Alibag

Alibag
Alibag Location of Alibag in Maharashtra and India
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Raigad
Population	19,491 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area • Elevation	• 0 m (0 ft)

Coordinates: 18°38′N 72°53′E / 18.64°N 72.88°E / 18.64; 72.88 Alibag or Alibaug (Marathi:अलिबाग) is a coastal town and a municipal council in Raigad District in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. It is headquarters of the Raigad district. It The town and its surrounding villages are the historic hinterland of Bene Israeli Jews. There is a Synagogue in the "Israel Ali" area of the town.

History

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

Geography

Alibag is located about 35 km south of Mumbai, at 18°38′29″N 72°52′20″E / 18.64139°N 72.87222°E / 18.64139; 72.87222. The average elevation is 0 metres (0 feet).

Economy

Tourism is the mainstay of the town's economy. Since the late 1990's the town and municipalty have seen development of industrial sites. Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers were the first industrial unit set up closer to Alibag. Other companies include Ispat Industries (Mittal Group), Vikram Ispat (Birla Group), Gas Authority Of India Limited (GAIL) and HP LPGare, which are now also located near the town.

Transport

• Road: One can reach Alibag via Pen (30 km away), which is on the Mumbai (78 km away) - Goa road. From Mumbai, one can reach Alibag by traveling on the Mumbai-Goa highway till Wadkhal (or Vadkhal) and taking the right fork from Wadkal - the left fork being the road to Goa. The distance is approximately 108 km from Mumbai

• Railways: The nearest rail railway station are Pen, India. Through Pen, India, it is connected to Khopoli.

• Catamaran/Ferry: The nearest jetty is Mandwa From where catamaran/ferry services are available to Gateway of India, Mumbai. Another port in the vicinity is Rewas, from where a ferry service is available to Bhau ka Dhakka. There is also a jetty at Custom Bandar from where fishermen in Alibag set sail.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census^[1], Alibag had a population of 19,491. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Alibag has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 54% of the males and 46% of females literate. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Tourism

Beaches

The following are the main beaches in and around Alibag:

• Alibag beach: This is the main beach of the town.
• Varsoli Beach:Located about a mile from the main beach, home to a very large naval base.
• 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 17 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, also this beach is possibly one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in the region with almost 'white' sand.

Other attractions

• Kolaba (or Kulaba) fort (Not to be confused with Colaba in Mumbai): Is situated in the sea at a distance of 1-2 km from the Alibag shores. During low tide one can walk to the fort.
• Kanakeshwar temple: 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: 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: 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.
• Datta Mandir: situated at bhowale,2 km away from chaul.
• Hingulja Mandir: Situated near datta mandir,historic temple built by pandwas.
• Magnetic Observatory: Established in 1904 by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism.

References

1. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved on 2008-11-01. 

External links