Gholvad is a village in Maharashtra, close to the state border with Gujarat. It is 144 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Gholvad is one of the unexplored sea beach destinations close to Mumbai. When in Gholvad, one can find a scenic beach, orchards and old Parsi bungalows with verandahs.
Bordi Beach
Bordi Beach is 2 km from Gholvad. The sand on the beach is blackish, may be because of mineral content. The sea is very shallow and the waters are ankle deep for quite some distance.
A unique feature of the beach is that there are mangroves growing at one end. The line of mangroves extends for some distance into the sea. This may be because the sea water is shallow. There is a resort opposite the beach which serves snacks and cool drinks.
Getting There
Gholvad railway station is on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. Many fast trains do not stop here. The trains are generallyy crowded. Booking the tickets in advance will therefore be advisable. Silvassa is 46 km by road. Surat (STV) is the nearest airport, 167 km (3 hr 11 min).
Chikkoo Orchards in Gholvad
Chikkoo (Sapodilla) is the main crop grown in and around Gholvad. The region is known as the Chikkoo Bowl of Maharashtra. You will find chikkoo orchards on both sides of the road from railway station to the beach. The Parsi community also cultivates litchi and mango. Banana and other fruits are grown as intercrops. A chikkoo plant takes five years to bear fruits. In the first year, chikkoo needs shade for plant growth. Thus intercrops support the chikkoo trees in their initial growth stage.
The History of Chikkoo Farming in Gholvad
The Parsis introduced commercial cultivation of chikkoo in the region. In 1888. Sir Dinshaw Petit brought chikkoo saplings from the Amazon rainforests of South America. He asked his friend, Ardeshir Irani, to plant the saplings in Gholvad. Later a local farmer, Merwan Khodadad, succeeded in grafting the chikkoo onto the resilient Rayan (Rhyne) tree. The tree began to yield plentiful chikkoos all the year round.
The area is in an ecologically vulnerable zone and authorities do not encourage industrial development. This has helped preserve the beauty of the area. On a cloudless night, you can see a sky full of twinkling stars since pollution levels are low.
Orchard the Resort is 500 metres from Gholvad railway station. Their Crazy Crab restaurant is popular with visitors. The menu includes Indian and Chinese dishes. There is a well-stocked bar too. Many visitors from across the Gujarat border patronise the restaurant. . Vapi in Gujarat is just 50 kilometres by road. On a dry day, I found the restaurant nearly empty.
I saw an ancient Jain temple in Gholvad: Sri Munisuvrat Swamy Jain Temple. It dates back to 1949.
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