Lanes around the Ganapati temple run down to the Krishna, where stone ghats meet the water and an old bridge carries scooters across. Out on the Miraj road, the market yard smells of turmeric, and traders bid on sacks of yellow roots stacked in long rows.
A short ride away in Miraj, a single street of workshops shapes sitars and tanpuras from dried gourds and carved wood. The weather is semi-arid, hot by April, soaked by monsoon rains from June and pleasantly dry in winter. A Local Friend can show you their own neighbourhood, from the corner snack shop to the family kitchen where bharli vangi is the pride of the house.
