Indian historic monuments and landmarks always invite their fair share of crowds on any given day. It's a strange, inexplicable umbilical cord-like connect that we are unable to fathom, especially since it is this creed that not only flocks to a site with enthusiasm but also litters the space with similar gusto.

We recall this one particular incident during a visit to the scenic Bekal fort in north Kerala. The sea-facing fort had earned popularity for being the site for the shooting of the song, Tu hi re, from the Mani Ratnam hit, Bombay, that was picturised on Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala. Being on a tight itinerary, our visit was moved to the evening of a Saturday, where we hoped to catch the legendary sunset from one the vantage points within the fortifications. This one-time military station for Tipu Sultan wowed us with its massive expanse spread over 40 acres, practically jutting out into the Arabian Sea, giving us the impression that we had our very own balcony view of the raging
sea below us. We realised later, on craning our necks below, that nearly three-fourths of the fort is in direct contact with water.