‘But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean.’—H.P.Lovecraft.
Yes! Ocean is always mystique…It can cast a spell on the onlooker and can ease you down…Beach therapy, as it is called. I always wanted to own a piece of land on the beach side with no one around, totally disconnected from the whole world, so that you can day dream throughout the day. St.Mary’s Islands near Malpe beach in Udupi turned out to be the perfect destination. Visiting a place that is hidden in the sea which is full of hexagonal rock formation! That is the whole USP of St.Mary’s Islands.
Malpe Beach,Udupi
Ferry ride from Malpe beach to St.Mary’s Islands takes almost half an hour. The island looks beautiful even from the distance, fully dotted with coconut trees. You will fall in love with the place the moment you step into the island…with crystal clear water, white sand with full of shells and marvelous hexagonal shaped rock formation.
Your jaw drops at the first glimpse of this rock formation and you will be like “Oh God!!You are one hell of a sculptor!!” The rocks look so other worldly and give the impression of having been artificially constructed. Let’s call this as an Indian version of the famous Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
These rock formations in the columnar form are made of basalt and were formed due to sub volcanic activity while Madagascar got rifted from India about 88 million years ago. Because of these unique ‘columnar joints’, these islands are declared as a National Geological Monument by Geological Survey of India.
Stories say Vasco-da-Gama landed in these islands first and called them ‘EI Padron de Santa Maria' after Mother Mary. That is how these islands got their current name.
Find a quiet corner for yourself away from the entire crowd and then it’s just you and the sound of the waves crashing to the beach. You can enjoy this unearthly beauty as long as you want (but till the last boat back to the mainland of course). Soaking in Sun’s warmth and smelling the salty air…you will feel like you have blended with the nature and this is the closest you have ever been to her…
P.S: Please please please don’t throw the plastic bottles and stuff on the island. Keep it clean and intact the way the God created it…