TSUNAMI!!!
Today, on the context of the just departed "Nisarga" cyclone, I can't help but remember the one day in my life, which was sooo unique and nightmarish, like a bad dream!
I put down here, before you, my nightmare on a day, when I witnessed a natural calamity, one of its type, probably and hopefully the only one in my lifetime, for your quiet introspection! I was lucky to have escaped it, unscathed, happy to be alive and overjoyed to be able to come back home! Many were not so lucky! It was in 2004, 16 years back, but still the memories are very vivid and clear!
I put down here, before you, my nightmare on a day, when I witnessed a natural calamity, one of its type, probably and hopefully the only one in my lifetime, for your quiet introspection! I was lucky to have escaped it, unscathed, happy to be alive and overjoyed to be able to come back home! Many were not so lucky! It was in 2004, 16 years back, but still the memories are very vivid and clear!
As I think retrospectively, once again, I am appalled at the
way we have played with nature, manipulated it and taken it for granted! Now,
it is manipulating us! And you cant blame it at all! Sharing my experience,
hoping that you will realize the gravity!
It was a star- spangled night in December 2004! After a
fortnight of vigorous planning, we were on our way to Kanya Kumari, the
southernmost tip of India! We were about to join a parasailing camp, organized
by a private sea-sports group, a few kilometers away from Kanya Kumari. It was
a dream, about to come true! Excited about the adventures in store for us, we
boarded the train, which shot through the dark, cold night, cutting into the
darkness, crossing all the dark tunnels. With the rhythmic movement of the
train, we all succumbed to the tranquility of deep sleep.
After a day in the train, the smell of the sea, the clear
skies, the crisp, cold wind, indicated our ensuing joy! We were nearing our
destination, the holy Kanya Kumari! The scenes passing by reminded me of all
the beautiful landscapes, in oil and paint, which I had only seen on canvas,
till today! We were silent, each one of us absorbing the environment, the
beauty and the tranquility around us! Where else could heaven be?
Spontaneously, we bowed to Mother Nature, our salutations splurging right from
the bottom of our hearts! We had arrived at our destination. Before joining the
camp, we had one whole day at our disposal. With elated spirits, very silently,
we were off to the world famous spot, stories of Swami Vivekananda, the
meditation centre, the temple, revolving in our minds!
We started off to the sea shore, close to our residential
place and flopped down on the sparkling white sands. The endless sea lay in
front of us. The waves came softly towards us. Moon light bathed the sea. The
sea seemed meditative and tranquil! It was purely magic! Words eluded us. We
were drinking in, the magic of the moment! The memories are still etched in my
mind!
We had decided to run into the sea water but it looked so
sacred that none of us felt like disturbing the tranquillity surrounding us!
The next day, the temples, the museum in the city, were a
feast to our eyes and cameras. The time had now come to visit the famous
temple. We had to sail in small boats to reach the temple, some miles off the
sea shore. It was a clear sky and we set off singing merrily. Mesmerized by the
surroundings, we reached our destination. The meditation centre was the
pinnacle. After about two hours, we were standing at the southernmost tip of
the Indian continent. We could see the inter mingling of the waters, colored
differently. I had heard a lot about this place. Three oceans embraced each
other at this point, a sight beyond imagination. I was capturing all the images
in my mind and my handicam. I decided, after reaching the shores of Kanya
Kumari, I would capture the temple from different angles. Getting inside a
small boat, we started our journey back. The winds had changed direction. We
could feel a slight change in the weather too! We reached the shore and I
trotted off to capture the pictures of the temple from different angles, for
the dear ones, at home.
I was walking towards the sea and to my horror; I could see a
very, very, very big wave, over the statue of Swami Vivekanand. It had engulfed
the statue and washed over it. I thought, it was a visual trick, this couldn’t
be true! I had just left the site! With total concentration, I watched in awe!
The huge wave was followed by another wave and another and another! This was
not normal! The natives started gathering. Slowly, all turned into chaos. My
friends were calling me back, our sacks drenched in the waves. I couldn’t
believe, all was so peaceful here, some minutes back! The waves were all around
us. We ran back, carrying whatever we could, with us! Our bags were wet and
heavy. We went to the terrace of our residential hotel and what we saw was
beyond imagination! Huge waves were all around the shore. They were rapidly
encroaching the land! Small houses, visible some time back, had disappeared
beneath the devilish waves! Water had reached the lower levels of the city. Not
knowing what to do, we just locked ourselves in the hotel room, hoping
everything would come back to normalcy! When we woke up the next day, there was
worst possible devastation around us. We were lost, without lights,
electricity, milk, tap water and newspapers! It was the morning of 27th December,
2004! We didn't know, what truly guided us, but through all chaos around us,
not paying attention to our tummies crying out for food, we walked heavily
towards the railway station and caught the first train back, which would take
us to our “home, sweet home”! We had forgotten why we had come to Kanya Kumari.
We wanted to get away, as fast as possible! Loads of people surrounded us,
boarding and alighting. They belonged to all ages, castes, creeds and colors!
They had lost their homes; some had lost their near and dear ones, some had
lost all their belongings while some had lost everything. But they had saved their
own lives and they had hope in their eyes! We watched helplessly. Their
problems were huge and beyond repair.
After a few stations, we got to see the newspapers and
reality stuck! WE WERE THE FIRST HAND WITNESSES OF THE TSUNAMI WAVES! We had
seen them coming, we had captured them in memories and cameras. Tsunami waves
had engulfed a large portion of mankind. The stories were all over the news
papers. My skin tingled with goose flesh. I couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that
we were there, when the calamity struck! We couldn’t imagine that we had had
such a close encounter with NATURE”S WRATH and we had escaped by God’s grace.
We couldn’t attend the camp but I had witnessed the most stunning event, in the
history of mankind! The memories are my most prized treasures! We were back
home, safe and sound!
It is truly said, “If you are alive, you can capture a
hundred forts!”
I am glad to be alive today, although I mourn all those
innocent lives, lost in the Tsunami waves. Somewhere deep in my heart, I can’t
help but think if, we humans are responsible for such calamities. If these
could really be called natural or are they man made?? It’s high time we
introspect!!!
Green Blogger
Dr Mrs Jaya Vikas Kurhekar
Dr Mrs Jaya Vikas Kurhekar
