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Bassein

The town of Bassein is deep rooted in culture and has a historical significance attached to it. It is situated at a distance of about 60km from the main Mumbai city. The town, along with the other major attractions, has the Bassein beach, which is considered as the best beach of the state. The beach overflows with scenic beauty all around and some excellent services for the tourists, that makes them visit the beach in large number during all seasons.

Its close vicinity to the Mumbai city has made it a perfect weekend getaway where people pack their bags for a family vacation. The endless stretches of white sands that adorn the beach add beauty to entire place. The beach is nicely embedded in a grove of palm trees which makes it all the more attractive. This beach is the hot favourite for Mumbaikars to unwind after a hard week at work.

History

The Bassein town is predominantly a Christian region as it was initially a place used by the Portuguese to build their ships till about the seventeenth century. These people even built a massive fort near the beach when they ruled over Bassein; this fort can be seen even today. During 1739, the Portuguese were overpowered by the Maratha rulers, who took over from the former to rule the place. Other than the famous beach, the town of Bassein offers various other  places like the fort and the umpteen ancient churches, that are truly a visual delight for the tourists.

Beach Attractions

One of the major attractions of the Bassein beach is the remnants of the fort that the Portuguese built during their rule over the town at the time of 17th century. The remnants of the fort can be found within the dense palm groves that encircle the beach, even today. Another attraction situated just about 10km from the Bassein beach is the town of Nalasapora, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in of his earlier Janmas.  It was also the famed capital of the entire Konkan territory for a long time; between 1500BC and 1300AD.

The hot springs at Akoli, Vajreshwari temple, Bhimeshwar temple and Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi Mandir are some of the major tourist attractions that are situated at a short distance from the beach. At the south of the beach, is the Agar of Bassein and at the north is the Agar of Agashi.

Special Attractions

The beach provides an excellent view during the nights. The relaxing white sands, the rhythmic sound of waves and the bustle of the palm trees make it a pleasant place to be in. This beach provides ultimate relaxation to the tourists and they are bound to feel rejuvenated physically and mentally during their trip to the beach. Some of the attractions that are quite accessible from the main beach of Bassein are:

  • Hot springs of Akoli
  • The remnants of the Portuguese fort
  • Temple dedicated to Vajreshwari
  • Temple housing the Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi
  • Ancient churches

Nalasapora

This is a town that is about 10km from the Bassein beach and is an important tourist attraction because it is believed to the place where Lord Buddha was born in one of his earlier births, supported by the presence of many Buddhist relics here. This town was also politically significant as it was the capital of the Konkan territory from 1500BC to 1300AD.

The Akoli hot springs, temples of Vajreshwari, Bhimeshwar, Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi and few other ashrams are other tourist attractions that are situated near Nalasapora. The Bassein town also has some architecturally brilliant ancient churches that speak volumes of the Portuguese history.

How to Reach

By Air

Mumbai, which is about 50 to 60 km away, is the nearest airport.

By Rail

Bassein Road (Vasai), a station on the Western line is the closest rail station.

By Road

There are frequent government buses to Bassein that go to the important cities of Aurangabad and Ahmedabad as Bassein is situated on the highway connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Where to Stay

There are lots of accommodation facilities in Bassein depending on the purse strings of the tourists. Budget, deluxe and luxury hotels are available in plenty. There are also serviced apartments available in Bassein.

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