Thondi : A port with a past

For a slice of history, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

PICTURESQUE SETTING The pier at Thondi

Beaches always beckon and so does anything `ancient.' This time a friend in the Police Department posted in Ramanathapuram district, recommends some neglected but beautiful places there.

"They are deserving RLT spots," he assures. So, I get into my car and head to Thondi, an ancient port city in Ramnad. The drive from Madurai takes a little over three hours. But be prepared for a stomach-churning stretch from Thiruvadanai to Thondi as there is no proper road and also leave your olfactory senses behind or else don't embark on this journey.

But if you are driven by an adventurous spirit, just hit the track. You just can't always have the best on every RLT trip, I remind myself as my eyes scan the setting on either side of the road. From Madurai to Thiruvadanai, the road is good and the drive, pretty smooth. Nature doesn't have much to offer during this season except for patches of tamarind arches on the highway. Paddy has been harvested and much of the landscape around is brown. But the worse is yet to begin when the vehicle suddenly slips with a thud from a tar track on to a muddy and pebbled tract.

Suddenly, there's activity all around. Bulldozers and road rollers, mounds of sand and beds of crushed stones line the narrow and kucha, almost unmotorable road. The car grudgingly makes its way through the brown haze raised by passing vehicles. Through the dusty veil, I spot a brightly painted temple gopuram, a moss layered school building, thatched huts and some dilapidated structures. The paint on a handful of signposts and milestones on the way has faded. The muddy road branches off from what was supposed to be the main road and curves down bringing into sight some hamlets and a church on the right.

On the left one can see the Bay of Bengal shimmering under the fiery sun. As I reach there post-noon, it's hot and what makes the initial moments worse is the smell of fish. The best option is to cover your nose and drive on. It is the first lap of about 750 m that stinks.

Unique experience

Drive along the coastline till the road reaches a dead end at the gate of the Thondi branch of the Karaikudi-based Alagappa University. Just before this beautiful campus by the seaside is the office of the Naval Detachment Unit. Opposite the naval base, a half-a-km long cemented pier takes you right into the sea. It is a unique experience to walk on it with a strong wind blowing on your face. But don't go too close to the edge as there is no safety railing to hold on to. It is a naked land jetty and used only for fishing. The water, however, is still. The Palk Strait at Thondi is supposed to be shallow and is considered much safer than other areas around the Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Thondi could have qualified as an ideal place for swimming, surfing and sun bathing. But then due to lack of road and rail connectivity and inadequate hinterland development, the place has lost its importance and is used only for fishing now.

But its historical importance cannot be undermined. Thondi is recorded as a heritage place of the great Kings of the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas, who all nurtured this port city. Even the British used the Thondi Port to import and export goods from Sri Lanka and Burma, among other countries. There have been demands to revive the port for the past several decades but only now under the Sethu Samudram Project implementation, some work has begun in laying a road to Thondi.

If the smell doesn't bother you much, then you can enjoy the serenity of the place. You see nothing but water here in three directions. In the foreground, it looks mossy green but follow the receding horizon and you find a lovely combination of blue and shining silver. The sea is gentle and fishermen's boats appear in the distance like tiny specks on the aqua canvas. If you turn your back to the sea, the fourth side reveals the secular nature of the place. The coastline is dotted with a church, a temple and a mosque.

Truly, Thondi hides a charming delight. If only the authorities take care to clean up the area, can it be developed into a more inviting destination.

How to get there

Thondi is 40 km from Ramanathapuram and 145 km from Madurai. While coming from Madurai, take the Sivagangai road and on to Kalaiyarkoil and Thiruvadanai before reaching Thondi.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/02/26/stories/2007022600150200.htm

Kulasekarapattinam : Picnic on the beach

At last, an RLT destination teeming with people, says SOMA BASU

PHOTO: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

KULASEKARAPATTINAM A beach that comes alive for Dasara

It was a unique place for an RLT. Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi District boasts a fine beach. Formerly, it was a minor port having trade links with Sri Lanka. But after Tuticorin became a major port, Kulasekarapattinam lost its status.

The coastal village is famous for its 300-year old Muthuraman Koil located on the seashore. When I landed there, I discovered a setting that was quite different from anything I had imagined. I had hoped to unwind on a secluded beach with only the sound of waves for company. But, Kulasekarapattinam was bustling with activity. I was surrounded by a sea of people, and the sound of water was barely audible. The area resonated with the rhythmic beat of drums. The occasion was Dasara, which is celebrated with pomp at the temple. Folk artistes from all over the State converge here to participate in the 10-day festival. The beach looked like a fair ground and the performances reminded me of the natyotsavs at Puri.

Hawkers selling conch shell items, rudraksha malas, plastic toys and T-shirts, added to the mela atmosphere. Everything had a rural overtone and children and adults appeared to enjoy themselves to the hilt.

"I stay in the village and visit the beach often. But during Dasara, the place is completely transformed," said Muthuvelachamy, a fisherman.

But what about the litter strewn around... the plastic carry bags, paper cups and plates? Apparently, the locals form a team of volunteers to maintain a degree of cleanliness during and after the festival by cleaning up the place and asking people to throw the waste in the bins provided.

Time slipped by on the Kulasekarapattinam beach. I enjoyed the folk programme, wove my way through the crowd and walked along the shore occasionally dipping my feet in the water.

Once the festival is over, the sound of the waves takes over again. Kulasekarapattinam was named after King Kulasekarapandiyan during whose reign, it is said, the city prospered.

As there are no boarding and lodging facilities or restaurants around, go prepared for a picnic.

How to get there: Kulasekarapattinam is on Thoothukudi-Tiruchendur/ Kanyakumari road. It is about 60 km from Thoothukudi town and 20 km from Tiruchendur. From Tirunelveli, it is 68 km and 65 km from Kanyakumari.

Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/10/15/stories/2005101501360300.htm