About Grampanchayat Anjarle
A beautiful beach on the western coast of India, tiny strip of land between Arabian sea and the ancient magnificent Sahyadri mountain range blessed with rich green subtropical forests. Two kilometers of pristine white beach with soft sand under your feet. It is a creek really and the waters are crystal clear blue green. It is blessed with incredible natural beauty and breathtaking views from hilltops, The quiet, slow village is covered with mango, cashew, coconut and betelnut plantations with black pepper and betel leaves climbers. The beach is lined with pine screw forests. And the village is dotted with beautiful traditional homes hidden in the plantations.
Anjarle is just 20 km away from the bustling town of Dapoli in Konkan. This quaint place was accessible only by boat till a few years ago by crossing the Jog River adjacent to it. Thus, cycles or bullock carts were the only mode of transport within the village till half a century ago. Now a bridge is in place making it accessible by road and giving entry to vehicles in the village.
Anjarle: History
The history of Anjarle is not very ancient. It seems that a Yogi brought Brahmins to settle in three villages in that region, Anjarle was one of them. It is famous for a Ganesha temple on a cliff overseeing the beach- locally called ‘Kadyavarcha Ganapati’. This 11th century temple was built with wooden pillars then. Apparently, there were two temples, a Shiva and a Ganesha temple on the beach. Both were submerged in the sea sometime in the eighteenth century.
They managed to save the Ganesha idol and built a temple on the hilltop. Towards the end of nineteenth century, the temple was rebuilt. This temple is a main tourist attraction as they believe the idol to be a live and powerful one which fulfills wishes. During Ganesha festival in Bhadrapad month of the lunar calendar (August/ September) the temple attracts a lot of devotees.
The annual fair for the local deity Durgadevi is held in the beginning of the lunar year in Chaitra. This too attracts hordes of local crowds.