5 Things to do in Karwar

 
The Tagore Fesitval held at the Rabindranath Tagore Beach (Pic: Karavali Manjavu)

Experience the Tagore Festival 
The Tagore Festival or 'Karavali Utsav', is the largest cultural festival in Karwar and is held every year in October at the Rabindranath Tagore Beach. Exhibiting local and Goan food and dance, the festival also showcases the work of amateur and established artists from Karwar and Goa. Several stalls sell t-shirts, jewellery, paintings and other handicrafts made by these artists. While kids can enjoy themselves on the giant wheel and other rides, for water sport lovers there are motor and banana boats, parasailing and kayaking. The festival lasts for three days and ends with a rock concert on the last day. 2013 saw a performance by Sunidhi Chauhan. Don't miss out on the fireworks display at the end of the festival. 

View from the Kurumgad Island  (Pic:Forum M Gandhi)

Explore Kurumgad Island
The beautiful, tortoise-shaped Kurumgad island is situated 4 km away from Karwar and can be reached by ferry from Devbagh beach. Virtually untouched, silent and serene, this beach is known for its translucent waters. If you're lucky enough, you might be able to spot tortoises and jelly fish on the beach. You can also set out to see dolphins from the island; the best time is early in the morning before the fishermen set out for the day. For those up for adventure, trek up the island's hills from where you can see the confluence of Kali river and the Arabian sea. Water sport enthusiasts can try banana boating, kayaking, canaoeing and motor boating. 

The Sunset at Karwar (Pic: Forum M Gandhi)

Watch the Sunset From the Lighthouse      
Located approximately 2 km from the city, the Baithkol Port is 355 m. An important trade port, it is also known for its scenic views. Climb to the top of the well-mantained, heritage lighthouse, which was erected during the British Raj. From here you can see the blue skies almost merging with the the crystal-clear waters interspersed with islands and the pearl-white sand stretching below you. It also has oyster rocks and a plentyof oysters. The best time to visit is at twilight, when the lighthouse is used to guide ships. 

The INS Chapel Warship docked at the Rabindranath Tagore Beach is now a Musuem (Pic: Forum M Gandhi)

Visit the Warship Musuem
The INS Chapal warship docked at the Rabindranath Tagore beach in November 2006. Today, the warship museum is the third of its kind in the country. Open to visitors from 9 am to 8 pm, plan to spend at least half an hour at the museum. At an additional charge, you can watch a 15-minute informative documentary on Indian naval history and the ports in India. The museum is home to mannequins dressed as doctors, sailors and captains as well as replicas of the missiles used and the food served on board. If you're there at sunset, head to the upper deck of the museum from where you can watch the sun set at Tagore beach. 

For the Foodies
Karwar is located near the border of northen Karnataka. Hence, it inherits the rich culture and integrates flavours of the Konkan and South India. Therefore, you will find a mix of their staple food such as  coconut, kokum, rice, fish, crabs, prawns in their dishes. For those who love seafood make sure you try shevaya, patoli, kurle ambat, masli kadi, sukhe masli. For delicious South Indian food–rasam, idli, dosa, sambar–head to Kamat, located just before the bridge that connects you to NH17 on the outskirts of Karwar city.

@GandhiForum