Kokani Muslim’s Delicacies - Yum yum!!

Saandan: Made from Rice Rava ( chaval ki kani) mix in hot water and  add coconut milk, sugar (little for plain saandan and more for sweet saandan) & salt. Allow it to ferment overnight. Steam it in Saaandan vessel (sacho) (like idli). Serve it with mutton/chicken curry. A must dish on two occasions on Eid and when the son-in-law visits for the first time served with tasty desi chicken soup (alli pani in kokani).

Sutolo (Noodles): Rice flour with salt added to be boiled in water, thereafter make small balls and again boil in water. These balls to be pressed in noodle pasta machine. Separately prepare coconut milk mix jaggery/sugar and serve it.

Vegetables grown during rainy season

In the rainy seasons in the villages in Kokan people cultivate vegetables (if they practice they can grow them through out the year). In the month of May they prepare the pits to plant various variety of vegetables. This process is called 'alli lavne' in Marathi. Cow dung is used as manure. Usually this is done at the backyard or on the boundaries of the paddy fields. These vegetables are the common vegetables that we are eat. But the enjoyment of eating vegetables planted by oneself cannot be purchased from the market.
Also along with the cultivated vegetables in this season wild grown vegetables are also available and consumed in plenty such as "takla" "tera" names in Marathi.

Kokan in Monsoon - Why would you go anywhere for holidays?

From the first drop of rain until the entire Monsoon season, Kokan receives one of the most rains in Maharashtra. This helps Kokan to dress up in her greenery thus providing the picturesque scenery to everyone who visits her in Monsoon. 

Konkan Railway:Part II

The unique and innovative RO-RO (Roll-on Roll-off) service of Konkan Railway, whereby loaded goods trucks are carried piggy back on railway flat wagons. This service is unique only to Konkan railway and it is now earning the Corporation over Rs50 crore per annum. The popularity of the service can be seen from the fact that over 3.5 lakh goods trucks have been carried by this service so far in 15 years since it started. The service benefits the truck owners as well as the railways, while saving precious diesel for the country. It saves wear and tear of tyres, reduces maintenance cost of trucks, enables faster turn-round of trucks, faster delivery of goods, gives higher profits, less pollution, and better road safety. There are two services of Ro-Ro - one between Kolad (145 km from Mumbai) and Verna (a distance of 417 km), and second between Kolad and Surathkal (a distance of 721 km). Delivery is within 12 hrs for Kolad-Verna, within 22 hrs for Kolad-Surathkal, which by road would take atleast about 24 hrs and 40 hrs respectively. The RO-RO service is eco-friendly and cheaper than the road transport.

Konkan Railway: Part I

Impossible Dream made Possible: The brainchild of veteran parliamentarian from Ratnagiri, Nath Pai, KR runs along the western coast of India, a stretch of over 740km from Panvel to Mangaluru. Konkan Railway covers three states viz. Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. The conception of connecting the three states coastal areas was conceived in 1986. The whole project is an engineering marvel. It has 191 tunnels and 2000 bridges on its route. The hostile terrain and difficult weather conditions of the Konkan region were the main hurdles in implementing the project. The Konkan Railway was constructed and is operated by the Konkan Railway Corporation.  On 19th July, 1990, the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) was incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Mr. Madhu Dandwate as Minister of Finance was instrumental in getting the budget sanction. The project was inaugurated by the than Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday 1st April 1998. It is one of the most exciting routes that serves as a lifeline to the Konkan Coast and provides a scenic beauty of nature which the tourists and travellers can enjoy throughout the year.

Beware - Kashedi Ghat

This scenic ghat starts from Poladpur in Raigad district and end into Khed Ratnagiri district. Thus it connect both the districts. It is one of the most dangerous ghat and it is also said it is a haunted ghat as there are many accidents on this ghat.

Traditional Rice Cultivation in Konkan

In the month of May Initially the field to be cultivated is covered with dry leaves, sticks and dry dung which is then burned,which enables the soil to become fertile.This is called "bhaazavan"in Marathi. Thereafter it is ploughed with a pair of bullock or buffalo plough. During this process seeds are sown. This is called as "perni" in Marathi. After the initial rainfall the paddy fields sown begins to sprout. They are allowed to grow upto 12" to 30". In the adjacent wet fields ploughing is done this process is called "chikhli" in Marathi. The rice plants are now uprooted and replanted across the newly ploughed field. This process is called as "laavni" in Marathi. Once the paddy fields are ripen they are harvested. This is termed as "bhaat kaapni". The crop is carried to dry place for trashing which is termed as "malni" in Marathi. In Kokan during the "laavni" season schools are given holidays. This is because the whole family from elders to children participate in this activity. After this cropping the same field is used for recultivation of white kidney beans. In Raigad  regions of konkan they make multiple farmings, paddy fields are grown twice a year.