The break therapy

Drained by over-work and stress, more and more people are taking time off to rejuvenate themselves. PREMA SRINIVASAN writes...

THE USUAL topic for essay writing, once schools reopen after summer holidays, would be "What did you do during your vacation?" Invariably the students would mention a visit to their native place or a pilgrimage that was long overdue in the family agenda. This, I must hasten to add, was "once upon a time", as the travel bug has caught on pretty fast today, and the middle class, en masse, is on a holidaying spree. They are encouraged by the tantalising offers made by various travel agencies, which bend backwards, while offering deals that begin to sound irresistible as holiday time approaches.

Why this sudden passion for travel? Indians, who are proverbially cautious about spending, are willing to blow up a considerable amount on a holiday by sea, or in the mountains or even venture out on an overseas trip so temptingly packaged, that it is becoming hard to resist.

The charm of holidaying abroad is that one gets to sample cultures and lifestyles that are different from our own. The travel agencies woo the would-be travellers by assuring them of their commitment to giving them a holiday of a lifetime. Worldwide destinations are available at some amazing prices.

Looking at it from the conservative point of view, money spent on a holiday does not have any tangible gain. The average tourist has nothing to show after a 14-day tour of Europe, other than some colourful photographs and perhaps a few affordable mementos. The few lakhs of hard earned money spent during those hectic 14 days is not going to get the tourist any material returns. But the holiday time lingers in the memory of the family, becoming an unforgettable phase in the journey of life.

This apart, the therapeutic nature of a break cannot be underestimated. To begin with, the excitement of planning a well- earned break, away from the scorching heat of the plains, is so contagious that even the head of the family gets influenced. Earlier, he might have been the proverbial "wet blanket", but the idea of a few days away from the humdrum routine is too tempting.

The planning and preparations are every bit as exciting as the actual holiday itself and the family savours the excitement and even the misadventures that may befall during the course of the holiday. When they get back, it is with a feeling of rejuvenation and they often feel better equipped to tackle their routine with greater zest and enthusiasm.

This sense of renewal is also possible after shorter breaks, like a long week-end perhaps, when one can go off to a farm house or relax by the sea in order to come back on a Monday morning recharged. This is particularly noticeable in the West, where the holiday mood sets in by Friday afternoon itself. In Vienna, people set off on Friday evenings to enjoy the serenity of the mountains or soak in the warmth of hot springs. A lady acquaintance declared that there was nothing she would like better than drive up to her farm house near Vienna, which had no electricity and consequently no running water. She enjoys her candle light dinners and her daily chore of drawing water from a well. She said she felt a bonding with Nature that was lost in the heady social circuits that the urban lifestyle demanded. Even while going for a swim, the Viennese prefer the medicinal waters of the natural springs to the artificially heated pools. It is "back to Nature" in the developed countries, while the developing nations are star-struck with the marvels of technology and have forgotten the Arcadian pleasures of our forefathers. Even a visit to the ancestral village can be therapeutic, while soaking in the greenery or having a dip in the not-so-polluted stream that winds its way around the mango grove, where once we played as children.

To those lesser mortals not blessed with an ancestral home in the village or a beach house near the city, it is possible to make a quick get-away to nearby places for a breather.

The scenic East Coast Road has a high density of short holiday options. It is after all only a two and a half hour drive to Pondicherry. A day trip to the Ashram or Auroville has become a popular choice for the irate city dweller wishing to unwind from the tensions of the week. Buses ply regularly and a weekend in Pondicherry is no longer the sole prerogative of the rich and the famous. Bicycles may be rented for a nominal sum and if the heat is bearable, one can pedal away in the direction of Auroville to discover spots that have escaped the tourist trail.

Horsely Hills (near Madanapalle), about four hours drive away from Chennai, is a quiet hill resort where modestly priced accommodation is available on prior request. There, one can experience the feeling of being far away from the "madding crowd" while inhaling the pristine mountain air.

Even a one-day break can do wonders to jaded spirits. A day long picnic to the Pulicat lake or to the Tiger caves en route to Mahabalipuram, which are small pockets of less crowded tourist spots, can be an enjoyable reprieve. A little while ago, exotic birds like flamingos were sighted on the way to Sriharikota.

The pious Chennaiite may prefer a short trip to Thiruneermalai (the desi version of Gretna Green, where runaway marriages are still solemnised) or the Murugan temple at Kunrathur situated atop a rocky outcrop. The orchid farm near Chinglepet near about the famous bird sanctuary at Vedanthangal is well worth a visit.

While admitting the fact that it is work which gives us our special identity and "what we are" is governed by "what we do", we also need a break now and then from monotonous routine.

For a fortunate few, life may be a "playing holiday", to borrow the words of the Bard of Avon. For most others, a temporary reprieve will act as a therapy engendering a healing process for the wear and tear of daily drudgery.

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