With summer vacation coming to an end, the Manginapudi beach near here is full of activity. The number of people thronging the beach is also swelling. The soaring temperatures have also fuelled the people to spend some time on the beach to beat the heat.
The people who could not make it to other tourist spots are making a beeline to this cool place. Bustling with activity from dawn to dusk it wears a colourful look as 600 to 700 tourists visit on normal days and on Sundays and holidays it crosses 2,200.
Despite the scorching heat on Thursday, the beach was brimming with people of different age groups. The youth were seen playing throw ball in sea waters risking their lives. Some painted their bodies with sand and posed for photographs. The visitors did not mind paying an extra buck to professionals to capture the sweet memories.
The private photographers were busy looking for a prospective client to eke out their livelihood. The local youth began looking for job opportunities with their little experience in the world of photography. Two years ago, tourists hardly used to find any photographer. Now, the number of amateur photographers is on the rise.
Families from different parts of the district arrived, some treating themselves to locally made ice cream and tender coconut water. Hot favourites of visitors were bajjies, fish fry, or ‘muntha masala', a local savory made out of puffed rice.
There are abundant palm fruits (munjalu) for sale. “I prefer the ‘munjalu' as they keep my child cool and refreshes his body and also protects from sunstroke,” says Chaitanya, a college-goer.
Summer also meant brisk business for many like Yesu, a fruit vendor. “During the other days it is normal business, but it picks up on Sundays,” he said.
The swell in number of visitors also brings problems and there are no proper arrangements for the tourists. There are no lifeguards or any life-saving equipment available in the event of a mishap.
