GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XII

THE BOATMEN RETURN

The Beach, the Sea, the Rocks and the Fishermen... 

Unfortunately, for all the effort they put in, they could not get a good catch

Smaller boats, like this one are lifted and carried

The bigger boats are dragged using logs

The return journey

Back on the land

Perfect Perfect: The Beach, the Sea, the Rocks, the Fishermen and the Ghats

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GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XI

MORE BOATS, MORE FUN

Ready....

Get, Set, Go

More boats line up on the shore

Taming the rough seas

As the boatmen start returning, their friends on land look on

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GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part X

JET, SET GO

Lets hit the sea

After rowing through the rocks, the engine is started

I wonder how the fishermen are unfazed by the rough seas

Maneuvering through the rocks 

As the engine starts, the boat cut through the waves at high speeds

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GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part IX

ZOR LAGAKE... HAISHA

Pulling a fishing boat on dry sand can be extremely difficult due to friction. Moreover, considering the peculiar shape of the boat, it is difficult to maintain the balance while dragging it. As such, the fisherfolk have come up with a brilliant idea to tackle this. I wonder how old this technique is.

Nearly six to eight logs of wood are kept in front of the boat at a distance of about 2 meters apart and the boat is pulled over it. While doing this, the men have to make sure that the boat does not fall on to one side. After pulling the boat, the logs that are left behind are brought and kept in front. Some of the boatmen use truck tyres which offers more surface area and are better than wood. While the process may be laborious, watching the men put in all that effort is amazing. Even Da and I joined in to help the guys in this process. Though they did not say anything, I wish they were happy.

Zor Lagake..... I like the wave-like patterns on the sand

Pulling the boat over wood

Ready to go...

Da and Me lending a helping hand

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GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part VIII

THE FOLKS GO FISHING

On Sunday morning, we woke up minutes before the sunrise. Despite of the heavy showers and the insects making all kinds of noises through the night, we had good sleep. After being marooned in the rains on the previous day that cut short our walk to the Kudle Beach, we decided to play smart. We hired an auto, in fact the same chap who had dropped us to Om Beach the previous day. The plan was to vacate the room followed by quick visits to the other famous beaches around Gokarna, namely the Kudle Beach, the Half Moon Beach and the Paradise Beach before spending some time in the temple town.

By the time we hit the beach, the sun was up and the Om Beach was virtually empty. The skies were surprisingly clear; it seemed as if the Rain Gods would give us some respite after playing havoc the day before. The blue heavens, the vegetation, the vast sea and pristine sands with the majestic Western Ghats in the background was truly a sight to behold. The Arabian had 'mellowed' down and the rocks along the beach had survived the 'onslaught' of its waves on the previous day. We walked long the shore line seeping in the wonderful pictures unfolding before us. One quick point to add here is that the beach was very clean, much cleaner compared to the one at Murdeshwar.

About half an hour later, few fishermen appeared on the scene and what followed next was anybody's guess. They went to one of the boats, parked near the edge of the beach and started untangling the nets. Next, they dragged out the boats by pulling them over logs of wood, an ingenious method of reducing the effort required to pull things on sand. After getting the boat out, one of them got the engine and attached it to the vessel. The boat was dragged again into the water and the men set sail to catch fish. Although the waters were not as rough as the day before, the waves were still higher than normal. Kudos to these brave men who put their life in risk day in and day out. They returned back after about 30 minutes. We saw 6 boats venturing in the Arabian till the time we were there and sadly, none of them could get a good catch.

PS: The next four posts will only include pictures of the fishermen.

Getting Ready: Fishermen untying the knots 

An elderly man checks if everything is fine

The boat is pulled towards water

The Engine is attached to the boat

Some strategy before hitting the sea

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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

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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

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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!

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