Kihim
Kihim (किहीम) 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. It forms part of the string of beach hamlets along the coast of Alibag taluka collectively called as Hamptons of Mumbai mainly due to the elite property owners, including businessmen and Bollywood personalities, in the area. History. Kihim evolved as a village in the 17th century during the era of Sarkhel Kanhoji Aangre, the Koli naval chief of King Shivaji's Kingdom. It formed part of the then known as  Ashtagare (or Eight Villages). Climate and Geography. Kihim has a typical sub-tropical climate found across the western coast of India with heavy rainfall during Monsoon. Winters are moderate and Summers are hot and humid. The village is surrounded by Arabian sea on the west, a creek on the north, Navgaon village on the south and Chondhi settlement towards the east. Demographics. Population of Kihim stood at 2,582 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%). Almost everyone in this village follow Hinduism and speak  Marathi as their mother tongue. The language has a limited influence of Agri and Koli dialects and hence may not be fully understandable at few times to visitors who are either used to clearer Marathi or are non-Marathi speakers. Economy. Kihim mostly thrives on Tourism 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. Chondhi is the nearest marketplace which is dotted with a few restaurants , departmental stores and banks. 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. Most common bird sightings include, Red-vented Bulbul, Oriental Magpie Robin, Orange-headed Thrush, Baya Weaver, Green bee-eaters, Common Myna and Asian Koel. Less common sightings include Greater Coucal, Black-rumped Flameback Woodpecker, Plum and Grey Headed Parakeets and Black-hooded Oriole. If you are near a water source, you might see a  White-throated Kingfisher or an Egret.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 and marketplaces, one has to go to a nearby locality known as Chondhi. Food is substantially dominated by rice and fish preparations. Other nearby attractions for visitors include the Kihim Pond, Kankeshwar  Temple near Mapgaon and Karmarkar Museum in Sasawane. Kihim is also a home to various temples which are dotted throughout the village. These include a rare Kalbhairav temple, recently rebuilt Gaodevi (Chamunda) temple and the Bhileshwar temple overlooking the Kihim pond. The beach is spread across the western fringe of the village. There are benches lined up for peace loving visitors. The more adventurous can enjoy water sports on the main beach. Alibag town is located approximately 11 km south of Kihim. Administration. Kihim acts as a Group Gram Panchayat for few small villages like Kamath, Chondhi and Bamansure. The  village is locally divided into various neighborhoods; namely, Khore, Angshe Ali, Brahmin Ali, Bazar Peth, Bhandar Ali, Mhatre Ali, Bhombad, Sri Nagar and Sai Nagar (also known as Navedar Kihim). The village forms part of the extended MMRDA region and falls under Green Zone-II. 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.