Bhavnagar - a travel trip with the seagulls

It was late afternoon when I decided almost on an impulse to find the spot where sea touches Bhavnagar. The autorickshaw guys scorned at me when I told them about my ambitious plans. It seems no tourist visits the sea  there, and so they were not even sure about how much to charge me.

Bhavnagar used to be a port town, but the port got silted and shifted away from the town and all that remains now are the remains of the old port, aptly called Juna Bandar (old port).


As I found an auto willing to take me, I was already apprehensive about what to find there. And initially disappointed as I reached there, for there was absolutely nothing there. Just a couple of John Abraham look-alike and very well built teenage kids, almost skinny dipping in the muddy sea water. They were alarmed when they saw me and quickly covered themselves. Later when they saw me clicking birds, they too got interested and agreed to let me click, but with some reasonable amount of clothes on!

John 1

John 2

Soon, however, more people came on their bikes with food for the birds. And there on I had an amazing time clicking these beautiful birds. The Seagulls came in hundreds to eat the food being offered. It seems they are particularly keen the local specialty gathia and atta laddu.

I had such a good time clicking and looking at these birds literally into their eye that I can't help but share it here. It was high tide soon, and water started filling in, sadly it was also time for me to pack my back and leave.

Men offering food to the gulls

Literally hundreds of them flying all around us

A perfect pose...

Fighting it out for the atta laddu

Many more fighting it out here

The gulls do not even miss what's fallen in the river,
they catch it like a fish

More 'atta searching' in the water