Spiritual getaways -Mix faith and fun this..

1 Harihareshwar, 230 kms away
How to get there: The State transport buses are avoidable. Drive down via Panvel-Mangaon-Goregaon Phata on the Mumbai-Goa Highway (5 hours)
Of course, you want to be in Goa, your tousled hair flying carelessly in the briny air, like Dia Mirza’s on the IFFI coverage on national television. But you are not a filmstar. Thank God! And you are not in Goa.
Thank God again! It’s the craziest time to be there, with everyone, from toothpaste tube cap fitters from London (yes, they can afford to be there, thanks to the power of the pound) to high-on-beer-and-abandon-uncles, pouring in by the jeep load.
If you are a beach bum, you can satiate your seafood, surf and sand triangle of desire at the twin towns of Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar. Fringed by thick woods, the beach here is clear to laze on before you head off to a khanawal to dig in to some fried Mushi (local fish).
The ethereal experience of visiting the Harihareshwar temple, is a good enough reason to tear yourself away from the beach. Unlike other shrines, the parikrama at this Shivling-like structure that rises from the ocean, is meant to be taken outside, around the temple, on a rocky trail by the sea.
Look out for discreet steps that lead you right into the mouth of the ocean, from where you can watch the sun glide into oblivion.
2 Lord Venkateswara Temple, Pune, 200 kms away
How to get there: Take the Expressway to Pune, and then go down the highway on Sinhagad Road. A huge billboard on your left will direct you towards the complex (4 hours from South Mumbai)
The Balaji temple near Pune is a replica of the world famous Tirumala Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh, and makes for a great day trip from Pune. Spread across 10 acres, the complex includes several smaller shrines, one of them dedicated to Lord of wealth, Kuber. And that’s where you’ll find the longest queue. Don’t bother taking any flowers or incense along. All the Lord needs is money, and for a reason.
Balaji dared to beget a second wife despite being married to Mahalakshmi. Furious, she asked for alimony. He had to borrow money from the treasurer of the world, Kuber. Since then, he’s trying to repay the debt.
He struck a deal with devotees: You offer me money, and I will fulfill your wishes, which explains the stainless steel postbox-like hundis, scattered around to hold monetary offerings.
A systematic but meandering queue system leads men and women separately to the shrine. Expect to spend at least two hours before you reach an open courtyard that takes you to the garbha griha where Lord Balaji’s bedecked idol stands.
You can offer your hair in case you have a mannat, at a centre that houses a series of busy barbers. The temple is open all day, with a series of pujas being held at frequent intervals.
Back in Pune, you can spend the evening ambling along leafy lanes with maroon robe-clad soul searchers, around the Osho Commune at Koregaon Park, or the Osho Zen Garden (open from 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7 pm). The bakery products at German Bakery here, are to die for.
Arthur’s Theme is great place for French food (try the Lemon Soufflé and Chicken in Cranberry Sauce), while Malacca Spice brings you delicious curries from South East Asia (have them with Kori Rotis).
3 Ganpatipule, 375 kms away
How to get there: It’s 30 kms off the Mumbai-Goa Highway, 50 kms short of Ratnagiri. You can take an overnight MTDC bus from Nariman Point or catch a Konkan Railway train from CST. Get off at Sangameshwar or Ratnagiri; take a bus to Ganpatipule.
This place has one of the most idyllic beaches fringed by palm fronds . And if you think lolling on the beach is a waste of time, try your hand at paragliding. The drive to here is as beautiful as the destination.
As you wind through the Western Ghats, a chain of mountains along the Konkan coast. lighthouses dot the area, marking ruins of forts built during Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reign.
The Ganpati Swayambhu temple houses a 400 year-old Ganpati idol that’s believed to have sprung from the soil.