Kihim

Kihim
किहीम
Village
Kihim
Coordinates: 18°43′43″N 72°52′03″E / 18.7286°N 72.8676°E / 18.7286; 72.8676Coordinates: 18°43′43″N 72°52′03″E / 18.7286°N 72.8676°E / 18.7286; 72.8676
Country India
State Maharashtra
District Raigad
Taluka Alibag
Population (2011)
  Total 2,582
Languages
  Official Marathi
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN CODE 402 201
Telephone code 02141

Kihim is a small village located to the north of Alibag. Commonly known to people in Mumbai as a weekend getaway, it is accessible via Road and Water.

History

Kihim evolved as a village in the 17th century during the era of Sarkhel Kanhoji Aangre, the naval chief of King Shivaji's Kingdom. It formed part of the then known as "Ashtagare" (or Eight Villages).

Climate

Kihim has a tropical climate with heavy rainfall during Monsoon. Winters are moderate and Summers are hot and humid.

Demographics

Population of Kihim stood at 2,582[1] according to the 2011 Census, with Male population at 1,285 (49.76%) and Female at 1,297 (50.23%). Literacy is 78% (Male: 81.17%, Female: 74.48%).

Economy

Kihim mostly thrives on Tourism[2][3] throughout the year with November to May being peak months. Farming is another major occupation found here. Rice is the main produce of the area like majority of the Konkan region. Coconut and Betel nut is also produced on a large scale.

Tourism

Major attraction in Kihim is its sandy beach. Though Kihim was once known as a "Bird Watchers' Paradise", very few exotic species can be still found in the areas having dense cover of trees. Variety of butterflies are also found here.

Tourists enjoying in the waves on a sunny day on Kihim Beach
On a clear day Colaba area of Mumbai is visible from Kihim Beach on the north western side.

Tourist facilities here mainly consist of "Bed and Breakfast Schemes" run by the locals under the regulations of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, which acts as a governing body for Tourism throughout the State of Maharashtra. One can easily find average quality lodging and boarding facilities throughout the village, except for the month of December when advance bookings may be required. For restaurants, one has to go to a nearby locality known as Chondhi.

Other nearby attractions include the Kihim Pond, Kankeshwar Temple near Mapgaon and Karmarkar Museum in Sasawane.

Administration

Kihim acts as a Group Gram Panchayat for few small villages like Kamath, Chondhi and Bamansure.

Education

"Sadashiv Mahadev Wadke Vidyalaya" is a major educational institution in the area which provides facilities right from Kindergarten to Graduation. Not only from Kihim, but children from surrounding villages and towns also attend here. Kihim also has a Zilla Parishad run Primary school.

Transport

References

  1. "Census". Census of India. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  2. "Maharashtra Tourism". Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  3. "Kihim". Holiday IQ.
  4. "Boat timings". Raigad.nic.in.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.