by Nandini Kulkarni
PureTravel Writing Competition 2024
A solo journey is always the best; it creates memories in which you will always be with yourself and the people you meet all around the world. However, the best memories are created when you have your friends around for the greatest journey you’ve ever been on.
Life is a difficult path, but sometimes being with your friends makes things easier and creates memories that are never forgotten by us or them. The bond shared between best friends is the most memorable and special, and even if we are apart now, it doesn’t matter.
It was the last week of April, and our final exam had just finished. All of us friends were sitting together in the canteen, deciding how to celebrate our last trip since everyone would be returning to their hometowns except for me, as I already lived in the town. We all were discussing and finally decided on a two-day trip to Diu.
Everyone agreed, but I still needed permission from my father, which was a very difficult task. One of my friends offered to come and talk to my father. My friend always does such things; whenever I need to do something, my friend always tries to convince my father. Thankfully, this time too, due to my friend’s effort, they allowed me to go on the trip.
After all the ticket reservations and packing were done, our last fun journey began. However, right from the start, the train was running late. We were all wondering if our plan would get ruined, but despite the delay, the time we spent at the station was just amazing. We were drinking milkshakes, chilling, and completely lost in our friend-zone mood.
Eventually, the train arrived, and we were finally on our way to our destination. In the train, we had all brought homemade food to avoid eating outside for that day. At night, we enjoyed a great dinner together, and everyone praised each other’s food. Eating together on the train was one of the best experiences with friends. After reaching the station, we took a bus to reach our destination in Diu.
Around noon, we arrived, had food from outside, and, as always after eating, I wanted to sleep, while my friends were watching TV in the hotel room. After about 3 to 4 hours, we decided to visit nearby places to see ships and boats. Then, we went to St. Paul’s Church, one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in India. Built by the Portuguese in the 17th century, the intricate wood carvings inside the church were particularly impressive. We also visited the INS Khukri Memorial, dedicated to the Indian Naval Ship Khukri, which sank during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. The location offered beautiful panoramic views of the sea. We spent the best time here with friends, taking lots of photos and videos to save our memories. After seeing these manmade wonders, we explored some natural ones too, like Naida Caves. These caves are a natural wonder with intricate rock formations and tunnels, a great spot for photography and exploration. It was a beautiful place to visit, and with friends, it became one of the best memories. The entire day was spent well, but the best memory was yet to come.
The next day, we visited Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple, a revered and unique temple located near the coastal town of Diu. We asked local people about it, and they told us that the temple is believed to have been established by the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, during their period of exile. It is said that the five brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—installed the five Shiva lingams at this spot and offered their prayers to Lord Shiva. The temple is called “Gangeshwar” because the lingams are continuously bathed by the waves of the sea, resembling the sacred river Ganga’s waters flowing over them. “Ganga” refers to the holy river, and “Ishwar” means Lord Shiva, who is often associated with the Ganga. We stayed at the temple until the afternoon, and the most mesmerizing part was witnessing how the water itself was performing the Abhishek (ritual bathing) to Lord Mahadev.
We sat and discussed the temple, realizing that manmade creations and nature coexist peacefully here, and the temple itself is the best example of this. It was one of the best experiences we had at Gangeshwar Temple.
In the evening, we went to Chakratirth Beach for some fun, knowing it was our last evening together. After enjoying ourselves, we sat on the beach, reminiscing about our days in college, and acknowledged how everything would change from the day after tomorrow when everyone would return to their hometowns, and life without friends would begin. That night on the beach, we were in tears. One of our friends decided to play some music to lighten the mood.
At that moment, I realized how important friends are in making travel experiences memorable, creating moments that cannot be erased from the heart. We also gazed at the stars, trying to guess the constellations. The next day was the last day of our train trip. We were happy and sad, but still, we decided to enjoy the journey to the fullest. That’s how our trip ended, and we returned to our hometowns. This trip made me realize how important traveling is in life.
It helps us learn new things, and with friends, it just creates happy memories. Well, it’s not about the ending, but rather that we will not see each other as often anymore, and a new beginning will soon start, though we don’t know where it will take us. The time period between the ending and the new beginning is what matters the most because it holds the memories we created with friends and the last journey we spent together.
Photo by Nirmal Rajendharkumar on Unsplash
