Marina Beach as a Prime Place for Creativity in Chennai

I have been living a few kilometres away from Marina beach from my childhood,

since then I have always perceived it to be a place to enjoy the beach waves, soak

my legs in water, play with the sand, collect seashells and enjoy the view of the

exuberant seashore. But after completing my Master degree, the way I perceive

it now is totally different. It is a very good facilitator of social activities for the

public, when compared to other beach stretches along the Chennai coast.

I wanted to explore more about this, so I strolled in and around the beach on a

Sunday evening to observe and take notes of the various activities taking place in

Marina and did some online research as well. Then I categorised them based on

the social activity types formulated by Flatt et al. (2015) as, Altruism - Activities

that are generally done in the form of care, help or social service; Creativity -

activities that stimulate creativeness and imagination; Game - activities that are

challenging and competitive; Motion - activities that require motion and aid in the

well-being of the individual.

The various activities observed based on the above four types were:

Altruism - Volunteering activities like clean up drives and environment

preservation initiatives, caregiving activity like providing wheelchair facility for

the disabled, teaching, baby sitting and rituals performed for a deceased family

member.

Creativity - Travelling, sightseeing, panoramic views from the lighthouse,

photography, selfie spots, landscaping, sand sculpting, drawing and painting,

exploring the various historical buildings and monuments, heritage walks,

listening to music, reading newspaper, movie and short film shooting, media

interviews, research activities, carnivals, eating from the various food stalls and

exploring food (lot of sea food options), tattoo shops, collecting seashells and

corals and exploring the planktons near the seashore.

Game - Kite flying, balloon shooting, playing cards, playing group games over

phone, merry go round for kids, volley ball, skating, athletics and other ball

games.

Motion - Swimming, walking, yoga, exercising, cycling, boating and horse

riding

The beach was found to be very functional and supporting various activities

for a variety of users who are in search of relaxation and enjoyment. The main

driving force towards the beach was found to be the breezy, calming and

pleasing atmosphere coupled with the sparkling beach waters. This is due to

the widespread promenade space bordered by the wide walkways that helped

to distinct the busy roads from the beach. Factors such as easy accessibility,

walkability, adaptability and flexibility of the space has made it more

functional and utilitarian. Many people preferred to visit the beach in the

evening when the sun’s heat was reducing.

The high number of creative activities observed,suggested that the beach provides

good opportunities for mental relaxation, creative thinking and imagination. The

free and unlimited circulation space of the beach functioned as a good platform

to explore one’s creativity and indulge in the various social activities without any

limitation. The diverse mix of uses and creative activities conveyed that it can be

considered as a prime place for creative thinking in Chennai.

The dynamism and the energetic atmosphere from the evening was carried

forward till the night, people also liked to enjoy the soothing night view of the

beach. The lights from the numerous stalls on the beach made the place lit and

aesthetically pleasing. Due to the darkness of the place many preferred better

illuminated areas and involved in activities that could be done by sitting down

like talking among one another, playing games over phone, listening to songs

etc.

Marina beach in Chennai is known for its historical and colonial importance.

More than being a public place, Marina has been a self-made place since our

colonial times, over the period of time it has evolved into an iconic place due to

the many iconic events that has taken place here, like the Salt Satyagraha initiated

by Mahatma Gandhi, JalliKattu protest etc. But this study explores a different

side of Marina that is experienced a lot on a daily basis, but less spoken about. It

also unravels a message that Marina beach teaches us something new every time

we visit it.

Reference

Flatt, J. D., Hughes, T. F., Documét, P. I., Lingler, J. H., Trauth, J. M., & Albert,

S. M. (2015). A qualitative study on the types and purposes of social activities in

late life. Activities, adaptation & aging, 39(2), 109-132.

About the Author:

Krithikaa is a budding Architect and Urban Researcher. She completed her

Master degree in Urban Planning in Singapore. She is fond of research and

writing about Urban related topics. Having born and brought up in Chennai she

has always had many aspirations for the city since her childhood.