By Shobha Rao Smilemaker
Mar 1: One of the ways to get away from the stress of city life is to spend time at a beach. The combination of the sun, sea, sky, sand, and wind makes me feel one with all the five elements of nature!
It was a pleasure to spend time at a beach home in a place called Akshi village near Alibag in Maharashtra which is famous for attracting a wide species of birds. During the low tide of the morning, we saw thousands of sea gulls in the distance, creating a line of white that seperated the blue sea waters from the grey sands! And the beauty of the orange glow during sunset in the evening was something that has to be experienced and cannot be expressed in words!
Even the quaint Akshi village had a charm of its own. I saw cute small temples like the Kalamba-Jagdamba temple or the Someshwar Shiv mandir with its carved wooden pillars.
An interesting landmark is the Akshi stamb near the entrance junction giving details of how Rs.1,76,713 was raised by the Dongre family by 16th Feb1934 to get a bridge constructed across the waters that gave easy access to the villagers. Now most of the homes have become homestays to cater to the needs of tourists looking for a tryst with nature at this serene place.
I was particularly lucky to interact with a Vasudeva - a typical Maharashtrain wandering bhajan singer, looking resplendent in his traditional costume and the distinctive headgear of peacock feathers. Without my asking, he told me lots of things about my nature, my past and my future too, and I burst into tears remembering my father whose name was also Vasudeva. He continued singing the soothing Vasudev songs and received alms from the village householders during his morning performance routine on the streets of the Akshi village.
Khana, peena, gappe maarna, and sona (Eat, drink, be merry and sleep) is what a chilled out time means especially in the company of good friends. This was the time for us to check out authentic Maharashtrian cuisine like misal pav, wada pav, powa, puri shrikhand, bharli vangi, varan bhaath, and much more.
And then with a smile, we had to bid goodbye to the local staff of the beach home who gave us this typical unforgettable Mahashtrian experience at Akshi village and beach. I love my India..wow India!
Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.