The south western monsoon is on its way out, says Murali Krishnan a techie from Bengaluru. “This year my biker friends and I went to the coast four times to enjoy the roar of the Arabian Sea in its wildest avatar. We have seen the vivid curls of the surf, the sand being churned by the waves and the filled our ears with the deep thud of huge waves landing on the shore. The Mangaluru coast presents the sea at its most tempestuous among the other shores we have visited in Kerala and Goa.”
For Prasad and his friends from Mysuru, it is the rain and the wind on the beaches that is enchanting and brings them here at least once a year. “We wanted to see the action during the International surfing event in May, but we had our exams. We made it in September. Though my friends in Mangaluru told me that July and August were the best times to visit, we were lucky there were rains in September too. The sound of rain and the interplay of thunder and lightning on the sea is something everybody must experience at least once.”
Experiencing the monsoon on the beach has now become very popular. “There has been a change in profile of beach visitors,” Yatishi Baikampady, CEO of the Panambur Beach Development Project said. “Not very long ago, the beaches were deserted during the monsoon. Only a few fishermen were seen mending their boats and nets. Now we get 15,000 to 17,000 visitors a day and a mind-boggling 40,000 in the weekends.”
Visitors to the beach during the monsoons have the lifeguards working overtime. “The sea is rough and people can easily get dragged away by the current. There has however, not been a single drowning on our beach during the monsoons. However, we are extra vigilant with visitors who get excited at the surging water and often misjudge the current,” Baikampady says.
Sea that side
The liberalisation of beach tourism in 2014 in the State has brought about a number of changes. The government had identified 40 beaches all along the 302 kilometres of coastline of Karnataka, out of which 15 beaches have already been leased out to the beach tourism development. There are four beaches in Mangaluru taluk and six beaches in Udupi district have been so far developed. Five beaches in Uttara Kannada are under development.
Check these out
Someshwara: Sixteen kilometres from Mangaluru city, the Someshwara Temple is the main attraction. The sea is rough through the year. There is a basic food court and boat rides. The closest town is Ullal.
Panamburu: The first beach to come under private beach development and management, Panamburu is just three kilometres from Mangaluru City. There is an elaborate food court, rides, good security features, mobile lifeguard cover. It is a popular destination for flash mobs, concerts, and adventure sports.
Taneerbavi: The wooded beach and casuarina plantation surrounding most part of the beach makes it a good spot for picnics. The tree park nearby is an additional attraction.
Sasihitlu: Till last year this beach attracted only few visitors from the nearby, but from 2016 it has attracted international attention due to the surfing competition. It is the first stretch of beach identified in Karnataka for surfing events.
