A year ago, I stumbled upon a friend's vacation images on Snapchat; they featured an iridescent blue ocean, palm fronds and kitesurfing equipment. I assumed he was in Hawaii or the Phillipines and was intrigued when I read his reply–In Rameswaram, learning how to kitesurf. A sucker for both, beautiful beaches and water sports, the experience looked simply incredible to me. Plus, it was in my own backyard; I'd never been to Tamil Nadu before and couldn't think of a better way to experience the "Deep South," as kitesurfers call it.
The only thing holding me back was a relapsing ankle injury which had been healing slowly despite me being in physiotherapy for a year. I was unsure if my body—still in the healing stages, would cope with the stress of learning an extreme adventure sport. However, a single conversation with my friend was all the push I needed to sign up with Quest Asia –the adventure travel company he recommended. I decided that a fresh start was in order and shortly after New Year's Eve 2017, found myself at Madurai airport in Tamil Nadu.
A three hour drive later, I arrived at Kathadi North—the boutique guesthouse operated by Quest Asia and walking distance from a tranquil beach on the island. The property had white-walled cottages, thatched roofs, colourful hammocks and outdoor bathrooms, set among the natural environment of palm trees and sand.
The next morning, I met Jehan Driver, owner, Quest Asia, who gave me my first kitesurfing lesson—wind orientation theory. To successfully kitesurf, one needs to control the kite—akin to a flat parachute in the sky—and harness its wind power to get your board moving in the sea. On the beach, I had a practical lesson with instructor Govinda who taught me how to control a six meter trainer kite with the smallest inflections of my wrist. I had to learn how to park and move a trainer kite on land before I could get enter the water.
Over the next few days, my lessons were held in pristine lagoons and emerald bays all over the island. Olaikkuda beach, in particular, has a striking resemblance to Paje beach in Zanzibar which is also famous for kitesurfing. But unlike my time in Zanzibar as a spectator, here I was learning the sport. From 2pm onwards, everyday, I'd stand waist-deep in the sea with a harness strapped around my torso which was attached to a powerful nine meter kite flying in the gusty wind. Often, I'd get body-dragged through the water as I learned kite control. There were many moments when I was afraid that my injury would relapse but Govinda's presence gave me the confidence I needed. He kept stressing that when the kite was wavering out of control I was to ‘let go' instead of succumbing to the natural instinct of grabbing on to the handlebar. The minute you let go, the kite gently flies down to the surface of the water. It took practice but eventually I started getting the hang of it.
Honestly, I had been more than a little wary of my limited abilities but it turned out kiting was more about perfecting your technique than physical prowess. I knew then that I would return, sooner than later.
Interestingly though, most people who visit Rameswaram Island come for an entirely different purpose. The Ramanathaswamy temple in town is part of the nation-wide Char Dham Yatra and sees approximately ten thousand visitors daily. The island runs mainly on temple tourism; all the hotels, guesthouses, thali restaurants and flower shops along the streets service the pilgrims. Learning an adventure sport in a traditional temple town has an interesting dichotomy to it. I found it hard to fathom that the temple tourists who trekked all the way here rarely ventured to the beautiful beaches I had seen during my stay.
On the last day of my trip, I decided to take a peek inside the famed temple since I was in the vicinity. It was lunchtime and most of the devotees had left. The awe-inspiring architecture left me speechless; I'd never seen such beautiful carved pillars and frescoed ceilings before. I stood in the empty, cool hallway and felt deep gratitude for the serene and crowd-free darshan I was experiencing but also for my physical wellbeing and strength during the lessons despite the dreaded injury. Govinda's mantra of "letting go" resonated tremendously. For the last year, I had been at odds with my body, impatient with the healing process and unable to find a solution to a seemingly simple problem. But as I stood at the altar, I prayed to the Divine Spirit for the wisdom to reconnect with my body and mind and thanked the stars for all that I was still capable of physically.
Eventually, the trip became the turning point of my full recovery. My experience in Rameswaram taught me I had to stop sweating the small stuff because there was plenty to be thankful about.
Getting there: From Madurai airport, a private taxi (Rs3500) takes 3.5 hours to reach Rameswaram. Stay: Quest Asia is an adventure company with accommodation and a kite surfing school (packages start from Rs 8250 for 2 days/1 night including training, equipment rental, accommodation on a twin sharing basis and breakfast). Season: Summer season lasts from April to September and winter season is from December to March. Need to know: Carry sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat along with beach clothing for the kitesurfing lessons. Rameswaram temple is closed every afternoon from 2-4 pm (timings vary). Check out the hashtag #lifeinthedeepsouth on Instragram to view a stunning collection images taken by owner Jehan Driver as well as visitors to Quest Asia.