Land of the golden sand

Bhimli, near Vizag, has one of the safest beaches for swimming and water sports in the country, says Tanushree Podder

FOR those who rave about the beaches of Goa, here’s a secret, go South and travel around the unexplored sandy stretches and you will be delighted to discover that they are as good, if not better.

My chance discovery of a place known as Bhimli, short for Bheemunipatnam, came when I was visiting Visakhapatnam or Vizag, as it is popularly known. An hour-long drive along the coast fringed with palms and sea breeze blowing through your hair was an unforgettable delight. The smooth beach road between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam, which incidentally is the longest beach road in the country (about 25 km), has hilly terrain on the one side and a vast expanse of golden sand on the other. The road seems to rise and disappear into the looming hills before it hurtles down, in a series of breathtaking hairpin turns towards the Bay of Bengal. Bhimli is characterised by the sandy beaches picturesquely located where the Gosthani river flows into the Bay of Bengal.

The view that stretches before the eyes is stunning. The coconut trees lining the coast and mounds of red sand interspersed between small fishermen huts and boats are something out of an art movie.

According to legend, it was here that Pandava prince Bheema had slain the evil Bakasura. In the 3rd century, Bhimli became a part of the powerful Kalinga Empire before it was taken by the Pallavas of Kanchi, who yielded the land to the Cholas of Tanjore and finally the Qutubshahs of Golconda came to possess Bhimli.

In 1596, Cornelius Houtman, an adventurous Dutch navigator, set out on the route sailed by Vasco da Gama. Hitherto, a Portuguese domain, this part of India suddenly attracted the attention of the Dutch. Not willing to give up their discovery, the Dutch dispatched 60 ships in 14 batches to India. What followed were several battles for gaining supremacy of the prized piece of land. Several pitched battles later, the Dutch landed at Bhimli and set up a settlement. The Dutch began trading from the harbour they set up in the area. They also constructed several factories and a colony for their managers and traders. The port traded in tropical fruits, birds, animals, cloth, diamonds, emeralds and many other items. In the l7th century, Bhimli was transformed into a settlement of the Dutch traders who used the port for their business.

The discovery of iron ore in the regions around Bhimli made the Dutch traders ecstatic as the metal was in great demand in South-east Asia. The traders also bought loads of cotton fabric woven by the artisans of Bhimli. These were sent onwards to the Far East, to be used as sarongs. Bhimli was a settlement humming with activity that brought prosperity to its traders.

The Dutch supremacy, however, lasted for just over a century, till the British made their appearance. By 1750, Robert Clive had wrested many of the Indian settlements out of Dutch hands. The Dutch finally departed after signing a treaty with the English, in which they agreed to give up their colonies in India, in exchange for British lands in Sumatra.

After possessing the port, the British carried on trade from Bhimli. In 1868, they even built a lighthouse to guide seafarers. But with the increasing prominence of Visakhapatnam nearby, the port at Bhimli fell out of grace and the place turned into a small fishing village with scattered habitation. But the fall in grace cannot take away the merits of Bhimli, which is the second oldest municipality in the country. Bhimli beach is considered one of the safest for swimmers and surfers as the water is shallow.

My tryst with Bhimli began at the beach from where I could spot the lighthouse. A brief stroll brought me to a cemetery, just across the beach, which was used by Dutch traders. Enclosed by high walls, the cemetery with its handful of tombs remains a poignant reminder of the glory it once enjoyed as a prosperous Dutch settlement. Thirteen tombs in the cemetery mark the span of time from 1661 to 1770. Of these many carry Dutch inscriptions, which make it difficult to decipher the name of the people buried beneath. The pyramid-shaped grave of Federick Kesslerus, who died on October 8, 1661, is considered to be the earliest known Christian grave in this part of the country.

A walk around the lanes of Bhimli revealed small houses where chickens and goats had a free run of the place. The tiny market promised to be everything that a village market can be, with its ubiquitous offerings of plastic buckets, nylon ropes, vegetables, grains and other things necessary for human life. A 19^th-century clock tower and the church of St Peter are the only remnants of British occupation.

The beach is the heart of Bhimli. Sellers of coconut, fruits and sundry things accost visitors as they make their way to the sands. The locals have certainly realised the importance of their little place, with its sandy beaches and seafood. Small stalls selling fresh prawn and pomfret dishes have sprung up all around the beach.

All said and done, Bhimli has all the makings of becoming one of the most sought after beaches once people decide to move a little farther away from the beaten paths.

HOME