Out on a dream Island

This weekend I had been to the St. Mary's Island - a heaven I encountered on this planet.

St. Mary's Isles are a group of small islands lying a little to the north of the port of Malpe 7 kms form Udupi. Vasco-da-Gama landed in 1498 on one of these islands which he called `EI Padron de Santa Maria'. It is from this that these islands got their present name. They are just a few scattered projections of rock rising out of the western or Arabian Sea around Malpe.

The northern-most island is about a square mile in area and not more than 250 yards in width. It has coconut gardens which make it the shadiest of all the islands and give it a true South Sea color. The island is noted for its famous basalt rocks which Kulkunda, where a large cattle fair is held at the time of the have crystallized into columns and split into hexagonal mosaic. Perhaps, this is the only spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formation.It is a really geological monument and tourists heaven. Totally uninhabited, St Mary's has just a few coconut trees for vegetation but nonetheless there are quite a few things that one can do here. If you happen to the lazy type, you can spend relaxed moments watching the azure blue sea. And when it gets too hot, you can catch your proverbial 40 winks of sleep in those straw huts constructed by tour-operators. The hexagonal rocks in various shades: of black and red are certain to hypnotize the itinerant tourist and one can spend quite some time climbing the taller ones. You can put more than your big toe in lagoons created by these rocky outcrops. Or walk on the soft, sands with the waves gently caressing your feet. Adults and children often succumb to the pleasures of collecting seashells that litter certain stretches of the beach.

The islands hold out possibilities of being developed into a popular holiday resort.

Presenting some of the great moments I spent on this island :