Flower Arrangement

People always think that they need lot of expensive things to decorate their homes. But it is very much possible to decorate our homes, using less expensive things. Fresh flowers, from our own garden or growing wild are one of them.

Here is one arrangement of fresh flowers in water. This was in one of the resorts I visited in Kerala. All these flowers grow wild on the road side.

Terracotta tray filled with fresh cold water has been used. The flowers used are hibiscus, periwinkle, blue flowers(I don't know their name), daisies etc, which are quite common in our homes and also grow abundantly on road side. 

This arrangement will last easily for 3-4 hours. This can be placed on North-East corner (as per Vaastu) or in the living room or on the front porch, or on a table. Even in the garden this would look great.

One can use various sizes and shapes of terracotta, glass, metal, stone or other trays or bowls for such arrangements. Use of fragrant flowers will also fill the area with fragrance. or else one can add a few drops of aromatic oils or scents to the water.

So why don't you try it to please your guests.....

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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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala

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....

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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....

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