I have been travelling in the East Coast Road for three
years now. It is an exotic stretch of 166km of roadway running between
Cuddalore and Chennai through Pondicherry. Here is an account of the journeys
that I have enjoyed while travelling from Chennai to Pondicherry. After College
closes on Friday for the weekend, I take the bus from CMBT or Government Bus Stand
at Koyambedu. Being in a hostel, visiting home is allowed only once every month.
So there is a lot to take home- Dirty Jeans, Shoes and a whole lot of stories,
mostly about my fellow hostelites sneaking away. Usually the bus is not full
when it starts from Koyambedu promising a relaxed journey throughout. With so
much anticipation about the much awaited weekend of the month, the only
question that lingers in the mind is “How long will it take to reach home?
Usually three, sometimes four and rarely five. Inside the city, the bus takes a
jam packed, bumper to bumper route through Vadapalani, Guindy, Taramani and Tiruvanmiyur.
Though it is badly hot and profusely sweating, you can still be in peace.
Once the bus stops at Tiruvanmiyur, a whole lot of
pandemonium kicks the peace out of you. The bus gets jam
packed- IT Professionals with classy laptop bags each bearing a name
(Cognizant, HCL, TCS…), School and College students drenched in sweat from head
to toe with their load, elderly couples with cloth bags and trembling feet.
While some are drunk, some others travel with the very motive to drink at a
Saturday night party (You can make this out from their conversations!-a bit of
eavesdropping is a lot of fun). A few might smile at you every time your eyes
screen the passenger crowd. Some might recite their history and expect yours in
return. The best of all, some might be on the phone the entire journey,
giggling at times to make you realize that someone is sitting next to you. At
times, when the camaraderie works out well, they even share their food-mostly a
packet of Brittania Milk Bikis and a bottle of soft drink (A perfect trademark
of every Indian traveler). So when you travel you are sure to make some strange
encounter.
ECR has something for everyone in the family. MGM and VGP
Universal Kingdom has always been the favourite landmark for any kid travelling
by ECR. For a wildlife enthusiast, The Madras Herpetology Centre is a great
treat and for the diehard Grand Prix fan, there are a number of tracks to give Car
Racing a try.
If you are an aesthetic, ECR has a lot in store for you.
Very near Tiruvanmiyur is Cholamandal Artists’ Village. It is a haven for those
exceptionally inclined towards artistic works. The next hot spot is Dakshin Chitra,
an irresistible hangout especially for those with an interest to understand and
enjoy culture,traditional lifestyle and architecture. It houses a plethora
of building models, each symbolizing a
definite culture. There are eateries to give you the taste of different culinary
styles.
As the journey continues, a debate on a hot topic, usually
politics might slowly rise between two co passengers who are completely strange to
each other. The debate would slowly catch fire as more and more people add fuel
to the flames. After intense and rigorous arguments, they would settle only for
an another to start.
Something remarkable about buses is they promise you Point
to Point Service. And yes they stop at every possible point driving you to inexplicable
restlessness and exasperation. Alright, there is no other go. It is better to
look out and enjoy nature than bothering about the clamorous passengers. A
number of trees on either side provide ample shade from the blistering sun.
Slashing waves and the cool breeze will simply lure
you to sleep. But I have always made sure not to sleep for the only fear that
someone would kidnap me!
ECR is the best getaway for our Romeos and Juliets offering
those cinematic and dramatic backdrops for their duet- lonely road, rusty bike,
long paddy fields, a little stream on one side and a vast shore on the other.
Every now and then, a bike would ply past (Whooshh!)leaving one in absolute
envy.
Set in the lap of nature is Mahabalipuram or Mahabs, as
everyone loves to call it. It is undoubtedly a major tourist spot that draws
thousands of tourists every day. Get nostalgic and smell History! Even today, a
number of temples and chariots are found that were once built by great Kings
Centuries ago.
The bus usually stops at small hotels for a break of 10 to
15 minutes. These hotels are mostly thatched huts with urinals that stink like
any other public urinal in our country. Looking at the M.R.P is of absolutely no use in these hotels. You pay
twice. For a man travelling with his kith and kin, his wallet would weigh
only half of what it would have weighed before. And the food, one bite and you
will decide whether to dump or throw.
Edakazhinadu, Uthandi, Panaiyur are little villages that dot
the scenic ECR. Most of the houses are lit by traditional lamps.There are little rivers and streams that run
through these villages. Being estuarine, they are ideal spots for fishing and
prawn hatching. If you are lucky, you will spot evening markets selling fruits
and vegetables fresh from the farm, fancy stores, candies and definitely fish(juicy and fresh for dinner).
A good number of birds with beautiful plumage can be spotted
along this road. The best places being Muttukadu (Boat House), Kovalam
and Marakkanam.
Even as a beautiful sunset awaits in the west, there is
something in the east as well. Tall chimneys and power stations form the landmark of Kalpakkam, which houses MAPS (Madras Atomic Power Station).
It is in this power packed township, a lot of research is being carried on for
the development of nuclear energy in India. There is just one more place left
on ECR before entering Pondicherry and that is Marakkanam, a stretch of land that is
covered with large heaps of salt, as white as snow. Ever enjoyed the beauty of
salt? A pinch from these big heaps is what makes a dining a fine dining.
As in the beginning, there is very little crowd in the bus. Enter
Pondicherry and the first thing that welcomes is Auroville, an international
settlement started to spread peace in the lives of everyone. Again this stretch
of ECR is dotted by a number of small villages like Kalapet, Puthupet,
Bommaiyarpalayam. The bus turns right to enter the city limits and Pondicherry embraces me in its full glory. The much awaited
weekend is set to start. The next two days are going to be absolutely spectacular.
Whatever, a travel through ECR is exotic enough to show you everything-Nature,
History, Science, Culture and what not!
