A day in Marina Beach

Being a Chennaite, one thing which was always an integral, emotional and exciting part of my childhood was going to the beach. And not just any beach but Marina Beach, the world’s 2^nd longest beach. I remember sitting on the wet grass and having ‘sundal’ and ‘murukus’ with family and friends. Ofcourse the cotton candy have now taken over the murukus and aloe vera have taken over coconut water, but the sameexcitement still remains!

Whenever I visited or still visit the Marina beach, I start from the Gandhi statue. And I guess so is the way for many people. Whether it being a spacious and vast area or the solitude, whatever the reason, Gandhi statue is one of the places in beach where you can find people either in the morning or evening. 

As I move on further, a wave of laughter hits me. The laughter club. On a weekend, you just cannot miss this energetic group of men laughing away their troubles. We recognize each other from my earlier visits and exchange smiles and plesantries.

Cops patrol in the mornings on the inner beach road to ensure cars and motor cycles do not enter so that walkers, joggers and everyone else are allowed to have their routine peacefully without any incidents or mishaps.  Bicycles are another matter altogether.

An avid lover of dogs, I met this cute Otter hound named Rissi, who happily jaunts away with his owner on weekends. And this adorable Pug named Messi who just wanted to keep playing. Wanting to move on, when I said bye, Messi simply started barking and did not stop. Messi did not like good-byes. 

Master Sifu Ilayaraja of New Eagle Chinese Kungfu Academy is seen with his students at the end of the day’s class.

After all the walking, jogging, karate and boxing, people can relax and have a glass of ‘fresh aloe vera’ juice which seems to be the fad nowadays. Either you drink it for reducing weight or apply it on your skin to work wonders; aloe vera, considered an all-in-one package is provided by vendors at Marina on early morning weekends. 

Evenings are a different story at Marina. The place is abuzz with people of all ages of which I find the kids in abundance. Be it skating rinks, horse riding, cotton candy, toy shops, balloon shooting, carousel rides or the sea, kids are all over. 

A kid enjoys on a carousel ride while his parents watch.

Marina Beach is like a haven and a mini wonderland for the kids who in turn make it an enjoyable evening for the entire family. It is so wonderful to observe the Marina Beach during a weekend or a holiday. With so many activities around, even a loner will forget his/her loneliness.

You can never miss the ever famous Bajji-shops! They are an inseparable part of Marina. One of my personal favorites, I have them every time I come to Marina. You can get a variety of bajjis ranging from chilies to onions, from potatoes to plantains at a rate of 20 – 30 rupees a plate.

Toys galore!

It is not just a place to get your feet wet, but also a place to witness a collage of the cultural blend that Chennai offers. Irrespective of caste or creed, culture or religion, this is a place where only one thing matters, pure bliss and enjoyment. Here I feel a freedom from all my worries and troubles even if it’s for a while.

As I walk along, I stop at this group of people hovering around someone. I try to peek in and notice this young modern boy getting his future told by the fortune teller. It made me think that in this contemporary day and age, what not just people but the younger generation believes and thinks. It was amusing to note this woman telling him not to go searching for his lady love because his lady love will instead find him. A ripple of laughter arose from his friends teasing the poor chap and I moved on smiling.

“Can I please have one Grandpa?” asks the young girl politely. Sweet grandpa cannot resist her innocent smile and she ends up with her favorite red balloon. The balloon man spreads yet another smile. 

While in another corner, it pains my heart to see another child fixing a toy, not his toy, to be sold. He is shy at first to talk or to be photographed. I ask him his name, Raj Kumar he replies. I observe him for a while and ask him about his parents and school. As I feel him getting comfortable I ask him if I can take his photograph. He looks at me reluctantly. I persuade him saying I will show his picture and if he does not like I will not take further. He agrees. I get a couple of shots of him doing his activity and finally ask him to look at the camera. I show his picture and ask if he likes it. He just smiles shyly and continues with his work.

An old man and others in the background try to listen to the ticking sound of the wristwatch at MGR Samadhi.  M.G.Ramachandran better known as MGR was a popular South Indian actor who later became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of people visit to pay their respect to this leader. Some people claim they can hear the ticking sound, while others don’t hear any. After trying to listen for more than a couple of times, I decided that I unfortunately fell in the latter category.

 A visit to Marina is incomplete without visiting the Light house which was re-opened last after 22 years to the public. The queue is right till outside the entrance on weekends. As seen through a child’s eye is a breath taking view from the 9^th floor.

There is also a museum attached to the light house.

The place is as busy at night as it is in the evening. This is one place where you can go with empty pockets but come back with lots of fun filled memories! 

Me at the MGR Samadhi, unsuccessful in hearing the tick-tock!

Marina Beach is the world's 2nd longest beach, along the Bay of Bengal. The beach runs a distance of 13 kms making it the longest natural urban beach.