The ride to OKha and beyond
Having been to Bet Dwarka on the second day of a six-day stay in Dwarka and its suburbs, the third day began on the note of taking a bus from Dwarka bus depot for Okha at 10.38 in the morning. Having seized a seat with no resistance whatsoever from near and distant co-passengers, the one seated adjacent to me was carrying agreement paper for hiring of a locker facility in a public sector bank. The locker facility paper was an alibi for taking the trip as the actual terms of movement had been fashioned by reasons best known to him.
Just two minutes ride and you are face to face with a board showing Okha 28 and mithapur 18, with Rukmini Mandir 1 km away. Just one and a half kms later a poster of Lord Govinda is sighted on the national highway. Sighting of not that equitable proportion in Mithapur is LIC Premium Collection Centre and Bharat stores .
As i inch towards the Okha beach (some prefer to call it Mithapur beach) the signboard of Okha Nagar Palika welcomes you is the sign of times we live in and a sureshot indication that visits by outsiders are welcome. Perhaps the fear of coming across dogged refusal by unsurpassable entities won't come true is the consolation.
Post Jetty transition, i come across Gujarat Maritime Board Okha Port Office. Head straight, turn left and from Dwarkadish Centre shop turn right and 200 metres away is the Okha beach, with the glow of the sea as enticing as ever. There is a Khodiyara Mata Mandir; some tracing its 25-year-old roots and adjacent to that is a SHiva idol in proximity to an idol of a saint. Two light houses can be spotted; one amidst the sea and other near the seashore. For a crystal clear view of the one near the seashore one has to trek a bit before getting the commanding view. Some make enquiries about why i intend to see the light house when one is there in DWARKA. That is truly and a testing case of getting inquisitive details.
With no commands whatsoever i take the view and head towards the railway station. Adjacent to the station is MAHadev Mandir; something that gets me inside and stay there for a while. Being the first visit to Mahadev CEntre, i relish the stay and head towards STation. Opposite to that is Western Railway Health Unit Okha and Officer Rest House; inaugurated in 2008.
Inside the station there are declarations holding true round the clock and round the year. All type of ticket and platform ticket available round the clock; there is a current reservation and enquiry centre; Working hrs Mon to Sat (8 to 2 and 2.15 to 8 pm) and on Sunday (8 to 2pm).
WHen i step out of the railway station, not having stepped inside the platforms of any durability and demeanour, the tea stall from where i took the tea is probably manned by others. During my turn there is an old tall guy taking care and handed the tea cup after bringing it close to his glasses. A bit strange but i don't find it offensive or intimidating as he is a man with a heart. This tea shop also serves as STD/ISD centre. There is a Vaishali Pan and cold drinks shop . Here atop the machine is written Jai Shri Krishna. It serves jeera soda, masala soda, orange, cola, lemon, fruit beer, kachi keri. One fill all for five, i settle for no less than four. Adjacent to this Aashapura restaurant and a SBI ATM centre. The wait for the bus makes me see a declaration by a declared entity who has discovered that the train to Rajkot is at 2.30 in the afternoon. But i declare in no uncertain terms the readiness to take the bus.
The return journey takes the bus through Welcome to Gujarat Maritime Board, Main Gate Okha Port. From GMB, the bus turns right and 500 metres away is jetty on the left. Then it turns right and heads straight. There on a wall is etched "Thanks for visit, Okha Gram Panchayat". Few minutes later on a house on the right side is etched "Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Hare" message and this is followed by spotting the Poster of Maha Param Dham Shri Tirupati Balaji Mandir, Highway Road , Barwala Dwarka ( 9825485235) .
THat was the third day followed by other three days during which i chanced upon the Dwarka station and the trains bound for Mumbai and Howrah. The interesting bit being they had fewer coaches from five to eight as they were supposed to get the big load from Rajkot. THe Dwarka station has had an entire makeover incurring an expenditure of Rs 312 lakh. The visit to Platform 1 after taking the platform ticket was interspersed with the sighting of a crowd sitting and standing waiting for their respective trains. If possible one should avoid the tea served on PF No 1 as it leaves you with enough thoughts of what all you could have done to avoid it.
As for other possible sighting made plausible once i stepped out of lodge in Dwarka were Mashak selection, vashtralaya selection, saray dharamsala, hotel shreejee (they are all near the Jawahar Road). On the same road is Adhunik hair art, hotel radha madhav and two different carts selling bombay masala puri, shreenath icecream.
Rest of the sighting on this road includes shreeram xerox, chetan selection and a board showing videocon, airtel, reliance. The Kismat Vinay hotel board shows chai, doodh coffee bournvita garam garam yahan se milega. Adjacent to mangalam shop is rudraksh gifts. Near mangalam shop is a tea cart from where i had tea in August is what all i can recall.
Having been to Bet Dwarka on the second day of a six-day stay in Dwarka and its suburbs, the third day began on the note of taking a bus from Dwarka bus depot for Okha at 10.38 in the morning. Having seized a seat with no resistance whatsoever from near and distant co-passengers, the one seated adjacent to me was carrying agreement paper for hiring of a locker facility in a public sector bank. The locker facility paper was an alibi for taking the trip as the actual terms of movement had been fashioned by reasons best known to him.
Just two minutes ride and you are face to face with a board showing Okha 28 and mithapur 18, with Rukmini Mandir 1 km away. Just one and a half kms later a poster of Lord Govinda is sighted on the national highway. Sighting of not that equitable proportion in Mithapur is LIC Premium Collection Centre and Bharat stores .
As i inch towards the Okha beach (some prefer to call it Mithapur beach) the signboard of Okha Nagar Palika welcomes you is the sign of times we live in and a sureshot indication that visits by outsiders are welcome. Perhaps the fear of coming across dogged refusal by unsurpassable entities won't come true is the consolation.
Post Jetty transition, i come across Gujarat Maritime Board Okha Port Office. Head straight, turn left and from Dwarkadish Centre shop turn right and 200 metres away is the Okha beach, with the glow of the sea as enticing as ever. There is a Khodiyara Mata Mandir; some tracing its 25-year-old roots and adjacent to that is a SHiva idol in proximity to an idol of a saint. Two light houses can be spotted; one amidst the sea and other near the seashore. For a crystal clear view of the one near the seashore one has to trek a bit before getting the commanding view. Some make enquiries about why i intend to see the light house when one is there in DWARKA. That is truly and a testing case of getting inquisitive details.
With no commands whatsoever i take the view and head towards the railway station. Adjacent to the station is MAHadev Mandir; something that gets me inside and stay there for a while. Being the first visit to Mahadev CEntre, i relish the stay and head towards STation. Opposite to that is Western Railway Health Unit Okha and Officer Rest House; inaugurated in 2008.
Inside the station there are declarations holding true round the clock and round the year. All type of ticket and platform ticket available round the clock; there is a current reservation and enquiry centre; Working hrs Mon to Sat (8 to 2 and 2.15 to 8 pm) and on Sunday (8 to 2pm).
WHen i step out of the railway station, not having stepped inside the platforms of any durability and demeanour, the tea stall from where i took the tea is probably manned by others. During my turn there is an old tall guy taking care and handed the tea cup after bringing it close to his glasses. A bit strange but i don't find it offensive or intimidating as he is a man with a heart. This tea shop also serves as STD/ISD centre. There is a Vaishali Pan and cold drinks shop . Here atop the machine is written Jai Shri Krishna. It serves jeera soda, masala soda, orange, cola, lemon, fruit beer, kachi keri. One fill all for five, i settle for no less than four. Adjacent to this Aashapura restaurant and a SBI ATM centre. The wait for the bus makes me see a declaration by a declared entity who has discovered that the train to Rajkot is at 2.30 in the afternoon. But i declare in no uncertain terms the readiness to take the bus.
The return journey takes the bus through Welcome to Gujarat Maritime Board, Main Gate Okha Port. From GMB, the bus turns right and 500 metres away is jetty on the left. Then it turns right and heads straight. There on a wall is etched "Thanks for visit, Okha Gram Panchayat". Few minutes later on a house on the right side is etched "Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Hare" message and this is followed by spotting the Poster of Maha Param Dham Shri Tirupati Balaji Mandir, Highway Road , Barwala Dwarka ( 9825485235) .
THat was the third day followed by other three days during which i chanced upon the Dwarka station and the trains bound for Mumbai and Howrah. The interesting bit being they had fewer coaches from five to eight as they were supposed to get the big load from Rajkot. THe Dwarka station has had an entire makeover incurring an expenditure of Rs 312 lakh. The visit to Platform 1 after taking the platform ticket was interspersed with the sighting of a crowd sitting and standing waiting for their respective trains. If possible one should avoid the tea served on PF No 1 as it leaves you with enough thoughts of what all you could have done to avoid it.
As for other possible sighting made plausible once i stepped out of lodge in Dwarka were Mashak selection, vashtralaya selection, saray dharamsala, hotel shreejee (they are all near the Jawahar Road). On the same road is Adhunik hair art, hotel radha madhav and two different carts selling bombay masala puri, shreenath icecream.
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