I've Seen Paradise...

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All of us have our own description of Paradise. Well... for me, it would be more like a place where heaven meets the earth, sun rises and sets in the deep blue sea, waves make the only cackle that can be heard and the mind is absolutely hassle free.

Well... it was this desire to get up close and personal with Mother Earth that diverted my route to a paradise called - Gokarna.

'Go' means cow and 'karna' means ears.

It is said that Lord Shiva emerged out of a cow's ear here, cow representing, of course, Mother Earth. Another theory behind the name is that it is located at an ear shaped confluence of two rivers Gangavali and Aghanashini.

It is around 750 kms from Mumbai and 154 kms from Goa.

Getting there is no task. One can take a local bus, hire bikes, cars or even jeeps from Goa. Well...the ride can get a little tiring and bumpy at times, but all the scenic beauty and drive along the sea, will keep you up during this 4 hour long journey. At least it did the trick for me.

I was eager to see what the nature here had to offer, but waited till the crack of dawn and the wait, was well worth it. It was as if someone just sprinkled some color on till then, dry and dull hay. It was golden now and the morning was bright and fresh. Exploring this route on foot seemed like the best bet. So I was all set for a trek on a road that to me seemed less traveled.

A 25-minute walk from Gokarna beach leads to Kutle beach.

Beauty at its best is how I would describe this beach. Waves were busy drawing patterns on the sand and then erasing them the very next minute. I had never seen water flow through my shadow, I had never seen the sand so clean, I had never seen the water so green... but it was all here.

Another hillock and I would land at the most popular beach of Gokarna, what to me still seemed scantily populated. It is the Om beach... deriving its name from the natural Om shape that it creates. Natural divinity fills the air here. It could be psychological, but I too felt it.

This is one of the 2 beaches that have a motor able route. It also has the most popular shack, some water sports to keep you hooked and a few local tourists. This is where I met Mohan and his friend all the way from Uttaranchal. The man who was here trying to make a living out a talent he acquired in the fresh waters of Ganga in Rishikesh. From white water rafting to the blue waters, he was still lost in transition.

And just when I thought this was it, a local boatman whispered something in Prakash's ears. He fixed his camera on a tripod and got on board. I obviously, had to follow. It was a large wooden boat but sailing on motor power. Fascinated by the sea ride, didn't realize that here, it wasn't just a spree; it was an actual mode of transport to get from beach to the other. Coming from a city that moves at the lightening speed, everything seemed to have got into a slow motion suddenly. But I was, liking it, or may be, loving it!

I hadn't got enough of the sunlight and the breeze, when I espied on a small deserted beach. Not a soul in sight, just a few shacks on the rock, like someone was there once upon a time. Is this where he was taking us? Just then I heard him say, "This half moon beach madame, no one there." He left it behind as he was talking to me. Just then I saw something I had never thought I'd get to see, not in this lifetime.

A bunch of coconut trees on a virgin beach, a few huts here and there, waves splashing on high black rocks with a little moss. The water was clear and so was the sand, what was this land?

"Paradise beach madame..." He parked the boat and yelled.

I turned back and looked at the water. It was that place, where the blue sky meets the deep blue sea. All I could hear was the sound of the waves crashing with the rocks. A disheveled man crossed me, dropped his sarong, and plunged into the water. There was an old wrinkled couple in the bare minimum clothes enjoying the sun and sand. A woman in her thongs playing with the waves... seemed like no one carried any baggage around here. Was this for real? Well... everything was so true to its name, Paradise. I was in Paradise!

Well... paradise that served pancakes and cheese omelets. Just Puuuurrrffffeeeccttt!

People were living in these small man made huts, not for a day or two, but for months. No electricity, one or no bathroom at times. But, really who cares, when the wide-open sea is all yours. I didn't want to leave. Could I please be a part of the picturesque setting? I knew it was a dream and we made our way back. But, I had already fixed a plan for the evening there. II had to come back and see it in the night.

On our way, tried my hand at some fishing, got lucky, too. But what excited me the most was a race with the dolphins in the open sea. Can you imagine? I was there in a boat watching the wild dolphins dipping dropping in the open sea, as thrilling as it could beJ

But somehow I had left my mind at paradise. We had to pay double the amount to the boatman, as it was a scary moonless night. As we approached the beach, I looked up at the sky and my mouth was left wide open. I was smiling like a child who has just seen candy land. Each and every star was clear and bright, twinkling, shining, more so because it was a moonless night. WOW! I raised my hand to touch them, I wanted to pluck them, but knew they're beyond my reach.

As we got back to Paradise it was not just the waves I heard. There was music, soothing, calm, more like a violin. I followed the tune and reached this dark hut where a guy sat on the steps playing an amazing tune. I roped him in.

So now it was the bonfire violin him and me,

Listening to a melody,

Humming along,

To create a song.

Some shine on my face,

My feet tapping, those strings vibrating, the waves splashing and the crackle sound,

Everything was so full of grace.

Could there be a better way to start a new year, a new day?