Pulicat Lake

Few weeks back we went to Pulicat, which is about 75kms from my home and 60kms from Chennai toward North. It was a sunny Sunday and we get ready early for the journey and the ride went through marina, kasimedu, minjue, kaattur and pulicat and the route were new to us after kasimedu – Chennai fishing harbor. The north Chennai which always seems crowded and dusty isn’t different, and the day being uncertain about the lorry strike announced to protest against the diesel price rise, the tankers that were suppose to enter harbor were parked a lot along the way and across kasimedu, turned the way into single and the road work going at some places delayed our drive to pulicat.

Pulicat is a huge lake shares the border of state Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which is also known as Pazhaverkadu, a fishing village located within Tamil Nadu. Pulicat is the one and second largest brackish-water eco-system in India, next to Orissa’s Chilka Lake.

Pulicat is also a lake bird sanctuary, and many birds migrate here overseas by winter and the famous greater flamingos are sighting here. Pulicat, having a history back to 1st century, where it was mentioned as one of the ports on the east cost of India, has the arrival of Portuguese in 15th century and followed by the Dutch.

The Dutch came here as there ships got struck on the shores, from where the coast line got the name Coramandal, still bears the evidence of the Dutch’s existence through the ruins of Fort Geldria built by the Dutch and a easy view of a Dutch Church and Cemetery. During those periods, Pulicat was known by the name pallaicatta.

It was noon by the time we arrived pulicat and as soon we enter the village, many people stop our vehicle for boat ride. Keeping away those request, except a guy who talked in hope and caused to support us to the island through a boat ride, we moved across the new bridge before hire his boat. The bridge was newly built to connect the Island village with transport which were until then occurred by boats and bullock cart – when the water level is low.

The Pulicat Lake is a merging point for three major rivers and small streams, including the Buckingham canal, which is part of the lagoon on its western side. The lagoon’s water exchange with the Bay of Bengal is through an inlet channel at the north end of Sriharikota – where the Indian space rockets are launched – and out flow channel at its southern end with 200 meters wide, and the rise and depth is depend on the flow.

There isn’t anything to see other than the Old Lighthouse, on the island village across the bridge, which is sighted from everywhere and even far away. It was a wonderful view from the bridge, with a panoramic of both sides of the lake, and besides seeing a small island away, and a boat with a box perhaps fishes passed away.

We were back to the jetty, where our boat man waited for us and the place doesn’t look clean and hygiene, and what can we expect from a place where the boats unload the fishes caught from the lake and seas. After a task we climbed the boat, which is an old one made in woods than the many colorful fiber boats. The boat man helped my parents and cousin to assist me into the boat, and without them I can’t enjoyed the ride.

The boat ride takes about 25 minutes to reach the island, where everyone suppose to visit and spent time with families and friends. The casuarinas groves in the island provides a nice shelter to everyone from the scorching sunshine and people who comes with gas stoves, cook meals and have fun with there families. While we arrive, there were a group of guys having fun with there friends by dancing, singings and making noise.

On the way we saw three pelicans swam in the lake at a certain distance to one another and it was late noon while we had our lunch that we brought from home, except the spicy prawns cooked by grandma, which were caught from the lake by then. It was very hot weather that day and we can’t head out of the casuarinas groves we land on. The boats stops by and moves, people flow in and out, the boats resound every minute and then, disturbing the peace which is the cause they say about birds keeping away from the sight.

It was time to return back and the sun was there still scorching about even it was evening, forcing its rays into the soft skin. The island was green enough with grasses grown everywhere to attract and the waters are clean to see the sand inside, and a nice place to take cool bath against sunshine. The ride was very pleasant while returning back, except the hot sunshine, the blue skies and water reflects beautiful with mild ripples waves that calm the moment, but though excite to see a lonely greater flamingo flying overhead to surprise.

The boat ride took a long way while return back and the dept of water at these places are said to be more than a man’s height and we saw a fisher men just waking in the middle of the lagoon lake, with water up to his neck and he was planting sticks and nets to catch prawns. As we unload ourselves from the boat, the water level had raised down little to land us on the unclean terrain, where two women washing fishes beside.

It is nice to spend a day different by taking a boat and having picnic in an island and watching birds – which is something, disappoint me and I wish to visit Pulicat in winters to sight greater flamingos. I think now it would be nice if we taken a boat from the island village which has better and clean jetty or visiting the Tamil Nadu Boat House for a decent boat ride we failed to check.

This time we tried the NH 5 to return home, to avoid the containers trouble in north Chennai. The road link the pulicat and NH5 is simple nice, as it passes through villages and fields giving a sense of freshness in absence of much vehicles. My cousin who is on wheels in his early stage drew back home safely, saving a goat and small puppy which were in there own world across the road. I wish I get a good companion soon in him to drive me everywhere, without waiting for dad or a driver.