Malvan

Malvan, also known as Malwan, is situated in the district of Sindhudurg in the state of Maharashtra. A culturally important town, the Malvan taluka comprises several villages, namely Achra, Jamdul, Juva, Aangnechi Wadi, Sarjekot, Panchkol and Khalchi Devli. This town is bounded by three famous creeks, which are Kolamb, Kalavali and Karli.

Local inhabitants believe that the earlier name of the town, Madwan, is derived from grove (wan) of coconut trees (mad). Over the years, the name of the town changed to Malwan or Malvan. However, there is another tale attached to the name of the town. It is believed that salt was produced in huge quantities in the region and the salt producers called the salt as 'Lavan'. The place where the salt producers got more salt was named Mahalavan, which later on came to be known as Malvan.

From the 6th to the 8th century, the entire region was ruled by the Chalukyas, who were succeeded by the rulers of Devgiri in the 10th century and subsequently by Vijayanagar, during the 14th century. Malvan was ruled by Adil Shah in the 15th century, who was replaced by the Maratha king Shivaji in the 16th century. Later, in the 17th century, the British took control over the region of Malvan.

Ancient Malvan consisted of two important areas, namely Medha and Dewoolwada, which were attacked by Adil Shahi. During his rule, the region was largely populated by the Sahukar community. The region was under the control of Khem Sawant of Sawantwadi, who was a close aide of Adil Shah. He fought against the Portuguese who wanted to annex the Malvan region.

He got help from the Maratha ruler Shivaji, who later on captured Sawantwadi and the region of Malvan from Khem Sawant. Shivaji initiated the task of building Sindhudurg Fort on 10th November 1664. The construction of the fort was completed in 1667. This fort mainly helped in checking the naval activities of the Portuguese, British and the Abyssinians.

The region was under the reign of British colonial rulers by 1818. The British formed the Malvan District, which comprised around 37 villages. In 1822, a judicial court was also established in Malvan town, making it one of the oldest courts in the region. Tarkarli Beach, Mobar Point, Chiwala Beach and Tondavali Beach are some of the key attractions of the destination.

Malvan Wildlife Sanctuary which was formed on 13th April 1987 is also an important sightseeing spot. The Rock Garden which is located close to the Mahal and the Jai Ganesh Mandir constructed by Jayantrao Salgaokar are some of the well-known tourist sites in Malvan. Malvani cuisine, including the traditional fish curry and rice, is famous.

This town is also popular for the wide variety of mangoes, popularly known as Malvani Hapus or Alphonso. Malvani ladoos and Malvani khaja are the most popular sweets in the town. The culture of Malvan is reflected in the Malvani Dashavatar, which is a drama or play based on ancient mythological stories.

The ‘Koli Nritya' and 'Dahikala' are mainly performed by locals during festivals. In addition to this, Narali Poornima, Deepavali, Ram Navami and Ganesh Chaturthi are few of the major festivals celebrated in Malvan. Tourists coming to Malvan can also enjoy the fair organised during 'Anganewadi Yatra' in the month of February.

Malvan is connected by road to several cities, such as Pune, Mumbai and Dabolim. The closest airport from Malvan is situated at Dabolim in Goa. Mumbai is located at about 514 km from Malvan, while Ratnagiri is around 200 km away. Kudal or Kankavli Railway Station is the nearest railhead from Malvan town.

The tropical climate in Malvan results in humid summers, abundant rainfall and moderately cold winters. The best time for sightseeing and other tourist activities is the winter season, when the weather is mild and moderately cold.