Deepak: - Sir, this Marina beach has a stretch of sandy surface of around 1 Km from the Marina Beach Road. To see the water of the Bay of Bengal, one has to walk around 1 Km from the Beach Road. In our Puri, the stretch of the sandy surface is lesser than this beach.
Himangshu: - Yeah, you are right. But, don’t worry, as the night progresses, the tidal waves will increase and the sea water will start hitting the rocks near the Marina Beach road.
Rathi: - This Marina beach was more beautiful before the Tsunami. The Tsunami just devastated this beach. When the Tsunami came in the morning, some people were playing football in the Marina beach. Almost all died in that Tsunami.
Himangshu: - Nowadays, there are instruments in the meteorological department to predict the Tsunami beforehand. In that time, no one even expected that Chennai people have to experience a Tsunami.
Debarjun: - How this Tsunami takes place? Is it a sea storm?
Himangshu: - No, no, it is an earthquake only, but in this case, the epicenter of the earthquake lies under the sea bed only. See, the earthquake takes place due to the drifting of tectonic plates and humans have no control on the Earth’s inner crust or molten lava that lies at the center of the earth. Now, after every 10 or 15 years, as per scientific calculations, tectonic plates are bound to drift by at least half an inch. That small drifting is more than enough to produce an earthquake of at least 3.7 magnitudes in the Richter scale. When the tectonic plates under the sea bed starts drifting, there is an earthquake in the sea. As a result, the sea waves rises by around 10-15 meters and hit the nearest shores. Now, the Japanese, Hawaiian and Andaman-Nicobar coastal people experience mild Tsunamis at least once within every 2 years.
Deepak: - What is that in our left side? I can see a white colored construction.
Debarjun: - That is an amusement park for children. Look at the right side of this beach. At a distance of around 2 Km from here, there is a light house. Maybe, the Chennai port is nearby. This Marina beach is one of the longest beaches of India. Though, some portions of this beach have become a danger zone after Tsunami, but still it has not lost its glory. What is not there in this beach! All the vendors are moving here and there. There are several floodlights inside this area. Under those lights local people are playing football. Couples are also enjoying themselves. College students are gossiping among themselves while sitting on the rocks. Many types of Conch-Shells are on display. All the ‘Jhinuk-malas’ are getting sold. This beach is not as congested as Digha or Puri beach, but, still it is not bad at all.
John: - This Marina beach is the heart of Chennai people. All Chennai college students re-unite here in this beach. If there would have been no Marina beach in Chennai, then Chennai would have been a boring place to live in. Do you people know that many film shootings are also done here? A song of ‘Yuva’ film was also shooted here. Even the roadside restaurants on this Marina beach are world famous. The 70 mm dhosha was first started in a roadside restaurant of the Marina Beach Road only. Later that dhosha became a special menu in all 5-star South Indian hotels.
Chawla: - What kind of dhosha is that?
John: - It is the longest dhosha. If you eat that dhosha, believe me, for another 6 hours, you will not feel hungry. Even the masala that they give inside it contains paneer. The cost of 1 plate 70 mm dhosha is at least 35 bucks. Nowadays, the restaurant people have reduced the length of the dhosha. But, in 1990’s this dhosha used to get served in a plate with 4 –folds. At present, the cost-cutting theory has reduced the brand value of this dhosha.
Angshuman: - We are in the Marina beach and it is evening now, that’s why, we cannot see the color of the sea water. But, unlike the waters of Digha or Bakkhali beach, the water color of Marina beach is greenish blue. In daytime, if you come to Marina beach, then you will be delighted to see that water color.
Anupam: - I would like to bath in this water, but, alas, we are going to stay in Chennai only for few hours.
Himangshu: - Don’t underestimate the tidal waves of Marina beach. They are deadly too. But, don’t worry; we will surely bath in the Marina beach in this tour only. See, today is 3rd February 2007. We have conference for 3 days. That is 5th, 6th and 7th February. We will come back to Chennai again on 8th February morning from Coimbatore. Our Coromandel Express train is on 9th February morning. Therefore, we are getting the whole day of 8th February to spend in Chennai.
Arindam: - Fantastic! On that day, we will bath here in the Marina beach.
Pandey: - Has anyone of you ever visited Pondicherry? It is not too far from Chennai. Instead of wasting time in Chennai for the whole day on 8th February, we can go to Pondicherry and spend just 2 hours there and then come back to Chennai again.
Arindam: - It will be a very hectic one. I have visited Pondicherry, when I was in Class – VII. The Pondicherry is totally a French Colony. There is an Aurobindo Ashram, where the hospitality is too good. In that time, you had to pay only 15 bucks per day. For those 15 bucks, you can drink horlicks, bournvita, tea or coffee with biscuits or buns as a breakfast. Lunch and dinner are very healthy. The food is only for vegetarians. No meat or fish is allowed. To stay there, the rent was only 25 bucks at that time. Now, what is the rate, I don’t know. But, Aurobindo Ashram still serves the poor people in Pondicherry. Also, there is another ashram of ‘Sree Maa’. I don’t know the full name of ‘Sree-Maa’, but, that Ashram is also good. There is a road in Pondicherry, which is just beside the Bay of Bengal. The blue tidal waves are really great to watch, while standing on that road. Rameswaram and Tiruchirapalli are not so far from Pondicherry. Even there are direct buses to Kanyakumari from Pondicherry.
Agarwal: - Kanyakumari! Yes, that is another fabulous place; one should visit at least once in his lifetime. Kanyakumari is the last point of India. The Indira Point is very famous worldwide.
Sumanta: - Kanyakumari is famous for another reason, not for the last point of India. Swami Vivekananda started walking from Kolkata and decided to visit all the villages of India by his foot only as a hermit. He never used to wear shoes, but a typical type of hardened footwear known as ‘Kharams’. Even our God Ram used to wear ‘Kharams’ in those days. When Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari, he spotted a big rock in the meeting point of Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Somehow, he sensed that his mother goddess Kali was calling him from that rock. He felt that. He wanted to reach to that rock, but found no boat. But, still he has to go as his mother has called him. With firm determination, Swami Vivekananda jumped into the sea waters and swam that distance to reach the rock. He started his meditation while sitting on that rock. After 2 days, some Tamil fishermen spotted Swami Vivakananda. Later on, all the coastal people came to see this special hermit who is meditating constantly for continuous 5 days while sitting on that rock. Then the next part of the story is history now. Tamil Hindu people vowed in front of Swami Vivekananda and decided to help him to create a United Hindu force of the World. Even today, if you visit Kanyakumari, you can see the ‘Vivekananda Shila’ or Vivakananda Rock is there. Even a Vivekananda Ashram is there for the poor people.
Arindam: - Both Rishi Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda got no help in Bengal in their youth days, but, Tamil people gave them the space to create a united Hindu society. That’s a credit for all the Tamils which have to be appreciated by all the Bengalis.
Debraj: - Ei, Debojyoti Sir is calling now. We need to go back to the lodge. It is already 7.15 PM.
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