Velneshwar Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Ratnagiri is a major railhead on the Konkan Railway route. Velneshwar is about 70 km from there.

• By road

  From Chiplun, take State Highway 78 towards Guhagar, then turn left onto State Highway 4 before Guhagar.

Why devotees come here

Velneshwar Temple is an old Shiva temple in Velneshwar village, about 70 km from Ratnagiri on Maharashtra's western coast. Its history is as old as the village itself, and it is the long-standing village deity of the Ghag family. Folklore links it to a statue that a fisherman found in his net.

Velneshwar Temple is dedicated to Shiva. A Ratnagiri district tourism page describes it as an ancient, 1200-year-old Mahadev temple. Its history is as old as the village of Velneshwar, and the temple is also the long-standing village deity of the Ghag family.

Legend says a fisherman found a statue in his net and threw it back into the sea. He then placed the statue in a small temple, which grew into the Velneshwar Shiva Temple. The village follows the Smarta tradition and worships Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Surya and Durga.

Each year the village comes alive during the Maha Shivaratri fair, when large numbers of pilgrims visit the Old Shiva Temple. Velneshwar sits on the western coast, north of the Shastri River, and has its own coconut-fringed beach where visitors can relax.

Festivals

• Each yearMaha Shivaratri fair

  Pilgrims visit the Old Shiva Temple in large numbers, and the whole village comes alive for the fair.

Tips for your visit

• The village beach is peaceful and coconut-fringed, and the village lies north of the Shastri River.
• Ratnagiri is a major railhead about 70 km away, so plan the last part of the journey from there.
• Chiplun is the nearest railhead to Guhagar, about 44 km away, and the road directions to Velneshwar start from Chiplun.

Questions people ask