A magical evening at Kapu

To the lighthouse

Up, up, all the way up. The dizzying spiral never comes to an end. You hold on to the railing for balance, and then you look down and you gasp! Your climb to the top is not without its rewards. Where else would you feel on top of the world; the sea – your kingdom, the colorful boats in its eddies – your subjects. You are high enough to get a bird’s eye view of the birds! I see a family of kites and their nest in one of the trees below. There’s a delightful little stream that has escaped from the beach, like a naughty child, and made inroads into the sand. The vast sense of scale, of space in the Arabian Sea is mesmerizing. If you look closely you might spot dolphins shimmering in the sunlight as they discreetly find their way to the surface.

I am atop Kapu lighthouse, a 115 year old heritage lighthouse a few kilometers inland from the quaint town of Kapu near Udupi in Karnataka. It is a functional lighthouse over the choppy Arabian Sea, having guided thousands of mariners over its treacherous waves.

The Sea has always spoken to me of adventure. And there is nothing more invigorating than a sea breeze in the late evening. I walk on the beach, its velvety sand sinking around my footsteps. The warm water laps lazily at my feet and it feels like a caress. It seduces you to come closer. I amble along and watch the sky turn golden pink with the setting sun at the magical Kapu lighthouse.