If you’re someone who has been following my website for a while, you already know I’m on a grand (and somewhat delusional) mission to go on my ‘Dream India Trip’ this year. My blog ‘My Quintessential India Trip Dream’, published in May 2025, talked about the same.
But we’re already in the first week of July 2025, and I’ve only struck off two main items from my very long itinerary: a visit to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum and a long walk through Thevally, both places in my hometown, Kollam. At this pace, I bet I will be a grandma before I complete my India trip. 😂 Nonetheless, I persist.
Before setting out on this grand venture, I had predicted a list of seven potential problems or constraints in my trip plans. Life is funny because two of them have already become true: Monsoons and Illness.
The Southwest(Summer) Monsoon hit my home state, Kerala, eight days earlier than its normal onset date of June 1 this year, making it the earliest monsoon in 16 years. In other words, my travel plans for those eight days in May got drenched in the rain.
During my childhood, the monsoons always arrived on June 1 like clockwork, the same day our schools reopened after the two-month summer vacations. Thanks (but no thanks) to Global Warming, nature follows a different, often unpredictable calendar now.
June to September, and even mid-October to mid-November, are considered off-season for tourism in Kerala due to the Southwest Monsoon (Main Monsoon) and Northeast Monsoon (Retreating Monsoon) respectively. As a native, I am aware of this. However, time and responsibilities don’t wait for our dreams. I’ve to return to a full-time job next January to stay afloat.
So I tried to squeeze some short trips into June, the peak rainy month in Kerala. And the result? Well… breaking news! There was another COVID-19 outbreak in Kerala in June. I came down with a high fever, and my family was affected too. So I had to park all my travel plans in June to prioritize my family’s health.
.
.
.
Cut to July, I got tired of staying indoors, working, or reading and writing fiction. I yearned for a trip, at least, a short one. One of the spots on my itinerary, Thirumullavaram Beach, seemed like the perfect pick.
It’s barely a few kilometers away from the place I stay. As a forever sea girl, I was confident that some beach time could be therapeutic for me.
So, on July 1, after finishing my work for the day, exactly at 12 noon, I left my house to visit the beach… wearing a mask, of course. Do you think it was a crazy choice of time? I agree, but I had my reasons. I’ll tell you in a minute.
How to Reach Thirumullavaram Beach?
If you reach Kollam Railway Station, Kollam KSRTC Bus Stand, or Kollam Chinnakada Private Bus Stand:
→ Board a Chavara-bound private bus and get down at Anchukallumood (approx fare Rs 13-15). These buses are easily available. From there, you can take an auto or walk to Thirumullavaram Beach (approximately 1.5 km).
→ Alternatively, you can board a Thirumullavaram-bound bus directly from Kollam Town or Anchukallumood (approx fare Rs 13-15). Please note that the frequency of these buses is low.
Back to my trip details. As I was about to say, leaving at noon was part of my plan to reduce human interaction and my chances of falling sick again. Still, a part of me hoped there would be some “good humans” on the beach, so I could feel safe.
I boarded a bus to Anchukallumood and got down at the bus stop. I crossed the road and chatted with a lady in the nearby medical shop to confirm the directions to the beach. I could have taken an auto or waited for a Thirumullavaram bus. But I love walking. So I turned to the smaller road on the left side and walked the 1.5 kilometers to the beach, with Google Maps and kind passersby to my aid.
It took me 25-30 minutes to reach the Sree Mahavishnuswami Temple, renowned for its annual Karkidaku Vavu Bali, a significant ritual performed by Hindus for the departed souls of their loved ones.
It drizzled as soon as I reached the large public pond at the back of the temple. I opened my umbrella and walked towards the nearby bus stop, where I waited for some time until the rain stopped and the sun came out again.
As I resumed my walk towards the beach, I could see some elderly men bathing in the large pond. The pond looked like a dream. A tad bit intimidating, but dreamy nonetheless. If it’s open to women and non-Hindus, I would love to swim there someday.
Do you know what else looked like a dream? The sandy beach, the white foamy waves, the blue sky, the trees in the vicinity, the yellow wild flowers, and the rocks glistening under the hot sun. People don’t call Kerala God’s Own Country for nothing, you know? We are as proud of our nature and landscapes as we are of our food, our films, our music, our art, our culture, and our people. Proud, wide smile! 😀
I could also see the skeleton of the Taj Resort under construction. Quoting the Indian Hotels Company(IHCL)’s official statement: “Nestled on a sprawling 13-acre site along the scenic Thirumullavaram Beach, the resort boasts nearly 600 feet of pristine beachfront. It will feature 205 rooms, each with breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea. The resort will showcase a wide array of amenities, including an all-day diner, a specialty vegetarian restaurant, a chic bar, a rejuvenating spa, an inviting swimming pool, and a fully equipped gym.”
That’s something to look forward to.
Anyway, I enjoyed every second of the time I spent at the beach. I even wondered if I were a fish in my past life. Something within me heals every time I set foot on beachy sand. It’s as if some molecules or atoms in my nerves or brain rearrange when I come close to the sea.
My mind quietens. My breath relaxes. All my worries, fears, and anxiety disappear. I forget the 9-5s, the constant hustle, the moving goal posts, the grandiose dreams I chase day and night, and just breathe. I calm down. And I catch myself smiling and enjoying the moment… Just living my life to the fullest!
On the way to the beach, I had seen three street dogs huddled outside a house’s gate and had anticipated an attack. I had also dreaded running into some problems with the locals or some incident of eve-teasing. But nothing bad happened.
Lucky for me, the beach was not deserted as I feared. There were a few women, kids, and men at the beach. I spoke to two of the elderly women at the beach. They were so warm and kind to me.
I learned that they were a family from Adoor (in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala) who had come to perform the Bali Tharpanam, a post-funeral ritual, to honor and appease the soul of their deceased mother, who had passed away twelve days before. Except for a few people who were admitted to the hospital, the entire immediate family had turned up to perform the ritual. I could feel the love and respect they had for their lost mother.
When I told them I’m a writer working on a travel blog series, they were supportive and appreciative of my endeavor. Still, they rechecked if I was a YouTuber or Vlogger. Also, if my blogs were written in Malayalam, our native tongue. When I shook my head to say no, they seemed sad or disappointed.
For a second there, I wished I had the guts to become a YouTuber. But my mind mumbled – “Dude, writing is your preferred medium of creative expression.” Then I wondered: what if I had started writing these travel blogs in Malayalam? My mind retorted, “Then the audience for your blogs would have been far less.”
Still, I wish I could make my work more accessible to them. But how? Maybe… if I complete this India trip, I will translate these blogs into Malayalam or curate the best parts into a Malayalam travelogue or travel memoir someday. But let me not get ahead of myself again, as I’m still in the infant stage of this project.
I sat on the rocks and benches at different spots, enjoying the view from various angles. I people-watched the kids and adults playing on the beach. Families clicking photos together, children kneading the wet sand with their tiny fingers, grandpas running around like toddlers, eagles flying high in the sky. Oh, to be unbound like a bird! Oh, to be unshackled like a broken kite! Oh, to be free, free like a kid again!
Sitting there on the rock, I felt I had all the time in the world. Even though the sun was blazing hot, I felt at peace and blissful. Maybe this is what people mean when they talk about liberation. To be free, at ease, at peace, happy. To be able to breathe without worry or fear.
In that moment, I felt so grateful for everything: my life, the nature around me, the people in my life, my dreams, my calling, my Creator. But specifically, I felt so grateful to those elderly women who were so kind and polite to me, and their pookie family who filled me with a sense of warmth and safety. I felt grateful for the foamy white waves that touched my feet and the wet clothes that clung to my skin.
At 1:05 pm, there was a bus from Thirumullavaram to Anchukallumood, but I was in no hurry to catch it. I preferred to enjoy the view as much as I wanted and to walk back to my home at my own pace, whenever I felt like it.
When I checked Google Maps, it showed me an alternate, but shorter, and walkable return route straight to my home. If I took this route, I could skip the bus altogether and reach home within 20-30 minutes, the same time I had spent earlier, walking from Anchukallumoodu to Thirumullavaram beach. I guessed it must be the same route my brother always takes for his evening walks to the beach, and followed the Google Maps instructions.
On the way back, I saw the same three street dogs that had intimidated me earlier. Someone had served them rice and curries on three separate plates in front of the gate. No wonder they had huddled in front of the house. The house owners feed them regularly. It was an endearing sight to watch. And a thoughtful gesture too… they might be street dogs, but there’s someone to love and take care of them, too.
As I walked through the narrow lanes that led to my street, I thought about those elderly women again, and just people in general, all across the globe. People grieving losses, failures, heartbreaks, the death of their loved ones… People who are torn by wars and violence. People who crave love, peace, and joy. People whose eyes light up with a smile when they see fellow humans. People who love the starry night sky and the foamy sea water. Why don’t our leaders think more about bringing an end to their miseries, uplifting them, and supporting their journeys instead of causing them more pain?
I reached home, my pants still wet and soiled with the beach sand, knees down. My digital watch beeped that I had walked approximately 5.6 kilometers. I washed my feet and sandals at the public tap before entering the house.
I could hear the familiar worries and ridicule:
“Did you go to the beach all alone? Don’t you know it’s dangerous? What if you had fallen in the water? What if you’d gotten caught in the waves?”
“You went to the beach at noon? Are you crazy?”
All valid and genuine concerns. But I did take good care of myself, and I didn’t put myself in any unnecessarily risky situations. Besides, I am a stubborn woman on a mission that’s close to her heart.
As they say, “If it makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to others.” But always exercise due diligence. IYKYK! Double wink!
Author’s Notes:
~ All content on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2025 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.
~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through my hometown, Kollam, a beautiful district in Kerala, India. You can read more posts from this series here: Kollam | Kerala | India.
Lirio's Wanderings 