GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part VII

FUN ON THE BEACH

After having Masala tea in the evening, our plan was to walk to the Kudle Beach which is about three kilometers from the Om Beach. We left Namaste Cafe at 5:00 pm in the evening. We had hardly covered any distance when it began to rain heavily and in a matter of minutes we were completely drenched. However, we continued to walk in the hope that the Rain Gods would reward us for our determination. We walked for over a kilometer and there was no respite from the heavy downpour. Disappointed, we went back to our hotel. All along the way, a dog which Bhabi named as 'Lakshya', kept following us. After coming back, I went to a canteen near the beach to get some biscuits so that we could feed it. Unfortunately, the canteen was not operational and we would not see that wonderful dog again. Frankly, if there is one regret I have from the trip, it has to be that I could not feed Lakshya.

Ironically, the rains stopped once we were back on the Om beach. After changing, we spent rest of the evening walking along the coast line. By this time, there were several people on the beach. While some locals were fishing, the tourists were having a great time playing in the waters of the Arabian which by now had calmed down, well almost. Amongst them was this one small boy, who I guess was visually impaired. The sheer joy on his face as he stepped into the sea was magical.

We went for dinner early, at 7:00 pm and retired to our room by ten that night. After all, it had been an eventful day and all of us were tired.

Shiv Linga in stone

Bhabi. strikes a pose

Chai Chappa Chai, Panio Mein Cheete Udati Hui Ladki

Reflections

The Arabian which was in rage earlier...

...had calmed down by now

Leaving behind some memories on sand

For more posts in the series: GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14, click here (Link)

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part VI

A SEA IN RAGE

I am extremely proud of the fact that I have spent most of my life along the Arabian Sea in places like Murdeshwar, Honnavar, Mumbai and Goa. After all, it is one of the biggest factors that makes the west coast of India so rich in terms of topography, culture and most importantly, biodiversity. For all the history lovers, it was through this route that the Europeans came to our shores in the middle ages. Having spent so much time in this part of the world, I have seen the many facets of the Arabian Sea; at least that is what I thought all along.

However, in Gokarna, I was in for a pleasant surprise. The Arabian Sea seemed to be possessed; quite literally. Generally, it is calm and peaceful. In fact, in the last twenty-five years, I had never seen the western sea in so much rage. Fueled by the copious amount of waters pumped in by the countless rivers that crisscross the Karavalli coast, the Arabian was on fire. The roaring sound of the waves was deafening. Wave after wave, the saline waters kept on clashing against the rocks on the coast, making a splash with each hit. It seemed as if the rocks were impregnable fortress whereas the waves represented an opposing army determined to capture it, though in vain. The sea had nearly encroached the entire stretch of the beach. This was the 'Rudra' avataar or the aggressive form of the Arabian and I must say, in this form it evoked a mixture of awe, fear and most importantly respect. Probably influenced by the rough sea, the winds too were flowing at unusually high speeds and the coconut trees on the beach were having a tough time negotiating them.

The vast expanse of the Arabian as seen from Namaste Cafe

The waves clashing against the rocks...

...again and again

For more posts in the series: GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14, click here (Link)

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part IV

FISHING IN 'TROUBLED' WATERS

While it had been largely raining throughout the day, the skies cleared later in the evening much to the relief of tourists like us. The seas were still rough though and the lone policeman who was stationed there was doing a good job, making sure that the people do not venture too far into the Arabian. Meanwhile, a group of fishermen were trying to net some fishes using the traditional method, perched high on the rocks close to the shore. I am not sure what they could catch considering the weather. However, I was really amazed by their courage; it takes lot of guts to stand on those slippery rocks even as the saline waters of the Arabian lash against them making a splash. In fact, the speed of the winds and the sound of those colossal waves were enough to send a chill down my spine.

Splash

The fisher folk were unperturbed by those gigantic waves

The Ghats provide a nice back drop for this picture

By now, the sea had calmed down

I love the angle in this picture... a ship in the distance would have made it perfect!

For more posts in the series: GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14, click here (Link)

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part III

NAMASTE CAFE, OM BEACH & THE ARABIAN IN FURY!

Dubbed by many as the most beautiful beach in the state of Karnataka, the Om Beach is located at a distance 7 km from the temple town. The reason for this rather unique name is the fact that the shore line here, when seen from an elevation resembles 'Om' - the ancient Indian symbol of energy and devotion. After having snacks at a local restaurant in Gokarna, we hired a rickshaw and reached our hotel - Namaste Cafe which is situated right at the beginning of the Om beach.

Namaste Cafe is a two storied restaurant located hardly few meters from the Arabian Sea that generally serves western dishes. In fact, you will be surprised to know that one cannot get basic south Indian dishes like Idli Sambar here. Anyway, that is hardly any reason to skip this rather wonderful place. The view from the first and the recently constructed second floor of the cafe is mesmerizing; you will be spell bound to see the waves of the sea lashing against the rocks on the beach. Another reason for many to visit this place is that it serves 'liquor' which is banned inside the main town. The rooms are located behind the cafe. In fact, a better word for them would be cottages. Besides being clean and tidy, the laterite walls and Mangalore roof tiles give them a nice 'rural' feel. Priced at Rs. 800/- per day, they are quite affordable; they come with one big bed and a mosquito net. The more modern rooms cost about Rs. 1000/-.

We checked into our room and after freshening up, walked straight to the cafe for lunch. Though it was drizzling outside, the entire place was bustling with people. This being off season, there were hardly any foreigners. However, even the non-stop rains could not dampen the spirits of the domestic tourists. In recent years, there has been a steep spike in the numbers of the 'urban Indian traveler' who are always keen to visit new places and experience new things. We occupied a table on the first floor which offered a spectacular view of the beach, the green Ghats and the Arabian. The items were cheap but not very tasty. Again, as I said earlier, the view from here is so good that the food hardly matters. Right next to our table were a bunch of friends; amongst them was this one guy who was a character - the 'Cool Dude'. High on spirits, he seemed to be obsessed with two things, his guitar and the F-word. In fact, even his friends seem to have been embarrassed by his liberal use of cuss words. He did provide some free entertain for all the people around. We spent a good two hours in the cafe and went back to our rooms at 4:30 pm.

The Arabian in fury...

The brownish waters of the mighty Arabian 

Waves splashing against the rocks

Tourist having a good time.... while some spent the time clicking pics

...others were busy inspecting boats

Boats parked on the beach

For more posts in the series: GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14, click here (Link)

AN EVENING IN VAGATOR - PART 2

THE GOA DIARIES: SUNSET AT VAGATOR

Sunset at Vagator

If playing in the sea is not something that you enjoy, then the best thing to do at a beach in the evening is to sit down and watch the sun going down. As the temperatures dip and the cool winds start blowing from the sea, the sky is transformed into a canvas changing shades from blue to yellow to golden, sometimes strewn with shades of pink as the lone star in our solar system - now resembling a bright orange ball, disappears into the waters in the distant horizon with its reflections shimmering on the waves. Having spent about an hour and a half at Vagator, we got the 'golden' opportunity to witness this spectacle while we were walking back from the Orzan beach towards DD's car, covering all the three segments of the shore. We walked along the edge of the shore enjoying the marvelous view in front of our eyes as the sun went about its business to illuminate the other half of the world, providing some wonderful photo-ops.

The descent of the sun

We had parked our car in an open place, close to the entrance of the Big Vagator beach and not in the parking area around the headland. As this was not an organized parking, some 'irresponsible' fellow had ended up parking his vehicle right in front of ours leaving us stranded. This is quite common as domestic tourists, in their hurry to hit the beach, end up acting like 'idiots', with least concern for the the inconvenience that they cause to others. It is true that one is here on a vacation but so are many of us and it would be great if all of us act sensibly. However, the blessing in disguise was that from here, the view of the sun descending in the background with coconut palms in the front was amazingly beautiful.

Sun setting amongst the palms

As we waited at the parking area, cursing the guys who had left their car right in front, thirst got the better of us and we headed to a nearby shack for some refreshments. The humidity levels was extremely high and we were soaked in sweat. With the climate in Bengaluru staying pleasant throughout the year, I do not remember when was the last time I had perspired so much. Some time later as we headed back, we were relieved to see a group of visitors, I guess they were Keralites from their peculiar accent, going back in their Indica which was parked in the front row. While this was not the four wheeler that was left in front of our car, we got just about enough space to move out of the parking lot. Though the space was less, DD managed to maneuver his brand new Wagon-R like a skilled captain negotiating his ship along a rocky coastline in rough weather. With Sav's GPS showing the way, we left for Panjim, bidding farewell to Vagator and planning for our next get-together.

A painting of the Buddha at a shack in Vagator

PS: The images posted here were clicked by me and my friends Sai and Sav.


For more on the Goa trip:
(1) The Chance Encounter (Link)
(2) Dil Dosti Etc (Link)
(3) An Evening in Vagator - Part 1 (Link) 
(4) Life is a Beach (Link)
(5) Birds at Goa Velha (Link) 

AN EVENING IN VAGATOR - PART 1

THE GOA DIARIES: VAGATOR BEACH - A PROFILE

Vagator in the evening

Having spent most of the first two decades of my life along the Arabian coast, it should hardly be surprising that I do not have any fascination for beaches, because for me, the sea has always been in the proximity and unlike hill stations or forests, it is not something that we have looked forward to while planning our holidays. However, there is one beach in North Goa which has been my favorite, so much so that in the 10 years that I have spent in Goa, I have never missed any opportunity to go there, be it with friends, relatives or on class picnics. As such, during my trip to the state in the last week of May, when I and my friends from GEC (that's Goa Engineering College for all those who don't know) - Niks, Sav, Datta and Sai were deciding on a place to spend the evening after having a sumptuous meal at Hotel Texas in Panjim, I instantly vetoed for Vagator and in a flash, we were on the way with Sav's GPS leading showing us the way, listening to Linkin Park.

Vagator Beach - North Goa

This serene beach is located in Bardez taluka of North Goa - the tiny patch of the Western coast flanked by the rivers Mandvi and Chapora on either side. Calangute - arguably, the most famous of all Goan beaches, Anjuna - renowned for the Wednesday flea market and trance parties, Baga - known for dolphin rides and Candolim which offers some of the best facilities for water sports in the state are some of the other famed beaches that are located in this stretch of land and are swarmed by tourists, both domestic and foreign during the season. The seaside headland where the car parking is situated, divides the beach into two major parts - Big Vagator in the north and the Little Vagator in the south. Besides the pristine beach, the sea waves creating a splash as they hit the numerous rocks along the shore, the coconut trees swaying along with the cool winds, the imposing 17th century Chapora fort, the pleasant weather and the tourists enjoying their time here away from all the tensions and worries, all contribute in making a visit to this place more than worthwhile.

Rocks at Vagator

The north side, better known as Big Vagator beach seems to be more popular with Indians than firangs. Also, it is far less crowded when compared to its southern counterpart. On the hillock over looking it lies the majestic Chapora fort. Considering its strategic importance, the place seems to have been fortified much before the Portuguese invasion of Goa. In the 1680s, when the Marathas under Sambhaji invaded Goa, this place was the scene of heavy fighting. The present fort was built in 1717 by the Portuguese. As the borders of their  possessions along the west coast grew beyond Bardez following the New Conquests, it lost its strategic importance and was neglected thereafter. As such, besides the laterite walls and the gate which have stood for close to three centuries now, nothing else remains of it today. The structure is huge yet simple. Nonetheless, the view of the sea and the beach below is spectacular. In fact, some of the scenes of the Hindi blockbuster Dil Chahta Hain were shot here.

The Big Vagator Beach (Left) and Chapora Fort (Right)

The Southern beach is further divided into two more fragments - the Middle Vagator beach and the Little Vagator beach. The middle beach, which is the smallest of the three is also called as the Tel Aviv beach. The reason being the large number of Israelis who come here each year. Personally, I find it the most beautiful stretch of this shore primarily due to the uneven nature of the slope, the red cliffs and the large number of coconut palms. The Little Vagator beach, the busiest part of the stretch is popularly known as the Orzan beach. It used to be one of the famous hippy haunts of the 1960s, particularly amongst those of British nationality. One of the reminders of this bygone era is the Shiva statue carved out of stone at the southern end of Vagator. It is believed that it was sculpted by a hippie who is said to have been a devotee of Lord Shiva in a period spanning over a couple of years. Today, there are several shacks here and on any given season except for the rains, one can find hundreds of tourists here, either basking in the sun or playing in the waters of the Arabian. 

The Middle Vagator Beach (Left) and the Little Vagator Beach (Right)

I personally have very fond memories of the place over the several visits that I paid to Vagator. One of them was in Standard XII when we had gone there on a class picnic. Young men that we were then, watching so many white skinned women sans their tops was very exciting. As we were coming back, I distinctly remember me, Amba and Habbu Sir talk about a wide range of topics on our way to the bus which was waiting in the parking area. A couple of years later, I and a few friends, most of whom I have mentioned earlier in this post had been here on a Saturday in December 2008. Sitting near the Shiva statue we tried to out do each other in stone skipping. The competition between Sai and Niks was close. Eventually, it was the latter who won. I am very sure that my trips to Goa will never be complete without going to Vagator and refresh those memories amongst the undulating slopes, the tall coconut trees, the rocks, the sun, the sand and the sea.

A crab at the beach

PS: The images posted here were clicked by me and my friends Sai and Sav.


For more on the Goa trip:
(1) A Trip to Goa... Finally (Link)
(2) The Chance Encounter (Link)
(3) Dil Dosti Etc (Link)
(4) An Evening in Vagator - Part 2 (Link) 
(5) Life is a Beach (Link)