Showing posts with label Travelogues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travelogues. Show all posts

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Beautiful Kerala-3

Kochi- The Queen of The Arabian Sea

Kochi or Cochin was known in ancient times to travelers and trades men as Cocym, Cochymn, Cohin, Kochi etc. The Jewish community settled in Kochi call it as Kogin and is in their seal of synagogue.It is also known as the Queen of Arabian Sea or Gateway to Kerala. It is mostly known as Ernakulam which in fact is the main land of Kochi.

Kochi (Kochchi) means:
  • From Malayalam words kochu azhi meaning a small laggon
  • From word Kaci meaning harbour
  • Named after river Kochchi which connects the backwaters to the sea
  • Portugese and British called it as Cochin which remained for a long time
  • In 1996 the name of Kochi was retained
Kochi is a port city on the west coast of India on the shores of Arabian Sea. Since ancient times this port city was known to Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Jews and Chinese and was an important spice trading center. Kochi has a coastline of 48 Kms and is well known for its backwaters. The climate here is Tropical Monsoon type. It is hot and humid and during rainy season there is  heavy rainfall from June to December .

We  find, Hindus, Christians, Muslims and followers of other religions living peacefully. Now for the details of my travels...


Day-1-kochi:


Well we all piled up in the van at the airport and headed towards the city very eager and excited.
This was the van we went around for the entire trip, from place to place as we traveled by road. It was roomy and comfortable and our driver was also a very good one. His driving skills put me at ease. Or else on our India roads, I am always nervous and edgy.
 See the lush greenery, paddy fields, surrounded by coconut and jack fruit trees.
Not the Big Ben but a clock tower on our way into the city. We reached the hotel in half an hour. It was a real charming place very beautifully done, oozing the old world charm, reminding me of old houses of South India with heavy wooden furniture made of teak, rosewood.
The coffee shop in the hotel where it is cozy and charming. We spent the evening here  and later had dinner as it was raining.
This was our suite. The wooden furniture and brass/copper fittings reminded me of old bungalows in India. My grans place was like that.
The front room divided into two by wooden partition fitted with glass. The above area for sitting, had a big TV and the sofa which could be turned in to a big bed at night. The one below is with a small table. The small wooden thing on the right actually a had a tiny refrigerator inside it.

The beds again were old fashioned made with wood and metal (brass perhaps) but comfortable. The wall paper with roses captured my attention.
 See the old lantern fitted with bulbs on either side of the beds.
The mirror, the desk and chair- look at them. Colonial style furniture. These days we don't find such pieces made of red wood or teak. But in our childhood we had so many of those. Later on many people threw them out saying that it was old fashioned furniture, heavy and was occupying lots of space. But now they cost you a fortune.
 This is the wardrobe with sliding doors.
See the luggage rack where you can place your luggage is made of wood and brass.


We all had a very sumptuous lunch, with Rotis, white steamed rice, curries, chutneys and  curds. Then took rest for an hour as it was very hot and humid.


Then we were to go for sight seeing....so watch out....

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Beautiful Kerala-2

Arrival at Kochi

Kerala also known as Keralam is an Indian State located on the South West coast (known as Malabar Coast) in India. It has an area of 38,83 Sq Kms, capital is Thiruvananathapuram(Trivandrum). It was formed in 1956 by combining three areas of Travancore, Cohon and Malabar.It is surrounded by Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Arabian Sea. The language spoken is Malayalam hence the people are called Malayalees.

Kerala Means: 
The word Kerala or Keralam is said to have been derived from 
  • Chera- a dynasty which ruled some parts of South India and alam means land. Hence land of Cheras. Word Chera later on came to be pronounced as Kera.
  • Kera(sanskrit)-meaning coconuts and alam means land. Hence Land of Coconuts

It is said that Parasurama one of the Dasavataras of Lord Vishnu created the area of Kerala when he threw his axe into the Arabian sea and the sea withdrew from the area where the axe fell.

Kerala is known for 
  • its beaches lush greenery, ayurvedic tourism
  • tropical forests, breeding and nesting place for many birds, 
  • animals like elephants etc. living in sanctuaries
  • spices, coconuts, cashew nuts, jack fruits, pineapples, bananas
  • their unique culture and cuisine
  • huge stretches of back waters where one can do boating and fishing
  • highest literacy rate
  • highest human development index
  • least corrupt states of India
  • nominated as cleanest state, five out ten best cities to live
  • nominated as one of the ten paradises of the world, 50 must see destinations of a lifetime
You can read more about the State here:

http://berchmans.tripod.com/kerala.html

One has to really see through their own eyes the beauty of the destinations of Kerala as it cannot be described in words. I visited it once long time back and since then was wanting to go their with my family to explore the state and enjoy the nature. It happened now.

OK here we go.....The dairy of my travelogues..

Day-1-Kochi:

We were a group of nine people, three children and my mom included, reached Kochi (Cochin) airport in the afternoon by 1.30pm. It is a quaint little airport but so beautiful. The buildings reminded me of our old traditional homes of South India. I grew in one such huge home of my maternal grandmother. The slanting roofs in the shape of pyramids, constructed on wooden beams and rafters, supported by lovely carved wooden pillars and covered with red coloured terracotta or clay tiles. The entire building is usually surrounded by open varandas with slanting roofs and pillars.
Here are some shots.
You can see the spires. Traditionally they were made of bronze or copper to conduct electricity in case of lightning striking during rainy season.


This is a shot from a distance. Look at the lush green surroundings.

I am afraid I could not get a proper shot of the structure. You can see some here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kochi_airport_aerial_view.jpg

Well we were very hungry as we had some break fast early in the morning and with all the excitement, we could not eat much. So quickly we piled up our luggage into a 15 seater van and started towards the Kochi city......All of us were very excited and thought Yahooo.....Kochi here we come.....

Watch out for the next posts as our travel to beautiful spots starts from here....

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Beautiful Kerala-1

A Glimpse...

I promised you all that I would share my glimpses of the Beautiful Kerala with you all. Kerala known as God's Own Country is really so. The backwaters, lush green nature, air filled with the scent of spices and colourful flowers and fruits, yummy cuisine and to top it all beautiful people with their simple living and friendly nature.....

Well I am as much excited and impatient to share it all with you...but it will take some time..so here is a glimpse...
KathaKali-Traditional  Dance from Kerala
This is KathaKali-the traditional dance from Kerala. I will write about it in detail in my next posts and also have some videos to share with you all. This live performance we enjoyed  in one of our stays at a small town. I have always been fascinated with various dances of India-whether traditional or folk and try to learn as much about them as possible. Katha Kali is one such forms which has attracted me even as a child. The elaborate makeup, extensive use of eyes  for expressing various feelings is what enthralls me...

Well keep a watch on my blog....it will be a feast for you eyes......I promise..I will share it with you all.... the moment I can find a little time...but bye for now...got to go....


Saturday, February 5, 2011

I am Back


Hello friends, I was away and am back after nearly two weeks or so. I left in such a hurry, that I could neither do some posts nor could infirm you about my absence. I missed you all.

As usual my trip was very tight scheduled, hectic and tiring. But I enjoyed every minute of it. I could visit some very old and not much known temples, some remote locations and enjoyed very much. I could collect some very rare designs of Rangolis, learned a bit more about the places, people, traditions and culture. It was an experience, an education and I feel more enriched now with those experiences.

This time I could visit some very remote locations. I enjoyed every moment of my travels. I have loads and loads to share with you all. The only constraint is time. I feel so tired after that long trip. But I am very eager to share with you all my treasures.

Keep a watch on my blogs.....I am sure you will love it

Friday, October 8, 2010

Travels


I was away on one of my trips again. It was fun travelling but very strenuous. But I am happy that I could visit some very important temples. The climate was good, mostly cloudy, raining heavily sometimes but otherwise drizzling. This time too I could interact with some great people, improving my spiritual knowledge learning more about my culture and traditions.

I collected some very great Rangoli designs and also some great recipes. The thing is I need time to pen them properly and also write my posts. But will do at least some of them before I am off to another trip again. Phew but I cannot help it. I have to travel.
Here is a little glimpse.
Lush greenery all around due to heavy rains this year.
Its a feast for the eyes.
I have visited many temples. I will write about them in my other blog.

Today  our festival Dashara has started. Boy there was so much to do and much more left for me to finish while I am still at home. So much cleaning, sprucing up and what not. My garden too needs my attention. I have some new plants to be planted. I don't know when I am going to finish all these.

Any way keep a watch on my blogs for my Rangoli designs, travelogues and great recipes....



Sunday, September 26, 2010

Tracing My Roots

Sorry friends, I could not keep in touch with you all.


I have been very busy travelling extensively to those places from where my ancestors have come from. It was really fun on one hand  going around little towns and villages, rich with culture, traditions, temples and centuries old history behind them. The greenery, acres and acres of green fields, orchards, gushing rivers, rivulets, canals and water bodies,temples at every nook and corner all picturesque with an overcast sky, drizzling now and then. Some of the most famous personalities of literary, music other art forms are from here. So are the most revered Vedic Pundits, astrologers, philanthropists, freedom fighters-the list is end less.  The best educational centers were from these regions once and still are the best.

It was very enriching experience for me, interacting with people from various backgrounds. I learnt a lot.. I bought lot of books on spirituality, astrology, those who write our almanacs known as Panchangam, ayurveda etc. 

It was really a great experience, visiting ancient temples, knowing about our rich traditions and the scientific reasons behind them. It was a feast for my eyes as well  as my soul, seeing all those green fields, rivers and rivulets, well Nature at its best.

On the other hand it was also nostalgic, meeting those who remembered my ancestors, learning about my roots. I felt very sad as to why we had to leave such a beautiful and peaceful places to live in so called modern towns and cities full of pollution-both of environmental as well as other ones.

Oh by the way the cuisines also are different in each region, each having something unique to offer but at the same time there are many similarities. I know most of them, but just refreshed my mind with the techniques by observing the most experienced ladies who churn out a yummy fare in minutes and serve you lovingly. They have not yet forgotten our Indian hospitality- welcoming even a stranger with so much love.

I not only collected these recipes but also so many traditional Rangoli designs. I have been wanting this for a long time and at last, my dream comes true.

I will be sharing all of this. But the major constraint is time as I have to travel again. Let us see. I will try to keep in touch with you all as I have lots and lots to share.


So keep watching my blogs....


Preview of what is to come....
Calm waters...
Setting Sun...
Lush greenery all around...


What more does one want? 



Monday, August 9, 2010

Indian Villages-5

Hi friends. Here are some shots of village life in India. I could only take them from moving vehicle as we were speeding along the high way. How I wish I could stop my vehicle and go around. Perhaps one day I will find time to do so.













Green fields surrounded by hillocks in the back, trees especially the palms. You can see the palm standing as a lone sentinel in the midst of the field. The dried palm leaves are used for thatching. But most important is the palm toddy for which these trees are grown.


We come across so many temples on our way. Every village or settlement will have at least a small shrine for one God or Goddess. Indians are religious and spiritual. This is the Mukha Dwara or the gateway to the temple. You can see Lord Venkateswara also known as Balaji who is revered as Kaliyuga Daivam (Lord). There are also HIS Chakra (Disk) and Sankha (Conch shell). The gate way is so colourful.You can see the temple in the background.
Here is one of the lumber yard. A shelter with tin roof and a cart with its load.
A group of trees providing shade in the midst of a field. The people working there might be sitting in the shade enjoying the cool breeze and their breakfast or lunch.













Another stretch of fields. You can see the farmer in the distance just making sure that every thing is ok.
This is a brick making unit. You can see the bricks in the process.

I have many more to share with you. But I need to properly give them a shape and write about them. I will some time this week may be.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Travelling by Train

I am travelling once again, but hopefully on a very short trip. It was quite hectic for me for the past one week preparing for this trip and organising every thing in my home so that it runs smoothly during my absence.

I enjoy travelling by trains. Its some how romantic. As a child I always was fascinated by trains and still am. India has one of the largest network of routes connected by trains. There are coaches with AC and those without AC. It is so difficult to travel in the hot summer months without the AC. But many people do so who cannot afford it, or who could not get the tickets booked in time or those who have to travel on any emergencies.

There are the general or unreserved coaches, where the people just buy the tickets an hour or two before the train leaves and travel. Such unreserved coaches are packed tightly, many squeezing in on the seats, many standing, or squatting on the floor of the train or sitting near the doorway, mothers with little children or the senior citizens and travelling for long distances. One has to fight and struggle to find place for standing on at least one feet. Yes it sounds so horrifying. Its difficult even to imagine such a travel, let alone endure one that too in hot summer. But sadly, most who cannot afford travel that way.

In summer months,  most students across India have two months holidays. So families go out for sightseeing or visiting near and dear ones. This is an auspicious time for marriages and other ceremonies. So families travel foe these ceremonies. This is also the right time for visiting many temples and shrines in northern India especially situated in Himalayas which reels under cold waves and snow falls in winter months and severe rains and landslides in rainy season. So many embark on these pilgrimages. One can see huge groups of senior citizens on pilgrimages conducted by Tours N Travels.

So it is interesting to meet people from various backgrounds and traveling for various reasons. Each coach is a mini India carrying people from different cultures and regions, talking different languages. I love to interact with them and every time I do so, I am further educated. I learn a lot about their life styles, their way of living, their culture and so on. Sometimes we become friends and keep in touch. Its exciting and fascinating. It is also fun to watch the villages and towns, people going about their daily lives, the changing landscapes and the scenic beauty. So I don't miss an opportunity to travel in trains.

I want to share with you some of those moments when ever I can....

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Blooming Cassia

Recently on my travels I happened to stay in a place which was full of these beautiful Cassia trees. They bloom in the hot summers and are so beautiful to look at. I love them. Cassia Fistula-thats is Botanical name, Indian Laburnum, known as Krtamala in Sanskrut, Amaltas in Hindi and Rela in Telugu.

The fruit, seed, pulp, and  even the roots of Cassia, have medicinal properties. In oriental medicine it is prescribed as a mild purgative, reliever of thoracic obstructions, etc. These are also used for asthma, leprosy, ring worm, fever, heart problems, etc. The fruit pulp is a safe purgative for pregnant women and young children. The pulp is supposed to enhance the beauty of the skin too.

Here are the pictures.  The whole tree is filled with yellow flowers and that too in hot summers.
The whole tree is covered with blooms, we don't even find the leaves amongst them.
 


 A closer view at the flowers.
These are the fruits. I want to make Bonsai of these plants. I don't know how many years will it take them to bloom in pots. But let me try.

Hope you liked them......

Saturday, April 17, 2010

A date with Squirrells

Recently when I stayed with my cousins, every morning we used wake up  before sun rise and  sit out in their garden. There used to be a lot of visitors-butterflies, birds and Squirrels. I am fond of squirrels as it evokes in me my child hood memories of playing in the big backyard at my granny's place. There were at least four to six squirrels living on the trees. Well I am not exactly sure of the number.It used  to be very pleasant  early in the morning and these little fellas used to start chirping, climbing trees, searching for the  food.

Any way Here is one of the many little fellows. Its very difficult to catch them on camera, as they are so active and keep on darting here and there. By the time you focus and try to click. They are gone. But that day I was lucky. This little one so patiently posed for me and showed me all his antics.



Here you can see the structure built around a tree. This not only creates a seating space, but also prevents the tree from being uprooted if there are any storms or strong winds, which are quite common in coastal areas. They have decorated it with Rangoli using paint. This little one is eating something so peacefully.
  
Story of the Stripes:


Do you see the stripes on the back of the squirrel. Well there is a story associated with it. Lord Rama whose story is known as Ramayana, left his kingdom and went into exile for 14 years. During this period, his wife Sita was abducted by the Demon King Ravana was kept in Lanka (meaning Island). This Lanka now presently known as Srilanka was ruled by the Mighty Ravana,  He was very powerful and dreaded by all. He committed many attrocities, one among them, to kidnap and prison, beautiful women.


When Sita was abducted, Rama learned of it and after searching for her through his friend Sugriva's( a Monkey King)  army of monkeys, he came to know that Sita was in Lanka. In order to reach there and wage war with Ravana, he had to cross the sea. So, a massive stone bridge was built by the monkeys. ( army of King Sugriva) On each stone, Rama's name was chiseled and then thrown into the sea. Surprisingly, the stones  did not sink but float on the surface.


A squirrel, who watched all this was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. It felt so sad that being so small, it could not help him  either in building the bridge, or in any other way. But, after thinking for some time, it made a decision. It went into the sands on the banks of the sea, rolled in it, went on to the bridge being constructed and dropped all the sand collected on its body. It went on doing that.


One day Lord Rama came to check the bridge, which was finished by now. His sight fell on the little squirrel and watched what it was doing. Then he went to her and asked what she was doing.


The Squirrel felt so happy to find her Lord before her eyes. She bowed at his feet and said " O Rama, I am such a little creature. I love you so much but am not able to help you in any way. So I thought, if I cannot build this massive bridge, I can at least, make the surface of the bridge soft for your delicate feet to tread on. Rama was so touched by its service. He said that though you are small physically, your thoughts, your devotion and service you are doing for  me is so very great. So Rama took her into his hands and softly, caressed her all over. The squirrel lost her fatigue and became rejuvenated. Rama ran his three fingers  on  its back and as a remeberence of her service, he left the mark of his fingers, and said from today, you and your species will carry this which will  remind people of your great devotion and service.


So thats how she got her stripes. Even today people who are modest, or do some service or give alms say this is very little-or Udutha Bhakthi. Udutha in Telugu means Squirrel and Bhakthi means devotion. So she is remembered for her service.
Some more pictures ....
Up on a tree, watching me carefully...

Ohh I loved this Gooseberry tree laden with those golden green fruit. Goose berry is rich in Vitamin C and the berries have very good medicinal properties.
It was so peaceful in that little place, though hot and humid.  I miss my little friends....

Friday, April 2, 2010

Heat N Dust

It was back to traveling during the last week. Its so hot and traveling in summer is really difficult. But still there is no way out. These places are not connected with A/C coaches and it becomes so difficult to travel in the hot Sun. The Driver of the bus, and the poor rural folk, still go about it cheerfully. Though we do see a lot of flare ups in this season due to heat and dust.

Drinking cool water, coconut water, eating water melon and drinking iced lemonade..but nothing seems to beat the heat. This only beginning of the April. I fear to think of what comes next . Its summertime till June mid month and many places till July, if the Monsoon arrives on time.

But here are some of the pictures I took early morning. At least its cool and pleasant during that time.
This is the reason for the drastic climatic changes. Mountains are turned to dust, for stone and concrete material, as the building industry is on the boom. I dont know whether these do get permits to do so. How does one give them permission to mindlessly break down hillocks? This will definitely spoil the Eco system. Without mountains and hills, how will we get rains? I just shudder to think. There has been a lot of change in the surroundings in the past decade or so as I travel frequently around these areas. Less and less greenery and more and more barrenness in the name of development. Trees which are old and huge are cut down in no time. 

Where as when it comes to planting new ones, the number is far less when compared to those which are cut. Even after planting, no one is bothered to check up how many are surviving.

Hmm..I can go on ranting and raving like this. But is there any use? I only do my part and maintain greenery as much as I can and try to educate people on this.
Doesn't this look so beautiful and peaceful. I just pray that these too don't disappear with time.
Goats grazing on peacefully. You can see the mound of the remains of the crop after harvesting. This would be dried and used as feed to cattle in the hot summers when green feed may not be available.
Blue skies and green fields...I love them. Tall Palm trees give, palm fruits, leaves for thatching, wood for fuel, boats and other purposes. But the reason these are still surviving though in few numbers are for the Palm Toddy, to which some of the rural folk are addicted to. It does help them in earning some money perhaps, apart from providing them a drink.