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Alibag

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Alibag or Alibaug is a coastal town in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is headquarters of the Raigad district. It is situated at 18°38′29″N 72°52′20″E / 18.64139°N 72.87222°E / 18.64139; 72.87222, around 35 km south of Mumbai and is a popular weekend getaway for the citizens of Mumbai. It is also a popular center for business conferences during rest of the week. Alibag is very popular with the Mumbai's affluent residents. Most of them own farms and bungalows here which are often a few hundred metres from the sea shore. The town and its surrounding villages are the historic hinterland of Bene Israeli Jews. There is a Jewish synagogue in the "Israel Ali" area of the town.


History

Alibag was developed in the 17th century by Shivaji's naval chief Kanhoji Angre.

Economy

Being a tourist center, tourism is one of the main industries of the town. There are many hotels, resorts and lodges in the town.


Transport

  • Road: One can reach Alibag through Pen (124 km away), which is well connected with Mumbai and Pune. From Mumbai, one can reach Alibag by going straight on Mumbai-Goa highway till Wadkhal (or Vadkhal) and then taking right turn. The distance is approximately 130 km.
  • Railways: The nearest rail railway station is Pen.
  • Catamaran/Ferry: The nearest jetty is Mandawa, from where catamaran/ferry services are available to Gateway of India, Mumbai. From Mandawa, one can take a bus to Alibag. These services are not operational in the monsoons, due to heavy rains.


Tourist places

Alibag is famed for its fresh air, clean waters and clean sands.

A ferry service from Gateway of India in South Mumbai to Alibag carries most of the tourist load. The trip takes just 45 minutes. The alternate is by road, which is a roundabout route and takes about 3 hours from the city.

Beaches

There are many beaches in and around Alibag:

  • Alibag beach: It is the main beach of the town. One can see the Kolaba fort from here (not to be confused with Colaba of Mumbai).
  • Akshi Beach: It is situated 5 km away from Alibag.
  • Nagaon beach: It is situated about 7 km away from Alibag and is famous for coconuts and betel nuts.
  • Kihim Beach: Kihim is a secluded place at a distance of 12 km from Alibag. The Kihim beach is famous for dense cover of Coconut trees. It is also famous for woods which are home to rare butterflies, birds and flowers.
  • Awas: It is situated about 16 km away from Alibag.
  • Saswane: It is situated about 18 km away from Alibag.
  • Rewas: It is situated about 24 km away from Alibag.
  • Chaul Revdanda: It is situated about 25 km away from Alibag.
  • Mandawa: It is situated about 20 km north of Alibag. The catamaran/ferry services are available from Mumbai to the Mandawa jetty. Many Bollywood celebrities own bungalows here.
  • Kashid Beach: It is situated about 30 km away from Alibag, on the Alibag-Murud highway.

Other attractions

  • Kolaba (or Kulaba) fort (Not to be confused with Colaba): It is situated in the sea at a distance of 1-2 km from the Alibag shores. At the time of fall, one can walk to the fort in waist-deep water. However, during the tide, boats need to be used.
  • Kanakeshwar temple: It is situated on a hill near Mapgaon village, about 12 km away from Alibag and falls on the way to Mandawa.
  • Tower of St. Barbara.
  • Chaul: It is a historic town situated about 15 km away from Alibag. It is famous for its Portuguese ruins, an old church, a synagogue, Buddhist caves, the Hamam Khana and a temple.
  • Vikram Vinayak Temple or Birla Temple, Salav: It is situated about 20 km away from Alibag, on the way to Janjira.
  • Sagargarh
  • Kanhoji Angre Samadhi
  • Uma-Maheshwar temple
  • Balaji temple
  • Murud-Janjira: Janjira is the legendary fort situated not very far from Alibag.
  • The phrase "Alibag se aaila hai kya?" (Are you from Alibag?), is commonly used by Mumbai localites to respond to a silly comment. Origins of this phrase are unknown, but is commonly used as a funny comeback line by the city's youth.
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