Where stories meet the shore

In Honnavar, there is a sacred confluence. At Tonka, the Sharavathi River — after journeying through the Western Ghats and falling 253 meters at Jog Falls — finally meets the Arabian Sea. It is where two worlds become one.

From that very soil comes a new confluence of stories, people, and hope. Its name is Apeksha Reading Club.

Why 'Apeksha'?

Apeksha means hope, expectation, aspiration. It is the hope that in a world of endless scrolling, we can still sit together, open a book, and truly listen. The hope that our coastal town, known for its estuary, mangroves, turtles, and Yakshagana, can also be known for its readers.

Rooted in Honnavar Tonka

This club is born from Honnavar's own lessons based on reading club idea seed sowed by Loretti Pinto.

At Kasarkod Tonka beach, Olive Ridley turtles swim thousands of kilometers to return to the exact beach where they were born to lay their eggs. Fishermen like Rajesh Tandel protect them. The Forest Department and locals work together. It teaches us that stories also travel far and need a safe shore to return to.

Apeksha Reading Club wants to be that safe shore.

From Honnavar Tonka, where the river meets the sea, Apeksha Reading Club brings together different people, languages, and stories — just like the Sharavathi meets the Arabian Sea.

1. Silent Reading at Tonka: We meet near the beach, in parks, or under trees.  We read together in silence for an hour — with the sound of waves in the background.

2. Story Circles: After reading, we share. A line we loved. A folk tale from Honnavar. A memory of Idagunji or Apsarakonda.

3. Kannada First, All Languages Welcome: We celebrate Kannada — from Da Ra Bendre to Kayyara Kinhanna Rai, from Karavali folklore to modern writers — but all languages are welcome.

4. For Everyone: No fees. No age bar. No formalities. Students, fishermen,  homemakers, children — if you love a story, you belong.

Our Dream

Honnavar has always been called “untouched heaven” — for its Eco Beach, its mangroves, its Konkan Railway bridge, its temples. We dream that it will also be known as a town that reads together.

Apeksha is not just a club. It is our small promise to the next generation of Honnavar that they will have stories, beaches, and turtles; all protected together.

Apeksha Reading Club, Honnavar Tonka.

Where Stories Meet. Where River Meets Sea.

Apeksha R. Tandel