Couple sit under umbrella to shield themselves from the sun and the watchful eyes of the public
| Photo Credit:
VELANKANNI RAJ B
The beach is woven into the lives of every person in Chennai. Whether a native, resident, or visitor, everyone is bound to have a beach story. It might be about love, grief, or solace. For many Chennaiites, the shore has always been a space for love, romance, and even heartbreak.
Come afternoon, Chennai’s beaches are dotted with couples sitting under umbrella to shield themselves from the sun and the watchful eyes of the public. “It’s easily accessible, free, and yet such a marvel. There are not many public spaces that are couple-friendly,” said Sid, 26, who regularly visited the Besant Nagar beach with his partner.
For 27-year-old Srithi Sivakumar, going to the beach was a daily ritual for her and her partner. They would finish college around noon and wait out the harsh afternoon sun at Spencer Plaza. They would go to Bessie — as Besant Nagar beach is locally known — catch the sunset, and eat a blue ice gola before returning home. “If we get bored of Bessie, we move to Thiruvanmiyur beach. If we get bored of that too, we go to Palavakkam. The coastline — a witness to our fights, our silly selfies, our story,” she added.
The vast expanse of sand also meant safety for some. Shreya S., 35, regularly had her first dates on the beach for this reason. “I’d meet people from dating apps at Bessie as it was close to my place and there was some sense of safety,” she said.
It is on the same shore where love blossoms that many hearts break.
| Photo Credit:
B. VELANKANNI RAJ
As she got to know them, she would take them to her other favourite beaches. “The drive to the beach would get longer in proportion to how much I liked them, beginning with Juhu beach, Kovalam, and finally, Mamallapuram,” she added.
For lovers in the city, sitting on the shore as the waves roll in, watching the flickering lights of the boats with their arms intertwined, while the fortune teller waves her wand, decreeing that the two of them are destined for each other, is a rite of passage. “Iva Mahalakshmi, nalla pathuko pa”, (She is Goddess Mahalakshmi, look after her well) is a statement often heard by couples.
Heartbreak city
It is on the same shore where love blossoms that many hearts break. For every couple spotted on the beach, there is some one nursing a heartbreak. The beach is where the ‘soup girls and soup boys’ assemble. There is a reason Why This Kolaveri Di? became their anthem, with the Marina coast in the background.
Rohan Prakash recounted how the Loop Road and the Besant Nagar beach played a major role in his long-term relationship. “I was broken when my relationship ended. I just could not bring myself to go to the beach. I would avoid it entirely. But one day, I had to take the Loop Road and broke down crying in the middle of the road. I could not even drive away as I was shivering,” he said.
As one sits on the beach sands, nursing one’s heartbreak, the wind on one’s face, the sounds of the waves, and the echoes of vendors selling toys and sundal replace rattled thoughts, offering a moment of calm and washing away the grief.
This solace was what brought Kirthi (name changed on request) to the Marina every day. “After a terrible breakup, I came to the beach, as my friends were too busy to meet me every day. I’d sit by the shore, eating cotton candy. I didn’t feel alone because there’s so much life at Marina and I would not be disturbed too. It was a couple of hours of peace,” Kirthi said.
In other cases, the beach was also the place that gave second chances in love like for Sarath (name changed on request) who wanted to set things right with his partner. “She picked the beach to meet. I had been pursuing her for quite some time to make things right and showed up with a bouquet of flowers. I asked her out again. She finally said yes,” he beamed.
In love and grief, the beach has come to mean many things for everyone; a safe space, a friend, and a guardian. Even as cities change, some things are bound to remain the same.
Published – August 27, 2026 12:18 am IST
