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Ganpatipule, Maharashtra
Every September, elaborate festivals for the submersion of Ganesha statues take place across Southern India. In this remote coastal village on India's west coast, Ganesh Chaturthi is taken especially seriously, with a multi-day festival involving boat trips along the Konkan coast. Part of the joy of Ganpatipule is the rickety sleeper train from Mumbai to Ratnagiri, which traverses valleys and canyons of lush tropical jungle. While you're here, visit the technicolour Sri Ganpatipule temple, home to a giant stone Ganesha carving that has mythical origins and is just a stone's throw from the beach.