Sinchita Mitra

Travelling has always been an outburst of joy for me. Over the years I have seen and encountered so many wondrous experiences while travelling. Travelling begets I kind of happiness in me. Yet, over the years one major challenge has taken shape. Due to my extensive travelling expeditions, it is increasingly becoming hard for me to find new and exciting places that I haven’t been to before.

This time around too I was wallowing in this kind of a dilemma when my friend came to rescue. He nonchalantly suggested I visit Udupi and experience a different kind of a culture that I am usually used to. Of course, he subtly suggested that I hang out with him in Bangalore and then head to Udupi.

Udupi is exactly the kind of town I enjoy. It is a coastal town surrounded by palm trees and beautiful beaches. It is also known for its popular temples. Located in Karnataka, it is about a 9 hours drive from Bangalore. The idea of sandy beaches and the fresh sea breeze convinced me to pack up and head to Udupi to enjoy its laid back life.

Note- There are buses from Bangalore also which can take you to Udupi. A round trip by bus costs about 1050 INR

Udupi

I arrived at Udupi, pretty early in the morning. My instant thought was to shrug off my weariness and instantly dive into the flavours of this new unexplored town.

Udupi is not only known for its pristine white beaches, but also for its precisely and intricately cute stone carved temples. The whole town smells of divinity as I see a lot of pilgrims making their way to the temples.

Shri Krishna Matha

I got off my ride and walked alongside the pilgrims. I have always been a big fan of mixing with the locals since they are the ones that know what to do and where to go for a town that is new to me. I could hear the divine devotion and radiating spirituality through their chants.

As I reached closer to this famous temple, I was met with hordes of pilgrims who bowed their heads in devotion.

This temple is dedicated to Shri Krishna, and one unique charm of the temple is that- the idol is worshipped through an intricately carved window called the Navagraha Kindi.

This place of worship was founded by Vaishnavite saint Shri Madhvacharya in the 13th Century.

I was completely engulfed by the spirituality that emanated off the walls of this temple and relished the sweet lip smacking Prasadam that I was offered.

The temple opens as early as 5:30 am.

Before heading off to my second spot, I decided to go back to my hotel, freshen up and then head back here.

Maple Beach

Beaches are what I live for. I have always been a water baby, and everything about a beach attracts me instantly. May it be the mighty waves crashing, or the sand, or the millions of seashells scattered around or maybe just the birds that fly around, everything captivates me.

As I entered the Maple Beach, all I could think was how clean it was. There were food stalls everywhere, yet the beach was pristine- which is a very unlikely situation in India.

I stepped into the clean sand and immediately helped me to the delicious seafood that these stalls were offering. After one bite itself, I was in love.

The beach has all kinds of water sports that one can dream of enjoying. This is a beach that is so perfect and offers everything that the heart desires

As I was walking through the beach, I suddenly spotted a little starfish lying there right near the water. It looked so beautiful and regal just lying there under the sun with the sea as its view. I too lay down like the starfish and enjoyed the unbelievable peace that overcame me.

I wanted to stay so much longer and revel at this mystical beach, but I did have another place to go. So I reluctantly got up and headed to my next stop.

St. Mary Island

This secluded island can only be reached through a boat ride- which makes it even more intriguing. The island is not inhabited at all and is only open to tourists. Just before our boat was parked at the shore, we were asked to give up all kinds of plastic bottles to make sure that the area is not littered.

As I jumped off the boat and into this magical island, I knew I was hopelessly in love. Everything from the water, to the hexagonal rocks to the white sandy beach was exactly perfect. It was like watching God’s finest work.

Water sports are very limited here, but the sheer beauty for it makes up for everything that it is lacking in. I climbed one of those hexagonal rocks and got the best views ever.

I just sat there on the beach relishing every moment of the azure sea water and wanting to never go back.

Note- The ferries do not have fixed timings, but the last ferry from St. Mary Island to the main town leaves at 5:30 pm. The price per person is Rs. 300

Kaup Beach

My final stop was at Kaup Beach. It is known for its breathtaking lighthouse that stands proudly at one side atop some rocky hills. I took upon myself to climb the stairs that lead to the lighthouse in time to enjoy the sun setting. The lighthouse offers amazing views of the coastline, and I was just in time to join other revellers who gathered to watch the sun descend into the horizon.

It was truly a sight to behold. The sun broke into a thousand shades of yellow and started its descent. The sand of the beach turned golden, and the sea water started glittering as the hues from the sun spread all over. The little boats with their sails up made up for the perfect addition to this beautiful phenomena.

Everything about this was ethereal.

Leaving Paradise

My time in Udupi had come to an end, after a scrumptious breakfast the next day. To say that I enjoyed Udupi, would be an understatement. I fell absolutely in love with this little beach town that keeps on giving. There are some places that I missed due to lack of time, but every part of my heart is now gearing up to visit these places and come back to Udupi as soon as possible again.