Amboli

Amboli is a small village in Sindhudurg district, at about 700 metres on Amboli Ghat, the last hill resort in the Western Ghats before the land drops to the coastal plains of Goa. It grew up as a staging post on the road from Vengurla port to Belgaum, which the British used heavily to supply their garrisons.

The great draw is the rain: an average of around 7 metres falls each year, and during the monsoon the hills are wrapped in mist and streaked with waterfalls. The Hiranyakeshi River rises in the hills nearby, emerging from a cave where an old Shiva temple, Hiranyakeshwar, stands. Legend speaks of 108 Shiva temples around Amboli, of which only about a dozen have been found. The forests are rich in unusual plants and animals, though clearing and unplanned development are taking a toll. The village is also known for the many young people it sends into the Indian Army.