Baby Steps

We take the KWID to a beautiful beach far off the beaten track to witness an amazing spectacle orchestrated by nature for a few weeks every year.

- Afzal Rawuther

WAY TOO OFTEN WE CHASE The Thrill of Driving in our stories. This time, we sought to slow down the pace, as we took the Renault KWID to coastal Maharashtra. Yes, we did kick up some dust on the Konkan coast and had loads of fun driving on the narrow and twisty roads of the coastline. We couldn’t rein ourselves in! But we were there for something else entirely. Something that mother nature might approve of. You see, all along in the 'Renault KWID to the Hinterlands' series, we have looked for stories tucked away, stories that the KWID with its familiar and smiling face always stumbles upon. This time though, we stumbled upon a story that Mother Nature herself wrote.

Velas beach was where we were headed and even to people who have spent a fair share of time exploring the beautiful west coast, it is unheard of. Less than 20km away from the major tourist hotspot of Harihareshwar, Velas is a little village with a small patch of sand attached to it. 40km from the nearest fuel station and a ferry ride away from the nearest ATM, it is a village with very little to show for when compared to the popular Harihareshwar and Srivardhan nearby. Small cow-dung plastered houses dot the tiny trail-like road that leads to the beach and tall coconut trees make you feel like you are in the south of India despite the fact that it is a mere 200km to the west of Pune. There are no restaurants, or big stores nearby and the only source of livelihood for most people here is the little farming that they can muster without any source of irrigation. Sounds like most impoverished villages in rural India, right? Wrong! There is something about Velas that is unlike any other village in India. For a month and a half, every year, Velas beach welcomes thousands of visitors for a special event. And Velas rolls out the red carpet for them.