Kovalam Beach; A Sense of Place

Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum which was it's anglicised name prior to the government reinstating it's name in 1991), is the capital of Kerala, India. It has one of the most visually stimulating beaches I've ever visited; Kovalam Beach. What caught my eye, while visiting Kovalam Beach (at Lighthouse Beach), was the extraordinarily eclectic group of beach lovers who came to visit it. The sun casts a magical, reddish light on the glittering, white sand. Not too far from this southern point of India, the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea meet. Though there are no geographical boundaries when oceans or seas meet, their forces do in fact entwine even if it can’t be clearly delineated nor seen as to where. Similarly, this is a place that draws tourists from Asia, France, Spain, Italy, and India, where many locals come to enjoy this beach. Photographers and people watchers understand their role as observers and all others, are coming to the beach to relax, dip their feet in the ocean, build a sand castle, enjoy the beach food, sell their wares, surf, swim, or sunbath. As I people watched, I realized that the common ground was that everyone shared this beach's fresh air, sand, sea and light. This specific beach, in this specific location, seemed to emanate it's very unique sense of place.