Travel planner - The East Coast
beckons
The tranquil beaches on the Bay of Bengal are no
longer poor cousins of Goa.The thirst for travel to lands -and seas -unknown
has sent Indians flocking to pristine coasts, untouched yet by commerce
A wise man once said, “Travel is fatal to
prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness. Broad, wholesome, charitable views
of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little cor ner of the
earth all one's lifetime.“ With b proven results of the anecdote from our past
b experiences, and an unambiguous urge to deal with the modern-day phenomena t
called quarter life crisis, two friends along with your's truly decided to quit
our t jobstake sabbaticals to travel, a few months e back. Not the usual type
of travel though; but a two-month-long backpacking trip.
Inspired by a backpacker, who had not too long
ago travelled around the coast of Madagascar, we decided to explore the entire
coastline of mainland India and experience life on the waterfronts for
ourselves starting from the Bay of Bengal in the east, then descending south
along the Eastern Ghats, before meeting the Indian Ocean and moving up the
Western Ghats along the Arabian Sea. The fact that such a trip had hardly ever
been accomplished in the country made it all the more exciting. On the one
hand, we did all of what the glamorous side of travel speaks of discuss life
with people who didn't speak our native tongues, listen to music not found on
the internet and gorge on rustic Indian food. On the other, we also accepted to
live through what they don't often tell you about travel to be tired and
sweaty and dirty without having a place to sleep at night, to get lost and
struggle to find our way back, to appreciate the struggles and hardships as
much as we wanted to admire the beauty of the wilderness. Given the spontaneous
and eccentric nature of the trip, the outcomes too were nothing short of
compelling. One of them was the pleasant surprise that the East Coast proved to
be. It was a conscious effort to start from this side of the peninsula, since
not much had been documented about it as compared to its western counterpart.
And it definitely did not disappoint. While a cluster of small islands in the
southern parts of West Bengal made for adventur ous destinations, the shores of
Odisha flaunted the vivid colours of daily fisherman life and their sumptuous
local meals. Andhra Pradesh's coast felt like an exciting roller coaster with
its undulating terrains and Tamil Nadu's beaches and historic towns summed up
the beauty of its terra firma.
Here, we share with you the most interesting
destinations from India's eastern seashores, so that you don't have to think
too much while packing your bags for the coast when you finalise your plans.
STOPOVERS ON THE BAY OF BENGAL PERIPHERY
THE SACRED COLOURS OF GANGASAGAR (WEST BENGAL)
Sagar Island or Gangasagar lies on the
continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal, about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south
of Kolkata. A pilgrimage destination for locals, the place has a myriad of
mythological stories and exotic varieties of fish meals to offer. The approach
includes a ride on an fascinating scooter van from Harwood Point and a unique
ferry ride from Kachuberia amid the intersection of the Ganges with the Bay of
Bengal.
Best time to visit:
Gangasagar hosts a colourful festival at the
Kapil Muni temple on Mahavir Jayanti, where you can witness vibrant colours at
their best.
THE CRAB CARPETED BALASORE (ORISSA)
On the northern coast of Odisha falls a unique
beach which rests against the tall magnificence of rising palm trees. The
exclusivity of this beach lies in the fact that it is home to Red Ghost Crabs
species, which is only found in the Christmas Island of Australia elsewhere.
Best time to visit:
Anytime between the conclusion of monsoon and
the onset of summer.
BIRD FANCIES AT CHILIKA LAKE (ODISHA)
The southern tip of Odisha catches the fancy of
bird watchers, with the second largest lagoon in the world and the larges
wintering ground for migratory birds in th Indian sub-continent Chilika Lake.
Though there are touristy boats and steamers which show you around the popular
spots in the lake, a public ferry, which costs hardly `10 per head, manoeuvres
through the waters where only locals traverse.
Best time to visit:
Spot birds like the sanderling, terek sandpiper,
Kentish plover, and black-tailed godwit best between November and March on
these waterways.
THE ARTISTIC CAVES OF BORRA (ANDHRA)
One of the largest of its kind in India, the
Borra Caves in the northern coastal region of Tamil Nadu come into sight around
the Araku Valley at a remarkable 800-1,300m above sea level. The excavation
spreads across one square km and is also the origin of the river Gosthani which
flows through the district.
Best time to visit:
Enjoy the limestone formations dripping and
rising as artsy stalag mites and stalactites amid the hilly terrains, beautiful
landscapes and the semievergreen moist deciduous forests during the monsoon and
winter.
THE GHOSTS OF DHANUSHKODI (TAMIL NADU)
A train journey literally over the sea, followed
by an enchanting bus trip along the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, beyond
Rameswaram, leads to the ghost town of Dhanushkodi. Though the shutdown of the
entire city, after the cyclone of 1964, has isolated it from travel
itineraries, the ruins still stand ironically in all their tragic glory.
Best time to visit:
A deserted railway platform, post office, church
and boulders of a former city greet you in the white sands during the winter
months.
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alshaar khan
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TL31MAY15
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