Tithal Beach, Gujarat

One hears a lot about the popular beaches at Goa where countless foreigners flock, practically all round the year. Many also talk of beaches in Kerala - Kovalam and other places which have fine backdrops and water that is deep, blue, clear and sparkling.

Such resorts have fully-developed infrastructures so it is easy to reach there, have enough hotels to put-up, meals cooked that foreigners approve and several people around, who conveniently talk English and a few other foreign languages too.

There is a significant number of people in India who like simple living and are strict vegetarians. Their idea of a holiday is not necessarily for sun tanning after a sea bath, but for a change and sightseeing. Some may be traveling on a small budget too.

For them there are countless other beaches in Maharashtra and Gujarat, on India's Western seacoast that will fully meet their needs. Also, most of these are just a few hours' journey from Mumbai.

For people who want to have a quiet holiday with the family, the Tithal beach in Gujarat, is an ideal choice. It is convenient to reach, will provide the desired comfort; and also give them a new experience in vegetarian meals.

Tithal is just 4 km from Valsad Railway Station on Western Railway, about 4 hours' journey from Vadodara (Baroda) as well as Mumbai. As it is a major station, most trains halt there. In fact over 20 trains call there each day. In addition, a number of Gujarat State Transport buses pass by Valsad; and halt at the ST Depot, next to the railway station.

As one emerges from either the bus depot or railway station, one is greeted by the tall, elegant Jyoti Minar tower which stands amidst the sprawling Kalyan Baug garden across ST Depot. This junction has busy traffic and several eateries, where vendors hawk their delicacies.

Very few buses ply to Tithal. The town's rickety auto rickshaws which never put on their meter are the only transport vehicles available to reach Tithal beach! The fare as per the meter from either point to Tithal would be just around Rs 30. If you wish to economize, you may walk down a bit, about 5 minutes, to the Avabai School corner, from where autorickshaws continually ply to Tithal and charge only Rs 5 per person. You should get off at Tulja-Bhavani Temple, which is considered the central point in Tithal. Several reasonably-priced lodgings are just a few minutes walk from there.

Bombay Grain Dealers' Sanatorium has sparsely furnished twin-room blocks for 5 persons for nominal charges. These are offered to outsiders only in the off-season non-vacation months. During the school vacations, it is the members' prerogative to make use of practically all the 36 blocks.

The sanatorium has a regular canteen, which caters breakfast and other meals in Gujarati style which are all reasonably charged. During off-vacation months, one may either book the accommodation in advance, at their Mumbai office (Bombay Grain Dealers' Association, 103, Keshavji Naik Road, Masjid, Mumbai-400 009).

Toran Beach Resort

Adjacent to this Sanatorium, stands Gujarat Government's sprawling Toran Beach Resort, with the Children's Play Park, overlooking the beach. It has several rooms and cottages, a few even air-conditioned, to suit every pocket. With repairs going on, a few may not be very tidy. Here too is a running canteen which serves vegetarian snacks and meals that have to be booked beforehand.

Gujarat Tourism has a number of resorts and outlets in their network, where booking and other information available.

The third convenient spot is Shanti-Dham. It was built recently, essentially to serve the needs of pilgrims who call at the Shantiniketan - the popular Bandhu Triputi Centre, where there is a Jain Deraser. These facilities are available to others too. Booking may be done with their Manager.

Shantidham too has a fine arrangement for breakfast, meals and tea; but one has to abide by its timings. Besides these all-inclusive arrangements, there are several other accommodations as well as eating joints. One is operated within the Saibaba temple campus, further down from Shantiniketan.

A few minutes' walk from any of these points brings one right over to the beach, a virgin stretch that is over 4 km in length. On one half of that length, tall trees in a number of rows, grace the beachhead over a sand mound, and provide shade for a comfortable breezy walk, even at midday.

Tithal is a simple village. With modest resources at hand, the facilities that it is able to provide are basic. Its roads are being resurfaced but with infrequently lifted garbage, at times the beach may appear very unkempt. Its running water is not very sweet, but there are arrangements to provide fine potable water through public taps everywhere, at least for a couple of hours each day, which is served to the guests!

One normally walks in Tithal — inside the village, around the tiny lake (if it has not dried-up), in the fields around, on the beach: and in the coconut grove — Sumanbhai's Wadi facing the sea!

Right from dawn to dusk, it is a resort which encourages walks — to relish the sunrise from behind; and watch it set into the Arabian sea, when the sky and water turn a gorgeous red! To those coming down with families, Tithal affords them excellent privacy which can be found in very few other locations.

At times, one may imagine that there is no one around within a couple of hundred meters in the vicinity. But as the sun sets there are holiday revelers, schoolchildren, tourists and families — many of whom can be seen barefoot, relishing the feel of sand under their soles.

On Sundays and holidays, the pervading loneliness of the beach evaporates into thin air, as crowds begin to unload in bus-loads! Soon its narrow road gets filled with vehicles as people park at all available spots. Later, as the sun dips into the horizon, the crowds begin to leave and a traffic jam grips the beach-head. For a while, one hears only a cacophony of honks! One suddenly realizes then that it is no longer one's private beach, after all!

Enjoyable Spots at Tithal

With a week's time on hand, there are quite a few spots, in and around Valsad that can be enjoyed. Pamera Fort atop the hill is on the other side of Valsad, only a few kilometers distant. From there one can have an aerial view of the town's surroundings and the Atul Industrial Complex. For a person who relishes rustic scenes, there are some more fine spots to call at — besides the morning and evening walks on the beautiful beach.

The management is very ambitious who love Tithal from their hearts. Going about it they have drawn up a Tithal beautification plan. If this materializes, the visitors will find the beach welcoming them even as they cross the Wanki River Bridge!

In the plan, it is proposed to preserve the beach's sanctity, provide a marine pathway, build an enclosure for vendors and eateries, maintain its cleanliness, earmark a spacious parking lot and regulate traffic.

Although these ideas may take time in implementation, tourists will even now find themselves fully satisfied by the bounties nature provides in Tithal.