Having splashed the sea under a hot sun for hours together, we were looking very different; almost needed a torch to find ourselves in the dim light of the hotel room.

Eyes popped out, tanned darkened skin, with hair that almost felt like hay, notwithstanding, we still wanted another excursion to the sea. Such was the intense joy of splashing seawater.

The brooding sea

All we saw was a pale blue haze over the sea, the haze was deep enough to cover the crashing waves. We could not wait so rushed out to explore.

The weather around 5.45 am was so different and this unique change can only be felt and cannot be described.

The sand was wet from the pounding sea and the temperature probably fell several points on the scale as our bare feet could gauge the surrounding sifting sand. The speedy wind had changed to a gentle breeze and the coolness made us fold our hands and arch our bodies to preserve the body warmth.

There was utter calmness around, lacked the sound of people, except for the occasional shout of a raven and the hiss of the gentle waves lapping the shore.

Sea side activities

The day slowly brightened and all eyes looked left towards the east to catch the first light of the infant sun before it matured to a full circle of a fireball.

‘Nulias‘ or the local fishermen, who are expert swimmers and also double up like a rescue team with yellow T-shirts and caps on were asking us if we wanted to venture out into the sea.

As we were talking to them, suddenly out of nowhere, the yellow sun reminiscent of an egg yolk came out of the gray haze above the sea.

We stood there as the sun climbed up the sky and the day brightened with every move of the golden sun.

What a splendid sight!

Touched the sea

As the day progressed, hordes of bathers joined the beach and people splashed at will.

A few, including us, ventured out to the deeper part of the sea, beyond the waves where we did not touch the sandy beach but emptiness touched our legs as we waded through the dark seawater over the steep continental shelf.

Nulias held our hands, and armed with a tire tube snugly fitting our waist, we faced the might of the rushing water.

We continued to enjoy the waves that do not beat you up but gently push you until you are drowned to the nose and immediately bring you down

..a feeling of ecstasy which no one wanted to relinquish.

Bliss of morning sea

After spending two hours in the cool sea, a trance set in, all the fatigue washed away, all the man-made city pain that plugs your system swabbed away, and we emerged like new souls. 

We turned to look at the friendly sun and bid goodbye to the crimson glow that had filled our senses and made us ready for the harsh world which we call ‘land’.

Inference

• The Puri sea beach is the location of the world-famous annual Puri Beach Festival
• Puri Beach was awarded the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ tag on October 11, 2020, by the Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark
• Visit Baulimatha – where Guru Nanak stayed during his visit to Puri
• The wayside stalls prop up along the beach selling popular Indian snacks to sea seafood
• Do not forget to catch the sea shells that remain littered on the beach as natural souvenirs

Traveler’s handbook

Visit places around the sea beach	Shri Jagannath Temple, Gundicha Temple, Shri Vimala Shakti Peeth Temple, Puri Swargadwar, Sudarsan Crafts Museum Govardhan Peetham Sankaracharya Mutt, Sakhi Gopal Temple, Light House Beach
Location	Puri Beach lies in the city of Puri, Odisha, about 2 km away from Puri Railway station
Transportation	You can get E-rickshaws or auto at Rs.50 to Rs.100. Cycle rickshaws charge Rs.20-Rs.50 (cost dependent on distance)
Distance from Bhubaneshwar (Capital city, Odisha) to Puri	65 Kms
Pocket pinch	Good budget hotels to good ones: Rs.1050 to Rs.2600 per night. Do not go for seedy hotels, offering less than Rs.1000 per night
Local cuisines of Puri	Khicede, Malpoa (dessert), Dalma, Ukhuda, Abadha, Chungdi malai, Chenna poda(dessert)