Malhar

Black Pepper

2012-01-24T09:27:00.000+05:30

From times immemorial, Black Pepper was a major component in world trade and continues to be very important even today. It also played a major role in world history. Voyages undertaken to distant lands were primarily in search of pepper and other spices. Chance discovery of the Americas and their colonisation by the European powers could be attributed to this very much sought after commodity. Provenance of black pepper on one hand brought riches to India but on the other hand it proved disastrous, for the sub continent got annexed eventually. India is the only country where this was grown from ancient times because of which the country had trade relationships with the Arabs, the Jews, the Roman Empire and the Chinese. Black Pepper was referred to as Black Gold then. The ships used to sail for Rome, laden with Pepper and other spices in exchange for Gold. The stuff used to be carried to other parts of Europe by land route even from the Arabian countries. It is said that the long trade between India and Rome resulted in depletion of the Roman Gold reserves to an all time low. Hoards of Roman Gold Coins discovered from the coastal areas of South India seem to support the above observation.

Apart from Black Pepper India is/was a producer of lot many other spices such as Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg etc. Spices other than Black Pepper are widely grown elsewhere in South East Asian countries as well. May 20, 1498 would be considered as a black day for the Indians when the Portuguese explorer Vasco-da-Gama landed on the shores of South India near the port of Calicut (now Kozhikode). This saw Portugal establishing its trading centres on the Indian Soil and extending its business empire through out South East by the turn of the 16th century. Portugal thus enjoyed a virtual monopoly over the spice trade. The other European powers followed suit and headed towards the East. By the 17th century, apart from the Portuguese, the Dutch, British, Danes and the French could also establish their ware houses for buying and stocking spices in various coastal areas of India. Eventually this paved the way for the colonisation of the Sub Continent.

We too have some Pepper Vines, at home in Kerala, growing on Mango and Areca Nut trees/palms. Kerala (South western part of India), because of the favourable climatic conditions had been the home for Black Pepper from ancient times. However, at our home, the growth is not very encouraging due to inadequate care. Still some of the vines do produce bunches of pepper adequate for home consumption. On my recent visit, I found one of the vines having long bunches of the fruit. I thought of using them for pickles. On examination I found some fruits having turned pink. This is supposed to be an indication that the fruits are ripe enough to be harvested. If they are left out, birds get attracted and cause damage. However my plans of having some pickles were thwarted as by this time the seeds inside would have become harder and unsuitable for the purpose. Nevertheless I decided to pluck the bunches and did so by hand, standing under the vine. When the bunches became unapproachable, I used a ladder to climb up and pull them down. The yield was around 3 kgs which were put to dry in the Sun.

When the small round fruits completely dry out, they look black. The outer skin develops wrinkles and becomes course/rough. If the outer skin is removed, the white seed will peep out. This when powdered is known as “white pepper”. However, removal of the black skin causes deterioration in the medicinal properties of the seeds. Similarly there are other variants such as Red and Green. The red/green berries are picked and compelled to retain their colours through chemical processes.

Apart from their use as preservatives, as spice, for seasoning and on our dining tables, they possess immense medicinal properties. They are often used for the treatment of Cholera and Bronchitis. Researchers have also found out that they help in the reduction of body fat. Capsaicin, an element contained in Black Pepper which is responsible for the pungent taste, is said to induce fat cells to disintegrate. Therefore they are supposed to be able to control/cure Cancer, Gastric Ulcers and Arthritis. Needless to say that it is desirable to increase the intake of Black Pepper and also as a substitute for Chillies.

Soon we may see them in a capsule form, prohibitively priced and some multinational companies claiming their patents.

We have a betel vine at home which looks somewhat similar to the Pepper vine. Here is a photograph for comparison.

Wild growing vegetation at Paliakara

2012-01-17T11:29:00.000+05:30

All my brothers and sisters had assembled at our native place in Kerala to celebrate our father’s 100th birthday during November 2011. I was moving around the outer fencing and I found a wild growth of vegetation surrounding it. There were some unknown creepers as well with their beautiful blooms. It became irresistible for me and I called for a camera to honour them. Some of them looked closer to what we grow at our homes. It is not that they never grew in the past, simply put it, they remained ignored. Perhaps they were considered as outcastes. I would appeal to my knowledgeable friends to help in their identification. Here they go:

Cannon Ball Tree

2012-01-03T11:27:00.004+05:30

During my recent visit to Ernakulam (Kochi/Cochin), on a particular day, we were roaming about the street known as Broadway. It dawned on us that there is a very old temple belonging to a rich community known as Gowda Saraswat Brahmins (GSB in short) nearby. We found our way and reached the spot where the temple stood. However, the doors were closed. Disappointed, we were just exploring the surroundings. There was a small, modern shrine for the serpent Gods. However the huge stone pillars having cavities for lighting oil lamps seemed to belong to the distant past. Needless to say that it attracted our attention for the purpose of capturing them in our cameras.

Alongside there stood a huge tree with large spherical fruits hanging on its trunk. There were very many pinkish buds as well. The flowers were quite at a distance at the top and the withered ones lay on the ground.

The tree was a curiosity for all of us to look at. There was a guy nearby who told us its name as Nagamalli or Naga Pushpam. He also added that Hindus revere it as a sacred tree because the bowl shaped flower, within which there is a circle of barren stamen, over which a hood resembling a serpent, stands. The flower is used as an offering in all Shiva temples. Incidentally in the main temple over there, the presiding deity is Vishnu and not Shiva.

The fruits are quite large. They fall down when they mature making some noice. This explains as to why they are termed as cannon balls. People are advised not to stand below the tree lest they get injured. However when they fall down, the pulp within, fills the air with a kind of fowl smell. Interestingly the flowers have a very pleasant but strong fragrance. There is a myth associated with that scent. My mom used to say that if some one smells the flowers, keeping it very close to the nostrils, blood could ooze out of the nose.


By Hans Bernhard in Wikimedia Commons

The Cannonball Tree possesses antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic and analgesic qualities. The trees are used to cure colds and stomach aches. Juice made from the leaves is used to cure skin diseases. The inside of the fruit can disinfect wounds and young leaves ease toothache.

Though the tree is said to be a native of northern part of South America, they are found in many Shiva temple compounds in India. Likewise even Buddhists consider this tree as sacred and plant them in their Viharas (monasteries). The trees’ Indian connection is said to be over 2000 years old.

The scientific name of the tree is `Couroupita Guianensis` In Hindi it is known as “Shiv Kamal” and some times referred to as “Top ka Gola” literally meaning Cannon Ball.

Heliconia Rostrata

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000+05:30

We derive a great deal of pleasure in watching our kids grow. The Wandering Mind has discovered a sculpture at Badami depicting the four stages of childhood – first when the child is sleeping all the time, then, he begins crawling, then he stands, and finally, he does all sorts of gymnastics!. A similar feeling is also associated with our pets. The plants in our gardens are no exception.

Some six years back I brought few plants of Heliconia Rostrata (Lobster Claw) as they were not obtainable at this place. After two years they started flowering and I was thrilled to see them grow. In the recent years because of over growth of a Shivali/Night Jasmine tree I had to remove all other smaller plants beneath and transplant them in earthen pots. I specially bought a wider cement pot (24”) for planting Heliconias. They are there and new shoots are coming up but they refused to bear flowers during the last few years.

For the five years the monsoon was erratic and the rains were inadequate. Fortunately this year it was not so. We had very good rains and my Heliconias probably sensed this and happily started bearing flowers.

I tried to capture their stage wise growth and they are here:

This last one seems to be the end of it.

Mountain Ebony

2011-12-02T20:00:00.000+05:30

I am fond of flowers and the specie we shall be talking about is quite common in India. When it is common, what could be the purpose in bringing out a post on that. Not because the buds are used to prepare pickles or that the bark of the tree has medicinal properties. The reason is simply my vested interest. I happened to click some photographs while I was at Coimbatore. I came across a different kind of Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia Variegata) hitherto unknown to me which looked very attractive. I wanted to show it to my folks driven by a sort of childish instinct in me.

This kind of Yellow as also White are very common

In India alone, there are around a dozen varieties and some of them turn into creepers as well. The tree is medium sized and has a brown bark which split vertically. The flowers could be either white, yellow or red. All these varieties are found through out India. They are grown in gardens as ornamental trees. It starts flowering during February/March and by May fruits could be seen. The leaves are split into two parts and generally both the parts remain folded together. Once the leaf is opened up, it would resemble a Camel’s foot and it is also called so.

In view of its medicinal properties the bark is used in Ayurveda for treating blood related problems, skin diseases, itching, boils, eczema etc.

In India the names we get are: Sanskrit = Kashchnar, Hindi = Kachnar, Marathi = Koral/Kanchan, Gujarati = Champakanti, Bengali = Kanchan, Telugu = Devakanchanamu, Tamil = Mandarai. Kannada = Keyumandara, Malayalam = Mandaram, Punjabi = Kulad.

Parasurameswara – The oldest temple of Bhubaneswar

2011-11-26T11:45:00.000+05:30

With spectacular decorations, built during the 7th Century CE, “Parasurameswara” is the oldest Hindu temple at Bhubaneswar dedicated to Lord Shiva. We do not exactly know who got this magnificent edifice constructed but presume that this was got built during the reign of Eastern Ganga Dynasty. We did a great mistake. We could have gone through the literature available from different sources which would have enabled us to appreciate the Art thereat in the real perspective. This temple is reachable from the famous Mukteswara temple (we will cover it later) after crossing a small field shaded with large trees. While we were on our walk to cover the short distance, we felt like being welcomed by a concert of Cuckoos (Koels) perched on those trees.

Surrounded by a compound wall the temple faces west and is adjacent to the road. A gate leads you to the temple from the road side and there is another entry from the South. It was intriguing to find that the Mandap/Pavilion (Jagmohan) instead of being a stepped pyramid, is a rectangular structure with a terraced roof, sloping in two stages. In between the visors and the roof square ventilators have been provided. The conical super structure (Tower) above the Sanctum Sanctorum (They call it Deol) is said to be 19 meters in the Triratha plan, a characteristic of that era. On its back and elsewhere Lakulisha is depicted in a meditative posture together with his disciples. This leads us to believe that during that period the Pashupat Cult was reigning.

This is the stupa (Chaitya)

The outer walls are decorated showing domesticated elephants controlling the wild ones, couples making love, Saptmatrikas and many other deities. The legends of the Shaiva cult has been shown vividly.

Lord Ganesha and Karthikeya are also present. Its quite possible that an attempt has been made showing lions seated over elephants to symbolise weakening of the Buddhist influence but holistically the art shown does not seem to have been totally freed from the Buddhist impact. A depiction of a Buddhist stupa (Chaitya) on the outer wall of the pavilion testifies to this end. Similarly portrayal of Lakulisha resembling Buddha needs to be reckoned with.

The pillar at right is Sahsra Shiv Linga

In the temple complex on the left side we came across a pillar like thing. Though we saw it but did not pay any importance as such. It was only when my niece shouted “see what is here”, we went back and observed that it was also a Shiv Linga of about 4 feet height. There were several rows of miniature Lingas carved out, could be around a thousand like a multi storied tower. We were amazed at the pains the sculptor took. May be some day some one could take inspiration from that sculptural piece and build a gigantic tower and be the tallest of all such towers. Our photograph has not come out that clear still one could visualise.

While departing, we came across a small boy who was sleeping there. He got up hearing the noise we made. Though he did not beg for alms, his body language had some thing to suggest.

Resting while we were still in the temple

The official photographer for this trip was my niece "Gouri"

An Unspiritual Pilgrimage - Jagannath Puri

2011-11-02T11:56:00.000+05:30

On the eastern shores of India and in the State of Odisha (Orissa) there lies an important pilgrimage centre of Hindus known as Puri or conversely Jagannatha Puri, being the abode of Lord Jagannatha. Puri is also considered as the cultural capital of Odisha. It was established by Adi Shankaracharya, the spearhead of Hindu renaissance during the 8th century CE. We went there along with our families. For the ladies, the purpose of the visit could have been a sort of pilgrimage but the men folk were there for sight seeing, fun and frolic. It was an endurance test as we needed to keep the women folk in good spirits. We made Bhubaneswar as our base camp. After our breakfast on a sunny morning we hunted and hired a station wagon kind of a vehicle and proceeded to Puri, which was at a distance of 70 kilometres.

The road led us through the country side but the rural settings of that part seemed a little bit different. Being in the coastal region there were coconut and Areca nut palms at the far end of paddy fields. They were not as dense as we find in the western coast of India. The breeze coming from the paddy fields though had a nostalgic smell. Amidst the rural settings there was a way side restaurant (Dhaba) surrounded by shady trees. We thought of replenishing our tummies and parked our vehicle inside. The food, after some deliberations/consultations was settled for and duly ordered. Tables and chairs were laid out beneath the trees and we rested for more than half an hour by which time the service started. The quality of food was better than what we expected.

My nephew Girish checking up in front of the restaurant

When our lunch was over, we stayed for some time more and then proceeded to our destination. Around 2.30 pm we were at Puri. Our stay was pre-arranged at a holiday home of a reputed Bank but when we reached there, the caretaker was nowhere to be seen. The women looked tired and decided to enjoy a nap in the sofas at the reception. On our part we started hunting for the caretaker. The gentleman arrived after some time and we were at our wits end when he announced that no rooms have been booked for us. Immediately we contacted the local officials of the Bank over our cell phones. Hearing us speaking to the higher ups in the hierarchy, he offered to provide the much needed accommodation but in the meantime he too received phone calls which made him to apologise offering some alibis. We got three Air-conditioned rooms which were quite up to the mark. The holiday home itself has a beautiful building very close to the sea. We rested in our rooms till 7.00 pm in the evening and then proceeded to visit the Jagannatha temple for which Puri is famous.

My niece Gouri imitating Kate in Titanic on the terrace of the holiday home

Since that was not my first visit, I cautioned all to refrain from conversing with or entertaining the Pandas (the priests) and that I shall take care of them. My apprehensions were not ill-founded. Soon thereafter Pandas started playing their tricks. They exploit the gullible. They offer to conduct special rites/rituals very close to the deities. In the process the innocent devotees are made to part with heavy sums of money in the name of pleasing the lord thereat. Since I am conversant with Oriya, the local language, I made it very clear to them that we have done that 6 months back and do not intend to have anything performed on our behalf at this juncture. After freeing ourselves from those lechers we proceeded to the Sanctum Sanctorum which is otherwise quite large. We met with the symbolic idols of Balbhadra, Jagannath and Subhadra made of jack wood timber which do not have any semblance with Gods of Hindu pantheon. Some of the Pandas were seated very close to the deities as if they are there to provide salvation. After coming out we also went around the temple which has a huge campus with lots of smaller shrines. Since it is an 11th century temple, the sculptures are really beautiful, but then one is not allowed to take a camera or a mobile phone inside. After this courtesy call on Jagannath & Company, we returned to the holiday home where our dinner was waiting. Before going to bed we had decided to visit the beach before sunrise next day.

Although before the day break, we had our bed coffee but since our rooms were apart, it took some time for all to get ready. The Sun God obviously can’t wait for us. We ran to the sea shore. The Sun was quite above the horizon still the cool sea breeze was very comforting. A small boat was lying in the sands. Children pulled it nearer to the waters and by that time the owner turned up. The kids including the grown ups could negotiate a deal with the boatman and he was too willing to take them to some distance. The ladies started agitating and shouted at them. They were dissuaded from venturing into the sea. While we were walking towards our children, we came across a beautiful piece of sand art, probably the creation of a sand artist, Sudarshan Patnaik. Puri is also famous on that count. Sudarshan Patnaik is acclaimed internationally. He has exhibited his talent in several countries and won several awards.

Poor Mumtaaz - Who could have made her a Shurpanakha

The art piece stated above was the portrayal of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (creator of Taj Mahal) and his lady love Mumtaaz Mahal. A small replica of Taj Mahal made of marble was also placed behind symbolically. Seeing all this my brother got excited and started his own creation. With effort he could build something looking like a fort. Finding him sitting in a ditch his wife queried as to what is he digging up. He retorted “a grave for myself”. His wife continued “and what about me”. Sensing trouble, if this continues, I requested his wife to desist from further questioning.

There is a legend about sand art at Puri. There used to be a great poet named Balram Das who lived in the 14th century. He was the author of “Dandi Ramayan”. A car (Chariot) festival takes place at Puri around July every year. Balram Das, during one such festival, tried to climb up the chariot to pay his obeisance to the lord but he was abused by the Pandas and made him to climb down. He was grieved and with a heavy heart headed for the sea front (known as Mahadadhi). There working with the wet sand, he created the images of the three deities namely Balbhadra, Jagannath and Subhadra and started praying whole heartedly. It is said that all the three deities who were being carried in the Chariots during that particular festival just vanished and were so pleased with the devotion that they appeared before Balram Das live. People believe that the sand art form has its roots there. Anyway we may dismiss this simply as a myth. After all we do come across children exhibiting their creativity whenever they find time to play with sand. Yet another legend is that of Lord Rama, who at Rameswaram created a Shiv Linga out of sand and prayed.

A child playing with sand - He has made a Buddhist Stupa

After enjoying the sea breeze for some time, we started returning. The women folk were insisting to have a morning audience with Lord Jagannath. We had to succumb but again with an advisory with regard to the Pandas. We spent our time loafing around the market. Fortunately they joined us after an hour or so. Perforce we had to give them company for their marketing needs. Primarily there were several kinds of handicrafts on sale. There were brass/bronze items on sale. A tall lamp interested us but the cost seemed prohibitive. After finishing off the shopping spree, we straightaway headed to a hotel to have some breakfast. Thereafter to our holiday home as the warmth was becoming unbearable. We all were perspiring profusely. After lunch we returned to Bhubaneswar visiting Konark Sun temple en route.

Anaimalai Tiger Reserve

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000+05:30

हिंदी में यहाँ देख सकते हैं

We had planned to visit Ooty (a hill station in Tamilnadu, India). I was all alone but my brother Sreenivasan was coming along with his wife Sitalakshmi. After we had our breakfast, we readied ourselves and occupied our seats in the car which was to be driven by my brother. After positioning himself, my brother announced that we shall be returning late at night and will have dinner en route. I was puzzled as we can not do justice to our visit unless we are at Ooty for a minimum of a night and two days. Since there was an urgent meeting the next day, my brother was in a dilemma. He then suggested to visit “Anaimalai Tiger Reserve” which was relatively nearer. I was happy for the alternative placed before me and readily agreed. This was going to be my first ever visit to that place.

Anaimalai (Elephant Hills) is at a distance of around 60 kilometres south of Coimbatore. At 40 kilometres distance there is a town known as Pollachi and from there we were to take a right turn for Anaimalai. Incidentally Pollachi boasts of a whole sale Jaggery Market which is supposed to the largest in Asia. Similarly the Cattle Market over there is the largest in South India.

As a matter of fact Anaimalai is a part of the Western Ghat Mountain Ranges and if one goes further down, “Anamudi” is the highest peak in India (South of Himalayas) with a height of 8842 feet. Anaimalai itself is only 8oo feet high but is surrounded by ever green forests. Although, it is a reserve for Tigers, they are very limited. On the other hand hundreds of Elephants roam around. Anaimalai hills are known for their abundant wildlife. Eravikulam National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, and the adjacent The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park in these hills are well known for elephants. Numerous wildlife species can be seen including elephants, gaur, water buffaloes, tigers, panthers, sloth bears, pangolins, Black-headed Orioles, crocodiles, Green Pigeons, civet cats, Dhole, Sambar and 31 groups of endangered lion-tailed macaques., Birds seen include Pied hornbill, Red Whiskered Bulbul and Drongo. The hills are also a trekker’s paradise.

On reaching Pollachi, we took a right turn towards Anamalai which was around 16 kilometres away. The entire route was dotted with dense Coconut Groves spaced with paddy fields and the mountain ranges smiling at you from a far distance. After driving a stretch of 7/8 kilometres, we came at a check post with a welcome gate. The sanctuary/reserve starts from here. There was also a hoarding of the “Parambikulam Wild Life Sanctuary” which was on the same way but a little farther from the place we were heading to. Near the check post, a lady was selling some locally produced fruits. We bought some Sapodillas/Cheeku (Manilkara zapota) which were very sweet and tasty. Further journey saw us through some plains followed by winding ghats (Mountainous region) having thick bamboo forests.

Around 12 Noon, we were at “Top Slip”. This place is called so, for the large sloppy ground which was being used for storing Teak Wood logs and then rolling them down to reach the bottom of the hill. All private vehicles are supposed to remain parked at this place and for travelling beyond that point, one needs to hire vehicles from the Forest Department. They have a small information centre with a tiny museum for the benefit of tourists. The forest staff have their living quarters built there. They also run a Canteen which serves food and beverages to tourists.

There are two distinct categories of visitors here. The first category consists of people coming here for picnicking and fun. The second category belongs to those who are of serious kind and come here to understand the forests, its flora and fauna and the wild life. Their visits are always pre-planned. They get cottages/vehicles booked in advance for their period of stay. Since we fell under the former category, we started exploring the possibilities of moving around the jungles. We were told at the information centre that a van takes people around but since on that particular day, the number of visitors was too small, the van facility was kept in abeyance. There was, however, an option of taking the Elephant ride. Perforce, we had to settle for it. The Elephants were not immediately available as they were already on their rounds. Nevertheless, we got our tickets booked paying a sum of Rs.400/- and proceeded to fill our bellies at their Canteen.

After replenishing ourselves, we just roamed around. There my brother came across some boars in the backyard of the canteen. When we reached the information centre for the second time, my brother questioned the Ranger over there “Are those pigs, the wild ones”. The Ranger, with all seriousness, replied “Yes, they are wild boars but come down because of easy availability of left over food”. So we were happy to learn that we could at least see some wild life. Thereafter, I wanted to enlarge my own knowledge base and inquired about the kind of wild life found there. We were told that there are around 368 (that’s what I remember) Elephants and 18 Tigers apart from Panthers, Gaurs, Blue Bulls, Lion Tailed Monkeys, Large Mountain Squirrels etc. Further, they have some 100 Elephants in their own farm. They are let loose in the morning to roam about in the jungles and they come back in the evening. If one wants to see them together, one has to be there before 8.00 A.M.

Soon the Elephants were ready to take us for a ride. For all of us, it was going to be our first experience in life. After climbing a platform, we were on the cradle like thing on the Elephant’s back. We proceeded deeper inside. Nothing worthwhile came across except for few Macaque (Lion Tailed) Monkeys and large Squirrels. They vanished from our sight within minutes without affording any opportunity of capturing them in our cameras. The jungle view all around was very pleasing though. After half an hour, the Elephant was turned back and in fact we very much wished to come back not being in a position to withstand the painful jerks. Soon we were at the platform which saw us boarding the Elephant but only to get down with a sense of relief.

While returning home, it dawned upon me that the month of April was not quite productive for visiting a place like this.

WESTERN SRI LANKA – SCENIC COASTS

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000+05:30

By PN Sampath Kumar

Concluding Part

Our stay in Colombo was taken care of by the Colombo Dock Yard. The Guest Relations officer of the Guest House helped us immensely in chalking out the trip.

Colombo has traditionally been one of the major commercial hubs in the sub continent from at least mid 19^th to mid 20^th Century which has attracted professionals from all over the places including India. Colombo has a rich maritime tradition; the tea, cinnamon and other spices from this land are even now very much sought after all over the world.

Colombo City Road drenched in rain

Colombo Railway Station

Current day Colombo is a modern city trying to regain its glorious past. There is a sigh of relief among the Sri Lankan people at the end of the internal conflicts. At last peace is returning back. Under a proper leadership, this land has the potential even to overtake Singapore in the very near future.

Colombo is the best place to shop items like gems (sapphire is mined from a place called ‘Ratnapura’) and readymade clothes. Sri Lankan tea, painted masks and batik works are also in high demand. Though coconut is a local produce, costs SL Rs.45/- (Indian equivalent of around IN Rs20, which is high by the Indian standards). Similar is the case with locally cultivated vegetables, rice and pulses.

Coconuts on sale

Masks displayed in a shop

Galle face hotel

Slave Island Area

“Peta” is the main market place where one can bargain any item under the sun. There are good shopping malls which are relatively costly. Galle Face Road is the business centre and the beach on one side of it is the weekend escape for the families. National Flag is hoisted here. This is where the major hotels (including our TAJ Samudra) are located and also most attacked place in Colombo by the extremist elements. Adjacent to this is the “Cinnamon Gardens” the posh residential area. Places like Slave island are home for government and commercial offices.

Lord Ganesha kept inside the Monastery worshipped by Buddhists

Ganga Ramaya Monastery

Murugan (Karthikeya) temple

Mosque

Colombo is the home for the Ganga Ramaiya Buddha Vihara, a Buddhist monastery, a couple of famous Hindu Temples dedicated to Kartik and Shiva, a mosque and a Portuguese church.

Sri Lanka has a number of world class beaches. Selecting a couple of beaches to visit during a short visit is difficult as there are quite a number of them to choose from. We took the coastal route through the west coast to reach Galle, the southern most point in Sri Lanka. The railway and road go side by side and was pleasure watching sea on our right throughout.

Sea on our right while going

In between, we passed through a village (in the sea coast) of carpenters specialised in making Sri Lankan Furniture. They still make those wooden easy chairs and rocking chairs which has market all over the world. These carpenters are excellent artisans who also made excellent masks and craftwork. En route near Hikkaduwa beach, we visited one mask museum dedicated to promote the works of the artisans.

Masks Museum

Hikkaduwa beach

Hikkaduwa beach is one of the famous tourist destinations around 60 miles south of Colombo. It was about 10 am in the morning, the most horrible time possibly to visit a beach. The sudden rain added to the spoilsport. No wonder, the beach was deserted.

We ran into a building, having “Hikkaduwa Diving School” written on top. The inhabitants there offered us to take to sea to show us the famous coral gardens and the underwater world. We readily accepted in exchange of SL Rs. 1500/-, which according to our driver was a good deal.

A couple of Kilometres into the sea, has in stock the most beautiful views of the underwater life. We get a good view of the underwater life through the glass bottom of the boat. It was fascinating to watch flower like corals in different designs (cabbage coral is one of them) and shapes and the multi coloured fishes swimming in group. I found it difficult balance myself to take proper photographs. Sea was rough. We turned down his offer to take us to go further to watch dolphins.

The effect of dreaded Tsunami would have been even more severe had there been no Coral reefs in the coastal sea. Incidentally, it was in Hikkaduwa, the devastating tsunami overwhelmed a passenger train killing some 1,500 passengers.

Half an hours journey from Hikkaduwa brought us to Galle. This town is also known for the devastating Tsunami which killed thousands. Galle is a decent town having Railway station and a good Cricket Ground (international cricket is played here). Portuguese and later Dutch built Fort and maintained their control over here. Ruins of the Fort and a functioning light house are the major attractions. The town and the antique shops resembled our own Fort Cochin Area. Yes, both the places are sharing similar history. Galle was the ancient seaport. Cinnamon is said to have been exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 BC.

Galle Fort gate

An Old Building inside the Fort

Galle Fort

A Lane inside the fort

A Light House at the Southern Tip

The "modern" history of Galle starts in 1505, when the first Portuguese ship was driven there by a storm. However, the people of the city refused to let the Portuguese enter it, so the Portuguese took it by force. In 1640, the Portuguese had to surrender to the Dutch. The Dutch built the present Fort in the year 1663. They built three bastions, known as "Sun", "Moon" and "Star". The British took over the country from the Dutch and preserved the Fort unchanged, and used it as the administrative centre of Galle.

Unawatuna Beach

Three miles further south East is one of the 12 best beaches in the world (at least that is what they claim this to be). “Unawatuna”, the 4km expanse of palm-fringed sand is a paradise for all those who enjoy the silence of the sea and dive deep into the blue waters of the ocean. There is a reef protecting the beach, which makes it perfectly a safe haven for bathing. Other major attractions of this southern beach include shallow waters for swimming, and diving.

Unawatuna Beach

It is the most favoured beach for all those looking for some exciting water sports like scuba diving or snorkelling, which, of course, we did not venture into. We spent bathing floating and swimming in this beach for about 3 hours. It was only in the evening our son readied to leave this beach. This, according to me is the best beach that I have taken bath.

Unawatuna Sea

Post Tsunami, for about a couple of years, there were nobody ready to return to this place. Many of them migrated to central Sri Lanka. Only in the recent couple of years, tourism has started picking up, thanks to the efforts of the government and also the interest shown by the international tourists.

Back in India, after a fortnight, we checked once again what all places we missed to visit in Sri Lanka. Definitely Trincomale, the famous harbour of the British (Thirukkonamalai in Tamil, famous for the Shiva Temple, as important as Rameshwaram or any other Jyotirlingas), Kathirkama (Kataragama), the historically important Skanda Kumara (Kartik) Temple in the southern Sri Lanka, a couple of very good beaches in the East, “Yalle” National Park, Adams Peak, and the disturbed North. Now that the shipping services are restarted between Tuticorin and Colombo and another one due from Tuticorin to northern Sri Lanka, a second trip to this land is thinkable. That is the beauty of some places; you tend to visit again and again, like your home town.

KANDY – CRADLE OF BUDDHISM

2011-09-24T07:00:00.000+05:30

हिंदी में यहाँ देखें

Kandy is the cultural capital and also the second largest city in Sri Lanka. It was the Kandyan Kings who nurtured and propagated Buddhism together with this town. According to a belief, Buddha’s tooth relic was smuggled from India so as to protect it from the so called evil kings. They believe that the tooth relic brings in prosperity to the land where it is kept.

Tamil is the official language in addition to Sinhala and most of them converse easily in English or Tamil. We were advised in the beginning not to engage in conversation on controversial issues with the natives. There is some amount of mistrust between the Tamils and Sinhalese. At the same time we also found many of the temples being renovated even in lesser Tamil dominant towns.

Sri Lanka has a very good road network through out and reasonably good rail connectivity, of British Era, between major cities. We wanted to feel both the experiences and planned to take up the 3 hour bus journey from Colombo to Kandy, to begin with.

In about an hours time, the bus reached hilly terrain, leaving behind the hot and humid coastal planes. The bus was almost full. A Sri Lankan girl sitting behind me showed the point to get down to reach the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala. It was originally started as an orphanage for elephants and calves that are handicapped by landmine explosion. Now it is one of the biggest centres for Asian Elephants. She also showed us some other points of interest like the rail museum, and the botanical gardens while travelling in the bus. In between an elderly women kept her heavy baggage below the seat of our son, depriving him of the comfortable leg space. Our Son Achu wanted to convey his displeasure but I stared at him to keep quiet.

We had booked a room in “Sevana Lodge” Kandy well in advance. It had basic facilities like airy rooms, good linen, neat toilets and hot water shower. The owner with her family is living downstairs. She has converted the 1^st 2^nd and 3^rd floors into a Guest house.

Auto Rickshaws (Tuk Tuks) are available through out though the cheapest and best mode for local travel is the town buses.

Kandiyan people are beautiful. They are not very fair but have good features possibly due to the traditional classical dance form they practice. We got a glimpse of one such dance in Kandy. It resembled a war dance and had combination of excellent reflexes, songs and rhythm of drums.

Kandy has a beautiful lake in the middle, beside the famous Tooth Relic Temple, (Dalada Maligawa), the most sacred of all the Buddhist centres in the world. The ticket costs SL Rs.1000/- for foreigners and SL Rs.500/- for SAARC country citizens. The Structure was partially damaged once by the LTTE bombers killing eight people.

Sri Lankans are big fans of elephants. Elephant tusks (ivory) are displayed in all Buddhist shrines. The annual festival of the tooth temple (resembling the Dussera of Mysore) and the procession involving elephants and Kandiyan Dancers is world famous.

Sri Lankans have better civic sense compared to Indians. The towns and cities are kept clean. Parts of Kandy town, its junctions, roads, old buildings and sub-ways resemble some unknown town in England or Europe. Yes, the influence of the Colonial past. Unpredictable rains added to the charm.

The second major attraction in Kandy, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradenia, five miles away from the town, is the home for the rarest species of plants in Sri Lanka. Said to have set up in the 13^th century by the Kandiyan Kings, this 150 acres garden is a professionally managed centre displaying botanical wealth of Sri Lanka. The creative and scientific method of display of different species is praiseworthy. There are sections allotted for different species having different variants of same species found in the sub continent. One cannot finish the whole area in a day. We spent half a day in the garden. A must visit place in Kandy.

We also visited a hill town, Nuara Elia, located about 70 miles south of Kandy, famous for the tea plantations described as the Switzerland of Sri Lanka. Europeans preferred to stay here for the cool weather. It is also an escape for the Sri Lankans from the scorching heat of Colombo. Paucity of time and non availability of train ticket forced us to reduce the trip to a one day affair hiring a cab, which costed us SL Rs.4000/-. It was school holiday time in Sri Lanka. The hill station has under it a vast area of tea gardens and associated processing centres. A very big lake and a beautiful garden are the major attractions.

We found here a temple dedicated to Goddess Sita (Sita Elia). According our Ramayana, this area should have been Ashok Van. The priest showed us the footprints of Hanuman who landed here in search of mother Sita sitting below a Ashok Tree.

It was great to witness the expertise and professionalism with which the PWD people work here. It took only an hour for them to clear the road block caused by a landside in the Nuwara Elia- Kandy Section. JCBs were being put to use to remove the earth and big cutting machines removing the fallen trees.

While returning from Kandy, we opted for Train Journey. Only 3^rd class tickets were available, obviously the cheapest. Train journey offers most of the panoramic view of the hill country. Excellent Sri Lankan Tea and some snacks were provided to us in the train. Overall, the two and half hours train journey from Kandy to Colombo was the highlight of our trip.

Authored by: PN Sampath Kumar,
Cochin Shipyard, Kochi.
Second of the Series

Sigiriya (Sri Lanka), A Palace in the Sky

2011-09-14T08:03:00.000+05:30

A Guest Post by:

P.N. Sampath Kumar,

Cochin Shipyard, Kochi

हिंदी में यहाँ देखें

I heard of Sigiriya, the historical monument in Srilanka for the first time while surfing internet in 2004 when my colleague in the office entrusted me with the job of planning his vacation in Srilanka. Considering the risk of travelling too much deep into that country due to the turbulent political situation and also the difficulty in climbing the number of steps for his ailing wife prompted him to opt out that option. But those inputs initially saw the seeds of curiosity and longing to visit this place at an opportune time.

Magestic Sigiriya Rock

For SriLankans “Sigiriya” is more than what our Taj Mahal is for us. Derived from the root Sanskrit name Sinha Giri (meaning Lion Mountain) this city used to be the capital of the 5^th century King “Kashyapa”(479 – 497 AD). The Story goes that King Kashyapa, the son of Dhatusena (King of Anuradhapura – 50 KM north of Sigiriya) and half brother of Prince Moggallana killed his father fearing that his half brother would be appointed as the next king. He shifted his capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya and created this beautiful city in a span of, they say, 7 years. Sigiriya provided an ideal place for a fortress as it was in a difficult-to-approach remote area. His half brother Dhatusena though fled to India fearing for his life, came back stronger after few years and defeated his brother Kashyapa in a war. It is said that Kashyapa committed suicide by cutting himself, not wishing to die at enemy’s hand. The site became a monastic refuge after his death. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it served as an outpost of the Kandyan kingdom but later went into ruin and was rediscovered by a British archaeologist Mr. H.C.P. Bell.

All these in the backdrop of my mind, we included this site in our itinerary during our vacation to Srilanka in mid April 2011. We were staying in Kandy, in central Srilanka. It was a Sunday morning, after breakfast (we came across a couple of south Indian restaurants run by Tamils in Kandy) we proceeded to Sigiriya by a hired cab on a one day trip. Our Driver ‘Tamura’ from ‘Kandy Cabs’ was a nice boy who understood little Tamil and English. As advised by Ms Shakuntala, the owner of the hotel where we stayed, we got sufficient sandwiches, flavoured milk packets and bottled water parcelled for the journey. Itinerary included visit to Dambulla cave temples also en-route.

Kandy has unpredictable weather. We feared rain en-route as it was playing hide and seek for the last two days in Kandy. After a few miles (it is all miles and yards in Srilanka) alongside the Mahaveli River, and later through the reserve forest, we reached Matale town. We took a break there to have a cup of Srilankan tea and later walk around the big goddess temple (Muthu Mari Amman) in the middle of the town. I was told that Mahatma Gandhi has once visited Matale in 1927 and laid foundation stone for one school here.

Mariamman Temple at Matale

We furthered our travel through paddy fields and coconut plantations. The journey through the unknown land was pleasant. Paddy fields are getting ready for sowing. Farmers ploughing the land with buffalows is a usual scene. Air smelled mud. Occasional scenes of houses resembled the Malabar Coast in India. The tiled houses there are the most suitable for the rainy whether. On both sides of the road, there were shops selling bananas, fruits and vegetables and tender coconuts. Tourism is becoming a serious business. It was nice to see big Banyan trees on both sides of the road. Thanks to the conscious effort on the part of the government. Banyan trees are great source of Oxygen and even prevent depletion of ozone layer, they say.

Huge Buddha at Dambulla base

Dambulla Caves - Outside

The reclining Buddha

Buddha

Mural

Dambulla town is also the home for the most impressive cave temple in Asia, dedicated to Lord Buddha. Situated on top of a rock, the five caves are said to have been continuously occupied since it was established in 3^rd Century BC. There is a functioning monastery. Dambulla is famous for murals, mostly Buddhist themes. They also run down below a good museum detailing the Jataka and other stories related to the Tooth Relic.

A Chaitya

Though entry for the Sri Lankans is free, foreigners including Indians are charged SL Rs.2200/- (1 SL Re= In Rs.0.45). Despite being funded by UNESCO, and liberally supported by Buddhist countries like Japan and Burma, they charge such huge fee from the foreign tourists. Elsewhere, in Srilanka, SAARC member country citizens are allowed 50% discount on entrance fee. (We availed this discount in Sigiriya and in Kandy Tooth Temple).

Dambulla is a lovers’ paradise too. Roadside shops selling lotus flowers, incense sticks, souvenirs and eatables are aplenty. On a whole, this place somehow did not impress me. This was my first encounter with a Budhist Shrine outside India. They have reduced it to being only a pilgrim centre, run by a group of ritualists catering to the needs of the poor locals.

Sigriya seen from Dambulla rocks

The view around Dambulla rock is enchanting. Sigiriya fortress seen at a distance of 13 miles was inviting us. In the next half an hours travelling through difficult village mud roads (the main road was under repair) we reached Sigiriya. SL Rs.1650/- was the ticket charge per person. We hired a certified guide (paid him SL Rs.500/-). We bought a bottle of cold water and followed our guide Perera. He gave us a very good brief introduction on the city of Sigiriya beginning from King Kashyap till the end.

Main entrance - A moat at the foreground

Old brick work

The city is about three kilometres in length and one kilometre in width surrounded by huge wall and an outer moat filled with water for added protection. Creatures like lizard monitors are in abundance. Their predecessors would have helped the intruders and thieves to climb the fort those days. A notice board cautioned the visitors against loud noise which could disturb the wasps on the big trees. Hornets attack is common here.

The water gardens

Experimenting with a fountain

The well-organised and landscaped gardens around Sigiriya consist of pleasure garden, water gardens, fountain gardens, boulder (stone) gardens and terraced gardens. The water garden, as it is called, particularly consisting of a number of symmetrical ponds and countless fountains on both sides of the main pathway welcomed us to the fort. Some of the fountains in the water gardens are still operable during rainy seasons. Our friend Perera demonstrated it by exhaling air into one of the holes to show water gushing out from the other fountain.

The king's summer palace was also located close to the water gardens, which are amazing constructions for those early ages. The gardens of Sigiriya are said to be the oldest such constructions in Asia and one of the first in the world. Excavations (by UNESCO) are still incomplete and a lot more need to be done.

Ruins of the Palace

The Lion Gate

Halfway through lion gate

The royal palace was built atop the rock while other buildings and gardens were built around the rock. Only the foundations of these structures remain now. At one time, a gigantic brick lion sat at one end of the rock while the climb to the top started with a stairway that led between the lion's paws and into its mouth. Although the lion is no longer there, the paws and the first steps are still visible. The stairway built around the rock leading to the summit is astounding.

The highlight of Sigiriya trip is the wall paintings (frescoes) of 5^th Century AD period. From over 500 paintings only around a dozen paintings only are seen. Rest of it would have been destroyed by vandals or Budhist monks who would have thought that these paintings might distract them. These frescoes would remind one of the Ajanta cave paintings in India. Some believe the women depicted in these paintings to be ‘apsaras’. On a closer look, one can easily make out that these women were from different races. These beautiful women resembled, Indian, Chinese and even African faces. The quality and the bright colours speak volumes about the artists of bygone era and the techniques they used.

Graffitti on the mirror wall

A mirror wall beside the main stairway to the rock is another wonder. It is coated with a mirror-smooth glaze and continues to shine despite being exposed to rain, sun and winds for centuries. The graffiti on the wall is believed to have been written between the 6th and 14th centuries by the many visitors who were delighted by the splendor of the rock.

Pool at the summit

King's Assembly area

A throne at the summit beside the pool

At the summit an archaeology enthusiast can spend hours looking at astonishing features of such an architectural wonder. The remnants of the swimming-pool, pools providing drinking water and pipes leading off from them are still visible. Meeting places, stone seats, courts and sentry posts are nearby.

View from the summit

Farm Lands

We stood there admiring the surroundings, looking at the dense forest on the one side which would have been hunting place for the kings in search of wild elephants to be used in wars and the far reaching fertile paddy fields on the other side which provided them abundant wealth of grains. Somewhere beyond those fields in the north is Anuradhapura, King Kashyap’s birth place. Towards East, 80 miles away is the famous Trincomalee, one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. And in the south-west about 100 miles away is our temporary base in Srilanka. We had to leave as it was already 5 pm in the evening. Sayonara Sigiriya ....

Conch Shells : Fossils

2011-09-02T20:46:00.000+05:30

Several years ago, I was told by one of my friends that he has inherited a solid (stone like) Conch Shell and that he is keen to let me have a look. Later on When I visited his place, he showed me his antique possessions over a cup of tea. Among other things, the solid Conch Shell was also present. I examined it and realized that it was a million year old real fossilized Conch Shell. My friend was too happy to learn about it. He had, however, no clue as to how it was sourced.

Once, when I was travelling in Shahpura area of Mandla District in Madhya Pradesh (India), I was informed that plant and tree fossils are scattered over a very wide area. Now it falls in Dindori District and has been protected as part of the National Fossil Park. The area forms a part of the great Vindhya/Satpura Mountain Ranges which divide India into North and South.

In an another occasion I was traversing the same terrain accompanied by a youth from that area. I questioned him if fossils of other living beings are also obtainable thereabout. He got enthused and offered to take me on a hillock which according to him, had lot of things in store. We parked the vehicle at a convenient place and proceeded to scale the hillock known as “Karpa”. Karpa is also the name of the small town nearby. On the way and particularly on the summit, I was wonderstruck to find many boulders wherein fossilized Conch Shells were embedded. The rocks were fragile enough to be broken to take out the shells they encompassed. It was my GK (though poor) which suggested that the boulder rocks could have been formed by the lava emitted during some volcanic eruption, millions of years ago. There could have been the Sea or a lake over there and the volcanic eruption created the hillock and brought up the Sea Shells which got deposited on the top of the hill. I collected few of them for my self and some more to serve as give a ways. I also brought along with me a piece of rock wherein the shell was in an embedded form.

According to the Hindu Mythology, when the Vindhya ranges started moving up (gaining height) it was feared that this could cause hindrance for the Sun (God) to move to the South. The assembly of Gods decided to entrust the problem to a Seer (Rishi) named Agastya. Agastya in turn accompanied by his family and disciples went up to the Vindhya Mountain and requested it to scale down its height to provide a passage to the South for his entourage. The mountain, in veneration, bowed down and assured to remain subdued till the return of the Seer from his journey to the South. However, the Seer was not to return and the mountain is keeping its promise.

While I was in service, these fossils served a wonderful purpose. I used to wrap them in a silver foil and present them to high dignitaries duly gift packed with a request to keep it in their prayer rooms. It was being emphasised to them that these fossilized shells will give them peace whenever they are troubled. They used to accept the gift with great reverence, as Conch Shells, in Hindu faith are objects of that kind.

The story will begin again when somebody inherits them.

A Little Brown Dove (Laughing Dove)

2011-08-21T22:18:00.001+05:30

During September last year there was a strange visitor at home, a Viper, and we had to struggle hard to get it rescued. Fortunately there was a pleasant surprise few days back. Now there was a winged visitor. A little brown dove, also known as Laughing Dove (Stigmatopelia senegalensis), flew in and refused to leave our home. Normally I used to spread some rice grains on the boundary wall and keep water in a pot hanging by the branch of a Night flowering Jasmine tree (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) also known as Parijat or Harsingar locally. Due to disturbances in the family after the demise of my wife, the practice of keeping feed for the birds could not be attended to.

I have very many times observed a pair of the little doves flying around. On that particular day, a bag of rice was brought home and placed in a corner. It occurred to me that perhaps the dove has come in search of food or may be to complain that I am not keeping the feed for them outside. Although I loved its intrusion, I was trying to drive it out lest it gets caught by the moving ceiling fans and injures itself. My fears really came true and it fell on the rice bag. We could easily catch it although it tried to escape by occupying its position on the curtain rods at home.We examined it and found that there were no external wounds, may be internally it could have been hurt some where. We released it in the garden and gave some water in a bowl. it sat there for few minutes and then flew away.

This incident was haunting me perpetually and I was always in the look out of this pair in our vicinity. Now I am happy that they have been spotted and they are on their rounds. I am envious of my neighbour as the pair of the little brown doves have started building a nest in his house, that too adjacent to the electricity meter.

A College in disguise

2011-08-04T12:26:00.002+05:30

.We were returning from a visit to a knitwear factory at Tiruppur near Coimbatore. While we were about 10/12 kilometres away from our destination, a ship like structure became visible from a distance. My nephew who too was attracted, started shouting ship, ship. I protested, no It can’t be a ship, you don’t have a Sea here. He was not to be subdued. He promptly said, the Tsunami might have brought it here. Again I asked, then where is the Sea. He readily answered, it was taken away by the Tsunami.

I took a photograph from that distance and when we were closing in, I got the vehicle stopped for further exploration. The structure turned out to be a College of Marine Engineering of Coimbatore. The photographs are appended.

Maple Leaved Bayur Tree

2011-07-27T17:59:00.000+05:30

Very recently I was staying with my brother at Coimbatore. I spent a fortnight at his Race Course Road residence. On the very first day, after dinner, I was walking around the colony, just to have a feel. After walking down about 100 feet, I started getting a very pleasant sweet smell in the air. Soon my nostrils got filled with that fragrance. Soon I could discover the tree laden with beautiful flowers which was emanating that queer smell. I would have attempted to take a photograph to capture the bloom, though I knew the built in flash was not adequate to get a good shot. Therefore I decided to return in the morning. When I reached the tree the next day morning, I was totally disappointed for all the flowers were lying on the ground. I understood that they are nocturnal in nature. Some how I could locate one which was still clinging to the branch as if to oblige me. I lost no time and could get a reasonably good picture after zooming in.

The white flower is quite large and with which I was not acquainted with. I asked the watchman guarding the gate about its name. He said it is “Venangu” in Tamil. Thereafter I consulted with my knowledgeable friends over telephone but none could help me to augment my own knowledge. I was also lacking the facility of transmitting the photograph over the mobile (Cell) phone.

When I reached Chennai I continued my exploration. Some amount of googling (flowers of India site) helped me to resolve the problem of identification. It was the Maple leaved Bayur Tree (Pterospermum acerifolium). Incidentally it is a native of India and Myanmar. In Hindi it is known as Kanak Champa, Muchkund or Padm Pushp. In Bengali it is Rosukunda. In Sikkim it is known as Hathipaila. The tree has red wood which is used to make planks.

Chennai Crocodile Bank

2011-06-16T14:21:00.043+05:30

During the month of April this year, I happened to be at Chennai (Madras). One day my extended family members evinced interest to visit Mahabalipuram (A World Heritage Site) and wanted me to show them around. I readily accepted for they believed in my credibility to be their guide. While proceeding to Mahabalipuram, after travelling 45 kilometres, there is the Madras Crocodile Bank. Since I could not visit this place earlier, I decided to make a short break thereat. We parked our vehicle at the parking slot and entered the sanctuary after buying our tickets.

There was a time when the crocodile population in India was dwindling. Some feared that they may also become species near extinction. With a view to protect and conserve crocodiles, alligators and other reptiles this farm was established way back in 1976. Incidentally this is a private initiative and not by the Government. The credit goes to Romulus Whitaker, the famous herpetologist, who was instrumental in its establishment along with few like minded friends.

To begin with some 30 crocodiles were brought here and due to the conservation efforts the population is now around 5000. Perhaps now it is going to be a problem of plenty. Apart from the Indian species of Crocodiles and Alligators, their cousins from around the world have been brought in. However they seem to enjoy better and spacious surroundings as compared to their Indian counter parts. This centre is claimed to be largest zoo of such reptiles in the whole world.

Incidentally the water bodies as also the whole place stinks and one has to muster a lot of endurance to withstand. While searching for an answer I found the place has very many big shady trees and thousands of cranes have made them their home. Their droppings are the reasons behind the problem. While visiting this place one needs to wear a cap or cover the head for protection.

As is well known, India is also a home for venomous snakes. There is a community in Tamilnadu known as “Irulas” who are very skilled in catching venomous snakes. To conserve their art and provide them a kind of livelihood, Mr. Whitaker got them united and formed a Cooperative Society. They have a separate enclosure in the sanctuary where they regularly bring the snakes and and keep them in pots. They extract the venom which costs anywhere between Rs.1000 to Rs.5000 per gm. Visitors are also shown the process involved.

Demise of my beloved wife

2011-02-15T18:06:00.001+05:30

My late wife Pushpa

It is with deep anguish that I am to inform about the sad demise of my beloved wife on the 7th February (Current month) at the age of 64. She was able to withstand the pains of her ailment for over an year but she gave up at the end. Last November, she fell down and got her thigh bone broken. She was operated and a plate was screwed up. After 3 months she was able to move around with the help of a walker. Unfortunately around May 1010, the plate fixed up also got broken and the surgeon attending her wanted to wait for few more months (before performing another operation) anticipating that the bones may get joined automatically. All the time she was bed ridden and under medication. She was already suffering from Arthritis for over two decades.

In between she developed Urinary track infection for which she was repeatedly treated. Because of prolonged bed rest, another problem which became painful were the bed sores right under her buttocks which were refusing to heal because of the dressings getting wet during urination. Finally Catheters were used assuming that the bed sores could become dry before we do the second operation. However they worked for two days and then got blocked because of the puss mixed infected particles coming out. For the next two days urination stopped totally and we had to rush her to a nearby hospital.

After a day things improved a little. Various examinations were carried out. The blood examination revealed that the haemoglobin level was 4.2 as against the normal 11.5. Similarly the platelets count was also alarmingly low. The WBC and other ingredients were also low. As an immediate step, two units of blood (O-) was given along with platelets. This brought about marginal improvement the next day. On the fourth day in the Intensive Care Unit, things went beyond our control. Since the bodies immunity was at its lowest, deterioration was faster and within a couple of hours, I was shocked to be informed by the doctors that she has suffered Cardiac arrest.

The next day we brought the body home and arranged her cremation. Alas! I could have brought her back alive.

Now let her Soul rest in peace.

(Note: I shall be away from my desolated home for over a month visiting my mother and relations and therefore will not be contributing anything here)

Munnar - Very high above the hills

2011-01-25T21:08:00.001+05:30

During their stay in India, the Britishers, unable to cope up with the harsh summers, found their way up in the hills and exploited cooler places congenial for holidaying thereat. It would be wrong to suggest that they discovered them as all those places were known to our monks and ascetics who had their dwellings in such places for seeking spiritual pleasures. They were required to traverse through the wild. The infrastructure created by the British only served their own limited purpose. Such places came to be known as Hill Stations. There are several such cooler places in the state of Kerala. However only “Munnar” has the distinction of being a hill station. This place is situated 130 kilometers East of Ernakulam (Kochi – Cochin) on the Western Ghat mountain ranges. The area around Munnar is around 6500 to 8500 above sea level and therefore has cool and salubrious climatic conditions through out the year. Munnar in the local dialect stands for “three rivers”.

The land around Munnar is supposed to be owned by “Punjar” Royal family. Centuries ago, the ‘Pandyan’ dynasty ruling at Madurai, had to flee to avoid persecution at the hands of ‘Cholas’ who conquered their kingdom. The Pandyans finally reached Munnar and lived in peace. The Punjar royal family are descendents of the early Pandyan settlers. One John Daniel Munroe was the Commissioner in the service of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. During 1877 he obtained on lease an area of over 1,36,000 acres from the Punjar Royal Family for the purpose of establishing Coffee plantations. Subsequently the terms of lease were modified to include tea and other crops as well. At the outset Munroe established an Agricultural Society followed by a company “Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Ltd”. In 1976 Tata Finlay acquired the plantations of Munroe. Now that company is known as Tata Tea. A legal battle is ensuing between the Tata Tea and the Punjar family as the later is striving to get back all its land.

Since one of my sister-in-law was brought up at Munnar, I know that it was a small sleepy town. It is only in the last two decades that it got transformed into a major tourist centre. The environment had to pay a heavy price for the developments that have ensued. A plethora of resorts/hotels have mushroomed for which thousands of trees were felled. The Government of the State belatedly realised the harm being caused to the environment and ordered demolition of many un-authorised structures.

As told earlier, this area was identified and acquired for the development of plantations. Tea and Coffee plantations cover the major portion of the territory. Additionally at Munnar and adjoining rural areas, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Garlic and Black Pepper are extensively cultivated. There are lakes, streams, a dam and several National Parks within a radius of 20 kilometres of Munnar. The flora and fauna and bio-diversity of the area attracts thousands of tourists annually and a good number being foreigners. One more important event being the blossoming of Neela Kurinji (Strobilanthus) in the mountains and valleys once in 12 years and some times even once in 7 years. Its said to be blue every where but looks purple or violet.. This flower has medicinal properties and is used as a traditional medicine for several ailments.

Photo:http:// myhappyjourney.com

Around 15 kilometres from Munnar the Ervakulam National Park is the protectorate of the endangered Nilagiri Tahr (a kind of mountain goat). This particular specie is native to India and is found on the higher edges of the Western Ghat ranges. Initially they were spotted in the Nilagiris (Ooty) and hence the name. Incidentally Nilagiri stands for Blue Mountains and the association is with the flower named above. All over the country the Nilagiri Tahr number a bare 2000 and the largest herd of around 800 are resident at Ervikulam. Normally they are found in groups and their habitat is 6000 feet above the mountain ranges. They are very strong physically and weigh around 100 kilos. They are also not shy of tourists. They may come nearer to you without any fear and will pose for you unhesitatingly. They are under threat and their population is dwindling. One main reason being the greedy humans who hunt them whenever possible. The second reason being their inbreeding. Because of clusters of human population on the hills, they are unable to keep in touch with their distant folks scattered on the mountains.

Since exhaustive information is available on Munnar in the wikipedia and the net, I am cutting short. The main motivating factor was to show the Nilgiri Tahr encountered by us during our short visit.

Photos: PN Sampath Kumar

Pichavaram Mangrove Forest - Second largest in the World

2011-01-07T18:59:00.002+05:30

In tropical and sub tropical countries where ever a river meets the sea, back waters and estuaries get created. In certain places there could be swamps as well. These places are ideal grounds for a type of evergreen vegetation known as Mangroves. They have the capacity to sustain in saline waters. They also have a queer root system which partly remain in the air and some penetrate deep in the waters. The roots hanging above the water surface also have the capability of drawing its oxygen directly. Their seeds also have the ability to germinate when they are still on their branches. The water body surrounding the Mangrove Forests, affords a conducive climate for a variety of marine life, including various species of fish and prawns.

World’s largest Mangrove Forest formations are found in the Indian Sub Continent. They are the “Sundarbans”, 60% of which is in Bangladesh and 40% in India, the home of the famous Bengal Tigers. The second largest Mangrove Forest is also in India known as “Pichavaram” created at the confluence of Vellar and Coleroon rivers on the Bay of Bengal. This is spread over an area of 2800 acres (11 square kilometres).

The availability of different habitat types such as channels, creeks, gullies, mud flats and sand flats and adjacent sea shore offers ideal habitat for different species of birds. There are at least 177 species of birds inhabiting

the area. Amongst others, one can view birds like Watersnips, Cormorants, Egrets, Storks, Herons, Spoonbills and Pelicans. The season between November to January is considered to be most fascinating for bird watchers as during that period the bird population is maximum, inclusive of migratory birds from different countries. Apart from the eco-diversity of this forest, the mangroves were instrumental in protecting the hinterland during the devastating Tsunami in the recent past.

Traversing through hundreds of channels leading to the sea is an experience which can not be simply explained in words. The Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation has a boat house at the spot offering boat rides through the groves. It is preferable to opt for the slow moving boats instead of the mechanised ones. The sea front is equally beautiful. The sea water creates fascinating patterns on the sands more akin to modern art.

Pichavaram is reachable from Chennai via Chidambaram (Railway Station). From Chidambaram Pichavaram is at a distance of 16 kilometres. Although accommodation is available at Pichavaram as well, but it is better to make Chidambaram the base for one can have the option of different types of accommodation as well as food.

Wild Life Week

2010-12-17T07:00:00.001+05:30

Once upon a time, no its not that long, I was a boy of 15 years and studying in the 9th standard in my small town. Wild life week was at the doorstep. The Forest Department was organising many competitions for the school children. Essay writing, Poetry, Painting as also Photography. Every thing centred around wild life. Since I had my box camera, I thought of getting into the competitions. The problem, however, was where to get the wild animals. Then I remembered that there were some deers (antelopes) kept in a small enclosure within the local Palace compound. I went there with my box camera, only to be disappointed, as there was a tall wire mesh around the enclosure which prevented a clear view. Nevertheless I took some snaps but it was disgusting.

Two days later some one informed me that the tribals have caught a leopard and the same has been presented to the Maharaja and it is kept in a cage inside the palace. Once again I was on my way to the Palace. Immediately when we enter the main gate, to the left there is the famous Danteshwari temple. By its side there is one more enclosure with a gate. It leads to the living quarters of the staff and the garage where the limousines of the prince were kept. There it was, the leopard in a cage. A young tribal was also stationed nearby as its care taker. It was not fully grown, rather it was a cub. Again the problem was how to get a clear photograph. The iron bars in the cage were creating problem. I was not all alone. A friend of mine was also accompanying me. He looked around and found that to the left there was a compound wall with a small grilled entrance. Corn was grown inside and it almost looked like jungle. We thought if we could make the care taker bring out the leopard cub (which was chained) and take to the corn field, we may have a nice capture. I offered 2 Annas (1/8th of a Rupee) to the young tribal and sought his cooperation. With the money in his palm, he relented. He took out the cub from the cage and brought it inside the compound where corn was growing. With the chain in his hands, I was doubtful if I could get a photograph which could seem natural. I requested him to leave the chain but then he was not prepared. Alternatively I asked him to sit there with the chain touching the ground. He did that and I took two or three snaps. Two of them were out of focus but fortunately one snap came out reasonably well. This paved the way for my entry into the competitions. There was a little bit of disappointment, when I was awarded a third prize in the district level. Obviously the judges were looking at the picture quality and they had no inklings of the efforts put in. The prize consisted of a bundle of publications of the Forest Department.

Here is one more snap for which a flash bulb was used. For each flash a new bulb was required to be used which was a little prohibitive, cost-wise. The animal captured here, though belongs to the same family, but man has domesticated them.

My first Camera

2010-12-01T06:00:00.001+05:30

While loafing around the Internet, recently I came across a picture of an Agfa Box Camera, which used to be one of the prized possessions with me for quite some time, some 55 years ago. The picture seemed to be peeping into my eyes as if asking me if I recollect any thing associated with that box. I was then a boy of 13 years and after persistent requests my dad yielded and bought me one. He also reminded me not to ask for funding for the film rolls every now and then. The camera was a basic one with a lens, a filter, very few aperture settings and with the provision for a flash unit which could be mounted on the shoes provided on its body. There were other similar cameras without any lens and they were known as pin hole cameras.

Discovery of the picture prompted me to go through my old B/W photo albums so as to enable me to refresh my memories associated with that Camera. Particularly I was interested to locate the photographs I had taken at the Air Strip when the Home Minister, Mr. Govind Vallabh Pant, landed in my small town. Since I was the only one holding a camera, I could find my way to the IAF aircraft and very close to the minister. There were, however, limitations in taking snaps. The camera would permit only 8 snaps for a roll of film and therefore there was no freedom of taking any number of snaps as the modern day digital cameras could afford. I did take few photographs and exhausted the capacity. The town had a small photographic studio run by one K. Narsingh Rao. Necessarily we were required to go to him for processing. Incidentally I had caught on my film a wealthy businessman garlanding the minister. It seems that the studio owner informed him about his photo showing him with the minister. The businessman came to me personally and wanted me to part with the photograph as well as the negative. In return he offered me 10 rolls of the 120 film (Ilford) and thus I could replenish my stock of raw material. I very much needed. I was too happy as I was not required to beg my dad for funding for this purpose.

My searching the old albums though brought back many old memories, I could not find the photograph, I was looking for. However, there were many others and had different stories behind them. Incidentally I got this one below, a tribal fishing under the famous Chitrakot water falls and I could relate it to my own obsession these days, blogging and waiting for some one to come by and drop a comment.

The color effect credits to Picasa

Home Making - Weaver Birds

2010-11-20T21:38:00.000+05:30

Recently I came across a video of the Weaver Birds
building their nests. It is really enjoyable

Obamas visit Humayun’s Tomb

2010-11-09T21:40:00.000+05:30

The visit to Humayun's Tomb, which is quite deserted on normal days near the Nizamuddin railway station, was a crash course in Persian, Indian and Central Asian architecture and history for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

In an exclusive interview, director K K Mohammad said, "President Obama asked many questions. He was very, very inquisitive about Dara Shikoh."
The President and the First Lady's history lesson went something like this. They arrived at the 30-acre architectural wonder with an army of security personnel and US media. They were shown photographs and a model of the tomb.

Mohammad, who is a historian and an architect who works for the Archaeological Survey of India, was the couple's lone guide.

The couple strolled along the manicured lawns. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Foundation has made huge efforts to save this grand monument, spending more than Rs 7 crore (Rs 70 million).

The AGF has won an international award for its restoration work on the monument. This world heritage site is so grand that many architects love it more than the Taj Mahal in Agra

'It would be kind of tough to build this in the US'

At the entry point, it is inscribed that the tomb is a precursor to the Taj Mahal.
The design carved in red stone and lime mortar is an architectural marvel because it depicts 'an ornamental cosmic symbol'.

Spread over 30 acres, it has three kilometres of water channels and 2,500 plants in the complex

.
Its 25,000 square metre pathways give a majestic touch to the 16-metre tall main structure.

The Obamas were given some facts about the Mughal Emperor Humayun, the son of Babar, the founder of the Mughal empire in India.

Mohammad told the couple that Humayun's Tomb was built over nearly a decade beginning around 1565. The main work was completed in 1572. The tomb contains over 100 Mughal graves.

Obama found it interesting that some 500 years ago that such a giant structure was built in just seven years in India. He later told journalists "I heard it was built in seven years? I give credit to the contractor. This kind of thing if we build in the US, it would be kind of tough."

'Delhi is a modern city, rooted in history'

"Delhi is such a modern city," Obama said, before pointing to the mausoleum and adding, "but rooted in such a civilisation."

Mohammad says on listening to the history behind the monument, "President Obama told me India has withstood the rise and fall of empires. I am sure India will lead the world."

"I told the President, India has 28 world heritage sites. New Delhi has three of them," Mohammad added. "The Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and Humanyun's Tomb. I explained to him that all other sites in New Delhi are due to its historical importance, but this site portrays both Indian history and architecture. At other places, gardens were added later, but in this monument, the garden is an integral part. I told him with pride that India had technology to conceive such monuments and execute it."

"I also explained that this structure has Persian, Central Asian and Indian architecture. That's so unique. It's an amalgamation of three streams of ideas," Mohammad said.

'Dara Shikoh has a US connection'

Mohammad says the President asked several questions about Dara Shikoh and that made the conversation very interesting.
Dara Shikoh was the elder brother of the last major Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal.

"Mr President," Mohammad told Obama, "there is a Dara Shikoh, US connection too."

"Dara Shikoh was defeated by Aurangzeb in a power struggle. He was a great man with a vision. He wanted all school of thoughts and religion to live in harmony. Akbar succeeded in spreading that philosophy, but it was Dara Shikoh who conceived it, beautifully," Mohammad added.
"President Obama was very impressed by Dara Shikoh's philosophy and asked me questions."

"Dara Shikoh," Mohammad said, "translated the greatest Indian text, the Upanishads, into Persian. It was later translated into Latin and French. That copy reached the US. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American philosopher, was introduced to Indian culture through Dara Shikoh's translation of the Upanishads."

"I told the President that Dara Shikoh rests here."

When President Obama went to Humayun and Dara Shikoh's tombs, Mohammad says he folded his hands, as if to pray.
"As far as I can remember, there were no photographers there."

Courtesy rediff.com

Vishnois of Rajasthan (India)

2010-10-22T11:11:00.003+05:30

हिंदी में यहाँ देखें

There is a small group of elders here and we meet regularly. Once in a month we also arrange for an outing to some worthwhile secluded place. I used to consider myself an Environmentalist and used to pick up all the garbage left behind by picnickers. Truly speaking this act of mine is driven by an instinct for recognition and not out of any real concern. This awakening came to me very recently.

There is a conservative community referred to as Vishnois living in an otherwise arid state of Rajasthan in India. Their dedication to nature is well known and I wanted to delve upon them in one of my posts. It was a mere coincidence that I was going through a Hindi blog, a travelogue on the City of Patna (in Hindi) which was devoid of any pictures. The kind of language used was itself picturesque and in fact the words explained everything. Then there was a comment by one Mr. Gourav Ghosh who although appreciated the presentation but was underlining the need for supplementing with photographs. In my own comments, I lent my support to him in a veiled manner. Thereafter I tried to locate him and landed up at his own site which had a picture of a Vishnoi women breast feeding a Chinkara fawn. The photograph was taken by Mr. Vijay Bedi at great pains. Here it dawned upon me that I need not write anything about the Vishnois. No words need to be used. The photograph could speak volumes.

It stirred me up and in my curiosity I searched the web and found yet another photograph taken by Mr. Himanshu Ghosh, a photo journalist working with Hindusthan Times.

Continuing with Nisha's argument that the mother and the child and chinkara being the same in the two photos, thereby making us wonder if they were two different poses, a third one above "Ashes" could google up.

A blogger friend Mr. Ratan Singh Shekhawat, who hails from Rajasthan, sent in a link to the Youtube video. This animation video depicts the sacrifices made by the community.

Wayanad (Kerala), worth visiting

2010-09-14T09:00:00.012+05:30

Guest Post by my brother

P.N. Sampath Kumar,

Cochin Shipyard, Kochi.

Our family outing is normally during our son’s vacations for Onam, Christmas and summer holidays. We had originally scheduled a trip to Colombo and Kandy but could not make it as we had only 4 days available, which we thought will not be sufficient for a proper trip through Sri Lanka.

Wayanad came to our mind as it is a mixture of nature and history. Biodiversity is the richest. From Ernakulam (Kochi), we had two options to travel, either via Nilambur by own car or via Kozhikode (Calicut) by a combination of Train and Bus. We chose the Calicut route and decided against driving own car considering difficult weather and unknown terrains. We booked a room in a budget Resort called Haritagiri, located at Kalpetta as we had a reasonably good feedback.

The Tali temple

We took an afternoon train to reach Calicut by evening. We had only one night to spend and hence decided to limit our visit to the beach (not the one Vasco-da-gama once landed, which is called Kappad Beach) and the Tali Temple. Calicut has a good beach, plenty of mosques and a very famous temple called “Tali”. Tali probably means a place where the kings used to take decisions on issues. Moreover Tali temple used to be the venue for scholarly debates in the olden days. “Uddanda Shastrigal” from Tanjavur has once won the title by defeating others in Tarka Shastra (Logics) which used to be the test of knowledge those days. This Temple was built by Swami Thirumulpad (Zamorin) within his palace complex in the 14th century.

There are only few choices for hard core veggies in Calicut; one such restaurant is “Dakshin” where we tried some Dosas.

There are plenty of buses operating between Calicut and Wayanad. The journey took 2.30 hrs through the mountains called Tamarassery Pass to reach Kalpetta. The Tamarassery pass has nine hairpin bends (our son counted all of them) and most of the time it will be foggy. It was really an enjoyable experience traveling through the wild.

Wayanad borders both Karnataka and Tamilnadu. There are three major towns in Wayanad which are are Kalpetta, Mananthavady and Sultan Battery. Majority of land is in the form of forest and the rest are either plantations or paddy fields. Coffee is abundantly cultivated. Wayanad ginger, Turmeric, lemongrass and honey are very famous in Kerala for their quality and flavour. Weather is cool round the year. Majority population are migrated farmers from elsewhere in search of fortune. It is said that the local tribals with their archery skills and guerilla warfare techniques supported Pazhassi Raja who fought the British in the 17^th century. Pazhassi Raja’s tomb is situated at Mananthavady.

Haritagiri Resort

Haritagiri is a good resort having a small swimming pool, bar, restaurant and an ayurvedic spa. Veggies will find it difficult to have a lunch in that restaurant as most of the cuisines are non vegetarian. There are resorts catering to the needs of different food habits. But we tried to explore small time eateries who serve proper vegetarian food. There are a couple of vegetarian messes run at Kalpetta. We tried one Swami’s mess in Kalpetta town run by an old Tamil Brahmin couple where we had a very good lunch with traditional north Kerala Brahimn recipes. One of the curries was made of dried jackfruit nut.

It is better to hire a tourist taxi to visit the spots in and around Wayanad. We hired a Tata Indica for 1½ days and they charged Rs.2700/-. For trips covering 4-5 KMs, etc.,It’s better to hire an autorikshaw which we found to be very cheap here. I have never paid more than Rs.10/- for a trip here. People are very friendly and so are the drivers.

The must visit places in Wayanad (according to tourist operators there) are Kuruva Dweep (which was closed then due to heavy rain), Chembra peak, Pookode lake, Muthanga Wild life sanctuary, Thirunelli, Pakshi pathalam, soochipara water falls, etc. But in consultation with our driver cum guide, we chalked out our own plan. He took us to take half way through the Chembra peak (6900 feet above sea level) up to where it is navigable by road. There is a watch tower up to which we went. The sight of the valleys of tea and coffee estates as also the view of Kalpetta from a distance was enchanting. Our son was happy for having been kissed by the clouds and was busy collecting pieces of clouds and put them in his shirt pocket.


The Chembra Peak

Towards Chembra Peak

Half way through Chembra Peak

It takes at least half a day to finish this if you want to trek to the top. Ideally you need to have a small like minded group of 7-8 people, equipped with safety gadgets, water, food, etc. Half way further to the top, they say there is a heart shaped lake on the bank of which people take rest, drink water and have food before they climb further upto the peak.All these reminded me of the great Mana Sarovar and Kailash. We have consigned it for the next time
.

Our next destination was Edakkal caves, they are two natural caves located 1000 metres high on Ambukutty Mala (Hill) 25 km from Kalpetta on the way to Sultan Battery. They lie on an ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the Malabar coast ports. These caves were discovered by Fred- Fawcett, the then superintendent of police of the Malabar District, who was on a hunting trip to Wayanad in 1890. Our travel was through village roads and took an hour to reach the spot.

Way to the caves

A beautiful Petroglyph

The cave is on top of a hill and one has to trek about 200 -250 meters steep to the top which requires a bit of mountaineering skill. We saw plenty of tourists visiting this place without much taste or understanding of history. There are carvings considered to be of BC 2000-6000 period (Neolithic i.e.stone age). The Kerala Archeological department maintains it and charges a little fee. Photography is allowed inside the cave. There are few pictures and some scripts engraved on the walls (Petroglyphs) of the cave. The pictures that we could make out were of a deer like creature and a human face with ornaments of possibly a tribal chief. It took us about 2 hours to finish.

The nearest town to Edakkal Caves site is Sultan Battery. Further from the town towards the Boarder of Karnataka situates the Muttanga wild life sanctuary. Like all sanctuaries the best time to visit the park is early morning. There are four wheel jeeps available on hire with a guide inside the sanctuary. We reached the place in the evening and could sight few deers and peacocks. In the morning elephants and bisons are sighted more often and if you are very lucky, even tigers could be encountered. The sanctuary borders both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The pookode lake is the most beautiful lake that we have ever seen in Kerala; resembles Nainital. This is located near a place called Vythiri. It is a natural lake in the midst of hills. Boating in the lake or walking around the lake is the major activity here.


Kanthanpara falls, the safe one.

Kanthanpara fall

We avoided Suchipara falls because of the distance and chose a nearby fall called Kanthan para (lesser known to outside world) as suggested by our guide. It is a small fall in two stages. The first one is safer as it forms a pond where even children can safely play. Wayanad has a number of such un-spoilt spots.

At Kanthanpara

Next day, we took a bus to travel to Tirunelli and Papanasam fall. One need to take a bus to Mananthavadi first and then to Tirunelli. Overall it takes 2 ½ hours to reach the temple. The route was exciting with views of the wild and occasional housing colonies of the tribal community beside the paddy fields. The road is through the proposed Elephant corridor. Not to mention, elephants are often sighted here on the road / road side. We found few deers.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu is surrounded by mountains and looks like Sabarimala temple. The temple looks very old. They say that there are mentions about this temple in the 10^th century literatures. Tirunelli used to be an important town till 16^th Century, along with Kodungallur and Mangalapuram. The temple is not architecturally very beautiful. When we visited, the inner side of the temple was getting renovated with teak wood roofs.The only interesting part I could notice is the plumbing arrangement made of granite stones to provide water to the temple from a distant mountain.

Tirunelli temple and the aquaduct

People visit Tirunelli for two reasons; one to take a dip in the nereby stream called Papanasam and two, to consult tribal physicians practicing tribal medicine. In Papanasam pond (which is called brahma theertham), we found a carved stone in the middle depicting Sankhu, Chakra and Gada of the Loard Vishnu, where some poojas are offered. This also looked to be very old.


Papanasam (Where sins are washed away)

Symbolic representation of Lord Vishnu

We returned to Ernakulam the third day via Calicut. Wayanad has a lot to offer for someone who is ready to walk and trek a lot. Good people blessed with good weather and nature.