of two baby turtles.  The coordinators explained the do's and dont's while placing the baby turtle on the sand. Our eyes were set on the baskets from where the turtles had to be taken to the sea. The baby turtle was placed on the sand. With effort, it raised its head and decided to hit the waves.

With shiny eyes and a precautionary look around, they started their maiden walk into the sea. The waves are in sight now.

It was picked up by a bigger wave and then the baby reached  its home.

Besides the Turtle festival, Velas is also famous for its simple home stays and delicious Konkani food. The houses in the village were simple and quite interesting. The narrow pathways and coconut trees on both sides reminded me of my home village in Kerala.

After the Velas beach visit, we headed for the nearby Bankot Fort. The road towards the fort is narrow. Bankot is a very beautiful fort and surely worth a visit.

The secluded, small, square shaped fort close to the sea offers a breathtaking view of the Savitri River meeting the Arabian Sea beneath. Sitting on the top of the fort and watching the waves in the sea is a sight to behold.

We bid goodbye to the fort and started back towards the village. Delicious Konkani meal was awaited  us. The food was served on banana leaves which gave a typical village feel.

After having lunch and taking few hours of rest, we headed back to Velas beach at around 5 pm. This time we were lucky to witness the maiden march of three baby turtles into the sea.

When the sun sinks down, the sea shivers with a colorful light. We spent few hours at the beach, having fun and clicking photos.

It was getting dark, we headed back towards our house in the village.

Day 2:

In the early morning, we woke up at around 4 am and went for stargazing. Lying down on the top of the rock and watching the sky  full of stars is something to be experienced and cannot be explained. We saw some shooting stars, Jupiter and some constellations.

We had our breakfast and were ready for Harihareshwar temple visit. Boat service is available to cross the river and we took our bus along with us in the boat.

Harihareshar, known as Kashi of the South, is famous for its temples.  A parikrama of this pilgrimage site can be a delightful experience. We have to climb a few steps to reach the  top of the area.

Harihareshwar is renowned for its tranquility and picturesque beach. En route you will get a beautiful view of the beach.  It is one of the finest sea shores in India.

Then we walked down the long winding path cut between two hillrocks before reaching the sea.

Sitting on the rocks and watching the waves, just an arm away , was a memorable experience.

The hill rocks were studded with beautiful rock sculpture.

Then we started our return journey to Mumbai. En route we had a pit stop for lunch.

Witnessing a baby turtle finding its way to the sea by those baby steps is an unforgettable moment. We enjoyed the village, the stay, the food, games, stargazing, the ferry ride, fort and the journey. I highly recommend to visit this place at least once in a lifetime.