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For that spectacular sunset
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Kaup beach is an idyllic setting to watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea with the quirky lighthouse standing sentinel
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PHOTOS: by author
As far as eye can see A view of Kaup Beach, 50 km from Mangalore city from atop a lighthouse on the beach built by the British in 1935
There was no board pointing to a beach, but I was told it is there. Travelling down the NH-17 along the Arabian Sea, I was on the lookout for the right beach to watch the sunset.
Maravanthe beach was the first choice. This is the spot where the Arabian Sea and the Sauparnika River form fringes for the NH-17. But the beach has lost some of its beauty thanks to the rocks along the edge to prevent erosion. It is now said to be quite rare to see waves splashing over the highway. The next choice was Malpe, but being featured as one of the “Incredible India” beaches, it attracts hordes of tourists who make an evening a veritable carnival.
That was when the word Kaup (strangely pronounced kapu) came to my mind. I was told to drive south from the pilgrim centre of Udupi and after about ten kilometres take a turn west. It is easy to miss the turn off, as there is no board pointing to the beach.
The road started as a mud track but soon became a smooth metalled single lane country road that wound through coconut groves and lush paddy fields that Dakshina Kannada is famous for. You catch glimpses of the ocean through the trees but you have to wait a couple of kilometres before finally making it.
Walking towards the beach, I cringed at the sight of a bar and quite a big fast food outlet. It smacked of a popular tourist spot, but once I hit the sand it was a pleasant surprise. Kaup is really a beach with character. Formed on two sides of a cove, the most striking landmark on the beach is a lighthouse built by the British at the mouth of the estuary.
I was surprised that this beach in spite of being so close to two big urban centres, has managed to remain remarkably litter-free. You do get the confidence to go barefoot without stepping on broken beer bottles.
No cameras
The lighthouse is definitely worth the climb and the Rs. 5 entry fee. It is built on rocks that appear out of the sand from nowhere. But you have to get past a very over-zealous guard at the base of the tower. Two cameras slung from my shoulders, I was stopped as soon as I entered. “No camera allowed saab,” he said. I asked why and pat came the reply: “It is written on the board saab. See there”.
Sure enough with the entire technical specs of the lighthouse which included the detail that it was assembled by Chance Bros from the U.K. in 1935, there was the fine print which said, “no sticks, umbrellas and cameras allowed to the top of the tower”. After much prodding the man said sticks and umbrellas could damage the light fixture, but there was no reason for the ban on cameras. I was brusquely told to pack in my cameras and go up. I was flummoxed at why he was talking in Hindi instead of the local language, and I asked him the reason.
The poor chap it seems was from Mulayam Singh Yadav’s hometown in Uttar Pradesh, which is as faraway from the ocean as you can get, but had been posted here by the Department of Lighthouses and Lightships.
“Government of India hai saab,” he said in a tone of resignation, and then a little sympathy for the homesickness did the trick.
“You take the camera but open it only at the top. It is all right, people have cameras even in mobile phones today,” he added. The winding staircase is painted black and white. On the way up if you can examine the mechanism of the light house if it is to your taste. The view from the observation platform is spectacular. You can see the beach stretch for miles on both sides fringed by green coconut palms and watch the waves slam into the rocks below.
The sunset must be enjoyed from the beach as the lighthouse is closed to visitors at 6 p.m. Pick a spot for yourself on the sand and watch the show unfold. The monsoon can be a tricky time with clouds spoiling the horizon in moments but you can be often rewarded with a spectacular show of colours. And as the sun sinks lower, the lighthouse begins its work, with the beam from its white strobe reaching out to guide vessels in deep water.
ANAND SANKAR
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