For people living in coastal towns, the sea I believe becomes such an indispensable part of their lives that they can sleep without even thinking about it, trusting that it is and will always remain where they last saw them. But for us, the not so blessed travellers from the plains, who can only see the sun, sand and surf on occasional visits to such coastal towns, the visit to the sea is a dream we sleep with and the final rendezvous is like a revelation, a meeting with a gigantic, fascinating creature that makes you realise its enormity and your miniscule stature, and yet dances around your feet like someone friendly and eager to get acquainted.
For me, in spite of having visited many coasts and having seen the sea in its various moods, the excitement of watching the waves touch my feet does not cease to end and it was no different when we visited Elliot’s beach in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Courtesy dwimalu via cc/Flickr
Elliot’s is one of the many beaches of Chennai that also boast of one of the longest beaches in the world-the Marina Beach. Elliot’s is in fact the southern tip of this Marina beach but calmer and more serene. Walking from a residential part of the town called Besant Nagar; it is fairly simple to reach the sea just y taking any road going towards the coast. It is although a different matter to navigate all the way to the shore with a labyrinth of sellers, selling everything from snacks, toys, shoes, ice creams to even telling your fortune with the aid of a parrot or a hamster. It may seem a nuisance sometimes when all you want is to be at peace with the deep but for many the attraction of a spicy peanut snack or a quick reading of the palm is hard to resist.
Elliot’s beach which is also known as ‘Bessei’ among the locals was discovered by the colonials who made it something of a private beach for themselves. But gradually the popularity of the beach began to grow among the natives too and soon; the beach became a frequent haunt of those who wished to avoid the crowd of Marina beach.
Courtesy Sudhamshu via cc/Flickr
Although today Elliot’s beach is as crowded as any other sea shore in Chennai, it is still a nice place to unwind with your family and kids. There are plenty of clean places to sit back and relax while the kids are busy building sand castles. The water is quite calm and cool for a refreshing dip. You can also walk along the shores, take a rented horse ride and if it feels like, visit the relatively new Goddess Lakshmi temple in the vicinity called Ashtalakshmi Kovil. There is also a church called Velanganni church frequented as a pilgrimage by many Christians.
Another noted landmark on the Elliot’s beach is Shmidt memorial, a structure in neglected condition presently but built once in the memory of a Dutch sailor who lost his life while saving a drowning man.
The street near the beach has a good number of decent eateries that serve meals and snacks at a very affordable price.
Elliot’s beach is for those who are happy just looking at the waves. There are no adventurous water sport activities you can participate in here but plenty of shore space to just relax and let the sea do the talking.
Courtesy VinothChander via cc/Flickr
