Chariots of the Gods

I have been a ‘land-locked’ person for most of my life. My first visit to the beach was in the year 1993 when I went with my family to Puri, in Orissa, for my winter vacations.

Puri is a place that sees a constant inflow of tourists throughout the year, both for its beaches and for Jagannath Temple, one of the Char Dhams, but the crowd is especially large during festival times and vacations.

We had arrived two days before Christmas, in the evening, and without any prior bookings made.

End result – we had to hunt around for lodging for over 3 hours before we could finally get a place to stay. We were seeking rooms at one of our last few options when I got to see the sea for the very first time in my life.

I was awed by what I saw. The sea was almost inky black, and with the waves breaking on the shore and the sounds that are typical of the sea rushing in, it was a sight not forgotten easily, a magnificence that is hard to capture in words.

After a few fun filled days spent frolicking on the beach, we decided to push off to Konark, which is situated 35 km from Puri, and is home to the Sun Temple, also called the Black Pagoda.

We hired a car from Puri and drove along the Puri-Konark Marine Drive. I don’t recall much about the drive except that the beaches that lined the road were as good as any you would find in Mauritius, with white, unpolluted sands and a clear green sea. And not to forget are the absolutely lip smacking samosas and huge rasgullas we had at a tiny chai-paani stall on the way.

Konark Temple is a world apart altogether. An architectural grandeur, the temple is covered with marvelously designed sculptures in all sizes. Legend has it that the temple was constructed by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, in honor of Sun God. Although I was too small at that time to appreciate it very much, I still remember being amazed at the size of the huge wheels all around it and the intricate carvings all over the temple.


We came back after a week, 5 shades darker, with luggage full of native Odissi handicrafts, loads of shopping, and beautiful memories of our time in the sun ‘n sand.