Today I can proudly say, I am living my dream. The dream of freedom, free spirit, and a free life. I chose what to do, how to live and where to live, because I loved it, and not because the society wanted it or would not accept me. I found a niche to stand away from a society that seemed toxic to my well being. I found my ground where there are less judgements and more acceptance. A live and let live attitude. In this journey, I found my purpose. And that purpose was to live each day with a smile on my face.
Finding the true passion of surfing
One day in July 2013, a friend invited me for a beer to Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO heritage site one hour from Chennai. It was then I saw for the first time, kids and some fisher boys riding the wave. In less than half an hour I was sitting with Mumu of Mumu’s Surf School in Mahabalipuram, getting ready for a lesson from him. It was July 16, 2013. My first ride lasted less than 30 seconds, but in those 30 seconds, I knew right there on that red board, that this was a life changing moment. As I rode that first wave, there was an explosion of joy, freedom and crumbling of ego within me. I was riding on a board 9 ft long, along the mighty ocean, a humbling experience, yet at the same time, I felt I had conquered all the demons in my head. Everything else that was bogging me down seemed so insignificant. I went on and on for three hours in the water that day. When I was done for the day, for the next few days, I could not stop a smile or stop talking about this amazing ride.
It was a pure state of Zen out there in the ocean, where the mind, body and soul were in complete harmony. While waiting for a wave there are various thoughts in the mind, and then when I start to paddle all I can think of is I have got to conquer this wave, and then it’s the purest form of joy. Whether it’s lying down on the board, on my knees (my preferred style due to a severe locked knee problem) or standing up, the euphoria is the same. Surfing calmed me down in many ways, it taught me patience, sometimes waiting for the right wave can take about 20 minutes, and against the mighty ocean we are just a small speck and that thought is extremely humbling.
Every weekend I found myself drawn to Mahabs (Mahabalipuram) to surf. It was like a drug, an obsession. In addition to this passion, I also found some new friends, whose alternative lifestyle soothed my soul, reiterating that it’s alright to live a nomadic and gypsy like life and many of their thoughts echoed with mine. The fishing village of Mahabalipuram welcomed me with open arms.
An alternative lifestyle
In the meantime, I picked up a small one bedroom apartment for my weekend getaway, this also gave me a better understanding of life in a village as compared to a city I have always lived in. Would I be comfortable minus all the conveniences of a city? I would take short one week breaks from work and live in Mahabs. I started to fall in love with that lifestyle, having my own organic garden on the terrace, fresh fish, people with the same thoughts and wavelength as friends. The smiling faces on the streets, the kids’ laughter, and this one big community lifestyle made me realise, what I was missing in Chennai rather than what I would miss from Chennai.
After a long thought I decided to give up the luxuries of a city life, and move to Mahabs, a town I fell madly in love with. I found soul in Mahabs and its people. Surfing became the dominant feature, and I wanted to make that my way of life at any cost. I have never loved anything with such passion. By December of 2014, I finally bid goodbye to city life and moved to Mahabs.
From a pragmatic angle it wasn’t such a tough decision. If I lived in Chennai I would need at least Rs. 60,000 to survive a month as compared to Mahabs, which would cost me just Rs. 10,000. In my new found alternative life, I just need rent for a single bedroom tiny apartment, surf shorts and Ts. There was not an iota of doubt in my mind of this dramatic and unrecognisable change I was embarking on. From stilettos, Zara and Marks and Spencer, to flipflops, board shorts and t shirts. Many loved ones thought it was an impulsive decision that I would regret. While deep within me I knew they were voicing their own fears of such a plunge.
I am lucky to have the attitude to dig deep and realised I was living in a very shallow society, which dried my soul of any joy. Surfing happened to me at such a moment in life. With that I broke free from all the norms of life, unconditioned my mind and followed my instincts and gut. Every time I came out of the ocean, I was smiling for the rest of the day.
Having a background from the Taj group of hotels, I knew what I had to do to sustain myself. I picked up a house with two bedrooms to run as a homestay and a kitchen, to pursue my passion for cooking. Thus was born ‘Eli’s Homestay and Kitchen’. Meeting people from different walks of life, gives me the perspective I need. Being a part of the surf culture, it’s not easy to find guests for Eli. Word of mouth is my best testimony and friends, surfers and facebook keep my guest house full and active.
Why we all look for a change in lifestyle is because we are so unhappy where we are. And change is always scary. But without taking risks you can never find what’s on the other side of the coin. Many of us are happy in our comfort zones. But there are many others who are rebels, who desire to live life on their terms. I am one amongst them.
Mahabs and surfing – made for each other
Mahabalipuram is a soulful town. It is a UNESCO heritage site with some of the best Bas relief in the world. It is the third most visited place in the country next to the Taj Mahal and Hampi. The setting of the Shore Temple as a backdrop to the surfing beach makes it completely a magical place to be. Many Europeans, Australians and Americans have made this their home. Today, my friends in this town are people who came here for a visit, fell in love with the simplicity and charm of this fishing village and continued to stay on and make this their adopted home. In 2007, Dave Hearn, from Australia, a good friend visited this fishing village and introduced surfing to the kids. A surfer all his life, for him this is the Mecca of surfing in India. Today Mahabs is gaining popularity as a surfer’s paradise in India.
The rock wall built around the shore temple, gives a great reason for a wave break and this forms the perfect paradise for surfers. It is nicknamed as the rock or the point, and during the peak season you will easily find 50 to 60 surfers queuing up for their wave at the point. When you get a wave at the point, a long boarder can take a glorious ride upto a minimum of 300 metres. This perfect setting along with the gorgeous Shore Temple as a backdrop, makes Mahabs one of the best surf spots in India. Since the start of surfing in this town in 2007, it has become one of the biggest revenue earners during the offseason of June, July and August.
We have had people flying in from Delhi, Bangalore, Varkala and other places to surf these waves during its peak season. To our great surprise, in the year 2014, we had 4 Hawaiians who came for a visit but stayed on for 3 months till the end of the season. To them, the beautiful glassy waves, the people of Mahabs and the food were a perfect reason to not go looking for any other place.
Surfing has become a part of life in Mahabs. We have various set ups to help and enhance the sport like Mumu’s Surf School, Temple Surfboards (surf board manufacturers), and very soon, the second surf competition in August. During the weekends Mukesh of Mumu’s Surf School holds classes for approximately 20 to 30 students.
Mahabalipuram is a fishing village with really simple people. You will hardly find a person here without a smile, their homes are always open to visitors, and the aggression level is negligible. When foreign tourists come for a visit, many of them are completely taken by surprise at the unpolished, stress free and gypsy like lifestyle. To Alfonso Arias, my Spanish surfer friend, who visited most weekends from Delhi, the biggest joy was to walk the streets barefoot and not be judged. Our urban lifestyle has become inundated with judgements on everything we do. So when you get to Mahabs and these simple people, mostly fishermen do not bother to judge you in any way, this becomes a paradise of free spirits.
Most of my friends in this town are people who fell in love with the town and decided to stay on. They are happy to return home, just to make some money to sustain themselves for another year in Mahabs. People make a place, and I can say without a doubt that the simplicity of the people of this town is what keeps the foreigners coming back. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to hone my skills, and a more fitting place to be happy, which to me is the real purpose of all our lives. The relaxed island like culture is very appealing to any soul. That’s why Mahabs!