tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52667636540541116242024-02-19T07:30:02.593-08:00Niraksharan's TraveloguesAn endless journey through lifeനിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-72036158211188651422011-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:002011-01-20T07:07:56.183-08:00The tale of Bahubali<div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>T</b></span>his is the continuation of the post “<a href="http://sometravelogues.blogspot.com/2010/01/to-jain-temples.html">To the Jain temples</a>.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We have not yet reached Sri Chandranatha Basadi Temple. Time is left only to visit it. By the timewe have seen it, it will be dusk. Hari turned the car.</span></div><div style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span></b>n the way, met Ramesh Babu’s brother in law. His house is very near. He insisted not to leave without having a tea from his home. Why skip a tea, offered with love in the evening tea time, while roaming through the Wayanad forests and coffee plantations?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtQjJLODa8ICVciP7iBOk-mwGtCG0MgPNCOHo_DwEgFWCP1qMuj69ccv5pstCMgE1ZTzU3pmLKcTqCBaEM2HnL34FJZ6DB6qYMaCEJtdjO0dNUvMM_Bq-7ZEQRqrJ46OtWjpNbnZy84Q/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+089.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250131811447174002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtQjJLODa8ICVciP7iBOk-mwGtCG0MgPNCOHo_DwEgFWCP1qMuj69ccv5pstCMgE1ZTzU3pmLKcTqCBaEM2HnL34FJZ6DB6qYMaCEJtdjO0dNUvMM_Bq-7ZEQRqrJ46OtWjpNbnZy84Q/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+089.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
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After tea, started to the Chandra Basadi temple, which is after two plots. To the right of the temple a house could be seen. The tiled roof building, to the left of the temple, probably would be office or so. There was no sign of habitation in that. As we get down from car, a man who wore a woollen cap came out of the house in the right. He may be more than 60 yrs in age. When came closer he could recognise Ramesh Babu and greeted him. He is Ajith Sage, who is the priest of the temple. His Malayalam accent is distinct with the slang of Kannada. It seems special, understanding something in a new language, after learning it from basics.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEyJGXYKJcN26eIXKmj6K4jMBh00Rc_ayI3gNXxduW3iP_j79mhUmLE9Lyt3Gv2KDy3MGrBYJKIiTrO9rBlzrCWUoump0MfWJDEoHePGXlFfYCrxl_V_zV0UQEWMCS1ClmEiWO81-cLg/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+110.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250132374355169298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEyJGXYKJcN26eIXKmj6K4jMBh00Rc_ayI3gNXxduW3iP_j79mhUmLE9Lyt3Gv2KDy3MGrBYJKIiTrO9rBlzrCWUoump0MfWJDEoHePGXlFfYCrxl_V_zV0UQEWMCS1ClmEiWO81-cLg/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+110.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
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In front of the temple, a naked statue of an approximate height of 15 feet is placed on a slightly raised platform. It has climbers have crawled up through the hands and legs. The statue seems to be pictured as placed on a snake mound and hence a few snakes are also engraved on the legs of statue. Even though I had seen the image in several pictures and instances I did not know the name of the idol. Have to accept, my ignorance in Jainism! Anyhow Ajith sage resolved my ignorance. Opening the small gate infront of the statue, he invited to the front of the statue, and started telling about Jainism.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM3tq-ORfBczGwJhXmUZQl8_dfFS6skpuJu4AfV7bXq5aGy1PSkvm2HucVLAtAeI-tMDIpmRNCwnzMuhWu1uxuHzhbyX5uyzFVlrY5K0pj3YCvx3uCb-qg_VUpqN9eQs5z0BT82jkERY/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+100.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250131961129611378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM3tq-ORfBczGwJhXmUZQl8_dfFS6skpuJu4AfV7bXq5aGy1PSkvm2HucVLAtAeI-tMDIpmRNCwnzMuhWu1uxuHzhbyX5uyzFVlrY5K0pj3YCvx3uCb-qg_VUpqN9eQs5z0BT82jkERY/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+100.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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It is the sculpture of Bahubeli, who is the first man who attained salvation (‘ Mokhagami’) according to Jain belief. Ajith sage took me to the depth of new information. I was too ignorant about Jainism that I never heard of ‘Theerthankara’ or ‘ Mokshagami’ before. My knowledge on it was limited to the information from history books that Jainism has two cults “Digambara” and “Swetambhara”.<br />
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Vrishabhatheerthankara, son of the king Nabhi, had two wives, namely Yashaswathy and Sunanda. Yashaswathy had 100 sons including Bharathan where as Sunanda devi had a son called Bahubali and a daughter, Soundari.<br />
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Vrishabharajan had ruled the country ideally, suggesting his people mainly 6 ways for livelihood such as .... agriculture, trade, cow rearing, sculpturing etc and helping on it. When children reached adulthood, took initiative for their marriage and other auspicious activities related to their life. Later on he had a realisation that that all his prosperity and position was indebted to the previous virtues and they would not be eternal. The eldest son Bharathan was given Ayodhya and Poudanapuram to Bahubali. Soon he chose the path of asceticism, giving the ruling responsibility of his kingdom among children.<br />
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Bharatha then started invasion of the rest of the countries, which lasted many years. Most of the ally kings surrendered their power without much resistance. Out of respect for him, some kings offered their daughters as bride for Bharata. Without any bloodshed or conflicts Bharata had conquered most of the places and returned back to his capital. However, then he realized none of his brothers had surrendered their power. Not only that, every one of his brothers except Bahubali had opted for ascetic life. This caused Bharata immense grief. Even then, he has decided to have a war with exceptionally sized and arrogant Bahubali thinking, it is inevitable to complete his conquest.<br />
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Despite the fact that he had a smaller army, Bahubali came to the war ground to fight, with an attitude to proudly face the outcome, either if it is a lose or win. However, realizing the fact that in the war many of the innocent soldiers are going to lose their life, the ministers of both, Bharata and Bahubali requested emperor Bharata to stop the war involving bloodshed. Instead they suggested dharamyudha without any life loss. King Bharata and Bahubali agreed to the suggestion and decided to choose the winner through three different war startegics, sightware, water war and wrestling.<br />
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Bahubali, who has got better physique than Bharathan, won all the three warfare, but he was feeling deep sorrow that he had to fight with his brother. Due to the guilt feel he decided to become austere. Bahubali’s decision distressed Bharatan. However, his attempts were in vain as Bahubali’s decision was not changed.<br />
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But wherever Bahubali travelled, he heard it was Baharata’s kingdom. Hearing it, his ego was hurt again. Finally Bahubali reached the termite mound of a snake. To the question, whose country was that, snake answered it was snake’s country. Gaining permission from the snake, Bahubali started tapsya (deep meditation with vows), standing in the termite mound. It lasted long and even climbers have started to grow over Bahubali’s body. However, Emperor Bharata was thoughtful about the state of Bahubali that even after long years, he did not achieve salvation from worldly cycles of death and rebirth (moksha) and could not adorn the throne of wisdom (Sarvajnapeedam).<br />
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Bharathan went to father Vrishaba sage and told about it. Vrishaba replied Baharata “In Bahubali’s mind an inferiority complex still exists that he is standing in the land of his elder brother. If you go immediately and solve his problem with ego, he will adorn the throne of wisdom”. According to the opinion of Vrishaba swami Bharatan went to Bahubali and told “The blessed ascetic, give forgiveness. You are not my younger brother now, but a great austere and I am an emperor. But, I do not have peace of mind. What could cause thoughts and grief for you, who had abstained everything? If you have got any such doubts, I pray to devoid it. You would remember, here Emperor Bharata is not bowing before his younger brother, but before a soul blessed than him in embellishing goodness from past, wouldn’t you?” The doubts of Bahubali were clarified with these words and he gained throne of wisdom, attaining peace and world fame. Later, Bahubali sage attained salvation through meditation, in front Vrishaba sage.<br />
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In memory of Bahubali, Emperor Bharata constructed a statue of Bahubali sage in Poudanapuram, gave information to people about his righteousness and spread fame of Bahubali. Bahubali is known as the first person to achieve salvation (Mokshagami).<br />
Along with narrating the story, Ajith sage showed the statue of Bahubali, which may cost lakhs and allowed even to touch it. The statue was made in single stone in Rajastan and was transported from there by means of road. While Ramesh Babu was praying before the ‘Mokshagami’, I was standing without knowing how to bow the deity, bemused in the enthralling historic story.<br />
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I got a understanding that the other name of Indian country, Bharath, was from the name of the king Bharathan, the son of King Vrishaba, which sounded new piece of information to me. I have to accept that I had an intense urge to know the real history behind the name as, till then I was thinking the name came from the name of Bharathan who is son of Dushyanthan.<br />
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Steping down from Bahubali, entered into the main temple which is on the right side. The temple which is taken care with regular worship does not seem to be very old. Inside, there is more than one deity that is not familiar. When Ramesh Babu started praying by folding his hands infront of the deity, after placing the flowers and coconut on the inner sanctum step , which he brought along, my mind also engaged in prayer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4qOse3-mz9WB96DpTpIeayUtn9UQ2D9Qy2ucb2zRg3H8X4ibHRxp5iFEGlErv3SVuhOAAn-Teo9pAb1hsStVfWBfY2EJTKxFT1d-vGvIwfx3Q7zfVPQVBXXYKZKxiOC1lIcJxLL1ZrE/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+104.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250132186993472626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4qOse3-mz9WB96DpTpIeayUtn9UQ2D9Qy2ucb2zRg3H8X4ibHRxp5iFEGlErv3SVuhOAAn-Teo9pAb1hsStVfWBfY2EJTKxFT1d-vGvIwfx3Q7zfVPQVBXXYKZKxiOC1lIcJxLL1ZrE/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+104.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
Ajith sage showed some of the snake idols in the temple, explaining its differences from snake idol in Hindu temples and allowed to take photographs until I was pleased. In snake idols of Jain temples along with the snake, there will be engravings of the god. When we finished a circumambulation and came out the temple, Ajith sage invited to have a tea from his house. Sitting on the veranda, sipping the tea, we saw the album of photos taken when statue of Bahubali was installed (Prathishta karmam). Most of the Jains in Wayand are present in the pages of the album.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffyFl2vlilOvPEdc5GB707foTU3uH0MZStMSLClQ7cmF2jq2tZ1jo1MQalt8B33cEonVvhlApqsvMy0nhJGQK2wpFQ2YylavRqzNWY1GYL3UHiip0ZlBUcUmHQcqq85kFzTg8fWtpHCI/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+109.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250132294084952594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffyFl2vlilOvPEdc5GB707foTU3uH0MZStMSLClQ7cmF2jq2tZ1jo1MQalt8B33cEonVvhlApqsvMy0nhJGQK2wpFQ2YylavRqzNWY1GYL3UHiip0ZlBUcUmHQcqq85kFzTg8fWtpHCI/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+109.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
Slowly the talks were deviated to the agriculture in Wayanad and problems associated with it such as scarcity in the availability of labourers for cultivation and harvesting. It has started getting dark. Hari and I have to reach Manathavady, after dropping Ramesh babu back at his residence in Puthiyadam. Left, thanking Ajith sage.<br />
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Got a few books, which includes Jainism, Jain temples and the book released on the installation of Bhubali statue, ‘Bahubali charitram’(The history of Bahubali), from the house of Ramesh Babu. They helped to provide more information about Jainism.<br />
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No, not enough! Umpteen things are remaining to understand. There are a lot more Jain temples, in Wayanad and other places of Kerala. Have to go everywhere, have to understand everything. I decided it in my mind, while the return after leaving Babu, back in his home.<br />
<div style="color: lime;">---------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="color: lime;">This journey may lead to Idakal cave, Kallil temple, Thiruchiral hills.......etc.</div><span style="color: #000099;">---------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #000099; font-size: 85%;">Translated from my Malayalam travel blog <span style="color: #3333ff;"><span style="color: #330033;">'<a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2008/11/blog-post.html">Chila Yaathrakal</a></span>'</span> by <span style="color: red;">Miss Anu. </span></span><br />
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</div>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-4647069181713562072010-12-30T03:10:00.000-08:002010-12-30T03:14:18.444-08:00Mount Abu<div class="ii gt" id=":6qd"><div id="SAWARN_BANNER1d64abi"></div><div id=":6vk"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b>t was in the super hit movie ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’ that I heard about Mount Abu for the first time ever. Some of the main scenes including the climax of the movie were shot in this location. Mount Abu which is a hill station located in Rajasthan is a major tourist attraction for travelers from the neighboring states such as Gujarat, Delhi etc. During monarchial rule, it served as a summer retreat for the kings. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Unexpectedly, in 2003 I got a chance to visit Mount Abu. This happened while I was on an official trip to ‘Caine Energy’, one of our multinational clients for oil excavation related work in Rajasthan. Since the work was delayed, for the first week we stayed in a heritage hotel in Jodhpur named Sriram International. We didn’t have any work during the day. And what work can we possibly have in the night but to sleep!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I had some of my colleagues for company – Joseph Simon from Kaloor, Velu from Coimbatore, Rajan nicknamed Raygon from Thiruvanthapuram and Abdul Gafoor from Madras. In two days we did a complete sightseeing of the Jodhpur Fort and Palace. We were now in a dilemma as to what next. It was then that our Rajasthani driver, Sivaratnam mentioned to us about Mount Abu. It would be a minimum travel of 4 hours. Though we were hesitant initially, we finally decided to go.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As the vehicle was about to reach Mount Abu, we were able to see other tourist vehicles. Most of the vehicles were from Gujarat. In a distance we could see Mount Abu. The reason why we were able to see the vehicles descending and ascending the hill so distinctly was because there were hardly any trees or foliage that would hide the sightings. In 20 minutes we reached the top of the hill. We got bored after taking a quick round there. Everywhere we could see the commotion of tourists. However, there wasn’t any much scenery worth mentioning out there. With no prejudices, let me say it was hardly any competition to places like Ooty or Kodaikanal. In a nutshell, it is a small barren hill resembling a bald head! The temperatures were as high on the hill as was down in the plains. How can it be a hill station without even having a cool climate?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We had heard that the sunset view from Mount Abu is very beautiful. We decided to see it and crowded at the Sunset point waiting for the sun to set. As the skies became overcast, we lost that opportunity as well. We who had planned to spend an exciting night there and travelled all the way up with our bag and baggage did not waste any further time and headed down hill in less than 3 hours. On pondering it became clear to us why so many tourists frequented the place. This was the sole hill station in and around that part of the world. There is a saying in malayalam which means that no matter how poor you are, you must still celebrate Onam with whatever little means you have. This was an illustration of just that ‘Be content with whatever you have’.!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The plight of our driver was pitiable. He wouldn’t have thought even in his wildest dream that he would have to atone for his recommendation and drive us back from the hills so soon!!! </span><br />
<span style="color: #009900;">-----------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #009900;">Translated from my Malayalam blog ' <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/" id="SAWARN1d64abi" name="SAWARN1d64abi" original_id="" original_name="" real_href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/">Chila Yaathrakal</a> ' by </span><a href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/" id="SAWARN1d64abi" name="SAWARN1d64abi" original_id="" original_name="" real_href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">geetham.</a> <span style="color: #009900;">To read the Malayalam version, click </span><a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_8949.html" id="SAWARN1d64abi" name="SAWARN1d64abi" original_id="" original_name="" real_href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_29.html" style="color: #000099;">here</a><span style="color: #000099;">.</span></div></div></div>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-80508733499678961372010-10-04T11:04:00.000-07:002010-10-04T11:05:36.537-07:00The Sahib and the house boat<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I</b></span>t’s been more than a while since ‘House Boat tourism’ has become a huge hit in Kerala. Though a houseboat trip has been on the agenda for a long time, owing to multiple reasons it never happened. Finally, in July 2002 we arranged a pleasure trip on a houseboat through a local travel agent based in Alapuzha.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_j0XaBkmf_J6YWVNHsF7P-3EDp3udzmkBzLH57g66ERiidBtTm-q5W0s8tNPrNuH8tu-m47EyoDPZgvzV8VOyl7MB5lRvrh1NQOoOizZIUd9a0cA8tBINeQdrJ3729QOruK5PTpahKw/s1600-h/boat+crew1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169076454649163874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_j0XaBkmf_J6YWVNHsF7P-3EDp3udzmkBzLH57g66ERiidBtTm-q5W0s8tNPrNuH8tu-m47EyoDPZgvzV8VOyl7MB5lRvrh1NQOoOizZIUd9a0cA8tBINeQdrJ3729QOruK5PTpahKw/s400/boat+crew1.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
We started from home in the afternoon. We were to stay in a house by the banks of the Vembanad lake in Muhamma. A house … you may suspect, the house belonged to one of my friends or relatives. But no, this house belonged to an Austrian ‘Sahib’(sahib is a colloquial reference to a fair skinned male foreigner; in kerala sahib is pronounced to sound like ‘sayip’) !<br />
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What?? An Austrian - having a house in Muhamma? Don’t be astonished. Yes, it is true.<br />
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The ‘sahib’ is close to 55 years of age. But he has one problem. His body is paralyzed downwards completely except for his head. Though this is the case, the sahib does most of everything that a normal person of his age would do. The one major dependency he has is that he needs help to be positioned and navigated on a wheel chair. The house and property is designed in such a way that the wheelchair can be comfortably operated both inside and outside. There are no steps anywhere, even at the doors. On wheeling down the verandah slopes to the dancing backwaters nearby, you can see a structure consisting of an iron post to which a pulley and rope is attached. Using this arrangement, the sahib along with his wheelchair immerses in the water up to the level of his neck and ‘swims’!<br />
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Forget all this; there is much more remarkable information about the sahib. He continues to be employed even in this condition. And that too, it is not a run of the mill kind of commoner job. He is a responsible sitting judge in Austria!! At first I found it difficult to believe this. How is it that with this immovable body and its immense limitations, he is able to manage the affairs of the court and pass judgments?<br />
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He prepares all his judgments using a computer. Someone has to switch on the computer for him. After that a head band is tied to his forehead resembling that worn by the cine-actor, Balachandra Menon. When a key board appears on the screen, the sahib starts to move his head. When a beam of light emanating from the head band hits the alphabets on the keyboard, a pull down menu comprising of words start to appear on the screen in the combination of the selected alphabets. Moving his head, the sahib chooses the words he requires. Very easy, isn’t it?<br />
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Oops, apologies....I haven’t still told you the name of the sahib, right? His name is ‘Wolf Gang’. Isn’t it a rather impressive name?<br />
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It was a young man from the neighborhood who was assisting Wolf Gang till very recently. Sometime back, Sahib married a local Malayali lady aged around 40 years and from then on, the young man’s work has reduced to only housekeeping and security.<br />
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It was a charming little house with a tiled roof; having two bedrooms, verandah and other facilities. The interior décor has been done using only Kerala style handicrafts. Huge ‘nannangadi’s, utensils made of ‘churakka’ used by toddy tappers etc are some of the items which we can see displayed inside the rooms. On the green lawns extending right till the lake, we can see a multi-layered lamp made of black granite stone right in the middle of the property. On certain special days, all the layers are filled with oil and the lamp is lit!<br />
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During the winters in Europe, Wolf Gang heads to Kerala. His paralyzed body is unable to withstand the harsh winters. During the period he is not here in Kerala and when the tourism season sets in, the 2 bedrooms are rented out as home-stay facility to visitors through some tour operators. So that explains how I was able to arrange our stay there as well.<br />
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Whatever it be, there is no better example I have seen than Wolf Gang to prove that nothing is impossible if you set your mind on it.<br />
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The young assistant of Sahib prepared dinner for us. He had collected the order from us previously during the afternoon itself.<br />
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The next day in the morning, a houseboat came and parked in the jetty right in front of the house. We spend the whole day on the houseboat gliding on the waters, sightseeing on the Vembanad lake and the canals of Alapuzha. Considering that it may not be of any particular interest, we decided to skip a stop at Pathiramanal. It was definitely more worthwhile and interesting to be able to directly see and experience the beautiful sights of life passing us by on either sides of the canals and the finishing point of the famous Kerala boat race.<br />
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There were 3 crew members aboard the boat. In the afternoon, the boatmen stopped at a nearby island to buy fresh fish and they fried the fish and served it with rice for us in the afternoon. Secretly they also managed to procure some beer!! The usual practice is to catch fish from the boat itself using a fishing rod. However, that day no fish had bitten the bait and hence the purchase!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuL1Z7jCWSIOWP7J8gYiCPSM-2MwwpwlWMzacGfqW380fxQKmxTwE8W-7BeSCwPjXvKVdj1_rwo_I9hRW4OvPFgp9-WuVuKSUJl9ACHgCJsFFgxl9NkIndCHvNPf04UPvNaarM2XLSkI/s1600-h/resort.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169076136821583954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuL1Z7jCWSIOWP7J8gYiCPSM-2MwwpwlWMzacGfqW380fxQKmxTwE8W-7BeSCwPjXvKVdj1_rwo_I9hRW4OvPFgp9-WuVuKSUJl9ACHgCJsFFgxl9NkIndCHvNPf04UPvNaarM2XLSkI/s400/resort.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Sometime in between, the waves became rough owing to two motorized ferry boats passing very close to us, almost capsizing our boat. I have to admit we did panic a little.<br />
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At night, we slept on the boat itself after anchoring right in the middle of the lake. We slept peacefully listening to the humming music of the frenzied mosquitoes circling outside the mosquito net spread over our bed. In the middle of the night, our one and a half year old daughter woke up with a jolt from her sleep and started to cry seeing the unfamiliar surroundings. After some time, she went back to sleep feeling tired.<br />
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The next morning, we drew up the anchor and set off on our return journey to Wolf Gangs residence. By lunch time we headed back to Ernakulam.<br />
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We departed experiencing a rare fulfillment of having seen and known so much more than merely having had a delightful houseboat journey.<br />
<span style="color: #009900;">-----------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #009900;">Translated from my Malayalam blog ' <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/">Chila Yaathrakal</a> ' by </span><a href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">geetham.</a> <span style="color: #009900;">To read the Malayalam version, click </span><a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_29.html" style="color: #000099;">here</a><span style="color: #000099;">.</span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-54426620069634573162010-08-20T23:07:00.000-07:002010-10-04T11:02:10.904-07:00To the Globe Theatre<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span></span>fter having seen the imaginary line and descended the observatory hill, my next destination was the Globe Theatre. The Globe Theatre is the world famous arena where Shakespearean plays were staged right from the times of Shakespeare.<br />
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We had reserved a ticket much in advance for a 7:15 show for the famous Shakespearean play ‘As you like it’. My better half and her colleague, Deepthi had agreed to wait for me after their office time with the tickets for the show at the London Bridge station.<br />
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There was some more time to 7pm. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Wharf">Canary Wharf</a> station and nearby locations had caught my attention earlier while I was travelling on the DLR line. I decided to get down there, roam around and do some more sightseeing before heading for the Globe Theatre.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVDJDdF-E7qBOboXdaZs0aMuYLbTsPHOCtNqTeLWxQ0rse7AEs08BJMZmU3Q7JrOSb8oXdZd7qbwYGELkouLk0N5uWCLPaO8Z1zC-qIRL_PQQBY6whPTSBts5gahVqu3HamYF-WEsck2U/s1600-h/greenwitch+140.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423834661520343858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVDJDdF-E7qBOboXdaZs0aMuYLbTsPHOCtNqTeLWxQ0rse7AEs08BJMZmU3Q7JrOSb8oXdZd7qbwYGELkouLk0N5uWCLPaO8Z1zC-qIRL_PQQBY6whPTSBts5gahVqu3HamYF-WEsck2U/s400/greenwitch+140.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The face of London had a different appeal in this part of the city. Most of the buildings were glass walled skyscrapers almost kissing the clouds. Three of the tallest buildings in the UK are situated in Canary Wharf; huge commercial office complexes and shopping malls could be seen in plenty. The trains made their way amidst tall buildings which appeared to stand one next to the other as if touching each other. From the train, you can see the Thames and its channel like narrow tributaries. The trains forged ahead crisscrossing the river at many places. Though at most places in London, the tube trains ran through underground rail, in this part alone on the DLR, the trains travelled above ground level atop flyovers and over head bridges. It occurred to me that the attitude and expressions of Canary Wharf resembled that of an ultra modern girl!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UAzCZWlKRSMahL6KQ5902Qi4YeB3fkAiguUZqz5xO9dU5WMzuCe2_hcTVGZ1IdYssYnVlSqY1swxAHbj8O3uT9aC0DRs-9U9HyK-XoIrGbgQMhdYheq8MW7HhTWOpZCwjf_x5LGm5xdV/s1600-h/greenwitch+131.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424290786933414626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UAzCZWlKRSMahL6KQ5902Qi4YeB3fkAiguUZqz5xO9dU5WMzuCe2_hcTVGZ1IdYssYnVlSqY1swxAHbj8O3uT9aC0DRs-9U9HyK-XoIrGbgQMhdYheq8MW7HhTWOpZCwjf_x5LGm5xdV/s400/greenwitch+131.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
People sat having food at eat out restaurants on the banks of the river enjoying the cool evening breeze. I think it is the westerners’ alone who revel with such gaiety in the myriad blessings of nature, be it by the sea, creek sides or in the brilliance of the sun! After walking in and out of the station and through the shopping malls along with the horde for some time I returned to the station.<br />
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Though there was a big crowd at the station, mostly office goers awaiting the trains to head home, it failed to deter me as I was at one point in my life used to the hustle bustle of the Mumbai suburban train journeys. I got into the first train that came and got off at Tower Bridge Station. In a little while, my wife and her friend located me waiting for them outside the station.<br />
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We had intended to walk to the Globe Theatre. We can reach the theatre by cutting across the South Wark Bridge and walking for about 10 minutes in between the buildings and along the banks of the Thames. As all the sign posts along the way displayed directions to the Globe Theatre, it was unlikely that we would lose our way to reach our destination.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgni1EwkEIq4z2Mr14wI5fjScYcOIBXMnDnxhxH1CgiqdQWVz-ZVV2Nxites2YhJ_5J-EoGdv1PgBE9ABXW_zehTL0bYUJhFve6wzASUbRMrde5v1AlgJqlWgNudRf3KD_gXOfjlw9UXJCY/s1600-h/0530_globe_theatre_london.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423727871999526514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgni1EwkEIq4z2Mr14wI5fjScYcOIBXMnDnxhxH1CgiqdQWVz-ZVV2Nxites2YhJ_5J-EoGdv1PgBE9ABXW_zehTL0bYUJhFve6wzASUbRMrde5v1AlgJqlWgNudRf3KD_gXOfjlw9UXJCY/s400/0530_globe_theatre_london.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 274px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
While walking to the theatre, I was reminded of my younger days of theatre appreciation. During my hey days, I have seen up to two professional dramas on the same day. Even much before we started to see actors such as NN Pillai, Rajan P Dev, Saikumar , Vijayaraghavan etc on the celluloid screen, I have had the chance to enjoy them on stage, their faces greased with makeup. Prior to those days, I had myself smeared paint on my face for small drama events at school.<br />
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But this was my maiden trip to see a professional English play. And that too, a Shakespearean play; in a world famous theatre where the writer himself had donned the costume of his characters and made his presence felt on stage. This thought was more than enough to give me goose-bumps!<br />
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An American director-cum-actor Sam Wanamaker is the founder of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_Theatre">Globe Theatre</a>. Shakespeare himself was a partner during the early days of the theatre. The initial Globe Theatre was built in 1599. In 1613, the theatre was destroyed in a fire. Though the theatre was reconstructed and it started functioning at the same place during the very next year itself, it closed down in 1642. The current theatre named Shakespeare’s Globe is a renovation of the Globe Theatre of yore. It was in 1997 that the new theatre was inaugurated. The new theatre is located about 230 meters away from the position of the original.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaGLGfJ6Ydbj2omEOCfh4NM4vvIDapPnf5nTKMRB6EtEuDP5tmS1uLrLhB1XhFp8rGrDYLDRGbPGvoBaFULDOkDttyyhmfsSiT7rfYxoWyGNz4deYE7KuYinHW1nO5a2Kv78KTInTTgrB/s1600-h/global+theatre+%2814%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423825353705551474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfaGLGfJ6Ydbj2omEOCfh4NM4vvIDapPnf5nTKMRB6EtEuDP5tmS1uLrLhB1XhFp8rGrDYLDRGbPGvoBaFULDOkDttyyhmfsSiT7rfYxoWyGNz4deYE7KuYinHW1nO5a2Kv78KTInTTgrB/s400/global+theatre+%2814%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
There was a small crowd in front of the theatre. We converted the online internet bookings to tickets for the show and entered the theatre.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUf9rMc-dyvQy46KzzWTYp-LV752owK9A0lFZxVHmXeDPykJcaLztYZJyfkoK8rZta7N5nz2HvAI-pPRnT3kf4em_UneAVpin_ixGmzb2Xjodk1Iy_tehBib8sdah_cZdogS79mbz3fqK/s1600-h/seating+globe+theatre.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423727450708232866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUf9rMc-dyvQy46KzzWTYp-LV752owK9A0lFZxVHmXeDPykJcaLztYZJyfkoK8rZta7N5nz2HvAI-pPRnT3kf4em_UneAVpin_ixGmzb2Xjodk1Iy_tehBib8sdah_cZdogS79mbz3fqK/s400/seating+globe+theatre.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 378px;" /></a><span style="color: #009900; font-size: 85%;">Photograph Courtesy </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #009900; font-size: 85%;">http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span></span>Different types of tickets are available. It costs approximately GBP 35 for seats with good visibility from the upper, middle and lower galleries. For those seats on the sides and those blocked partially by the pillars inside, the tickets cost comes down to approximately PDS 15. If you are ready to watch the play standing in the open pit before the stage, you can do so for a mere PDS 5 per person.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4iLLN6FIIkAXZkhfaBZWSaNHad62UFmtCo5S3YxdiFJfbBh4F3QOasiGqFSOX8-ryJmL7VCGPNFvii2xYBsVPuDO3Pt3blvU97-Owta3Oq30wSxIIitrL4OenHtiEMwaAP6Q9PGLfp1V/s1600-h/global+theatre+%284%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423826040614258354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4iLLN6FIIkAXZkhfaBZWSaNHad62UFmtCo5S3YxdiFJfbBh4F3QOasiGqFSOX8-ryJmL7VCGPNFvii2xYBsVPuDO3Pt3blvU97-Owta3Oq30wSxIIitrL4OenHtiEMwaAP6Q9PGLfp1V/s400/global+theatre+%284%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
One is permitted only to stand here and not sit to watch the play from this yard. The yard has a capacity of 700 such standing audiences. In fact you can have the best views of the stage from the yard. If it were in our country, the seats closest to the stage would have been the most expensive. Anyway, for a middle aged person like me it was beyond my thinking to stand at a stretch and watch the play for over two hours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3b5R0BLPfVzgEwpoq9xVMiFZ51IWEenxAsvpvzL4xE323SgD38UHASiPRUY52JYeZC-o96tt6RAcC_kccqzUV8PkB1uL27dMqIFkErnIBPtIZ8ChZXvU3mDOr8SF5WCO9Es37NGqwDOkw/s1600-h/global+theatre+%283%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423825722537630050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3b5R0BLPfVzgEwpoq9xVMiFZ51IWEenxAsvpvzL4xE323SgD38UHASiPRUY52JYeZC-o96tt6RAcC_kccqzUV8PkB1uL27dMqIFkErnIBPtIZ8ChZXvU3mDOr8SF5WCO9Es37NGqwDOkw/s400/global+theatre+%283%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The seats were all made of wood and had no back rest. Those sitting in the last row had the privilege of leaning on the wall behind them. Luckily, our 15 PDS worth seats were on the right side of the stage on the very last row. The circular shaped theatre was full of seats except for the stage. The center of the theatre was open to the skies in the middle.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarCxApbK0igCUdF9HN0tH3bU6J8rkHjIG4LIfft-u8aQjlyr3QDiNr6W87bGxOPccPUjQirjSg_xAVFaZzjxwvZlKmJAi2bhdnqkgNEiSsqpkKovT5LErzLkOP3NElohLAfb7GrQiW8KP/s1600-h/CE169649_429long.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423727981845649506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarCxApbK0igCUdF9HN0tH3bU6J8rkHjIG4LIfft-u8aQjlyr3QDiNr6W87bGxOPccPUjQirjSg_xAVFaZzjxwvZlKmJAi2bhdnqkgNEiSsqpkKovT5LErzLkOP3NElohLAfb7GrQiW8KP/s400/CE169649_429long.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #009900;">Photograph Courtesy - Google</span></span><br />
<br />
</div>Without much delay the seats were all occupied. Being summer, though it was 7 o’clock in the evening the theatre was bright with sunlight. For the first time in my life I was about to see a play without having to listen to the announcement of the organizers about switching off the lights and opening the doors of the auditorium.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5brfm1-0qfqKbKlrJ-TtdhQP1lSkLwevms8Aa5LLAtFBOIKCxgVVJKY9oAg9RvqNiZTeMLmznlxhYyJJoj-_Qm8mY0XMaceIK7a1HUGj6nq5_paUbncp82y6UcsZZQ0OGTgFk2lhqOk3l/s1600-h/global+theatre+%2812%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423831255181569938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5brfm1-0qfqKbKlrJ-TtdhQP1lSkLwevms8Aa5LLAtFBOIKCxgVVJKY9oAg9RvqNiZTeMLmznlxhYyJJoj-_Qm8mY0XMaceIK7a1HUGj6nq5_paUbncp82y6UcsZZQ0OGTgFk2lhqOk3l/s400/global+theatre+%2812%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Shakespeare’s ‘As you like it ‘which we saw was directed by Thea Sharrock, designed by Dick Bird, composed by Stephen Warbeck and choreographed by Fin Walker. The main cast of Orlando played by Jack Laskey and Rosalind by Naomi Frederick along with 20 other talented artistes kept taking turns appearing on stage in the sequence of their performances.<br />
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The announcement that cameras were prohibited inside truly disappointed me. Would it be right to steal a few pictures without anyone noticing?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yQ5U3U4KrWVJVkC3UZo2qw3zsVS0su0SCkUrLALcHPbySYUi6HNynOArPWePQXcehJwp6dmIoW965AxiYuxsdQFLGMSNC5VLLSFtLNaCuDi16ezGFLle4U9b0pa5vNb_4O7mVagppJ6p/s1600-h/global+theatre+%2816%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423826430368797874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yQ5U3U4KrWVJVkC3UZo2qw3zsVS0su0SCkUrLALcHPbySYUi6HNynOArPWePQXcehJwp6dmIoW965AxiYuxsdQFLGMSNC5VLLSFtLNaCuDi16ezGFLle4U9b0pa5vNb_4O7mVagppJ6p/s400/global+theatre+%2816%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I haven’t read ‘As you like it’. But my better half who is a postgraduate in English Literature knows it all. To shield my ignorance I had quickly gone through a synopsis of the play on the internet before starting from home.<br />
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The actors took turns to appear before the microphones hanging in the air in front of the stage to deliver their dialogues. Even without the microphone, all including those sitting at the farthest nook and corner of the stage could hear the dialogues of all the actors very clearly. But what was impressive was that none of the actors were screaming at the top of their voices to be heard. Anyone inside with small children who chanced to cry were obliged to leave the place immediately due to this. Even if the child stopped crying, they were still denied permission to enter the theater again. Tickets are required to be purchased for children over 3 years of age.<br />
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The drama progressed on stage without any interruptions or hiccups. Before the interval a remarkable feud was presented on stage. The 3 minute scene where the hero Orlando strategically attacks and defeats a comparatively larger opponent was staged very naturally. One could hear the sound of displaced wooden planks when both the actors crash land on the floor during their fight. The over-sized opponent landed with a thud into the midst of the 5 pound spectators. We had noticed a little while ago that the stewards had built a make-shift safety barricade there to avoid any danger to the audience. On an average around 30 stewards volunteer for every stage event at the Globe.<br />
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All the world's a stage,<br />
And all the men and women merely players.<br />
They have their exits and their entrances;<br />
And one man in his time plays many parts,<br />
His acts being seven ages. ……………………..<br />
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………………………………………………………………..<br />
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Last scene of all,<br />
That ends this strange eventful history,<br />
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,<br />
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.<br />
As You Like It, 2. 7<br />
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These celebrated lines from the play have travelled across boundaries, far and wide beyond this stage to reach a world audience. I count myself truly blessed to have been able to hear these famous lines uttered directly by the Shakespearean actors themselves. With all my heart I treasure these precious and memorable moments I was able to spend inside the Globe.<br />
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In this drama authored by Shakespeare who said that the entire world’s a stage, actors entered and exited the stage not only through the side and middle doors. Some of the actors were seated amongst the audience and some of them made their appearances on the stage from amidst the spectators. The manner in which the drama was presented in this theatre seemed to bear testimony to the author’s words that all the world is indeed a stage!<br />
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Another interesting incident occurred just before the interval – imagining the pillars to be trees in the forest; Orlando stuck up notes scribbled with love poems addressed to his ladylove, Rosalind on all the pillars of the theatre including those pillars which stood between the audience area. The rest he scattered it into the middle of the audience. During the interval, I was tempted to either grab one of those love letters or pluck any one letter stuck on the pillars and make it my own. I felt there wouldn’t be any better souvenir that I could collect from this theatre. Many of the spectators had already started their efforts to materialize what I was tempted to do. Most of the letters were already in the possession of other spectators by the time I got up from my seat to make a hesitant dash for it. The rest of the letters which were littered on the floor were picked up by the theatre staff. I was about to return with unmistakable disappointment when suddenly luck decided to favor me and I noticed one of the letters still stuck on one of the pillars; I immediately took possession of it without inviting much attention.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYyhx4I4ryCW-Empy6YoOFsA_uZfIdGVxcPaoOygd6So4IB2uvb5Nyvp82PK_tK5N3KCHeTOQWyX7WNP3C0Gy5TuhpvgzagtOOgCS6lziCdzhlB7nt1y_yPqd6dc1ReXM8C8xH5tTAqLc/s1600-h/Mixed+006.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423832757582588882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYyhx4I4ryCW-Empy6YoOFsA_uZfIdGVxcPaoOygd6So4IB2uvb5Nyvp82PK_tK5N3KCHeTOQWyX7WNP3C0Gy5TuhpvgzagtOOgCS6lziCdzhlB7nt1y_yPqd6dc1ReXM8C8xH5tTAqLc/s400/Mixed+006.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 350px;" /></a><br />
For a rent of 1pound you can get cushions to rest on the wooden seats. The play resumed by the time I got 3 cushions and returned to my seat. Sunlight faded as the night descended making it dim inside the theatre. Lamps were lit inside to make up for the loss of natural light. Every moment passed to great satisfaction. Except for the use of archaic language which was a lil hard to digest, every act and scene progressed on stage very smoothly and in a convincing style. The transition from one scene to another was seamless in spite of not having any curtains being drawn at any time during the play. This play deserves a special mention in my life as a truly unforgettable lifetime experience!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wk4h9DZAp3cXoIDtpU_oT4tfTZ8O6EOQn37x04aZwaEYvhVxE-ebspFxTRwGjlxow3vLH3FWI-vPI7vGUQR3CCG6eEIRLN3J69jpg4Gb0eCfM_HL4zlpHMfBIWiU2t6EEFGqocesN5xz/s1600-h/global+theatre+%2831%29.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423829823914481426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wk4h9DZAp3cXoIDtpU_oT4tfTZ8O6EOQn37x04aZwaEYvhVxE-ebspFxTRwGjlxow3vLH3FWI-vPI7vGUQR3CCG6eEIRLN3J69jpg4Gb0eCfM_HL4zlpHMfBIWiU2t6EEFGqocesN5xz/s400/global+theatre+%2831%29.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 309px;" /></a><br />
In the climax, the scene where the hero plants hot kisses on the heroine was presented in an unpretentious and spontaneous manner. Such an explicit scene was a novelty for me. Such scenes would never have escaped the axe of the censor board in our movies even if it was essential for the context or storyline.<br />
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During the times he was alive, it was Shakespeare himself who acted as the character ‘Adam’ in this play. In the scenes where the characters were supposed to be singing, it was the actors themselves who rendered the songs. It is imperative to mention that on this stage it wasn’t the theatrical or technical excellence but the stellar performances of the actors which was outstanding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUkok3YgkeFpnzRaSETFUcZbEHZP-DWtxICKNO61M-bPVtA_G_3kmrUocpqaih0HJKn-NIevjTq2v90Q8PJWJpDrwneH40f76TByOVtWBWRCj61kwEUo9gnAwCqNiz9NsVICFdlzvaKV0/s1600-h/global+theatre+sony+035.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423830333492806226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUkok3YgkeFpnzRaSETFUcZbEHZP-DWtxICKNO61M-bPVtA_G_3kmrUocpqaih0HJKn-NIevjTq2v90Q8PJWJpDrwneH40f76TByOVtWBWRCj61kwEUo9gnAwCqNiz9NsVICFdlzvaKV0/s400/global+theatre+sony+035.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Towards the end of the play, a song and dance sequence set the stage ablaze. From amongst the audience a rhythmic clapping of the hands arose to the tune of the music. Along with this, I also noticed that cameras had started to flash from various corners of the theatre. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, I too pulled out my camera and captured a few scenes. To avoid the risk of being caught, I had switched off the flash and thanks to insufficient lighting and regular issues I face in handling the camera trying to capture moving objects; I had to be satisfied with just a few dull and shaken pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvfwafcOK4n4yIvy9tmLj9MxkKr2tiz_hkSQo34xyfb4HAxmW_VOGDVB2rECCztCyBiSscSVvya5Q-Pvpe2EioCNus3XSLVA2ktnpCvFX89xfCF1NGYcG2jASMmeqfx0deeCsWf7MK5Iv/s1600-h/global+theatre+sony+034.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423830158528917346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvfwafcOK4n4yIvy9tmLj9MxkKr2tiz_hkSQo34xyfb4HAxmW_VOGDVB2rECCztCyBiSscSVvya5Q-Pvpe2EioCNus3XSLVA2ktnpCvFX89xfCF1NGYcG2jASMmeqfx0deeCsWf7MK5Iv/s400/global+theatre+sony+034.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Finally the actors bid adieu and departed from the stage. I stood there in an emotional state of someone in a fantasy world who had just burst out of a soap bubble. It felt like an illusion. I couldn’t believe that what I had witnessed was true. Though the play was over, I did not feel like leaving the theatre. We lingered there for some more time taking pictures and looking around.<br />
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Finally when on my way back to Peterborough sitting inside the deserted night train, it crossed my mind that it was highly unlikely that I would have another opportunity to watch a play in the Shakespeare’s Globe again. And if it were to really happen, it would not be anything short of a miracle in my life!<br />
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<span style="color: #009900;">Translated from my Malayalam blog ' <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/">Chila Yaathrakal</a> ' by </span><a href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">geetham.</a> <span style="color: #009900;">To read the Malayalam version, click </span><a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post.html" style="color: #000099;">here</a><span style="color: #000099;">.</span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-64401021524666598752010-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:002010-10-29T23:30:59.107-07:00In search of an imaginary line<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span></span>here are several imaginary lines such as the equator, prime meridian and other longitudes and latitudes which cuts across vertically and horizontally through the earth. I set out on this journey to catch a glimpse of one of the most significant of these lines, namely the prime meridian or the 0°0'0'' longitude.<br />
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From Peterborough, a small countryside city in England where we lived in a rented apartment at that time, I boarded the National Express Train and reached the main London Kings Cross Station. From there I changed over to the Northern Line on the famous London Underground-referred to fondly as the Tube. The Tube crisscrosses beneath the bustling city and serves as the Transport Nervous system of this great city. At London Bridge, I changed for Canary Wharf Station on the Jubilee Line from where I finally changed to the over ground DLR line. All the way till I reached ‘Cutty Sark’ my final destination on this route, I kept racking my brains trying to dust out whatever little facts and details I could recollect from the pages of my junior school geography textbooks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QtFzLul_1AYbCa4aAlwTZZfjBXRD8UlBUJONelIAgz0aurrwFxcXV0qYX9uEivAcVTDxrigcbbfEtSMRGNoD4if-9hX4i1k_YDjwcJXRLv9Z_0-Iu3D5cchFyPO6ol9zQ-YOg0o3wtRs/s1600-h/Photo+1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380556586080180050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QtFzLul_1AYbCa4aAlwTZZfjBXRD8UlBUJONelIAgz0aurrwFxcXV0qYX9uEivAcVTDxrigcbbfEtSMRGNoD4if-9hX4i1k_YDjwcJXRLv9Z_0-Iu3D5cchFyPO6ol9zQ-YOg0o3wtRs/s400/Photo+1.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
In this context I am compelled to borrow the words of the famous Traveler, Santhosh George Kulangara who said that it is futile to travel without an understanding of the history of a place. I would modify his words and say that in this journey what mattered was not an understanding of history but that of geography and astronomical sciences.<br />
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I only knew that I had to walk to my destination once I disembark at Cutty Sark but had no clue about the way or directions. On stepping out of the station, towards the left side I could see the River Thames flowing through the heart of the city, in a splendid display proclaiming its grandeur and legacy. Numerous boats, both small and big were gliding through the river.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuskJxCWVPk9Qjw-_wZTzWZ_IzKHriZOnQgFDuVQEWnOjVH12B1B_esHuM26BHd8z4VkYJO08_MSGpHLmb5QyYnvYFudXdZXRHIgf5YtFbJ68ArV4dDd6vTKwL8Z8xocEQX8kMUIfIXRFU/s1600-h/Photo+2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380556866662145634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuskJxCWVPk9Qjw-_wZTzWZ_IzKHriZOnQgFDuVQEWnOjVH12B1B_esHuM26BHd8z4VkYJO08_MSGpHLmb5QyYnvYFudXdZXRHIgf5YtFbJ68ArV4dDd6vTKwL8Z8xocEQX8kMUIfIXRFU/s400/Photo+2.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Most of the boats transported both local and foreign tourists on sightseeing tours. A river cruise on the Thames is a must-see experience for any tourist who visits London. There are some boat cruises which operate from Cutty Sark too. I stood there for some time amidst the crowd who were waiting their turn to board the boats, enjoying the cool breeze and the beautiful sights of the Thames.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd-8mYRK-UhqadMm9tnmcbHw-mNLHACNNQm0mm_dQPPghQVE3iTcnyEREiDJuv4uNgrDt6u8AFkgYOsOZSnnQvTdbxpgN0P7TOzw0ONDFVvSO3MReXNNNIspnG7VsEvoVZyrm3r7UFci0/s1600-h/Photo+3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380557059708308386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnd-8mYRK-UhqadMm9tnmcbHw-mNLHACNNQm0mm_dQPPghQVE3iTcnyEREiDJuv4uNgrDt6u8AFkgYOsOZSnnQvTdbxpgN0P7TOzw0ONDFVvSO3MReXNNNIspnG7VsEvoVZyrm3r7UFci0/s400/Photo+3.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
In some distance across the river, I could see the millennium dome and the Greenwich Power Station. The ancient dome on the side of the river easily catches the attention of anyone. The dome marks the entrance to the underwater Greenwich Foot Tunnel which would take you across to the opposite bank of the Thames. When I saw this well constructed and maintained underground tunnel built in 1902 at a time when technology was not so advanced and having survived over a 100 years, I was suddenly reminded of the pathetic plight of our very own Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala.<br />
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It was only towards the end of the journey that I realized why not knowing my way around was actually a blessing in disguise. Had I known the directions accurately, I may have reached my destination directly. But my ignorance of the right track helped pave my way through certain quaint streets which breathed of forgotten history, in and out of some magnificent age old monuments and buildings making my experience an unforgettable one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWMMpHKumKC7z6AUvdl6836qWJDvuMZapujFbYJd3E8c0HOWiIYO0nZuAAnRITQ_nBmRZukTy9lnJGgxX4Hf32S9yuhcvOUiUWRO7cckvzw6z-EOy7SVvbliNbzdDYNm-RZn6L-DbfO5_/s1600-h/Photo+4.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380623787066204354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWMMpHKumKC7z6AUvdl6836qWJDvuMZapujFbYJd3E8c0HOWiIYO0nZuAAnRITQ_nBmRZukTy9lnJGgxX4Hf32S9yuhcvOUiUWRO7cckvzw6z-EOy7SVvbliNbzdDYNm-RZn6L-DbfO5_/s400/Photo+4.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Walking ahead along the banks of the Thames, one would reach a vast courtyard housing a complex of Barrack style structures including the Trinity College of Music and the Old Naval College. It is the Royal Greenwich Hospital which was built as per the wishes of Queen Mary, the 2nd for wounded soldiers and officers of war which was later converted into the Old Naval College. Today those buildings function as the Greenwich University and Trinity College of Music.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtRu1oQgZz_Iwc5Nrx5-TpG5j6CvMJlLFs3HrYc8R-r_2pwDnnUEknSgDXBuRgxnRmXs_k5rAl1iF5pknr71cYny6bNcw3LbfNTppPwsXhNTDBlzT13bC0GUwKseMuYrpyb4fCaPn-Fyd/s1600-h/Photo+5.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380624036441693090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtRu1oQgZz_Iwc5Nrx5-TpG5j6CvMJlLFs3HrYc8R-r_2pwDnnUEknSgDXBuRgxnRmXs_k5rAl1iF5pknr71cYny6bNcw3LbfNTppPwsXhNTDBlzT13bC0GUwKseMuYrpyb4fCaPn-Fyd/s400/Photo+5.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-Jjj2QPC5j-0jP2hYLXqTJcMVxmsstDpq90cUFVp1Bt8WNWiZnmKJiSutKnfjxwKjIXwSGE1Ittyv6zoyU0HFjdaWdXtGmscjrQ0F52SHHtfgaGUsqPIZhCZajL0rrJEexs2ChaGY-iq/s1600-h/Photo+6.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380624360627254738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-Jjj2QPC5j-0jP2hYLXqTJcMVxmsstDpq90cUFVp1Bt8WNWiZnmKJiSutKnfjxwKjIXwSGE1Ittyv6zoyU0HFjdaWdXtGmscjrQ0F52SHHtfgaGUsqPIZhCZajL0rrJEexs2ChaGY-iq/s400/Photo+6.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I proceeded in through the huge walls, enjoying the sweet music of instruments emanating from the music college carried by a gust of gentle wind. On one of the pathways, I saw a plaque erected in memory of the Tudor palace built by Henry the 7th. It was here that Henry the 8th, his sisters Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were born. The Royal hospital was built by demolishing the Tudor palace known as the ‘Palace of Placentia’. The remains of the Tudor palace build in 1427 were unearthed as a result of recent archeological excavations in 2005. When one reminiscence that this was a royal courtyard on which at one time walked many kings and princes, you feel as though you have been transported back in time into a bygone historical era.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget1UdehL2A_1axaAzDbn2lozV3hrm9p_tX3qrPLAsNZe386aM480sAZiuJvp_OVyu_KG07gocQ0quXZf2gP5gHRV1lKyXYpGfHJqpIsYtaO57jP2gSUsa3tbGbHjnuxPeAJwCe7FrROxT/s1600-h/Photo+7.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380624671512229330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEget1UdehL2A_1axaAzDbn2lozV3hrm9p_tX3qrPLAsNZe386aM480sAZiuJvp_OVyu_KG07gocQ0quXZf2gP5gHRV1lKyXYpGfHJqpIsYtaO57jP2gSUsa3tbGbHjnuxPeAJwCe7FrROxT/s400/Photo+7.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
On one side of the hospital building is a painted prayer hall and chapel. The altar and the roof of the chapel were adorned with paintings that announced a royal splendor. A gleaming golden pipe organ inside the chapel is a major attraction. Such pipe organs are not really a rare sight in the ancient churches of England.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xBhdD0btSpxYHrgfdcWzdOrsnIb2O7wFENF9CQvqERRf3m6FrtmhrWK9Q3imImqEe5j86ALjD3wX5FNKG2hOgN3kvC46IG514xBm5KWSEwg_QrYwh_sLfTJi9UpdxsQTfLELEAwAqf5p/s1600-h/Photo+8.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380624950786454706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xBhdD0btSpxYHrgfdcWzdOrsnIb2O7wFENF9CQvqERRf3m6FrtmhrWK9Q3imImqEe5j86ALjD3wX5FNKG2hOgN3kvC46IG514xBm5KWSEwg_QrYwh_sLfTJi9UpdxsQTfLELEAwAqf5p/s400/Photo+8.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Though I managed to see the sights inside the Old Naval College, I hadn’t still reached my main destination. Coming out through the east gate of the campus and moving with the flow, I joined in the direction in which majority of the crowd was going. The prime meridian is passing through somewhere there. But since it is an imaginary line, to ‘see’ it, one must reach the Greenwich Observatory Tower. A map displayed by the roadside came of aid. I was standing at one corner of the Greenwich Park. You could reach the Observatory Tower by crossing over the park. But there were other spectacle to relish stretching in a line before you can reach there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6a2jcrClS0H_JnzxxU5rB1pfAOkVaAc8p3lWqGYF1O9idp4u03vSCD0toBXM6W8dQGqWZZVEqO7ANdhpK6kzVPHU7bKx1-Y-q8MEdJ5pWKWr8xI94X-SXqfZEB4M6mwA_SHobaBfhmRn/s1600-h/Photo+9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380625211215374594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6a2jcrClS0H_JnzxxU5rB1pfAOkVaAc8p3lWqGYF1O9idp4u03vSCD0toBXM6W8dQGqWZZVEqO7ANdhpK6kzVPHU7bKx1-Y-q8MEdJ5pWKWr8xI94X-SXqfZEB4M6mwA_SHobaBfhmRn/s400/Photo+9.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Amongst them were the Queens House, the Museum Gallery and the National Maritime Museum which narrated stories of the British Maritime feats and encounters of the 16th to 20th centuries, studies of the tides and waves and their impact on daily lives.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH_eIOkwmCMTJKJstGeazwJHmqtynd4rnYfKeXjadNPKfX1c4hc9tf83P3sVRfcAy4_JyMy4HA7R0LSI8KEwPsFO8_Dtdm9hukJ1XnEdT26dnnx6L5DUgksRlw3IiXBXHaF-yZhFUn42R/s1600-h/Photo+10.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380625557205000722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH_eIOkwmCMTJKJstGeazwJHmqtynd4rnYfKeXjadNPKfX1c4hc9tf83P3sVRfcAy4_JyMy4HA7R0LSI8KEwPsFO8_Dtdm9hukJ1XnEdT26dnnx6L5DUgksRlw3IiXBXHaF-yZhFUn42R/s400/Photo+10.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The Queens House constructed in 1616 is one of earliest classical buildings of Britain. In 1805, George, the 3rd consecrated the Queens House for the charitable activities of the Royal Navy Asylum. Today, apart from being used as an exhibition gallery for fine arts, it is also utilized as a venue for luxury weddings, corporate events and other private functions.<br />
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Heeding to the call of my hunger pangs, I stepped into the park. I normally do not waste any time for food during such journeys. My strategy is to see as much as possible within the limited available time. It is only during dinner that I usually spend the time to relish the local delicacies of the land. I decided to sit down under the shade of a tree on the glistening royal green lawns outside the Queens House and devour the packed sandwiches and juice that I had thoughtfully carried with me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgrHqQAHM3eC-DCGh9hfKnQbRHBvl9vEk1uIj-SnLjqoovS4nNUEMbPHcqOvCzzrl3OZlmOoKAqz6Hopy89y9-TTgOiuejAykYg74cNOSFDE-o_VLLEMnQx_KZEFYAmGSYPD8wJqjdsNv/s1600-h/Photo+11.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380625973395271490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgrHqQAHM3eC-DCGh9hfKnQbRHBvl9vEk1uIj-SnLjqoovS4nNUEMbPHcqOvCzzrl3OZlmOoKAqz6Hopy89y9-TTgOiuejAykYg74cNOSFDE-o_VLLEMnQx_KZEFYAmGSYPD8wJqjdsNv/s400/Photo+11.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
After polishing off the sandwiches and savoring the visual delights of the huge paintings inside the Queens House, I stepped in to see the Maritime Museum. Cameras were prohibited in both these buildings and hence I could only capture those sights straight into my mind. I then stepped out to see the Titanic Memorial Park. This was a narrow garden stretch along the walls of the park, filled with flowering plants previously unknown to me. The plants belonged to the genre of memorial flowers such as the rosemary, purple sage, Irish golden dew, peace roses etc. This park was inaugurated by a 15 year old survivor, Ms. Edith Haiman to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Titanic Tragedy that occurred on April 14th 1912. It is interesting to note that that Ms.Haiman lived till her 100th year before she joined her Titanic fellow travelers in her final journey.<br />
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I could see visitors playing cricket, baseball and other games on the lawns of the Greenwich Park. You can reach the Observatory Tower by walking up the slopes of the tree lined path which ran amidst the park. There was no dearth of half naked white people smeared with tan oil and sun bathing on the grass. This is summer for them, but for someone like me who is used to working in the scorching heat of the oilfields in the Gulf region, this 28 degrees temperature can never qualify for summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJaal2qwQLTw3kisC8zYC5Urco87OuHBJ2y4JZG1PNWhkOR3ApCHSDyA2Cc9UbaWpG7NloTj-UCW3ghqUBeFEJ1AeYNz9n9D9vM5ZxCdPPS67LtOS7BtWRbsWR9OBj4datvWoe6RTOoFJ/s1600-h/Photo+13.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380626840826073042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJaal2qwQLTw3kisC8zYC5Urco87OuHBJ2y4JZG1PNWhkOR3ApCHSDyA2Cc9UbaWpG7NloTj-UCW3ghqUBeFEJ1AeYNz9n9D9vM5ZxCdPPS67LtOS7BtWRbsWR9OBj4datvWoe6RTOoFJ/s400/Photo+13.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
A long line of school students seemed to be moving towards the observatory tower. Like an obedient student, I joined the end of the queue and holding the iron railings along the pathway, I too started to ascend the small hill on which the Observatory was situated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-YT-P27SJ7tg4cKiIeX4iGwD2Rg7kR9XwdyX864tO0e77Z_FMZmxZIzo42IwdLLrlC-TmlxTWW_zCSyfVbeBURCc3S2eJ2SwDkmpIT7axyNGfC6L-hf9QlX07ssiEcgZqoMO5-wM2q4/s1600-h/Photo+14.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380626995567064674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-YT-P27SJ7tg4cKiIeX4iGwD2Rg7kR9XwdyX864tO0e77Z_FMZmxZIzo42IwdLLrlC-TmlxTWW_zCSyfVbeBURCc3S2eJ2SwDkmpIT7axyNGfC6L-hf9QlX07ssiEcgZqoMO5-wM2q4/s400/Photo+14.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
There was a huge crowd before the Observatory Tower. The initial sight at the entrance of the Tower was that of the 1852 circular shaped Shepherd Gate Clock with a 24 hour dial and some plaques depicting measures such as the feet, yard etc. It took me sometime to realize why the visitors were lining up even after entering inside the gate. They were not queuing to get inside the Tower. The queue was outside itself extending towards a steel structure which was in the form of an incomplete model of the globe. One by one the visitors were taking turns to stand with their legs apart on either side of the metallic strip marked on the ground below the globe tilted on its axis, shaking hands with each other and taking photographs.<br />
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Suddenly the realization dawned on me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEykmHqzT73HRrGyJ96YXq2Bp40lkhyphenhyphenQRgBma8xaVXTCP0yNiCjN81bNGROIXE3paPqvOf58clWsx4FQkrTsfGU7VwNQGHW-jWL0uMWtUW1vVprKZg6CsrZgoQGv9i8z_i_CWsTr4J3QGe/s1600-h/Photo+15.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380627149200818690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEykmHqzT73HRrGyJ96YXq2Bp40lkhyphenhyphenQRgBma8xaVXTCP0yNiCjN81bNGROIXE3paPqvOf58clWsx4FQkrTsfGU7VwNQGHW-jWL0uMWtUW1vVprKZg6CsrZgoQGv9i8z_i_CWsTr4J3QGe/s400/Photo+15.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This was the Prime Meridian, the 0°0'0'' longitude. The famous imaginary line has been depicted in the form of that metallic strip on the ground!!!<br />
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Like the equator divides the North and South, the Prime Meridian is that imaginary line which divides the East and the West. To be more precise, on one side of the metallic strip on the ground is the East and on the other side is the West. When the sun’s rays come directly over this line it is considered to be 12 noon. For us in India, during the summers we are 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of the Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquwDhzygMhVNrsHELJMS0h9ohBUf5lfphMCGRPz8V8qKek_1g7Fob82RZ2WziADCC2shUAzBBrlv3yi-E1ZFwITvUwHGGTZjDFIpD6SYf5pyjBA4ULim5_8YrzBXpc6yhTZ9JQHCy0Okg/s1600-h/Photo+16.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380627357497640274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquwDhzygMhVNrsHELJMS0h9ohBUf5lfphMCGRPz8V8qKek_1g7Fob82RZ2WziADCC2shUAzBBrlv3yi-E1ZFwITvUwHGGTZjDFIpD6SYf5pyjBA4ULim5_8YrzBXpc6yhTZ9JQHCy0Okg/s400/Photo+16.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
It is amusing to see the visitors standing with their legs on either side of the Meridian and clicking away. It is definitely not such a trivial matter to be able to stand over the prime meridian with one leg in the east and the other in the west!!<br />
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In the night, a green laser beam light emanates from the observatory parallel to this line and cuts across the Thames falling on the city of London. If one can manage to hang around there till darkness descends, you can witness this beautiful display.<br />
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Even though the prime meridian passes through Great Britain, France, Spain, Algeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Antarctica, it is this spot in England which is of utmost significance. The reason for this is an ancient telescope known as the Airy Transit Circle, housed in this observatory located 154.70 feet above sea level. It was this telescope which determined the Prime Meridian from 1884 till 1920. <span dir="ltr" id=":4hv">Like many other telescopes inside the observatory, this ancient telescope is also used to determine the Prime meridian by very meticulously observing when and where the clock stars cross the North South markings on the instrument.</span> Till the 19th century, there were various other Meridians also which were used on maps and geographical charts. It was decided to mark all the longitudes, east and west from Greenwich following an International Conference in 1884.<br />
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This instrument was constantly in use by scientists during the time and was used to make more than 600, 000 observations. This ancient grandfather telescope which is functional till date stands magnificently reminding us of its glorious yore, filling a room inside the observatory. This observatory consisting of telescopes, various instruments used to conduct experiments and the museum has once been a victim of a bomb attack. This incident which hit Britain in 1894 may have been the first terror strike on Britain. Though it was proved that the 26 year old French man, Martial Bourdin was behind this attack, the motive for the attack still remains a mystery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiHCpx69z5c0UL1CT_xa_v7-NC-Y5OOM5C77Zv9JOq5TEul8oZhdbYXQON9-bwpLQz50BLYUvFLVutW9GT0RheUlYSPt8pry61I7XqgKMfeAsmB1e8Oz6JKZwHidCXCcur9vJZ74fqjfM/s1600-h/Photo+17.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380627679191636546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiHCpx69z5c0UL1CT_xa_v7-NC-Y5OOM5C77Zv9JOq5TEul8oZhdbYXQON9-bwpLQz50BLYUvFLVutW9GT0RheUlYSPt8pry61I7XqgKMfeAsmB1e8Oz6JKZwHidCXCcur9vJZ74fqjfM/s400/Photo+17.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Despite a strict warning prohibiting photography inside the tower, many visitors continued to take pictures on their cameras. Hearing the clicking sounds, an official came running to the spot and tried to prevent this. But somehow it didn’t really seem to be such a grave offence. However, I was denied sanction in spite of requesting permission to take a few pictures. In my mind, I longingly captured the forms and sizes of all those telescopes that I have never seen before and proceeded to the lower floor of the adjacent building called the Octagonal House .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVEXRK4gk5XbGIYztWW6s2spunT3WVtN60ZHojAD3DLx8BetCJXfEDZ3kYITmm3ry0IM15nMygG7vJOmc6pgkzuRAPpsQCZF5N7wZSBSEUtXWULrhmmQ5bffESW1EouYvfOEZYWpZW9Dl/s1600-h/Photo+18.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380628031563059586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVEXRK4gk5XbGIYztWW6s2spunT3WVtN60ZHojAD3DLx8BetCJXfEDZ3kYITmm3ry0IM15nMygG7vJOmc6pgkzuRAPpsQCZF5N7wZSBSEUtXWULrhmmQ5bffESW1EouYvfOEZYWpZW9Dl/s400/Photo+18.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This building consisted of a museum which told the trying stories and discoveries of eminent astronomers such as John Flamsteed who at some time cooperated and some time questioned the likes of Sir Isaac Newton , succumbing to ill-health and battling the rain and shine while meticulously following the celestial bodies in the skies for the enlightenment of generations to come. Due to some strife with Isaac Newton, it was inside this very central courtyard of the building that Flamsteed who was the first British astronomer, collected and publicly burned down the copies of his own book called the Historia Coelestis Britannica What irked Flamsteed was that Isaac Newton and another colleague Edmund Halley had jointly published this book without his permission and worse still, they did not mention Flamsteed’s name on it.<br />
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Why Time? Why Longitude? The museum does give some very elaborate answers supported by facts and details to these questions. The Shovell Ship tragedy was one of the main reasons for this. On October 22nd 1707, on the way from Gibraltar to Britain , the famous naval officer, Sir Clowdisley Shovell along with over 1400 fellow sailors on board the ship collided with a rocky formation near the Isle of Scilly and within minutes sank to the bottom of the sea. The main reason for this accident was attributed to the inaccuracy in determining the longitudinal angles and position of the place, as well as the ignorance of the sailors.<br />
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Over time, the naval fleet of Britain, considered to be the Empire where the sun never sets expanded, leading to a situation where most of the families in Britain had one or the other members or a relative who was a sailor or a part of the Navy. Those days if a there was a ship wreck, it would only be after a few months or years that a formal intimation would reach the families. Sometimes this information may not reach them also. It was during this time that efforts were initiated by British Scientists to determine longitudes accurately and uniformly to correct the inconsistencies on the map and hence prevent such disasters. It was only then that I realized this inseparable connection between the longitudes and time. A Longitude is measured in degrees ranging from 0° at the Prime Meridian to +180° eastward and -180° westward. Each degree of longitude is further sub-divided into 60 minutes, each of which is further sub-divided into 60 seconds.<br />
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Some of the rooms in the lower floor of the museum served as the dwelling of John Flamsteed for over 30 years. His possessions such as his bed, mattress, table, chair, bed chamber etc is a part of this museum now. After seeing the sights on the lower floor, moving up to the octagon room one can see the 32 inch astronomical quadrant and models of a few huge telescopes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkobuPoKdmlkVLA4PMKK1nOgwagV_Oliwl3mVSJzc7QL0URRvNVPu6_mQJypU4lOJ_LXhtL2-auxI64GcSPa4Qx54ZAyo0-oppJz4nojwSi4uhDdpc_jscOIhlPUvkT3aS5rkSk_Fm551M/s1600-h/Photo+19.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380628248738734210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkobuPoKdmlkVLA4PMKK1nOgwagV_Oliwl3mVSJzc7QL0URRvNVPu6_mQJypU4lOJ_LXhtL2-auxI64GcSPa4Qx54ZAyo0-oppJz4nojwSi4uhDdpc_jscOIhlPUvkT3aS5rkSk_Fm551M/s400/Photo+19.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
There is a movie show every one hour in the relatively new planetarium building just behind the octagonal house. I bought a ticket worth 6 pounds and joined the crowd to see the sights of the ‘Peter Harrison Planetarium’ which was commissioned by the Queen on 22nd May 2007. The planetarium has a seating capacity of at least 200 and has a spherical overhead screen with a 360 degree view. After explaining that there is no need to switch off the mobile phones as the theatre was in a thick metallic enclosure, an official sitting amidst the audience started operating a special projector to begin the show.<br />
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Leaning back and looking up, I watched the 40 minute movie ‘The Ice World’. I felt proud and pompous having had an opportunity to comprehend that the earth we live in is such a lovely blessed place within the solar system. The movie gives a great message that we are all passengers on the spacecraft called Earth voyaging through the solar system and hence it is our responsibility as voyagers to ensure that this spaceship continues its journey forward without drowning or destruction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk6PWwySnxcyNSvEH5GVrwF-N87QcmXZ_B9Rt8Yy2KbCF4GSzJuZnxjVvKArgxNw0QP2AVzx25wJhdCctmKSpG5mVduxFQ0VKOGxAuedtoKBsmSg1oJjO2XjGsGGxasnyAeKRAL8MrKWi/s1600-h/Photo+20.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380629115383425858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk6PWwySnxcyNSvEH5GVrwF-N87QcmXZ_B9Rt8Yy2KbCF4GSzJuZnxjVvKArgxNw0QP2AVzx25wJhdCctmKSpG5mVduxFQ0VKOGxAuedtoKBsmSg1oJjO2XjGsGGxasnyAeKRAL8MrKWi/s400/Photo+20.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 285px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Again, I walked towards the Hexagon building . There is a medium sized coin operated talking telescope situated there. I looked through the telescope and enjoyed the splendid views in the vicinity of Greenwich. The faraway sights such as the Van borough Castle, London City Airport, Post Office Tower, Power station, One Canada Square, Millennium Dome, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, NatWest Tower and all seemed to be within my arms distance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_DJmJtmsSX_9Jkd00fddh3lbtKlmb-iG8HXlo_9hvk51fMuuToDqs1RxNzlaYa8t545iAYEexTz-kzPJeWrKhOSTy9Q0bQ0XGMepuJL_toSKKmqAimmG6BVhB90SnY2KemWJYuZdMS8I/s1600-h/Photo+21.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380629327805611554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_DJmJtmsSX_9Jkd00fddh3lbtKlmb-iG8HXlo_9hvk51fMuuToDqs1RxNzlaYa8t545iAYEexTz-kzPJeWrKhOSTy9Q0bQ0XGMepuJL_toSKKmqAimmG6BVhB90SnY2KemWJYuZdMS8I/s400/Photo+21.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Near the telescope, I suddenly noticed a few people parting a dark curtain and entering a small isolated room. It is inside this room that the science behind the invention called Camera Obscura with which we walk around casually in our hands called the camera is revealed. The Latin term Camera Obscura means ‘Darkened Chamber’. It is the experimental knowledge that light passing through a small hole in the wall of a dark room can display the inverted image of the world outside that led to more experiments with glass pieces and lenses which lasted for centuries thus resulting in the invention of the dark room called camera which you can carry in your hands.<br />
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Once my eyes got adjusted to the darkness inside the room, I was able to see a white table in the center of the room. Moving images of the colorful sights such as the Greenwich Park, Queen’s House, Maritime Museum etc that I had seen earlier through the talking telescope started to appear distinctly on the table top. At that moment, I felt as though as I was standing inside a camera. It was 5:30 in the evening when I finally stepped out of that historic dark room used by John Flamsteed to study the movements of the sun. I could still see a long queue for taking photographs outside the Observatory Tower in front of the Prime Meridian!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO2hzXizr46zbHjRJdSkx4fuq-fip4j0na7xgUH6RZTVQrXrr-iOU-TYGg5IBaotGermS5N4ueRP3kLaHgQJcLtwoatFOuArneKLW5aNSvLtHnqVXZfMSzMyLkKH-aLfJ5s16DoxVbNO_/s1600-h/Photo+22.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380629533786849362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO2hzXizr46zbHjRJdSkx4fuq-fip4j0na7xgUH6RZTVQrXrr-iOU-TYGg5IBaotGermS5N4ueRP3kLaHgQJcLtwoatFOuArneKLW5aNSvLtHnqVXZfMSzMyLkKH-aLfJ5s16DoxVbNO_/s400/Photo+22.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I had set off to merely see an imaginary line but I was gratified now having gained such a beautiful experiences and insights. It was now time for my return. My return was not back to home but to the famous Globe Theatre which stages Shakespearean plays in London.<br />
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En route to the Globe Theatre, my better half will be waiting for me with the tickets of ‘As You like It’. Holding abreast the enormous wealth I earned from the world of science and technology from atop that small hill, I walked swiftly to reach another fascinating world.... a world of fine arts.<br />
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<span style="color: #009900;">Translated from my Malayalam blog ' <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/">Chila Yaathrakal</a> ' by </span><a href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;">geetham.</a> <span style="color: #009900;">To read the Malayalam version, click </span><a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-post.html" style="color: #000099;">here</a><span style="color: #000099;">.</span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-83269378625265191672010-07-20T04:08:00.000-07:002010-07-20T21:44:50.853-07:00The Ramassery Idli<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span></span> journey to eat Idlies !!! That too... on getting up at 4 in the morning for it. Amusing, isn’t it?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HiKU5eFRvi5IJrJM8cmYVFWzMdSeTnvwNvLV3nRM7qTDVUk4-9ncaNEa-B8R1rUCQsK8ss8sK1ylu2kgxVJYqq0SXlKWw75e8EupteSCDCpAWcfe23CpMh9sFr-odgzmHB8I8U-Hi-Y/s1600/Iddali.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HiKU5eFRvi5IJrJM8cmYVFWzMdSeTnvwNvLV3nRM7qTDVUk4-9ncaNEa-B8R1rUCQsK8ss8sK1ylu2kgxVJYqq0SXlKWw75e8EupteSCDCpAWcfe23CpMh9sFr-odgzmHB8I8U-Hi-Y/s400/Iddali.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495945256321769458" border="0" /></a>This trip was inspired by an article published in the Sunday supplement of a leading local newspaper.The feature was about a small village called Ramassery in Palaghat district of Kerala, famed for a unique type of Idli named after it. The article described how the idlies were prepared using a special type of oven, custom made earthen vessels and natural firewood. That was more than enough to tempt me. Thanks to the write-up, despite not being so much of an Idli freak, my mouth watered. I pledged to gorge on it someday. But I was never able to manage enough time to make an exclusive trip only for this purpose.<br /><br />A few years went by. In 2004, my better half got a job transfer to Bangalore. We stayed there for over two years. Being an oil field employee, those days I had a schedule which allowed me one month vacation after every 2 months of work. Hence it was a routine then to make a trip to Ernakulam along with my wife and six year old daughter during my vacations. Those trips were usually by car. I really enjoyed those long drives which lasted over 10 hours. It was on one of those Bangalore- Ernakulam journeys, that I saw a sign board in a passing shot on the Palaghat highway which rang some bells inside my head.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">‘Ramasserry ‘</span></span><br /></div><br />On the left side, there was a small road going inside approximately 5 km before the road turning to Pollachi. It must have been past 2’o clock in the afternoon. We were always in a hurry to reach home once we passed the Walayar check post. Besides, it wasn’t the best time of the day to eat idlis. So I made a plan then itself. During the return journey, my breakfast will be the Ramassery Idli.<br /><br />On our return journey from Ernakulam, we usually take a breakfast halt at the Indian Coffee House located on the Trissur-Palghat stretch. This time, we started our journey at 4:30 in the wee hours of the morning. No harm in starting a little early considering that we were heading to an unfamiliar place!<br /><br />Before eight we reached the major turning to Ramassery. From there, we followed a scenic village road. After proceeding about 2 kms, we started to have doubts if we had lost our way?<br /><br />To make sure we were on the right track, we stopped and asked a ‘mundu’ clad villager passing by,<br /><br />“Is this the way to Ramassery?”<br /><br />Prompt came the answer<br /><br />“Is it to eat the Idlies??? Just go straight ahead and take a turn to the right!”<br /><br />I couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed. People have understood that we were on a quest this early in the morning only to eat Idlis!!!<br /><br />Anyway, on the brighter side, at least now we could be sure that we were on the right track and that the idlis were indeed famous in this part of the world. When we turned to the right, we could see teasing smiles on the rustic faces of the womenfolk who were gathered around the Panchayat tap to collect water. Everyone has understood our motive!! It seemed obvious to them that a Karnataka registration car in their locality at that time of the day could only mean that the passengers have come lured by the magic of the idlies.<br /><br />Questions started to gather in our minds. Have we become a mockery in front of these simple villagers? Is it better that we beat a retreat?<br /><br />But NO…... How can we simply return like that? Let’s see how far things go… no matter what; we will eat the Ramasserry Idlies today!<br /><br />We travelled another 1 km before we parked the car outside the wall of a temple on the left hand side. On the opposite side, we saw a local tea shop..it was a typical Kerala style Tea stall which we would tend to jestingly refer to as Bhagawati Vilasam Tea shop !<br /><br />We entered the tea shop and placed an order for idlies. They informed us that it will take some time if we wanted to have fresh idlies. To make two idlies it would take half an hour.<br /><br />While we were waiting for the idlies to arrive on the table, I made a casual entry into the kitchen. I could see that the cooking was in full swing on four or five special stoves made of stone. The idlies appeared differently shaped. They were flat like an ‘appam’ and larger in circumference than a normal idli.<br /><br />On befriending the waiter, I gathered some more information regarding the famous Idlies. You also get to buy these idlies in some hotels and eating places located on the highway. But all of it is prepared and distributed only from this shop. This explains the hectic activities inside that small kitchen. The idlies were prepared throughout the day.<br /><br />Naturally, a question may form in our minds. Will the idlies not spoil in the course of the day if all of it is not consumed? But the answer is an emphatic NO; these idlies will last up to one week without any change in taste and without getting spoilt.<br /><br />I was then reminded of what I had read earlier in the newspapers. A prestigious hotel group had once attempted to recreate the magic of the ramassery idlies at their modern hotel and thus earn some glory and money. They hired a lady who worked as a cook in the Ramassery tea shop and tried to prepare the idlies in their five star kitchen. But their efforts went waste. It was a moment of realization that Ramassery Idli’s cannot be prepared on a gas stove and in high end steel utensils.<br /><br />We relished the idlies which were distinct in their form and taste. On an experimental basis, we also bought a special chutney powder along with some packed Idlies to take along. We took them to Bangalore and consumed the Idlies within three days. We can vouch that the idlies did not lose their freshness or taste. Somehow we were hesitant to stretch the idlies beyond that.<br /><br />On our way to join back onto the highway, we could still feel sneering glances of the villagers which were targeted at the gluttonous idli-eaters. But we did not feel any shame or embarrassment this time.<br /><br />Instead we felt a sense of accomplishment as though we had succeeded in achieving something great in life.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">-----------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Translated from my Malayalam blog ' <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/">Chila Yaathrakal</a> ' by </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.monsoongeetham.blogspot.com/">Geetham.</a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">To read the Malayalam version, click </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_28.html">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">.</span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-33465052818827883352010-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:07:34.054-08:00Thirunelli<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span></span>hirunelli, known as Southern Kasi, is 30 km from Mananthawadi in Wayanad district, Kerala. Its main attraction is the famous temple of Lord Vishnu. I am a person who likes to have my temple and prayers in my own mind. Nevertheless, if time permits, I visit the Thirunelli temple during all my trips to Mananthawadi. The natural beauty of the locality is what draws me to this place. Besides, I enjoy driving through the forest roads shaded by huge trees and bamboo clusters. Mighty elephants take charge of these roads in the night.<br /><br />It’s not difficult to find your way to Thirunelli. A little ahead of Kattikulam is the road to Thettu. Take a left from there, and the winding road takes you to Thirunelli. Very close to the parking lot is a big building, which is the Panchathirtham guest house.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69Zs8iwtpx2ZqZ0To3Dd-sM0CcK3VLwsY3GGX_WB6uWp5FfqEBTAttaePabJunFX-MKwLBa-t2P74wjXrVMuCoB_BC4Lf498iBC-5nIm3M0XTig4ObnG3VSBqf7aIB1b3gHz3m0kQB0U/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+034.jpg"></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69Zs8iwtpx2ZqZ0To3Dd-sM0CcK3VLwsY3GGX_WB6uWp5FfqEBTAttaePabJunFX-MKwLBa-t2P74wjXrVMuCoB_BC4Lf498iBC-5nIm3M0XTig4ObnG3VSBqf7aIB1b3gHz3m0kQB0U/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+034.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215056186285941618" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69Zs8iwtpx2ZqZ0To3Dd-sM0CcK3VLwsY3GGX_WB6uWp5FfqEBTAttaePabJunFX-MKwLBa-t2P74wjXrVMuCoB_BC4Lf498iBC-5nIm3M0XTig4ObnG3VSBqf7aIB1b3gHz3m0kQB0U/s400/tirunalli+snaps+034.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />On my first trip to Thirunelli, this guest house was not there. It was opened in 2002 to facilitate pilgrims from far-off places. The guesthouse is like a landmark in the sense that one can get off the bus on seeing this building. There are no other big concrete buildings in the 30-km journey from Mananthawadi to Thirunelli, and, hence, it’s hard to miss it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQsOvGJu6O8SQmGm__48vte9BhUNM9e266dd9dVQ5i1RR2pX2lMdrEZRV4hkgaOnIO1BC5t-21jaNln2uywgV4oSw-4nNE3JT2GxV7mC8gwDEaztVKCRUKM5iRY80H7jV6xd9v95ZUQg/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215055402067292978" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQsOvGJu6O8SQmGm__48vte9BhUNM9e266dd9dVQ5i1RR2pX2lMdrEZRV4hkgaOnIO1BC5t-21jaNln2uywgV4oSw-4nNE3JT2GxV7mC8gwDEaztVKCRUKM5iRY80H7jV6xd9v95ZUQg/s400/tirunalli+snaps+029.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />From the frontage of Panchathirtham, I could see the hills and a part of the temple. Alongside, a bunch of clouds wander as if they lost the way. Or did they come to visit the temple, too?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaJzk3JlaIiKiOai9bOt0l-RM0dvXzYaAh8v4m2fT0Jm3RoKUWvFonkagzN74U7aOMmyXeo4bXCCU9uYLk_81uXkjSiR76H9oQ76iD9ANDl41-6rvNBeAGcEAJaZfd8rWBaZt0b7g1Uo/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+037.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215056577374382994" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaJzk3JlaIiKiOai9bOt0l-RM0dvXzYaAh8v4m2fT0Jm3RoKUWvFonkagzN74U7aOMmyXeo4bXCCU9uYLk_81uXkjSiR76H9oQ76iD9ANDl41-6rvNBeAGcEAJaZfd8rWBaZt0b7g1Uo/s400/tirunalli+snaps+037.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A flight of rock-cut steps leads to the temple. Remove your footwear and climb the steps to reach the rear of the temple.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbAnqH_uIzWmBaj84NaMbfpybC_u3fKhC6zcvCMMO35FrCuEbEIharh_lditWDalpzfNSJ0ndd0_DSpOjfd9Qkpv-7tTWMzSACAx2YWz5bGt1kRReZbzHgjK2Sv7SmRPC-Ya79uL-Z_w/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215052361768858370" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbAnqH_uIzWmBaj84NaMbfpybC_u3fKhC6zcvCMMO35FrCuEbEIharh_lditWDalpzfNSJ0ndd0_DSpOjfd9Qkpv-7tTWMzSACAx2YWz5bGt1kRReZbzHgjK2Sv7SmRPC-Ya79uL-Z_w/s400/tirunalli+snaps+017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The space around the temple is paved with neatly cut, long sheets of stone. Walk on these tiles and reach the front of the temple. Resplendent with ancient temple architecture, this beautiful shrine magnifies the splendour of the hills.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabNxkgZt_FNSAs-gfv9pfq7aCTkHvxhNpocuE_av9e0z7zpjanwbTr0MYO3gMJhCJyo_zGbnmQQWJxyRognqUNxT4i9XxcaHnpx1Jb1KfgS1I4faGshypR3iKGZrWgZbOJ5Flc7bbMjE/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215051722634519730" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabNxkgZt_FNSAs-gfv9pfq7aCTkHvxhNpocuE_av9e0z7zpjanwbTr0MYO3gMJhCJyo_zGbnmQQWJxyRognqUNxT4i9XxcaHnpx1Jb1KfgS1I4faGshypR3iKGZrWgZbOJ5Flc7bbMjE/s400/tirunalli+snaps+013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Legends galore</span><br />Legend has it that the idol was consecrated by Lord Brahma. Lord Vishnu in his four-armed form is the deity in Thirunelli.<br /><br />Vadakkan Aithyahamala (The legends from North) refers about Thirunelli as follows:<br /><br />Lord Brahma had a long-standing wish to conduct a ‘yaga’ (a holy sacrifice) on the earth.<br />His search for a holy and outstandingly beautiful place suitable for the yaga brought him to Brahmagiri. For a while, the Lord rested at this place brimming with extraordinary purity and heavenly beauty. He noticed a small hill and a lush Indian gooseberry tree on top of it. On reaching there, he was surprised to find Lord Mahavishnu in his magnificent form in the place of the gooseberry tree. However, Lord Vishnu vanished all of a sudden. This abrupt disappearance disappointed Lord Brahma. At the same holy spot where he saw Lord Vishnu, he consecrated Lord Vishnu’s idol with his own hands. This unusual incident brought surprise to all the three worlds in the universe. Praising this event, musicians from heaven sang, dancers performed, and the gods showered flowers.<br /><br />Thirunelli is flanked by four hills, namely Brahmagiri, Udayagiri, Narinirangimala, and Karimala. The place is believed to have visited by Parasurama, Srirama, and Srikrishna - three other incarnations of Lord Vishnu.<br /><br />Whatever the legends are, I feel bad when I see the board ‘Entry restricted for non-Hindus’ in Thirunelli also, like many other temples including Guruvayur. While the Temple Entry Proclamation was for lower caste Hindus, a similar proclamation is yet to come for the entire humankind.<br /><br />The local hearsay mentions that the Thirunelli temple was built by a Coorg king and that before the construction was completed, Thirunelli, which was part of Coorg, became a part of Wayanad. This veracity of this is not yet confirmed. The beautiful, but incomplete-looking stone pillars around the temple are believed to be destroyed during Tipu Sultan’s warfare, though there are arguments against this as well. The chances of these pillars getting destroyed during war can’t be dismissed because history states that there had been war between Pazhazi Raja and Mysore army.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRNxPYGR3jRxgGqcoKySwQeViNU0SpQg2l5bJ86cuGmReoZP99mQSxsPxMTTzuPVrI9EmkAnW33lUCnZo93grimIEYjrHNgNfW9t1F_ne2qjxGkvmWtnUgIhDoVSnJaoQJTHArXgF1u0/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215052107937486066" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRNxPYGR3jRxgGqcoKySwQeViNU0SpQg2l5bJ86cuGmReoZP99mQSxsPxMTTzuPVrI9EmkAnW33lUCnZo93grimIEYjrHNgNfW9t1F_ne2qjxGkvmWtnUgIhDoVSnJaoQJTHArXgF1u0/s400/tirunalli+snaps+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">On the rocks</span><br />Water required for the offerings at the temple comes from the forest. The stone pillars that support the stone channels of water form an interesting visual.<br /><br />A long time ago, the Lord of Kolathunadu along with his wife came to visit Thirunelli temple. As it had rained the previous day, the courtyard was full of slush, which stained the Lady’s feet. When she requested water to wash her feet, the servants gave very little water. The Lady wondered if there was no water in the temple’s well. The servants replied that the temple had no well, and since the nearby streams were being used by people for taking bath, the water from the streams was not suitable for the temple’s consumption. Hence, water had to be brought from a distant stream at Brahmagiri.<br /><br />The lady, an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, got the above-mentioned structure constructed for easy availability of adequate water for the temple. The stone pillars and channels were built by expert stone masons, under the supervision of her brother and a specialist in Vastu architecture Vayikkara Valya Nambyathiri.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWB3oM_9sdejY9Om_mMY2mhos9_rU2sg6Y6CtsDvAM8ScgETQrgaL0HTb5JTzILGIFdn07vtk_NGtwFwSFWns7V7ngysL4jaaOxJ9yekWfm2F3H6DvrWe20qMJvkb5cSk-QJYEl0jTIo/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215052607291573986" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWB3oM_9sdejY9Om_mMY2mhos9_rU2sg6Y6CtsDvAM8ScgETQrgaL0HTb5JTzILGIFdn07vtk_NGtwFwSFWns7V7ngysL4jaaOxJ9yekWfm2F3H6DvrWe20qMJvkb5cSk-QJYEl0jTIo/s400/tirunalli+snaps+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wash away the sins</span><br />The steps on the north-west side of the temple leads to a sacred pool called Panchathirthakulam. Lord Srirama’s footprints are believed to have been imprinted here. The footprints shown below might be representing this belief.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5QHkWoM-H6QKv7pgD8D7cI6t5_GZKWw9xUzarFd5Kw38ncSH2xVvlzUHef3hBLyXjoU_whu94UX_-6Vr-juqxvywxd6JGaK5ejSxlGHjtrfdGT8f2UJlqOdzUkPiUMPVurskweBs-yo/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215054561617749586" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5QHkWoM-H6QKv7pgD8D7cI6t5_GZKWw9xUzarFd5Kw38ncSH2xVvlzUHef3hBLyXjoU_whu94UX_-6Vr-juqxvywxd6JGaK5ejSxlGHjtrfdGT8f2UJlqOdzUkPiUMPVurskweBs-yo/s400/tirunalli+snaps+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The legend is that Lord Rama, on his way to Coorg from Lanka after winning the war, performed special rituals for his deceased father Dasaratha at Thirunelli. It’s believed that since then devotees started performing rituals for their ancestors, at Thirunelli.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47dRtb9XGcc6lNuI-o9W-01c2oQcYp645FCPuLN6qdS5MkTZ_1v6qBOa6QqzX1Z5Fiut2pDkyR0pnFSxYuThUXbcM2-5fPaqvOCLlbk-IrsMntSvcbXrHovOT-QLQ4V2x9E44nx50T5I/s1600-h/tirunalli+snaps+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215053047603822354" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47dRtb9XGcc6lNuI-o9W-01c2oQcYp645FCPuLN6qdS5MkTZ_1v6qBOa6QqzX1Z5Fiut2pDkyR0pnFSxYuThUXbcM2-5fPaqvOCLlbk-IrsMntSvcbXrHovOT-QLQ4V2x9E44nx50T5I/s400/tirunalli+snaps+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The pathway ahead of Panchathirthakulam takes you to the Papanashini river. Papanashini translates to ‘the destroyer of sin’. People from far-off places visit Papanashini to perform yearly rituals for their forefathers and immerse the burial ash. They make this long journey in the belief that a dip in this river will relieve them of their sins. Though the river overflows in monsoon, I have never seen enough water to take a dip during summer.<br /><br />According to another legend, Garuda passed Thirunelli, when he was taking the pot of nectar (Amruthakumbham) to free his mother from a curse. He circled over Thirunelli thrice to pay respect to his master Lord Vishnu, whose idol consecration was taking place at that time. A drop of elixir fell from the pot to Papanashini and thus it got the divine power to purify sins.<br /><br />Yet another legend is about Parasurama, who could not get absolved of the sin of killing his mother Renuka as demanded by his father Jamadagni, even after washing his blood-stained hands in various holy waters. In the end, he came to Thirunelli, and the blood stains disappeared completely after a wash in Papanashini. Papanashini got its name from this incident, and its powers became famous.<br /><br />Our ex-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s ashes also were scattered in Papanashini. Thirunelli became famous in North India after this, and the number of tourists from North India has increased over the years.<br /><br />I like to visit Thirunelli on a less crowded day, see the places, pray at the temple, and wash my hands and feet in Papanashini.<br /><br />Beyond Thirunelli<br />If you are absolved of your sins, you can carry on your journey to other beautiful places in Wayanad. ‘Pakshipathalam’ is not very far from here. But, it’s not possible to go there by a vehicle. You need to go walking through the forest. In other words, you need to ‘trek’. Pakshipathalam is a perfect place for birders. The trek is extremely difficult during monsoons. Leeches are the main hurdle. I intend to visit Pakshipathalam after the rains. Anyone who likes to join me is welcome.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">-------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Photo courtesy: Ajay Joy and Hari Mananthawadi</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:85%;" >-------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Translated from my Malayalam travel blog <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">'Chila Yaathrakal'</span> </a>by <a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mrs.Bindhu Unni</span></a></span><a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/"> </a>(<a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/" target="_blank">http://www.travelwithacouple.com/</a>).</p>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-7282310366880291422010-01-06T06:44:00.001-08:002010-09-25T10:56:34.833-07:00To the Jain temples.....<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">W</span></span>ayanad- I may have to accept that I never felt the similar liking to any other district in Kerala, which I had felt for it. My every trip to Wayand is exciting, usually with visit to new places, fresh views or even a new piece of information from the places I had already visited. I ever used to carry any such sort of novel experience from Wayanad, when returns to Ernakulam. As there are so many places still left to be seen in Wayanad, I am sure, I have to climb up Thamarassery churam (mountain pass) many times.<br />
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I would describe my last trip to Wayanad, as something remarkable, probably would even compare it as something significant as, Columbus discovered America!<br />
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During the trips through Wayand, I had often noticed the road signs to Jain temples. However, then I used to be in the middle of a long journey to Bangalore or Ernakulam and due to the same reason, never had an opportunity to visit them. They had always kindled the curiosity,like how Jain temples could be here. I used to reassure myself that I would visit them once, when time in hand.<br />
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In this visit to Wayanad, I may miss the natural scenary due to heavy rain, atleast I could use up the time with temple visit, couldn’t I? Discussed the wish with my friend from Manathavady, Hari,who always used to accompany me in the Wayanad trips. Before I even finish saying it, Hari agreed to it. Ramesh Babu, Hari’s friend (now mine too) is a Jain. The answer to my doubt, if there are any Jains still living in Wayanad or atleast in Kerala, Ramesh Babu explained with statistics, which was a revelation for me.<br />
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Over 1400 Jains are living in Wayanad itself. The famous people like Virendrakumar M.P, is just a few of them. I was hearing all those facts open-mouthed. Am I the ‘frog in the well’? It is a realization that I don’t know much about Kerala state, despite that I had been living here, what a shame.<br />
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A strong feel developed that it will not be appropriate to postpone the trip to Jain Temples. At least effort should be made to understand about Jainism and Jain temples in Wayanad, should visit a few of them. Hari promised to make all the arrangements for it.<br />
The Jain temple tour has started from the temple next to Vimal Jyothi working women’s hostel in Sultan Bathery, as I had to go to Bathery from Ernakulam.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOfpkNy3mmGK-H7RwTF3xlAxaYHk_toAsXP5aKxA2QhKaqOHc0waijnpyPlVQiJPIxLhdFA6sAOdf0UmU1EX7uUOGPI_NAjs4-aE8Kagc1Cwt38-R6iI3APh3zkwVLO5r0J0AHiKJOnE/s1600-h/Jain+Temple+Battery+015.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249151665520620850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOfpkNy3mmGK-H7RwTF3xlAxaYHk_toAsXP5aKxA2QhKaqOHc0waijnpyPlVQiJPIxLhdFA6sAOdf0UmU1EX7uUOGPI_NAjs4-aE8Kagc1Cwt38-R6iI3APh3zkwVLO5r0J0AHiKJOnE/s400/Jain+Temple+Battery+015.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
It is believed that the Jain temple was built in 13th century and now protected by ‘Archaeological survey of India’. It is said that, Sultan Bathery had 12 Jain streets in Kidanganad, which could be still evidenced in the village documents! The streets were called ‘Hannardubidi Basadi’. It is painful to realize that in Sultan Bathery, which was home for many Jains in the past, there is no more any Jain family left.<br />
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The Mysore invasion during the end of 18th century, fight between British and Pazhassi raja, the growth of shaivaism and vaishnavism etc were all said to be the reasons for the decline of Jain population, which resulted in the lose of protectors for the Jain temples. Later on, many Jain temples were transformed. Jain temple in Ernakulam district, devi temple at Thirucharanamalai in the place called Chitharal, Kanyakumari district etc are a few examples for the transformed Jain temples.<br />
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Even if the temple is in the protection of ‘Archaeological Survey of India’, the temple which is 800 years old could not be considered as properly taken care of. The measures taken would be just sufficient to make sure the building is not left to fell apart, and a guard was appointed.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd29bLM807fTfrbQQ99DmkQnD1GlReRBefq3c7P4QLf0-riziw7-j1AXyAZJd_6YkWnYTwLLR_bRfr0yGwe0o_IFUxIsCFdcrrwjAkqEb8r_ydG6UnARyQB30sI0Y2kDmd7IiO9WQ8TzI/s1600-h/Jain+Temple+Battery+001.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249152372675585586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd29bLM807fTfrbQQ99DmkQnD1GlReRBefq3c7P4QLf0-riziw7-j1AXyAZJd_6YkWnYTwLLR_bRfr0yGwe0o_IFUxIsCFdcrrwjAkqEb8r_ydG6UnARyQB30sI0Y2kDmd7IiO9WQ8TzI/s400/Jain+Temple+Battery+001.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
The attempt to get more information than written in the notice board, from the guard, Soman Nair, had turned out to be a boomerang to me. He was in the frustration of a transfer order to Mattancherry Palace. When he came to know that I am an Ernakulam native, he had more questions to ask me, than I could probably ask him. A shower of questions like what is the distance from Mattancherry to Ernakulam station?, Does the buses are frequently available? How long it would take in bus? Somehow, I managed to convince Soman Nair that Ernakulam is a ‘smart city’. Entered inside the temple and enjoyed the sculptures in Vijayanagara style. Walking through the stone paved circumambulatory passage once or twice, took several photos.<br />
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In 18th Century, when Tippu Sultan invaded Malabar, this temple named ‘Kidanganad Basadi’ was used to store the armament and the town got the name Sultan’s Battery, which later transformed to Sulthan Bathery.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMjyJcd8GkC2Yua2zw6Pk3F_xYNrfKDDb5EZYNe_CbvvYI01f1HJdgzVUWTv_MU7EjSekXIF3NcWFbz-KBLbjsmhyS6jj35Qlv20OPmpApSL_CIN4ak0fSxKKmI2AkLWUvinOAQjATXo/s1600-h/Seetha+Lava+Kusha+temple+001.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249153447685218338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMjyJcd8GkC2Yua2zw6Pk3F_xYNrfKDDb5EZYNe_CbvvYI01f1HJdgzVUWTv_MU7EjSekXIF3NcWFbz-KBLbjsmhyS6jj35Qlv20OPmpApSL_CIN4ak0fSxKKmI2AkLWUvinOAQjATXo/s400/Seetha+Lava+Kusha+temple+001.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
While the journey from Bathery to Manathavady, I just tuned away to Pulppally. Had heard there was a temple for Seetha-Lava-Kusha, felt to visit it too. Went there, just roamed around the temple premises, bowed infront of the closed door of deity. It was already 4 o clock when I had returned to Manathavady road. As it was raining heavily and was late than anticipated to reach Manathavady, visiting the rest of Jain temples was postponed to next day.<br />
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Next day I was fondly invited to the house of Ramesh Babu, at Puthiyadam, for lunch. I enjoyed the gourmet vegetarian lunch with many dishes which I never had tasted before. The taste of the Mysore style lunch still lingers to tongue, which had a variety of dishes such as pappadams,made from ripe and unripe jack fruit, one or two different pickles,two types of kondattams ( dried vegetable crisp).Ramesh Babus’s mother and wife gave me a parcel of some of the kondattams and jack fruit pappadams when I left, as they had ready my mind.<br />
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The important Jain temples in Wayanad are<br />
1. Hodangadi Basadi (Manathavadi)<br />
2. Puthiyadam Adeeshwara Swamy temple (Manathavady)<br />
3. Sri Parshwanatha Swamy temple (Anchukunnu)<br />
4. Parshwanatha temple(Palukunnu)<br />
5. Sri Chandranatha Basadi (Puthangadi)<br />
6. Varadur Sri Anathaswamy te,ple (Panamaram Meenangadi Road)<br />
7. Hanarudibidi Basadi (Sulthan Bathery)<br />
8. Santhu natha Basadi(Venniyodu)<br />
9. Puthur Vayalile Uma-Maheshwara rock temple (It is now a hindu temple)<br />
10. Sri Ananthanatha Swamy Basadi (Kalpatta)<br />
11. Chandranathagiri (Kalpatta-Myladipara)<br />
12. Kuthirakkodu temple (Thirunelli)<br />
13. Echirakkolli temple-Bavali (it is now a Vishnu temple)<br />
14. Swamykallu-Jessy Estate (it is now a Vishnu temple)<br />
15. Edakkal Cave temple<br />
Most of these temples are now Hindu temples. Many do not have any worship or even care. The common features in the temples such as Hoysala (Hoysala kings were Jains) script engravings, the age of temples, the structure of the idols, peculiarities in the hood of the snake idols, style of sculptures, are characteristic evidences to support the argument that all of them are Jain temples.<br />
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In 12th century, while the reign of predominant Hoysala kings in Karnataka, Wayanad was a part of it. Many historians such as Sri O.K Johny had observed in their studies that many of the Jain temples in the Hoysala rule were transformed to Vishnu temple after Bitideva, a Hoysala king had converted to Vaishnavism .<br />
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When we three came out after lunch, rain was drizzling. As it would be a vain attempt to wait for rain to stop, we ignored rain and started the journey as planned. The first destiny was Sri Chandranatha Basadi temple at Puthangady. It was at a distance of 10km from Puthiyadam.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp51CJr5WI4KTlteK-oixFhBQrvs3TyzRD6yOPo3ZrAEi0rn1w3le7vOZVi2GpF8L5v5gcf8WaKoy_KIRkq2tZgZUxHwHyK9rLq9qreJ2a9jIhwjmwnn6D_c2yD5jcYzGfNQpOXL9DBRQ/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+054.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249154670883244018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp51CJr5WI4KTlteK-oixFhBQrvs3TyzRD6yOPo3ZrAEi0rn1w3le7vOZVi2GpF8L5v5gcf8WaKoy_KIRkq2tZgZUxHwHyK9rLq9qreJ2a9jIhwjmwnn6D_c2yD5jcYzGfNQpOXL9DBRQ/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+054.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Hari stopped the vehicle when it was about to reach Puthangadi, infront of an abandoned temple, inside coffee plantation. Clearing the bushes and climbers, we walked inside.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjry82eZk5pSa_SgXyBEEgOwIxrgQozJ0ZHJVSIdvdv7P7uHlF5AmT9gk9U7mzR8Ysls_vKDimiQo3kWeBMZGgK-88M712kABG_9n7hWdRQYxDRgAIkeGY8NleIGKJSsf2DXqSEdz3D7Dk/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+053.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249155115366702514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjry82eZk5pSa_SgXyBEEgOwIxrgQozJ0ZHJVSIdvdv7P7uHlF5AmT9gk9U7mzR8Ysls_vKDimiQo3kWeBMZGgK-88M712kABG_9n7hWdRQYxDRgAIkeGY8NleIGKJSsf2DXqSEdz3D7Dk/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+053.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Beautifully engraved walls and pillars of the temple were almost near to devastation. Through the fissures in the rock roof, water was dripping in. Inside it was deep darkness and silence. The temple is not in the above list. But without doubt, could say that is a Jain temple. This would be Puthangadi Janardana temple, which was mentioned in some texts.<br />
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Lighting match stick, Ramesh Babu went inside, followed by Hari and myself, to observe the sculptures in the wall and roofs and the idols inside. The only visible things were cobweb and the temple was almost at the edge of falling apart. However it seems that renovation of the temple would not be very strenuous.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-0Qf2NRtdsFFSLmOaMfcWxrP6YDRkU7QELISQ2yk2WEU4DmyR5qMpHSrm4M2sutWcF0THMJSKR8loYKpqxN2rUtp4OcFrqDecShSx4Js47PL0rqtitaHmVNu5hKt77oVdqgfgFG73k4/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+039.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249155416570377826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-0Qf2NRtdsFFSLmOaMfcWxrP6YDRkU7QELISQ2yk2WEU4DmyR5qMpHSrm4M2sutWcF0THMJSKR8loYKpqxN2rUtp4OcFrqDecShSx4Js47PL0rqtitaHmVNu5hKt77oVdqgfgFG73k4/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+039.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
In the light which comes through the cracks in the roof, we saw some gods and goddess, who were peacefully hidden inside. After taking some pictures, we came out. While roaming around the temple we could find many more gods inside the bushes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwbQzCRUxUsePPKbDCX8za5EDy2gSN8AWCwn66IM0H2Lvh6EEly-nL7UzLgEp34GwHQj35Co96-FZYMqypJAo6-vhzz9mM_sFgFTmo2NVT-sv5j_7RfvFStvEIlUTb90TGvRzs4dwW7U/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+056.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249155532298812850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwbQzCRUxUsePPKbDCX8za5EDy2gSN8AWCwn66IM0H2Lvh6EEly-nL7UzLgEp34GwHQj35Co96-FZYMqypJAo6-vhzz9mM_sFgFTmo2NVT-sv5j_7RfvFStvEIlUTb90TGvRzs4dwW7U/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+056.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Felt an unexplainable anger to our rulers who left these temples which are the evidences of the heritage and beliefs to the face of destruction, instead of renovating and properly conserving them. Why God, none of them, Devasom board or Tourism board or Archeology department, does not feel to revive you? How you could tolerate such avoidance in your own country?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2evCARCP0i4n-6nbgnOqHiltCaqciJ_H6kT1Z12JWE4O8IcT1i4mn9WovI1D2BZQFU2Z3dsP7yepsp-Ah_Twk0SyLexrniCQVqo0YGJXFR_ATzum_N8eOza1bXZYEDaDrrGLQ0NpkRnk/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+086.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249155936198806706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2evCARCP0i4n-6nbgnOqHiltCaqciJ_H6kT1Z12JWE4O8IcT1i4mn9WovI1D2BZQFU2Z3dsP7yepsp-Ah_Twk0SyLexrniCQVqo0YGJXFR_ATzum_N8eOza1bXZYEDaDrrGLQ0NpkRnk/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+086.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
There is one more similar temple in Puthangadi. The signboard by Kerala tourism board, stating Jain temple, stands besides the road as a guide. The temple is a bit far from the road, inside a coffee plantation. When went near, it was evident that this temple also have the same odd fate of denial. Somebody had eaten a jackfruit there, leaving the waste just infront of the sanctum.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth6cd7xpeygaGW2oaZk6cKU9ZRiAZ1MAWdLutTbtRw4Qdjp33odSsuJ2e2Zv8nWYtEe_Tl-mtnNmaGhsJPC6O2cf_UyIIPGCxWsdNk3TkqaR_MppKtrwpiH1oMSALfb5-_xyjz7UxS24/s1600-h/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+084.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249156239779174642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth6cd7xpeygaGW2oaZk6cKU9ZRiAZ1MAWdLutTbtRw4Qdjp33odSsuJ2e2Zv8nWYtEe_Tl-mtnNmaGhsJPC6O2cf_UyIIPGCxWsdNk3TkqaR_MppKtrwpiH1oMSALfb5-_xyjz7UxS24/s400/Jain+Temples+Mantdy+084.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
It was heartbreaking to see the bitter state of these temples. Even if rituals or recitals are not performed at least these ones have to be protected as cultural heritages? Ignoring all these, where we are heading to, in the race of the surviving struggles of life? One more add on question to the million unanswered questions!<br />
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Rain has become stronger. We haven’t reached Sri Chandranatha Basadi temple yet. Time would be enough only for going there. Probably darkness would spread by the time we finishes it. Hari turned the car.<br />
(To be continued)<br />
<span style="color: #33cc00;">--------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #33cc00;">I would not say it is a study about Jain temples. I have tried just to assimilate and include some information along with the sights I had seen. I never intended to hurt any one’s beliefs with this post.<br />
</span><span style="color: #33cc00; font-weight: bold;">Acknowledgment:-<br />
</span><span style="color: #33cc00;">Amritavarshini (Platinum Jubilee Smaranika 2008)- Ananthanadha temple Kalpatte, Sri O.K.Johny- historian,manager book development, Mathrbhoomi printing and publishing company, Sri V.V. Jinendraprasad, Sri.Rameshbabu, Sri.Hari, Kannur medicals, Mananthavadi.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #000099;">---------------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #000099; font-size: 85%;">Translated from my Malayalam travel blog <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #3333ff;"><span style="color: #330033;">'Chila Yaathrakal</span>'</span> </a>by <span style="color: red;">Miss Anu. </span></span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-84810708696789954072009-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:002009-10-29T08:13:34.511-07:00Pazhassi Raja’s Tomb<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">W</span></span>ayanad trips were started since the college days. It was much like an excursion, whenever I travelled to the house of my dearest friend Sunil Thomas in Manathavadi, Still I do the same trips, with the same feel.<br /><br />The incoming to Wayand itself, rejuvenates body as well as mind .The novel feel would be characteristic of the climate, which is not so hot. It seems Wayand would be having the lowest temperatures, among other districts of Kerala.<br /><br />There is a place which I often visit in my Manathavadi trips, without fail. It is the Tomb of Pazhassi. It is situated in Mananthavadi town, near to government hospital and village office. It was near to the Pazhassi tomb, where I used to paint the town red in evenings, with some friends in Manathavadi.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcmde-FgeTFwMFsBzcVdIG10xQB0qosJD9HaEzz-qCrXs93j_5QKl-eOGR8CRMe_FwwuC2fI831tAZowMySBfHCkH_DyB4_YbDvHWwQ5Onvy4D6r8L1sRTffJbFn6ujPEgpGPYmWPt6s/s1600-h/pazhassi+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213657971357205730" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcmde-FgeTFwMFsBzcVdIG10xQB0qosJD9HaEzz-qCrXs93j_5QKl-eOGR8CRMe_FwwuC2fI831tAZowMySBfHCkH_DyB4_YbDvHWwQ5Onvy4D6r8L1sRTffJbFn6ujPEgpGPYmWPt6s/s400/pazhassi+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmRB8SFbRLAPqKUb8Xqo5YRbG0kIimGQl97zUg6PEE-K0dAx_URfv69wtZ56nxB7-ZKJMAWFbwkz-g4kW-BpK40DGwc8SB2VJQh2xT0Co6UyiYogTZUjy8BwTXba9cGet36pHjW4p7ak/s1600-h/pazhassi+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213659115442151426" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmRB8SFbRLAPqKUb8Xqo5YRbG0kIimGQl97zUg6PEE-K0dAx_URfv69wtZ56nxB7-ZKJMAWFbwkz-g4kW-BpK40DGwc8SB2VJQh2xT0Co6UyiYogTZUjy8BwTXba9cGet36pHjW4p7ak/s400/pazhassi+023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVDdwZ_fTFgiPUU-6LEzwRSsr5hbu4A6Zm3LqOBZMqZYrAghWMx8bQNP1fiCmP5iqD39VhtKBcnELq1OsOprJ26QM-5afCZ_xT1FQYVOE8EmGiWxaP-TCZuxGHtDgsPGmcdtNfSr4Npg/s1600-h/pazhassi+061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213660115953116450" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVDdwZ_fTFgiPUU-6LEzwRSsr5hbu4A6Zm3LqOBZMqZYrAghWMx8bQNP1fiCmP5iqD39VhtKBcnELq1OsOprJ26QM-5afCZ_xT1FQYVOE8EmGiWxaP-TCZuxGHtDgsPGmcdtNfSr4Npg/s400/pazhassi+061.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Years ago, when I first saw tomb of Pazhassi, it didn’t had these boundary walls. It only had a big tree and a floor. The tree that was planted on the grave had grown lofty with its roots covering the grave. But the tree had fallen in due course of time. It seems if our government had shown a bit more concern for the place, it could have been better protected.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji15S5b04Tzr2CZUPsXEfGHTf5wpDEwvoX6KegXkTyZaG67KuD4J1m0Fpo1331a-K4tq9kGX-JRB_LShyIuaqB30LW1QB4PA1Yi_nzILYf7QuApz7LghIgiVQlY0iViTSB0UGvIfuHZcQ/s1600-h/pazhassi+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213509553695731202" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji15S5b04Tzr2CZUPsXEfGHTf5wpDEwvoX6KegXkTyZaG67KuD4J1m0Fpo1331a-K4tq9kGX-JRB_LShyIuaqB30LW1QB4PA1Yi_nzILYf7QuApz7LghIgiVQlY0iViTSB0UGvIfuHZcQ/s400/pazhassi+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Pazhassi Raja, who also known as Brave Lion of Kerala (Veerakeralasimham) had his glorious death on November 30th 1805, at a place called Mavilamthodu, while he was vehemently combating with the marauding forces using guerilla warfare. (Pazhassi Raja fought with British forces, records say that before the conflicts with British, he had confrontations with Tippu Sultan of Mysore). Many other possibilities are also popularly acclaimed as the cause of his death, such as Pazhassi Raja committed suicide to not to get caught by British forces by swallowing diamond or so. Who knows the fact! However, historical records says that Pazhassi raja was homicided by gunshots of British troops.<br /><br />A film about Pazhassi Raja has to be released recently. Renowned Malayli crew is behind the venture, screenplay by M.T Vasudevan Nair, directed by Hariharan and Mammooty plays the role of Pazhassi Raja. M.T would have done an exhaustive research for writing the script. Even if the film may have all the typical commercial ingredients, let’s hope we would gain more information about Pazhassi Raja through M.T.<br /><br />There is a small museum near to the Tomb of Pazhassi. It has exhibits of historical remainders genre such as stone sculptures, remnants of burial pots, rocks, hero stones,weapons etc.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTWnIA1SeqO48Fsim41jqMeTzWOIy2I_gd8_TpNO0QM32v-nG0PqcoftxPV9cmFw1gQY9r8cRJSUsCn0v-9I0uQoW1o40Jvv99wKZa5cE0UTjKyM_HspNehaXc3aOa1_lziIBS7lxNI/s1600-h/pazhassi+069.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213507881815343506" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeTWnIA1SeqO48Fsim41jqMeTzWOIy2I_gd8_TpNO0QM32v-nG0PqcoftxPV9cmFw1gQY9r8cRJSUsCn0v-9I0uQoW1o40Jvv99wKZa5cE0UTjKyM_HspNehaXc3aOa1_lziIBS7lxNI/s400/pazhassi+069.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT61kb2ujH-pLDCALqaRpRUjKfn2uJgePAQSMYGRpbQ2J0KDNDqPZT2i4xDYlGtEWERPdAkpB6nbZP94pcZieVAmPE6cAM3-bQ9CzBaYI6zFN5mtDmDGAGDhbs8Cw3kxe5VzHcj9obS70/s1600-h/pazhassi+068.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213506819875072034" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT61kb2ujH-pLDCALqaRpRUjKfn2uJgePAQSMYGRpbQ2J0KDNDqPZT2i4xDYlGtEWERPdAkpB6nbZP94pcZieVAmPE6cAM3-bQ9CzBaYI6zFN5mtDmDGAGDhbs8Cw3kxe5VzHcj9obS70/s400/pazhassi+068.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRRCv-S61K0bDqkyCUT9dJo_MLqYI0GZ4oCSxwFe9KNDeKXlayqkRTh6dYn2oa7Nzi4VIHqusBhwyteEo8930-xZxZpjd_BUV2fZc7hK4AERHTkdj-L8qyvpt3weHfa-o6eN3OvC8dCM/s1600-h/pazhassi+073.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213502305009665634" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRRCv-S61K0bDqkyCUT9dJo_MLqYI0GZ4oCSxwFe9KNDeKXlayqkRTh6dYn2oa7Nzi4VIHqusBhwyteEo8930-xZxZpjd_BUV2fZc7hK4AERHTkdj-L8qyvpt3weHfa-o6eN3OvC8dCM/s400/pazhassi+073.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTofmGPijssFALnP9Ta7MjySas580EjRrC77JisqQY5ZeebzHlMgWMZ_hDqU03PPB9uxXXUTA77KU799CkRvQErM0cH7SbkpX92KF9u26gMuSu5TCU6tYQjmfT3GdFHA4-Gw22HSpmBM8/s1600-h/pazhassi+071.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213661005713953458" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTofmGPijssFALnP9Ta7MjySas580EjRrC77JisqQY5ZeebzHlMgWMZ_hDqU03PPB9uxXXUTA77KU799CkRvQErM0cH7SbkpX92KF9u26gMuSu5TCU6tYQjmfT3GdFHA4-Gw22HSpmBM8/s400/pazhassi+071.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGvBVNgTdICgZnv7FQai_CKQYumjl_lxbRRohF0g_3500C_d-AAQcOutwDzLjqASderQFEqva_1kVpuC0V3jW3kVO-3vP-MJcTWHsVaXD848RiRyCoU8tMaoZJzsEMNWkQ_HQos4xLlo/s1600-h/pazhassi+070.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213500710609273970" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGvBVNgTdICgZnv7FQai_CKQYumjl_lxbRRohF0g_3500C_d-AAQcOutwDzLjqASderQFEqva_1kVpuC0V3jW3kVO-3vP-MJcTWHsVaXD848RiRyCoU8tMaoZJzsEMNWkQ_HQos4xLlo/s400/pazhassi+070.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The neighbourhood of the Tomb of Pazhassi Raja is abounded with wind as it is an elevated spot. One of the branches of Kabani River would be in sight, if looked down.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r5ciyNAwhE19VmZU-XkjVyJXqYAbWya8RBOhc6-d164X8kdNZ04lqnWrreXeCT2ANvWszbofWUQzIvT_UjOzHrX3FgX5nJqc2xdUpMIbzSPGckAYeAg2mxVEsSmxkhlxmqFDb2J2Lhw/s1600-h/pazhassi+063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213505229588096610" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r5ciyNAwhE19VmZU-XkjVyJXqYAbWya8RBOhc6-d164X8kdNZ04lqnWrreXeCT2ANvWszbofWUQzIvT_UjOzHrX3FgX5nJqc2xdUpMIbzSPGckAYeAg2mxVEsSmxkhlxmqFDb2J2Lhw/s400/pazhassi+063.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoying the refreshing breeze, anyone would long to spend some time at Tomb of Pazhassi. If got a history book in hand, you may not even realize how fast you had finished reading the whole foliates of it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9LVeSlXtqKusn0zOFOQngfig5g8SESGQv0B0qboAq5AEZ_J3kGNn3zgx1Npsx3ewMZX8-rHXANi0pl27_rD9XLwC99kYOSsnVTqlG0ouhhbgcupZNj596engu_d3vUivdTqCneRPQoQ/s1600-h/pazhassi+051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213503388631949570" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9LVeSlXtqKusn0zOFOQngfig5g8SESGQv0B0qboAq5AEZ_J3kGNn3zgx1Npsx3ewMZX8-rHXANi0pl27_rD9XLwC99kYOSsnVTqlG0ouhhbgcupZNj596engu_d3vUivdTqCneRPQoQ/s400/pazhassi+051.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The sun painting the western horizon with red hue, Tomb of Pazhassi would bestow with this mesmerising sight also.<br /><br />Still, much more to be explored in Wayanad. I am journeying...<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure 1:</span> Kerala State Archaeology Department,Tomb of Pazhassi, Mananthavadi</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">The burial place of the hero of Kerala, brave Kerala Pazhassi Raja. Pazhassi raja was martyred in the Wayanad forest on 30th of November, in A.D.1805. The dead body was brought to Mananthavadi in the palanquin of Colonel Babar and buried here, with customary honours.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure 2:</span> Grave marker: Brave, Kerala Pazhassi Raja, Rest in peace here</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Death date: 1805 November 30</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">----------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:85%;" >Translated from my Malayalam travel blog <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">'Chila Yaathrakal</span>'</span> </a>by <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Miss Anu. </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-75519095720963579402009-07-20T02:00:00.000-07:002010-11-06T07:49:52.512-07:00Munnar - a letter<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span></span>ear Joji<br />
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Got your mail asking about the picnic spots in munnar. Do excuse me for the delay in replying. Just came back today from oilfield offshore…..<br />
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There are so many places in and around Munnar for roaming and sight seeing. Joji , you decide the places according to the number of days that you have. I am just writing out a few places that I know about.<br />
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If you are ready for a serious journey other than just a pleasure trip, there is a lot to tell about Munnar.<br />
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We started our trip from Ernakulam. After reaching Neryamangalam Bridge, we saw ‘Ranikallu’ on the left side of the road. In 1931 Rani Sethu Lakshmi bhai opened this road and this is inscribed on it. Ranikallu is now an indisposable part of munnar’s history. After that we began our ascend to Munnar. Road to munnar has comparatively very less hairpin bends…. This is because the road is built along the old path used by the elephants to come down to the planes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWxUsVLtSyVP5OkgaJtqceTE9Qqzao6FUyRFWVqi1sbNB7upPkCAxAcUJb7XfET2hRihh0hQuBylhNJUqeC6FmLlSz9igwNIOWcIbEqg7Hx9_Y00RwXUzxaKP6oVk_WuolCDpKmhKJE0/s1600-h/ranikkallu.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271715625087908386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWxUsVLtSyVP5OkgaJtqceTE9Qqzao6FUyRFWVqi1sbNB7upPkCAxAcUJb7XfET2hRihh0hQuBylhNJUqeC6FmLlSz9igwNIOWcIbEqg7Hx9_Y00RwXUzxaKP6oVk_WuolCDpKmhKJE0/s400/ranikkallu.jpg" style="display: block; height: 319px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
On the way to Munnar, we enjoyed the beauty of Cheeyappara water falls, chinnakanal water falls and many other small waterfalls…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1pj2yL94a231pt4lHL7otQxMSFupHYbUe4RTdxk6PEdsRCkqe9yY1uCH8-5x-3dPbFFqpnPNnWeNBQ5oHIFXulkufqt4o4_6mpzw0a8hcD5H56tz33lmny5gJJ0Ty15bRAl-way9dFE/s1600-h/Cheeyappaara.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223110010715615570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1pj2yL94a231pt4lHL7otQxMSFupHYbUe4RTdxk6PEdsRCkqe9yY1uCH8-5x-3dPbFFqpnPNnWeNBQ5oHIFXulkufqt4o4_6mpzw0a8hcD5H56tz33lmny5gJJ0Ty15bRAl-way9dFE/s400/Cheeyappaara.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
The beauty of these waterfalls is magnified in the monsoons……. It is a real treat to the eyes!! Do not forget to bring along an extra pair of clothes if you want to enjoy a shower.<br />
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The sites of Munnar are pretty scattered, though the drive from one place to another, through the Tea Estates is surely an added attraction !! Besides, these aimless drives through the Tea estates and Grass fields are itself very refreshing…..<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO8Z5dckRr3qW43hUI6oaZ-TN92dwDAPFGfxaTsHIisFAYusJ8DwpUfV6i-n8yqd0fPCpu8MIwJ6w3eQh6B8EjIK1uHhBDy-sYsNRCobLHT9qLvYbTu1MpBONOX10rqyEoGaOLDeOvSA/s1600-h/tea+pluckking.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271718036844381826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO8Z5dckRr3qW43hUI6oaZ-TN92dwDAPFGfxaTsHIisFAYusJ8DwpUfV6i-n8yqd0fPCpu8MIwJ6w3eQh6B8EjIK1uHhBDy-sYsNRCobLHT9qLvYbTu1MpBONOX10rqyEoGaOLDeOvSA/s400/tea+pluckking.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Hey,on your way do not miss the sight of workers who collect the tender Tea leaves( Known as Kolunth ), ok?<br />
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The major attractions in Munnar include Top station, Mattupetti and Devikulam Lake…If you are interested in old churches, visit the CSI Church in Old Munnar…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5dzTYgV6x6JIsA781UIZwse3_1WVU5M1m4dyMvtqyOMNe_08WFPPp_I2JoxLsumNJ1s3HVB6n7SpY9iv9rDdbg5OplViBBX69yoOcjVty1jaYe_DEnK6TpYr4Mtftq8gsDfFVzd1Rx0/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271723457020424418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5dzTYgV6x6JIsA781UIZwse3_1WVU5M1m4dyMvtqyOMNe_08WFPPp_I2JoxLsumNJ1s3HVB6n7SpY9iv9rDdbg5OplViBBX69yoOcjVty1jaYe_DEnK6TpYr4Mtftq8gsDfFVzd1Rx0/s400/Munnar+Day+1.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This age old church is situated in a valley and the history of it is as disturbing as it is interesting…..The cemetery was built 17 years before the church came….<br />
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Mr.Hentry Mans Field Night was the first G.M of Kannan Devan Factory and his wife Mrs.Elenor Isabel was so addicted to the beauty of Munnar that she casually exclaimed -<br />
“ Bury me in this Hill for my final sleep”……<br />
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By some sadistic twist of fate, Mrs. Elenor Isabel passed away within 3 days from cholera…. She was buried on the hill. Her Tomb is still there, Later the church came up after 17 years. Since then, the Cemetery has witnessed much more Burials of foreigners and locals…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxaWOIQrRlokDOGg-muunN3mbQPO1YnVZwm0dSRhP0kqzZNd9d_gYmLKUg8B3L954HVi3g3AVGgrLRoGCLB0ktA1YQh8ceoZYaCLx5uZIYn0IizcvqDKK80iDhajB4F5nbiizcG0Ny4Y/s1600-h/cemetry.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271716275886061042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxaWOIQrRlokDOGg-muunN3mbQPO1YnVZwm0dSRhP0kqzZNd9d_gYmLKUg8B3L954HVi3g3AVGgrLRoGCLB0ktA1YQh8ceoZYaCLx5uZIYn0IizcvqDKK80iDhajB4F5nbiizcG0Ny4Y/s400/cemetry.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I’ve been to the church many times, but is yet to lay my eyes on Mrs. Elanor’s tomb….. The culprit is not some old ghost from a far away history….but the very common leaches which breed freely in the area….. Now, all we see from the church, is a mass of concrete structures…….…Ironically, the beauty of the place which made poor Elanor utter those inauspicious words are almost fully lost to modernity……<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX0iLemj913K0CzP-UdPqO7jFMqL_y2al11E77OCz2Fi_ANaUyK56QSY8CeCW5dUqeCClx7PkYxN-hErKS1MzFDS3quXK37VJ3i8zmOrVwisAJEA8jT7MVXCPZgyi8Esm5-p_uKi8P7s/s1600-h/csi+crurch+roof.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271717767965020098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX0iLemj913K0CzP-UdPqO7jFMqL_y2al11E77OCz2Fi_ANaUyK56QSY8CeCW5dUqeCClx7PkYxN-hErKS1MzFDS3quXK37VJ3i8zmOrVwisAJEA8jT7MVXCPZgyi8Esm5-p_uKi8P7s/s400/csi+crurch+roof.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-siglrgXbQM00JRWg1St0gCooJBZE_geF_8MZ1qNAPXRn0urGBY-DCzcuqT-iBLsEkFSjpx1_FZ3Z_R-wCyfRLUUdT0WqNjWeJ0HpVqPr-yk90UStGsX9RQEoHX33wb-rwYS3-czirBA/s1600-h/csi+church+inside.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271717484742536210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-siglrgXbQM00JRWg1St0gCooJBZE_geF_8MZ1qNAPXRn0urGBY-DCzcuqT-iBLsEkFSjpx1_FZ3Z_R-wCyfRLUUdT0WqNjWeJ0HpVqPr-yk90UStGsX9RQEoHX33wb-rwYS3-czirBA/s400/csi+church+inside.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Once when I visited the church, I was lucky enough to see a rare old Bible and an exquisite Piano…….<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-UxQqEc3Aqf2XrDelABtWhVt23RrW7srUL8jw88DAtdn4e9Rv5Zd7LdVjzGDt00Qf4qfQr7NWsKzuafT1-q7_qfJ8zkL-6gUtNHrIgL-DS_46tL45Uaa_59o1AAtzR5iaY7imulTM-4/s1600-h/csi+church+-+piano.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271717270464279138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-UxQqEc3Aqf2XrDelABtWhVt23RrW7srUL8jw88DAtdn4e9Rv5Zd7LdVjzGDt00Qf4qfQr7NWsKzuafT1-q7_qfJ8zkL-6gUtNHrIgL-DS_46tL45Uaa_59o1AAtzR5iaY7imulTM-4/s400/csi+church+-+piano.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxBzGaLhG33EYrfjOmfBzSTQFJ2qCYyMzaN0UngQAKgs3bZ9TYHYw525eU8OMiR2vPdhnZrFGmat-WElHprX8b9epoDyMttaPFj85dFVzalU0AVW5-2e_cBupOZmoMBxbqkwkyVxsdx4/s1600-h/csi+church+-+bible.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271716523759133650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxBzGaLhG33EYrfjOmfBzSTQFJ2qCYyMzaN0UngQAKgs3bZ9TYHYw525eU8OMiR2vPdhnZrFGmat-WElHprX8b9epoDyMttaPFj85dFVzalU0AVW5-2e_cBupOZmoMBxbqkwkyVxsdx4/s400/csi+church+-+bible.jpg" style="display: block; height: 325px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The interior of the church itself depicts its age. The names of many of the late Europeans , carved in metal plates ornament the church walls.<br />
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You can reach Mattupetti when you travel in Iduki Route from Munnar Town . Mattupetti is known widely for its Indo-Swiss Cattle Project. Earlier people were allowed in there .But now as far as I know, visitors are not permitted .Anyway, in my opinion try not to miss it… It will be great to enjoy a boat trip in Mattupetti Lake. Do try to experience the echo effect when you are in the lake area….Besides, Mattupetti is also an area of scenic beauty. We felt like relaxing on that grass meadows with the lake view, for all eternity!<br />
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Devikulam lake is also a good picnic spot. The water filled lake in the monsoon is a sight to behold !!<br />
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Next point is Top station and that is of 35 kilometers drive from Munnar. The top view from the hill is a real eye candy….Usually, tourists never misses the Top Station.<br />
.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_OVklEEUdhr5_M2aYOUwfTjMDecHPPCrUhyphenhyphenbRf3S8u4Ds5w6HHsVMnFej0ckRfONUohoX_7bW5_HxoWN5pKtK-9aLLJLNb2-gcun0zLnJQqIL22MyN-kIZsxokihKT3VnbhXDbE97jU/s1600-h/mountain+and+tea.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231855038028745106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_OVklEEUdhr5_M2aYOUwfTjMDecHPPCrUhyphenhyphenbRf3S8u4Ds5w6HHsVMnFej0ckRfONUohoX_7bW5_HxoWN5pKtK-9aLLJLNb2-gcun0zLnJQqIL22MyN-kIZsxokihKT3VnbhXDbE97jU/s400/mountain+and+tea.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
If possible, include <a href="http://sometravelogues.blogspot.com/2009/01/kolukku-malai.html">Kolukkumala</a> with this trip. The Tea Estate in there is the highest one in the world. I strongly feel that once you reach till Munnar, then missing the sight of kolukkumala is a great loss. You can reach Sooryanelli from munnar via Chinnakanal route. From there it takes only 15 kilometers to reach Kolukkumala . Actually Kolukkumala belongs to the district of Bodinaykkannur in Tamilnadu, but there is no way to reach Kolukkumala from there by road.<br />
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Some of the other main places to see in Munnar are…--<br />
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Iravikulam National Park in 15 Km distance<br />
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Rajamala Forest Resort in 15 Km distance<br />
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Aanamudi Peak is at a distance of 50 kms . Aanamudi is the highest peak in Western Ghats in South India. An ideal place for those who are interested in Trekking.<br />
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Marayoor is an excellent place. It is situated at a distance of 40 kms from Munnar. On the way to Marayoor ,we can see Kanthalloor and Mannavan chola…The dense forest area of Mannavan Chola is of more than 42 Hectic kms and is situated at a height of 7800 meters …This area is noted for the presence of Elephants and Panthers !!<br />
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These are the main places in and around Munnar, as far as I know. Some of these places, I haven’t been to. Many places are still there to visit…My policy is to take time and enjoy one spot at a time.<br />
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Next bloom of ‘Neela Kurinji ‘ will take another 10 years ... ( Neela kurinji blooms once in every 12 years only). I have never been there in that season. Though I tried to be there in last session, couldn’t make it before the blooming season. It will be so crowded in Munnar at that time and I never prefer to roam around places when there is too much rush. The experience of some teachers who were in Munnar as part of a school trip was disheartening too. They had to be in Queue for hours and then got to see some trees which were already dried up.<br />
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I prefer to stay in Blue Mont Resort on my visits to Munnar .Blue Mont Resort is in Chinnakanal Route. Just 2.5 kilometers to Sooryanelli. Some of the major resorts like Mahindra, Sterling and Fort Munnar all are in the same route. Munnar Lake, a main attraction is in the same route. I am not aware of any alternate facilities like Home stay System or so in Munnar.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYECT0gU4TC8OF4g0Nc1On6s06JJmoilV7r2r0bISX49gG2G5SnpeIvO77QBMlqlf2GjKQCoWgntRuynEQfxZEDEU5CKeOduh0KIYazdVMUKTNWKiUvVKDi3mtE99EaEFAxgooV6ZR4Es/s1600-h/blue+mount+resort.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271716403124111986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYECT0gU4TC8OF4g0Nc1On6s06JJmoilV7r2r0bISX49gG2G5SnpeIvO77QBMlqlf2GjKQCoWgntRuynEQfxZEDEU5CKeOduh0KIYazdVMUKTNWKiUvVKDi3mtE99EaEFAxgooV6ZR4Es/s400/blue+mount+resort.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
One good advantage of Blue Mont Resort is the cottage system. We can avail a cottage with 2 Bedrooms and a living room and is very convenient for families. Normal rooms are also available with affordable Tariff. All the other referred Resorts cost double than this. You can make a booking by dialing to 9447131710 after 5 pm. The best and the nearest view of the lake is possible from Blue Mont Resort.<br />
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Now the Temperature in Munnar is at 0 degree. It will be a great pleasure to make a trip To Munnar at this time…..enjoying the tickling fog….<br />
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Just ask me if you want to know anything more .Am only happy to help you out. Have a nice trip and try to write a travelogue afterwards.<br />
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With regards<br />
-Niraksharan.<br />
(Yesterday, Today, For ever)<br />
<span style="color: #33cc00; font-size: 85%;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Translated from my Malayalam blog '<a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html">Chila Yaathrakal</a>' by Jyothi.<span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-61631270558661183472009-06-04T07:38:00.000-07:002010-11-06T07:49:02.317-07:00Cave Dinner<span style="color: red; font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">“<span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span></span>ala puli thananthakaari vetukopanakacham nannu chaththi"</span></span><br />
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This inscription seen on a rock, is in ancient Tamil. It means a powerful man of Naga origin who killed so many tigers…may be that such a personality had lived in that mountain or cave.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGekFnsCM8i8aFm1FpdYVGK1_ZeGb7_naAbu3O2Kv1eVwn9V5TocKlXHXYe_F9HMqOuXyvLKDYHuxJMf0UO599KCXmWFpOMERa0kvf4L50I-IIHgm3iLPOs2DgcOV6LX0bQ64cJVmgINh/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+470.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313861982003496098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGekFnsCM8i8aFm1FpdYVGK1_ZeGb7_naAbu3O2Kv1eVwn9V5TocKlXHXYe_F9HMqOuXyvLKDYHuxJMf0UO599KCXmWFpOMERa0kvf4L50I-IIHgm3iLPOs2DgcOV6LX0bQ64cJVmgINh/s400/Edakkal+Cave+470.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This mountain is the famous “Ambukuthi mala “in vayanadu and this inscription is found in Idaykkal caves in Ambukuthi mala which is situated 1200 meters above sea leve. Idaykkal caves is enriched with many inscriptions like this. Meanings of some inscriptions are yet to be decoded.<br />
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I’ve been roaming in and around Vayanadu for a long time. But a visit to Idaykkal caves, one of the most important destinations in vayanad which could even be one of the most important historical sites of India….it just didn’t happen till now.<br />
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This visit was planned along with my colleague Thansheer, and we were much particular to enquire about the other possible spots near Idayakkal, to be included in our trip. From Mananthavadi, we reached Idaykkal through Sulthan batheri via Ambalavayal.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFswa3RucKYGGqLNy-bEJFb8z-CcmMeH_3Jc6wYXL8HF1XkgrbUq4_T7YaHWo8V1GBiZff5z85GZRuCDVGTNLpuMO1d2SHTh7wjPO4PTzE6mjoh1aQdHDLMzSXFxHknkshADskKvI0MguD/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+377.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313853885621361874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFswa3RucKYGGqLNy-bEJFb8z-CcmMeH_3Jc6wYXL8HF1XkgrbUq4_T7YaHWo8V1GBiZff5z85GZRuCDVGTNLpuMO1d2SHTh7wjPO4PTzE6mjoh1aQdHDLMzSXFxHknkshADskKvI0MguD/s400/Edakkal+Cave+377.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
On our way, we saw that State Tourism Board had put up a sign board to help visitors reach ‘Phantom Rocks’ ... Couldn’t help from spending some time in those rocks, named after the famous ‘walker uncle’. All of us know that, now days, the rocks and rivers are slowly disappearing. I saw that a neighbouring rock has almost fully vanished. May be in future, the Phantom Rocks will also be having the same fate.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKz7X2YNNmtXzVCg16C-nv6-0QTLZMjDkLA1qokBcFsv8xMYD717L8CTXjI_v1ViQZH76tbhf95NWtkXnIdMpi7hgfIWXYU_HTt7DcKGyFvYRaO0hheyH2XCyT04quLqK8AUh0scp414l/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+370.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313869560006579106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKz7X2YNNmtXzVCg16C-nv6-0QTLZMjDkLA1qokBcFsv8xMYD717L8CTXjI_v1ViQZH76tbhf95NWtkXnIdMpi7hgfIWXYU_HTt7DcKGyFvYRaO0hheyH2XCyT04quLqK8AUh0scp414l/s400/Edakkal+Cave+370.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Ambukuthimala is not very far from Phantom Rocks. There are enough parking facilities at the base of the hill along with the shops and other tourist attractions. It’s a bit over 1 km to reach the hiking point. But jeep services are also available to people who are queasy about walking this distance.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrSrR_T3c-J5Bv1R9MAi_5fexgPK0qcwpz24Fon4GH-JnLlq1b2sUrposTnz9jpV9vZYsaCoHTBJqyHdvKmwDvkqvy2_dpxZKG0ID4VQDTfIspe0pbp84wnfD7fjY7LCmKBZw3xmw4yO8/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+385.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313870692220031506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrSrR_T3c-J5Bv1R9MAi_5fexgPK0qcwpz24Fon4GH-JnLlq1b2sUrposTnz9jpV9vZYsaCoHTBJqyHdvKmwDvkqvy2_dpxZKG0ID4VQDTfIspe0pbp84wnfD7fjY7LCmKBZw3xmw4yO8/s400/Edakkal+Cave+385.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Private vehicles are not allowed in here… and yes, we opted for walking to reach the caves. Once in a while passenger jeeps pass by us, to and fro…Cottages of ‘Idaykkal Hermitage’ - the one and only resort in Idaykkal, can be occasionally seen on either sides of the road. Though our dinner order had been placed in advance in the hermitage, we did dial to confirm our arrival. In this part of the world its better not to take any chances!<br />
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When we reached the base of the mountains, it was crowded with school, college students and other tourists. The whole thrill and leisurely enjoyment of a trip gets spoiled in such a crowd. Photography was also going to be a tricky issue!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LgvfjdVQInF_AJk9VgqpneV_4OXTGo6dyTQ1Aqp21Zy1OhCWE4flBxw48bbMDi93FTjbz6X75GFL4o0t7f1ZRg25CQ4PFHn5qDAIAUi8-Of1q2VJrB7Zju05PgLSfCftUDKARdAdOJNu/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+410.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313854338585464258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LgvfjdVQInF_AJk9VgqpneV_4OXTGo6dyTQ1Aqp21Zy1OhCWE4flBxw48bbMDi93FTjbz6X75GFL4o0t7f1ZRg25CQ4PFHn5qDAIAUi8-Of1q2VJrB7Zju05PgLSfCftUDKARdAdOJNu/s400/Edakkal+Cave+410.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
If we can cover the long distance to idaykkal and hike a kilometer, a couple of extra people wouldn’t be a challenge and we started the journey into the heart of the idykkal legacy.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGcLPRCkaIt1GUMO2YhxnSVwihYTFKtuuJ5Sut6ycB1l1GVT2UpftE-LRf8_3GJO1XxEiMaW9lAVz8vtQu_v3V0FB8MDbFFvu5wmSh1Z2-6B4HySbaRyX5royQamNNeiOIu4DwwKcYHuP/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+401.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313871306507563234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGcLPRCkaIt1GUMO2YhxnSVwihYTFKtuuJ5Sut6ycB1l1GVT2UpftE-LRf8_3GJO1XxEiMaW9lAVz8vtQu_v3V0FB8MDbFFvu5wmSh1Z2-6B4HySbaRyX5royQamNNeiOIu4DwwKcYHuP/s400/Edakkal+Cave+401.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
‘One at a time’ was the system there and people were passing patiently maintaining the queue…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS_SVMuLHEW9W2Ttxsa6psiwhxuIPisaP-2Cn503OvPJqt3Qc3Rp0KmYCWCmYC5ULdDBaNM8zUp80-KXnnWuq2N48WdwH8590q6rEr-J4REXG9EqkCOlNAVY7awPJbnQabY-s3Ws45KZs/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+426.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313866321065427074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS_SVMuLHEW9W2Ttxsa6psiwhxuIPisaP-2Cn503OvPJqt3Qc3Rp0KmYCWCmYC5ULdDBaNM8zUp80-KXnnWuq2N48WdwH8590q6rEr-J4REXG9EqkCOlNAVY7awPJbnQabY-s3Ws45KZs/s400/Edakkal+Cave+426.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Progress was slow as the queue moved forward by clinging to and scampering over the hard rocks. Iron ladders and bridges were there in some places to make it easier for the tourists.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8NXgPD7ayGrah89fCqY7QrI7q-rGUfCOZn_HyZshS8WhVRZYp2ilNgvmQS_sU7yti1Gm6tXWEFaOvvr-5-GQ3HbcRwGABNcXo3TBeOyFaaaz6p3ixth17eWwuVYDbaaZP0MBu7b2QPcS/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+421.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313865922955324226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8NXgPD7ayGrah89fCqY7QrI7q-rGUfCOZn_HyZshS8WhVRZYp2ilNgvmQS_sU7yti1Gm6tXWEFaOvvr-5-GQ3HbcRwGABNcXo3TBeOyFaaaz6p3ixth17eWwuVYDbaaZP0MBu7b2QPcS/s400/Edakkal+Cave+421.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Compared to the last days quest to conquer“Chembra Peek “reaching Idaykkal caves seemed to be not the hardest thing in the world. May be it appeared easy due to our sluggish pace and indefinite breaks in the hike…..thanks to the commoner crowd!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSP3oIOntQPr2xFTu4Rd73Tz4Sxy11o7KCpVd0i10EFS0EpKjWSmTTPEEXSxnhRiXUHPeQQgEu607mJfBaFEEofZ-TKtE_7o1dobJ4QSG4L6ImLR579aF60BMmts7L0uWFYB5q7ipi-k8/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+574.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313859260446897522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSP3oIOntQPr2xFTu4Rd73Tz4Sxy11o7KCpVd0i10EFS0EpKjWSmTTPEEXSxnhRiXUHPeQQgEu607mJfBaFEEofZ-TKtE_7o1dobJ4QSG4L6ImLR579aF60BMmts7L0uWFYB5q7ipi-k8/s400/Edakkal+Cave+574.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Our ascend came to an end as we reached an iron gate which was the entry to the cave. We moved slowly to the insides i.e. the base levels of Idaykkal cave. These areas contain features which re affirms the contemporary outlook in the reader’s mind of a cave; but towards the interior they become less cave-like. Not much roofing is there and so Sunlight comes in abundance.<br />
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In 1894 Fred Fawcett discovered Idaykkal Caves accidentally. He was the District Superintendent of Police in Malabar and realizing its historical importance Fawcett brought the Caves to international limelight. Now Idaykal Caves is under the protection of Archeological department.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_pk4sUpe-eoj6verdwECHEppVda1qd1y4AuGYN5aXLqVZMt7Xq4XYaDrXatkv9FqzIkE-q8GxSXzB2m98tK7VudDmg4eQhAVukk98OLilUIE5a8qXBGVPJhm9zilAkKNUGiqNzbRhpod/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+469.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313855968778737074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_pk4sUpe-eoj6verdwECHEppVda1qd1y4AuGYN5aXLqVZMt7Xq4XYaDrXatkv9FqzIkE-q8GxSXzB2m98tK7VudDmg4eQhAVukk98OLilUIE5a8qXBGVPJhm9zilAkKNUGiqNzbRhpod/s400/Edakkal+Cave+469.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Inside the Caves—well….it was crowded. But hey! No surprises there!! It is always like this in Idaykkal Caves. Doesn’t make a difference whether it is a Saturday or a Sunday or even a week day. Maybe a little more crowded on a holiday, that’s all.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG08TRn0VY5x3brHMQ5mmD5QfCDu62xwauPK1_u1xnuct-jF2znqAMnH-WkybAaD1ZnQBCMOV6LnjhD22Q_S28hDU2tTXYGFfY1M6FKdDOy_bRtxfUm5zn-g9zdi1NBOvTeWUe6IxeV_iV/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+436.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313873126941325330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG08TRn0VY5x3brHMQ5mmD5QfCDu62xwauPK1_u1xnuct-jF2znqAMnH-WkybAaD1ZnQBCMOV6LnjhD22Q_S28hDU2tTXYGFfY1M6FKdDOy_bRtxfUm5zn-g9zdi1NBOvTeWUe6IxeV_iV/s400/Edakkal+Cave+436.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
How did the caves get this name?—In an earthquake that happened thousands of years ago ,a portion of the mountain was destroyed and a huge piece of rock got stuck up in between the two rocks on the top layer of the Caves. Thus comes the name ‘Idaykkal Caves ‘.(means - a rock in between)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx2HTQkkFbyRDVroKrQ7ZoFyxa65OKvHBWWUukq2dsaljLzccBSMXX4YgRjrZ1Z3rL-Aq_PH_XgewuhpQ2xh2crtCbg5QUxEw6zKIM10ehnQ3ag7WibCxRrkR-XpWEzQZmqqWx4Exqkik/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+576.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313872059554158082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx2HTQkkFbyRDVroKrQ7ZoFyxa65OKvHBWWUukq2dsaljLzccBSMXX4YgRjrZ1Z3rL-Aq_PH_XgewuhpQ2xh2crtCbg5QUxEw6zKIM10ehnQ3ag7WibCxRrkR-XpWEzQZmqqWx4Exqkik/s400/Edakkal+Cave+576.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
That piece of rock is still there in the same position. As an effect of the earthquake, a horizontal gap is there on the side of the caves .Through the gap; we can have a view of ‘Aayiramkolli’ and ‘Kappakolli ‘villages in a long shot .Precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of visitors so that no one falls down through the gap there.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVc7EVS_k7QEtP2wQk1VRZH0YK56MPZitlus69MXoXB1r2s6huTcj8pv_lZZoU1DEGU_JfyoBIS5fMyxbEy-OjIl9LTgq__fuSQ0zkBUPeL8VbFefH7AMJlR8aJ_8zPSswVTgaqOSe2z0W/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+444.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313854908261718162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVc7EVS_k7QEtP2wQk1VRZH0YK56MPZitlus69MXoXB1r2s6huTcj8pv_lZZoU1DEGU_JfyoBIS5fMyxbEy-OjIl9LTgq__fuSQ0zkBUPeL8VbFefH7AMJlR8aJ_8zPSswVTgaqOSe2z0W/s400/Edakkal+Cave+444.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
As mentioned earlier the crowd was little too much and was a bane for a detailed view of the cave. After a long wait, we were able to talk with the people from Archaeological Department and clarify the historical facts which we had previously heard…..<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkrUjbmnkF34jV4L7ye8poPj4k7wflLoVEYCIiRJRBryZE2N8cSx80SbeGLbGgpQC9Wagomc6_Ml6h9j2Cy3B2zGt9IAGYiqP3PznCSLcsnG8omMnvxs-XHzEG7gct1MFPER4iiE5RGAD/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+448.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313871717455470610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkrUjbmnkF34jV4L7ye8poPj4k7wflLoVEYCIiRJRBryZE2N8cSx80SbeGLbGgpQC9Wagomc6_Ml6h9j2Cy3B2zGt9IAGYiqP3PznCSLcsnG8omMnvxs-XHzEG7gct1MFPER4iiE5RGAD/s400/Edakkal+Cave+448.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The history of Idaykkal caves is so vibrant and detailed that Researchers and Historians are still unable to fully unfold them. For me it was a real help that I had done my homework with the books of historians like O.K.Johny.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFon860KRdRSO318eIpc9IByf7U23YodFxRwAdfhXPF1p8dJHbLmfqWywimT6g2OA2DcDtndqUeH3U6BT1XUTaz0Pc0tS3T8DZMJndZNDO01wcvEc8TlY3xY_g7afUKsKTTPwdxgqvpHo/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+475.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313856889422487186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFon860KRdRSO318eIpc9IByf7U23YodFxRwAdfhXPF1p8dJHbLmfqWywimT6g2OA2DcDtndqUeH3U6BT1XUTaz0Pc0tS3T8DZMJndZNDO01wcvEc8TlY3xY_g7afUKsKTTPwdxgqvpHo/s400/Edakkal+Cave+475.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Most of the inscriptions are on the left side of the Caves. These entries are assumed to be inscribed in the period of New Stone Age(Neothlic - c4000BC to c1700BC). The period when humans started with pottery, metals, agriculture and animal rearing.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeP_LyhBifOBQJ0fnZAw8Bv0j-q4MgCrMSZW3kOcmvH-Yfvw-lLAecNRrP3tDUtyA9SkRo9M_oFrLoTYzcIcgdOgaDmp3SjU0T5zI6cU7Oxdd0N_FVvO-BAKTADY9X8R9BXI_W_-Sp21I/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+472.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313856555570541522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeP_LyhBifOBQJ0fnZAw8Bv0j-q4MgCrMSZW3kOcmvH-Yfvw-lLAecNRrP3tDUtyA9SkRo9M_oFrLoTYzcIcgdOgaDmp3SjU0T5zI6cU7Oxdd0N_FVvO-BAKTADY9X8R9BXI_W_-Sp21I/s400/Edakkal+Cave+472.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Many of the murals depict humans, animals, flowers and tools. Certain drawings are difficult to be distinguished as they were overdrawn by others.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha99-OxdCVunVAD06cgciFu_t7_OTuFyT-I0kCYdAT4gOxnDFR3NSMNOMsHET3z2wBAoTLILAmvZzN3ihiLZEY2fYAR_8Xych8FMzz125vRt4OYFb90n2vgJ1UKQJKvNvELxXPq9Kgfc8k/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+466.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313855731132344706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha99-OxdCVunVAD06cgciFu_t7_OTuFyT-I0kCYdAT4gOxnDFR3NSMNOMsHET3z2wBAoTLILAmvZzN3ihiLZEY2fYAR_8Xych8FMzz125vRt4OYFb90n2vgJ1UKQJKvNvELxXPq9Kgfc8k/s400/Edakkal+Cave+466.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Certain stone weapons has been found from Kuppamedu Estate near Sultanbathery in 1890 -1901.Tools like hammer and axe made of stone has been found from Idaykkal caves also. All these confirm the assumption that the pictures seen in the caves belong to New Stone Age. What so ever it is clear that the caves were occupied by more than a single tribe...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuA2fVoRGG4pli9lXCPs6JEQBPrFCUF-Hx_4M6zAVKmhvcLlGLWGmJ8lSQolyhWHAMPuanBN1a9jPIkdUIfUw43t8V0OsRlGPL7qFy0lrst99Q-92cfsr1Z3UYxLycHX_xx9UZEEBZYkx/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+467.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313862291292663650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuA2fVoRGG4pli9lXCPs6JEQBPrFCUF-Hx_4M6zAVKmhvcLlGLWGmJ8lSQolyhWHAMPuanBN1a9jPIkdUIfUw43t8V0OsRlGPL7qFy0lrst99Q-92cfsr1Z3UYxLycHX_xx9UZEEBZYkx/s400/Edakkal+Cave+467.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The oldest inscriptions in the caves are considered to be more than 8000 years old. Took their snaps when light permitted and we had a chat with the people of Archaeological department.<br />
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Even after extensive scientific studies about the caves, the myths and legends which are widespread still remain at large in the minds of the locals.<br />
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Caves made from the arrows of Lava & Kusa (sons of Lord Rama)…. The caves where Lord Rama attacked Soorpanakha. The Mountain cleavage caused by the arrows sent by Krishna. These are some of the stories told about the Caves. Besides these, certain local stories related to Idaykkal Bhagavathi , Nellakottu Bhagavathi are also being said about “ Ambukuthi mala “ and Idaykkal Caves..<br />
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Until recently rituals were being performed in the temple at the mountain top. (Historians state with proof that this was a Jain temple)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgKRbfDJrpN-odjuXbZT21Nsrh_gM99dCMZ7MC_utuUUOQlIJCwuA4yH3GGvbktsuK4b2Hw63KV85eYZSSnfBOx670hb92H1fvmmz0KeNqu44ua3E_rRVRtTFz5vkSz5L43n5DQQqR4zd/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+563.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313858864425806258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgKRbfDJrpN-odjuXbZT21Nsrh_gM99dCMZ7MC_utuUUOQlIJCwuA4yH3GGvbktsuK4b2Hw63KV85eYZSSnfBOx670hb92H1fvmmz0KeNqu44ua3E_rRVRtTFz5vkSz5L43n5DQQqR4zd/s400/Edakkal+Cave+563.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
It was closing time by then but visitors were still trickling in. Ambukuthimala is about 500ms higher than the caves and if you want to reach the peak of the mountain, you need to crawl through another cleave of the rocks. This passage is so narrow that only one can barely pass at a time. Thansir, my friend was heavier than me and when I watched him trying to accommodate himself through the split, with a bag on his back ….an amusing doubt with a smile came to me…..What if the gap is permanently……<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjwyun3HZkem-G856fogUVCPbZe-6FiQ5DedyZb_CWcnPTR-Ote_GdjZpSnJ5zbGtlOVBXUe9UKj409jqmXPtbfptWmBFIue978x_7smEFeE-i3UNF0RZjXZVDNlnVPoHr8BmDxOQ_Qg8/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+543.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313858610940419778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjwyun3HZkem-G856fogUVCPbZe-6FiQ5DedyZb_CWcnPTR-Ote_GdjZpSnJ5zbGtlOVBXUe9UKj409jqmXPtbfptWmBFIue978x_7smEFeE-i3UNF0RZjXZVDNlnVPoHr8BmDxOQ_Qg8/s400/Edakkal+Cave+543.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
I could see a group of almost 20 youngsters who had managed to reach the other side of the cleave. They were relaxing now and decided not to climb further as it was riskier…<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABlHvEberkm2W8Hv3HugAfvQrZGlLYtT19GtJa4QYrOtouZHjM1-mi1SDZXtnO6YBzwAQjz9oyVRIRdQoI1GKJzeS7D0WYaRR-O9WqQFhONLkPpHlK_0OTWxHzXQgtNyxB5IemHWS3Th-/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+540.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313857874731578626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABlHvEberkm2W8Hv3HugAfvQrZGlLYtT19GtJa4QYrOtouZHjM1-mi1SDZXtnO6YBzwAQjz9oyVRIRdQoI1GKJzeS7D0WYaRR-O9WqQFhONLkPpHlK_0OTWxHzXQgtNyxB5IemHWS3Th-/s400/Edakkal+Cave+540.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The next one was a big round rock ….Though an iron ladder and a rope were all there to help the climbers , it was not an easy task, with the camera and the Tripod..<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXzpH8IcfKV7bNVXsBmAsjQVUxudI1R9xxPxb3-x5vG4lt1Y6HZVnyp8Lkf-3IzHRbKflE_Zhyphenhyphen2Ki5zjWWFk4Rm7NI7Df4M-qTdIZzcGLnul6LhqB9NVA9ql6AKuWLVOakVilbH8Xzr1n/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+497.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313864566336130434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXzpH8IcfKV7bNVXsBmAsjQVUxudI1R9xxPxb3-x5vG4lt1Y6HZVnyp8Lkf-3IzHRbKflE_Zhyphenhyphen2Ki5zjWWFk4Rm7NI7Df4M-qTdIZzcGLnul6LhqB9NVA9ql6AKuWLVOakVilbH8Xzr1n/s400/Edakkal+Cave+497.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The view of Vayanad was getting more and more vivid as we scaled to the peak. At that distance we could recognize the Phantom Rock and the mountain.<br />
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Sand was being scattered everywhere on the rock making it slippery and with the shoes it was even more difficult. A group of adventurous school students who were coming down warned us to not use the shoes for further ascent.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUieX5dg046a5cPrR-mTudeE2G5ykHZha7jE3BO5datqbtwB8FBj6B8DCUQ3lM4aeJNCsdAu_kmzHjDo2PXqeXT7PlpOBb0fZ2CO6bZYpNHiTXGnkPSmq7BVyyibwdYDz0AbzTqyKYp3OB/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+511.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313857544961064658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUieX5dg046a5cPrR-mTudeE2G5ykHZha7jE3BO5datqbtwB8FBj6B8DCUQ3lM4aeJNCsdAu_kmzHjDo2PXqeXT7PlpOBb0fZ2CO6bZYpNHiTXGnkPSmq7BVyyibwdYDz0AbzTqyKYp3OB/s400/Edakkal+Cave+511.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The other day we had climbed Chembra Peak which was higher than this…Now here it seemed to be wise to avoid a go with the crowd of youngsters. Considering our age, the camera that we had and our own life, we decided to put a full stop here to our hiking.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9SjraxKi2JPcu47IAQYGyc6QG6eQhY7WLEwRnH0ISy0zksAobV8lyF27ahYWk-PIaFDIDHm9CCVjjkNGggjc9Gz1xFNq3LlnG67ak76llcxlamATZ98EsvG6HxOe23OGExypPZ7jZyiU/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+592.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313859659569159298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9SjraxKi2JPcu47IAQYGyc6QG6eQhY7WLEwRnH0ISy0zksAobV8lyF27ahYWk-PIaFDIDHm9CCVjjkNGggjc9Gz1xFNq3LlnG67ak76llcxlamATZ98EsvG6HxOe23OGExypPZ7jZyiU/s400/Edakkal+Cave+592.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
On our way back, we enjoyed certain local refreshments like ‘sarbath’ (a modified version of lime soda), salt pickled mango and gooseberry. These helped us to feel fresh after the tiring trip. As there was still time for dinner, we decided to visit the Heritage Museum at Ambalavayal.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjennj0n6IZgoSncvBek_DApvarb607XdMdz8UAbqwr55OFU48KNLRtmWjVBQwplR4Ee2bsgW3qnF5xnxHYIKxnz3232uZJTbvfi0V9hdSBQTaf331SGvpUvZIskhom8We_bm_9Vz0E67Rn/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+651.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313860378869493250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjennj0n6IZgoSncvBek_DApvarb607XdMdz8UAbqwr55OFU48KNLRtmWjVBQwplR4Ee2bsgW3qnF5xnxHYIKxnz3232uZJTbvfi0V9hdSBQTaf331SGvpUvZIskhom8We_bm_9Vz0E67Rn/s400/Edakkal+Cave+651.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
We reached the Museum before dark and there too it was crowded with school students. But it is indeed a good thing that more and more people visit Vayanad to enjoy the sites.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJR6PfIn7BuRY0E3AlcKEqa3ISJn9UcxdG-s66RatCpGOrBVlxd5UDYFElwDRyTRFEtdiqi92qN4AU75SWfWQqJV-S6NwkZGUHqlwePXMkubFN7eMI22s8FOB98YK5HfV_RlcK4a1OM5T/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+618.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313860068762924722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJR6PfIn7BuRY0E3AlcKEqa3ISJn9UcxdG-s66RatCpGOrBVlxd5UDYFElwDRyTRFEtdiqi92qN4AU75SWfWQqJV-S6NwkZGUHqlwePXMkubFN7eMI22s8FOB98YK5HfV_RlcK4a1OM5T/s400/Edakkal+Cave+618.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVdPmFbolz4EvLHs-UODa0I9cEdmwMHBgrNTPZmCluL_aBY1FfTlhqu6Fw9Tk-MHejKOO2vw0uYlH86FiUYRZzpKq9UdIQRYk7K153Q9gVPdKaCFndzI6fR2I6zA8svNBE1S0nOu3p5uZ/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+599.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313873556530746978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVdPmFbolz4EvLHs-UODa0I9cEdmwMHBgrNTPZmCluL_aBY1FfTlhqu6Fw9Tk-MHejKOO2vw0uYlH86FiUYRZzpKq9UdIQRYk7K153Q9gVPdKaCFndzI6fR2I6zA8svNBE1S0nOu3p5uZ/s400/Edakkal+Cave+599.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Some of the attractions of the Museum are the trinket leftovers of ancient man – ‘Madambi Vilakku ‘ , ‘Veerakallukal ‘ and partially damaged stone statues etc etc … We also saw tools , weapons , Ornaments and Clay Utensils which were still used by tribals.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLG4j7geZmVvBxeArw0nEOMnN8kbGIUc9A0IMMCNKC-QiZdAV3ZNa0xwaHUjfaypcfvDbi2uuXMFxqC5MB4s6d-m5MnqN9nXo1HcqV5qKlsWb7GYfr_3EPcS83hJ2jFt3nIYHBVUT2HqgO/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+615.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313872704792065394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLG4j7geZmVvBxeArw0nEOMnN8kbGIUc9A0IMMCNKC-QiZdAV3ZNa0xwaHUjfaypcfvDbi2uuXMFxqC5MB4s6d-m5MnqN9nXo1HcqV5qKlsWb7GYfr_3EPcS83hJ2jFt3nIYHBVUT2HqgO/s400/Edakkal+Cave+615.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpRnP4MGihw_pw49okoW1f36QdrAqy3Qez7kL2DqAUENZA4V9ej_ZsXReNTH5X_zNcZ-SQx-86ELDGN4kRY46gA7TCS09hCFUpP9-IBC-O6K0HOHLh1_YtI1647vEQK_hg1K2KtOmUrYp/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+628.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313873802199282962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpRnP4MGihw_pw49okoW1f36QdrAqy3Qez7kL2DqAUENZA4V9ej_ZsXReNTH5X_zNcZ-SQx-86ELDGN4kRY46gA7TCS09hCFUpP9-IBC-O6K0HOHLh1_YtI1647vEQK_hg1K2KtOmUrYp/s400/Edakkal+Cave+628.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
Moon was up by the time we where finished with the museum .Once again back to Idaykkal. We observed with a smile that local people were inquisitive when we started the drive and someone even cared to confirm that we were going to “ Hermitage Resort “.<br />
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A variety of facilities like different types of cottages, Restaurants, Tree Houses, Open air Theatres and conventional Ayurvedic treatments like Uzichil-Pizhichil are all available in Idaykkal Hermitage.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yg9vLU3LMRYothx8JML-EkuE2pXzCqKJu_RbPPZE5G-Y97vrUiKtdLRUqZC-AZfXnKnCtcTpYuq-MOWeVaqe5TM93IpjOjem2HotlJmiWe8352gjIWG_bnC9oirTidn92m7nRbeRqATA/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+655.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313860606250252098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yg9vLU3LMRYothx8JML-EkuE2pXzCqKJu_RbPPZE5G-Y97vrUiKtdLRUqZC-AZfXnKnCtcTpYuq-MOWeVaqe5TM93IpjOjem2HotlJmiWe8352gjIWG_bnC9oirTidn92m7nRbeRqATA/s400/Edakkal+Cave+655.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Mr.Raghu, manager of the Hermitage showed us the cottages. When I saw the Tree houses overlooking the valley, I decided to spend one or two days out there on my next visit. A Total skip from the stressful city life!!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCTxq7NZ1TD9ArxOwqQYkwlSyeGMwLOtFEZPKiz5Fcg-WpqgrYNzUqbu07FbF1ydiv0E5jm0EHkCGtVrEP5CjKIkCQPQuOBAKGsEa3R3q8_rEa7PZiRBJVdamEbGdMmRb6I1J0wKhBtoM/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+671.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313861142936742674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCTxq7NZ1TD9ArxOwqQYkwlSyeGMwLOtFEZPKiz5Fcg-WpqgrYNzUqbu07FbF1ydiv0E5jm0EHkCGtVrEP5CjKIkCQPQuOBAKGsEa3R3q8_rEa7PZiRBJVdamEbGdMmRb6I1J0wKhBtoM/s400/Edakkal+Cave+671.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Now it was dinnertime. This dinner can be called the ‘Highlight’ of Idaykkal trip. Resort has a natural cave of its own. A big rock forms the upper portion of this cave restaurant. And this rock roof manages itself on the support of sand and small rocks on the side. Just a small cave hole marks the entrance and exit door. Inside it is spacious enough to accommodate 3 - 4 tables. Still food is not served on more than one table at a time.<br />
<br />
To let us enjoy that feel of a ‘ dinner at Caves ‘ the staff left us alone after the food was set on the table.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeaXQzVYb0nl9Mb9e8iHWtRC4mnZIEYe0i5YqwhwNkmu0UaljgAJgFjj0z2zrEvKE_nI7TRnEZoXFa-vLQciVvsUDH-lF60fvEFaexeFJzdDCoMvx7sXQ0xRdJHIc-d0TqHuq3z7WYuP6/s1600-h/Edakkal+Cave+676.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313861438231334338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeaXQzVYb0nl9Mb9e8iHWtRC4mnZIEYe0i5YqwhwNkmu0UaljgAJgFjj0z2zrEvKE_nI7TRnEZoXFa-vLQciVvsUDH-lF60fvEFaexeFJzdDCoMvx7sXQ0xRdJHIc-d0TqHuq3z7WYuP6/s400/Edakkal+Cave+676.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
More than 50 Candle lights – Pin drop silence – Thansir and me in that Cave for almost an hour... The Best ever dinner in my Life!!!<br />
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I haven’t heard about such a cave dinner system, anywhere in the world. But it does exist in ‘God’s Own Country ‘– Our Little Kerala -- Places we have never been to, unseen sights, Historical caves, scenic beauty and so many unforgettable experiences…<br />
<span style="color: #33cc00; font-size: 85%;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Translated from my Malayalam blog '<a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html">Chila Yaathrakal</a>' by Jyothi<span style="color: red;"><br />
</span></span>നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-62725458481037755022009-04-03T10:00:00.000-07:002010-01-06T07:04:58.320-08:00Chembra Peak<strong><span style="font-size:180%;">T</span></strong>rekking! I always wanted to trek. For some reason or other, it never happened. Of late, after reading some trekking experiences, I got sufficiently motivated and decided it’s high time I start trekking.<br /><br />Soon, I was checking out the various trekking options in Kerala, and zeroed in on Chembra Peak, the highest peak in Wayanad district, for my first trek. On hearing my plans, my friend Tanzir offered to join. He was welcomed wholeheartedly. What fun is in trekking alone?<br /><br />I figured out the routes and doors to knock (to get required permissions) from another friend Hari, from Mananthawadi, Wayanad. With all the necessary things stuffed into a backpack, we began the first leg of our trip in a car from Erumatheruvu in Mananthawadi.<br /><br />We reached Meppadi, about 12 km from Kalpatta, the headquarter of Wayanad. We had been advised to take permission from the forest office at Meppadi. However, on reaching there, we were asked to go to Chembra estate. Before setting off to Fathima Farm, or Chembra estate, we bought packed lunch and water for two people from the Paris hotel at Meppadi, which is famous for its biriyani. By about 10 am, we reached Chembra estate, managed by the PVS Group and owned by Abdul Wahab MP.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceNYEYMLODAnlFnN4l_8ii2IGPQ8X8jFteGs1yOuryRMOVVw0Uk5vdhE6iDTSm2Yyf6RYtH7rEgIYQf0FyDxkx5_ehyphenhyphenjKzUbq8IcbmWFt5xsrgmDF10FTIQVFuNuO5iSmdKQk69JjtxM/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320521671545971362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceNYEYMLODAnlFnN4l_8ii2IGPQ8X8jFteGs1yOuryRMOVVw0Uk5vdhE6iDTSm2Yyf6RYtH7rEgIYQf0FyDxkx5_ehyphenhyphenjKzUbq8IcbmWFt5xsrgmDF10FTIQVFuNuO5iSmdKQk69JjtxM/s400/Chempara+Peek+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When we told our intention was to conquer Chembra Peak, watchman at the Farm’s entrance happily opened the gates for us. From there, it was a rough ride through narrow, zigzagging road amid tea plantations. A kilometer ahead, our vehicle was stopped at the office of the Forest Conservation Committee. One needs to take tickets from this office to go to Chembra Peak. After buying the necessary tickets, we traversed another 5 km of meandering pathway interspersed with five hairpin bends, and reached the office of the Estate’s managing director. A group of young trekkers from Karnataka was there, getting ready for the trek. They were carrying tents and sleeping bags.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg593uaY3CTw9hmiFKxMlmvYvGHpoEQ9ra5Rsv4XbfKnvpuDX7uCIYWAaarhAPvcFxX4gTAGQNWndm5Dn6GImsjfohqC1EFRZZXzXZ_jTWENFQhV41j_osGZhMpIO4zuhsTa9kWZgJrPGc/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320521845890772802" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg593uaY3CTw9hmiFKxMlmvYvGHpoEQ9ra5Rsv4XbfKnvpuDX7uCIYWAaarhAPvcFxX4gTAGQNWndm5Dn6GImsjfohqC1EFRZZXzXZ_jTWENFQhV41j_osGZhMpIO4zuhsTa9kWZgJrPGc/s400/Chempara+Peek+033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We parked our car, picked up the backpack and camera, and set out to capture the Chembra Peak. About 300 m ahead is the forest department’s watch tower. From the watch tower, we enjoyed the view below - lush greenery of rows and rows of tea plantations and the forest. Further down, were the quarters of the estate labourers.<br /><br />There were two men at the tower, who work as guides and watchmen with the forest department. The middle-aged one, Ramettan, joined us as guide. The trek actually started from there, along the wild path next to the watch tower. We slowly followed the thin, barefooted Ramettan – I, carrying camera and tripod, and Tanzir, carrying the backpack stuffed with food and water.<br /><br />The first 200 m of walk surrounded by wild trees went on fine. Soon, I started panting. I held my breath for a moment to check if Tanzir was also in the same condition. To my relief, he was also panting reasonably. I remember taking break three times, after which I lost count. While our rests became more frequent, Ramettan retained his cool. Even after listening intently, I couldn’t hear even the sound of regular breathing from him. Throughout the trek, the difference between the strong, hard-working old generation and the lazy, pampered new generation was quite evident.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeULO2oCbrnQmj5ie7XeCD6oOfBCddhdH-N3YESOZfv-dO7p-5Unt6TbTJYgm8wC5da9X2JpXcMxKC2kFPNmeAFuuEN7CvivgDQD3gesRfnVA7JZ5gKr4CG2e-kYy5w0YUFOe4uvT8Nc/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+067.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320522227937501378" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeULO2oCbrnQmj5ie7XeCD6oOfBCddhdH-N3YESOZfv-dO7p-5Unt6TbTJYgm8wC5da9X2JpXcMxKC2kFPNmeAFuuEN7CvivgDQD3gesRfnVA7JZ5gKr4CG2e-kYy5w0YUFOe4uvT8Nc/s400/Chempara+Peek+067.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The climb was getting steep. Only when we spotted the watch tower way below, we got an idea about the distance we covered. After a while, the wooded pathway gave way to a trail along the slope of a hill. The path was covered with grass and bushes and had narrow hairpin bends. It was just wide enough for a person to walk.<br /><br />Tall grass on both sides. Rounded rocks at some places. Sticky, slippery mud at others. One misstep was enough to skid and fall. Maybe, the soil was damp because it had rained two days back. Usually, trekking is not allowed when it rains heavily. However, as per Ramettan, this rule is not actively implemented in the case of foreigners.<br /><br />After half an hour, we reached a plateau. There were a small tree and a lake with very little water. The watch tower was not visible anymore. Instead, in the distant valley, we saw the Kalpatta town and its buildings, looking like matchboxes.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr61IO5kDlpaTfNwMtBJpQmMDoSl019XKCVdhbwEfnMT1x_jzaiy1XJK5CkFeAKl5DhtSxDhSFvlPPNe26ewxj7lvyaIF32pjjlImBSdngCd__KA2x5C13ZA6ZLrbJMTDqFw7Wor1s3hI/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+116.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320522572909956946" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr61IO5kDlpaTfNwMtBJpQmMDoSl019XKCVdhbwEfnMT1x_jzaiy1XJK5CkFeAKl5DhtSxDhSFvlPPNe26ewxj7lvyaIF32pjjlImBSdngCd__KA2x5C13ZA6ZLrbJMTDqFw7Wor1s3hI/s400/Chempara+Peek+116.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We were panting and scrambling up. Many a time, Ramettan had to wait for us. I am sure he thought that we were ‘panting’ examples for someone who had not done any physical work in their lifetime decided to trek one day.<br /><br />By this time, we had finished our stock of water. Ramettan re-filled our bottles with cool water from a stream on the hillside. We quenched our thirst with this original mineral water. Packaged water would’ve hid its face in shame.<br /><br />The view from the top was getting more and more beautiful.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlBklV9-Is7ZsB4j21hsfII4kkc-x0lSFHIDcul_wihMwGrr4IpdrOJpqM8Ck65lzpgocqR7q2L5FSIM0ww0Sn39fkkG8OBaEmUZYK4UZc2DWoieI3S9v133NQvudWI8uAQYT0C4vza8/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+340.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320527500682367970" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlBklV9-Is7ZsB4j21hsfII4kkc-x0lSFHIDcul_wihMwGrr4IpdrOJpqM8Ck65lzpgocqR7q2L5FSIM0ww0Sn39fkkG8OBaEmUZYK4UZc2DWoieI3S9v133NQvudWI8uAQYT0C4vza8/s400/Chempara+Peek+340.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In another half an hour, we reached a comparatively flatter area. The beauty of the place was enough to forget the tough climb we endured to reach there. A magnificent lake lay placid on the hill, like a mirror for the clouds. It didn’t look deep, but Ramettan said the mud at the bottom is about 12-ft deep. A little away from the lake, there is a clump of trees on a plane. Ramettan said it’s called ‘Kollikoodu’.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt_K03CHjiSCwCctAAS6V3IUCxGCoRIwi751xsx89uXJNv6ZFJFlTeDiBgwxQ4V7eEevLvKfKXA3FX1ne-4nHuJ5u9q-pf6exVnxuevOk9NLYXOmH8nqT-iJ5Zv94qAh6OulgN41qD5c/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+204.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320522930110147362" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt_K03CHjiSCwCctAAS6V3IUCxGCoRIwi751xsx89uXJNv6ZFJFlTeDiBgwxQ4V7eEevLvKfKXA3FX1ne-4nHuJ5u9q-pf6exVnxuevOk9NLYXOmH8nqT-iJ5Zv94qAh6OulgN41qD5c/s400/Chempara+Peek+204.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Washing face and hands in the clear water refreshed us. But, one hour of climbing had triggered hunger. We decided to have lunch before proceeding further. Tanzir divided the food among three of us. My hunger was abated after having two porottas and curry.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB44EfmyDT2WaAFSqv5nWB2Yl_YlNeXs_K-lGESWCVa7zIPFeAyCxg-VaYXHMXcd3u62WfzoPN1vK1lVpqh0rJeviM_kytED5dXtulJ95zoamd4mKT1ZqH6v0EOPIU-t06H_OwPYxBOgs/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+184.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320523547004892578" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB44EfmyDT2WaAFSqv5nWB2Yl_YlNeXs_K-lGESWCVa7zIPFeAyCxg-VaYXHMXcd3u62WfzoPN1vK1lVpqh0rJeviM_kytED5dXtulJ95zoamd4mKT1ZqH6v0EOPIU-t06H_OwPYxBOgs/s400/Chempara+Peek+184.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It’s another half an hour walk to the next peak. There’s another mountain beyond that. Chembra Peak is at a height of 6890 ft (2100 m) from sea level. We could see the young trekkers from Karnataka, climbing up along the slopes below.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBmkmntneur7l7VafauC0wwvo99coFqa_GH52FNRyEXPYW_bP8LP3MwULJHdEGod5V20o5HTiZVyEzqN7ymROmye-Cw9Lf3EUw71ZuTZoOxzKnQXtaAjzCsbHydS9f9iwLwSuNbQLVgI/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+234.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320526292932291746" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBmkmntneur7l7VafauC0wwvo99coFqa_GH52FNRyEXPYW_bP8LP3MwULJHdEGod5V20o5HTiZVyEzqN7ymROmye-Cw9Lf3EUw71ZuTZoOxzKnQXtaAjzCsbHydS9f9iwLwSuNbQLVgI/s400/Chempara+Peek+234.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We resumed walking by clearing the grass on the way. The grass kept registering its protest against our intrusion into their free world by scratching our legs and hands. At times, the protest reached till our neck.<br /><br />The climb further up was difficult. I gave the tripod to Ramettan to clamber up on all fours. Silver clouds were just above us. It looked like even if we didn’t climb up to touch them, they would come down and hug us. While climbing the last 100 m, I was scared to look down. Deep valley on each side. A narrow pathway. I almost hugged the path while climbing. One slip and I was sure that I’d be smashed. Though at first I suggested to stop the trek there, later I gathered enough courage to reach the top. How would I have justified it if I didn’t complete the trek to a place brimming with natural beauty and full of fresh air?<br /><br />The lake below looked smaller. The seasoned trekkers from Karnataka had almost reached the plane near the lake. I wanted to sit there forever, enjoying from atop the views of neighbouring hills (Manimala and Idaykkal Mala) and the urban landscape of Wayanad.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWaCFQGzYHCFq3OaS2UAhGMwJaBEl8jw51kw-47ryk5qg7akP1MXuBAkzRQ5PRy5Igxb74rEC3jTvCr17K_949adRImQL0dIbc5r-lMu7_PnEws_Ox3_wnFwnzz_4YcEaape5StJfrCw/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+261.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320526614897794674" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWaCFQGzYHCFq3OaS2UAhGMwJaBEl8jw51kw-47ryk5qg7akP1MXuBAkzRQ5PRy5Igxb74rEC3jTvCr17K_949adRImQL0dIbc5r-lMu7_PnEws_Ox3_wnFwnzz_4YcEaape5StJfrCw/s400/Chempara+Peek+261.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />All of a sudden, it became cloudy. We could neither see the peak nor the lake. It was so dark that we could see each other only because we were sitting close together. The cloudy sky added to the already chilly November weather.<br /><br />It was a rare moment for me – on top of the hill, relishing the caress of nature and drinking in its beauty. I felt very happy and proud as if I had conquered Mount Everest itself!<br /><br />According to Ramettan, it will take an hour and a half more to conquer the last peak. One day is not enough for that. We needed more food and camping materials as it would take two days to complete the trek. We would’ve to camp at Kollikoodu on the first day and resume the trek on the second day. I decided to come back with a few adventurous friends to conquer Chembra Peak.<br /><br />But, I had a doubt. A reasonable one, of course. I asked Ramettan, “Won’t there be any danger from snakes, etc, when camping overnight?”<br /><br />He replied, “So far, I hadn’t found any venomous snake here”.<br /><br />“Any other danger than the snakes?”<br /><br />“There may be leopards”.<br /><br />“Leopards?” My panting and even normal breathing stopped at once.<br /><br />“You don’t have to worry. Leopards are dangerous only if cubs are there. Cubs may follow us like kittens. Mother leopard gets scared and may attack us to protect the cubs. They may also attack if we encounter them. But, they will not search for us and attack. Leopards are also scared of us,” assured Ramettan. His explanations showed his knowledge of the wild and the wildlife.<br /><br />Apparently, there are no leopards in the Chembra hills. They come from the neighbouring hill Manimala. There was a newspaper report saying leopards had been sighted even at the back of the Collector’s bungalow at Kalpatta and that leopard traps had been set there. Last year, a leopard had entered the quarters of Chembra Estate and one person had a narrow escape with some scratches.<br /><br />It was 2 pm. If we start climbing down now (and if we didn’t encounter any leopards), we would reach the base by around 4 pm.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlhdBMEt1XwK_m6TibCpPTdpafHhinWUngbPdn1D0y7JKwAriJ55sRM8eetDolnDz6PHJ_gotYvliiz_Z0x5m-Xrx3SoaUd55n5sAG27fe_ykCh2e7zV3b_oYFRM1EoY0hlVFi6DBhE/s1600-h/Chempara+Peek+297.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320527133873498002" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlhdBMEt1XwK_m6TibCpPTdpafHhinWUngbPdn1D0y7JKwAriJ55sRM8eetDolnDz6PHJ_gotYvliiz_Z0x5m-Xrx3SoaUd55n5sAG27fe_ykCh2e7zV3b_oYFRM1EoY0hlVFi6DBhE/s400/Chempara+Peek+297.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I turned and looked at the Chembra Peak once more. Among the clouds, I spotted the peak, standing majestically like the crown of Wayanad – waiting to welcome adventurous travellers.<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:85%;" >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Translated from my Malayalam travel blog <a href="http://chilayaathrakal.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">'Chila Yaathrakal'</span> </a>by <a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Mrs.Bindhu Unni</span></a></span><a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/"> </a>(<a href="http://www.travelwithacouple.com/" target="_blank">http://www.travelwithacouple.com/</a>).നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5266763654054111624.post-72847314177594055402009-01-15T22:15:00.000-08:002012-09-27T10:56:56.985-07:00Kolukku Malai<b><span style="font-size: 180%;">M</span></b>unnar……..it is a place I have visited a number of times. Last month, when yet another opportunity to visit Munnar beckoned me, it got me thinking if there were any new sights to visit in Munnar other than the usual Mattupetty, Top-station, Devikulam Lake, CSIH, etc.<br />
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On browsing through some books which described, with pictures, the lovely landscapes of Kerala…..on when and how to get there…….where to stay, etc., I happened to come across a four-line paragraph on Kolukkumalai. The description was short and there were no pictures of the place shown. The brevity in the description and the absence of photographs made me assume that it was an unimportant place devoid of any scenic beauty, but the events that followed, proved how wrong my assumptions were.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HYpQZN0q3qV4gWbS_-k1GN9fT_KjXOjd_ES_YHVGxhRcN_q-kvW8PINKOF89J9eBnZ3w_SBUNa5e6U6-RFtD_icd5U74e0cXkub3u_iQLEwedUIb3Izjzrgz599WMESiMQISj1WZaG8/s1600-h/blue+mount+resort.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231853376472912210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HYpQZN0q3qV4gWbS_-k1GN9fT_KjXOjd_ES_YHVGxhRcN_q-kvW8PINKOF89J9eBnZ3w_SBUNa5e6U6-RFtD_icd5U74e0cXkub3u_iQLEwedUIb3Izjzrgz599WMESiMQISj1WZaG8/s400/blue+mount+resort.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
My usual place of stay on reaching Munnar is The Blumont Resort on the Chinnakanal route(Ph:-9447131710). The manager of the resort, Thambi, had arranged a jeep for the trip to Kolukkumalai on the previous night itself. Since the mountain path to Kolukkumalai was made for tractors to ferry the tender tea leaves from the plantations, only a jeep could take you up there. If an (mis) adventurous tourist decided to traverse the path in a car, it would surely end up midway with a broken axle and in all likelihood would have to be ferried down in one of the same old tractors that the path was made for.<br />
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Our driver, Ramesh, who was a resident of Suryanelli, arrived at the resort in the morning itself and our four-member team were all too eager to embark upon a journey to a hitherto unseen place. I sat in the not-so-popular rear seat of the jeep so that I could get an unhindered view of the lovely terrain and could take photographs comfortably.<br />
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We reached Suryanelli by traveling about 2.5 kms on the Chinnakanal route. Here Ramesh stopped the jeep to speak to someone and when their discourse was over a person came up to the rear of the jeep and placed about 8 packets of milk below the seat opposite mine. If we wanted to drink a cup of tea on reaching Kolukkumalai, there would be no milk available there; hence it was a usual practice to take the milk along, explained Ramesh in his Tamil- accented Malayalam.<br />
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"Was there a need of 8 packets of milk for 4 of us?" I asked.<br />
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"Sir, this is for all….. what if more tourists came along" replied a magnanimous Ramesh.<br />
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We traveled a further 2 Kms and reached the gates of Harrison Malayalam.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sAudLFgD4HPWSRTI6uZkq_LKFowEMxY2k_gYTcfo9OT6RIj21BhOKcPgKmor8ZoeO4zu47L-fj2HueNqcqG7uLyHCqUkKHR2GqCjRHf615ScZqgEP5wGNqfvUYXuqnGJXqTj1_CF52g/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+2+032.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231846811016215090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sAudLFgD4HPWSRTI6uZkq_LKFowEMxY2k_gYTcfo9OT6RIj21BhOKcPgKmor8ZoeO4zu47L-fj2HueNqcqG7uLyHCqUkKHR2GqCjRHf615ScZqgEP5wGNqfvUYXuqnGJXqTj1_CF52g/s400/Munnar+Day+2+032.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
To pass through their plantation, one had to buy a Rs 50/- entry ticket. Ramesh got down and bought the ticket. The jeep continued its onward journey. The speedometer of the jeep hovered between 10 and 15 km/h. It took us nearly an hour to cover a distance of 15 kms. through the plantation; the treacherous paths being the main culprit. All gears except the first gear seemed redundant till we reached the top. At times it felt as though the whole rear portion of the jeep was being tossed about. My ambition of taking photographs sitting in the rear of the running jeep was soon jettisoned. Ramesh, however, was thoughtful enough to stop the jeep wherever a photo-opportunity came up.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8E54evpGY7pePn42pmqpgw7c2l6KycFVgTNRh1qThQ3nifv3tn0LABwLibxLbJbR6QNGiA_kOctwSD-p3AHjT0KFO69Iw-UDdg0F20pxPOjkxhz0TjwRRVlw43L1l2gP1W0wuN-kmHU/s1600-h/cloud+and+tea.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232461266142672290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8E54evpGY7pePn42pmqpgw7c2l6KycFVgTNRh1qThQ3nifv3tn0LABwLibxLbJbR6QNGiA_kOctwSD-p3AHjT0KFO69Iw-UDdg0F20pxPOjkxhz0TjwRRVlw43L1l2gP1W0wuN-kmHU/s400/cloud+and+tea.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LgHM_ukr1_Ujlz-uf77AkrdeTs42TxE5xQosk85Y8IYm7dh5Zs0fmMZLXNPZyQUnwezYietFyWq1pLPVvcs0f2Md16B4LNGEZEUIxXP89AnSRW9YZJ6ATJAKybRvoWNOt15d79v8tUU/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+2+065.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231848739150195682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6LgHM_ukr1_Ujlz-uf77AkrdeTs42TxE5xQosk85Y8IYm7dh5Zs0fmMZLXNPZyQUnwezYietFyWq1pLPVvcs0f2Md16B4LNGEZEUIxXP89AnSRW9YZJ6ATJAKybRvoWNOt15d79v8tUU/s400/Munnar+Day+2+065.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SZV7NOwT7nnJCiJf2f3FgpVBQlccnMUOkHkeiPm5PRF1SVXmcaC-8tr4bfPMmQiSBxBeavLMGyoo7oXP5EX4iidlS5b2v7owcCYGorHe51RJK9hFBroZmdmGG-9YPl3sxhO8VWqhbtk/s1600-h/koLunthu+nuLLal.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232462416841622050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SZV7NOwT7nnJCiJf2f3FgpVBQlccnMUOkHkeiPm5PRF1SVXmcaC-8tr4bfPMmQiSBxBeavLMGyoo7oXP5EX4iidlS5b2v7owcCYGorHe51RJK9hFBroZmdmGG-9YPl3sxhO8VWqhbtk/s400/koLunthu+nuLLal.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Right throughout our journey there was a running commentary from Ramesh with his thick Tamil-accent, which seemed more skillful than any professional tourist guide. Being a plantation worker’s son, Ramesh had remarkable knowledge about the various aspects of a plantation.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBq87fJn2pEcxHFs5BgH41xFW-e0I6awVytF6Pn8c-5LYk09zAoMWyCc-g74VFFYjPj2MlggaLsrEguS8Q_oMbhloPmHnaGIh5sFVkwHT7PpgRfe1_T6AABWL_1HiRFHonQPHpnzZVf8/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+2-sony+079.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231386210299068514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBq87fJn2pEcxHFs5BgH41xFW-e0I6awVytF6Pn8c-5LYk09zAoMWyCc-g74VFFYjPj2MlggaLsrEguS8Q_oMbhloPmHnaGIh5sFVkwHT7PpgRfe1_T6AABWL_1HiRFHonQPHpnzZVf8/s400/Munnar+Day+2-sony+079.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
The tea gardens unfolded like green carpets on either side. Through what seemed like a crevice in the green carpet, our jeep traveled towards the top at snail’s pace over the narrow and very uneven path.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQW4AsbDbUaw0ag9cYo9ug9V9DzjZ9zun-5rOvTt3vnMT8UJX2U4buZmtaWIlJbh38uHvLOqXk3mXhtYY1v8QpHBBn8e6pLrNQt_VfbGvKC4-4lUdaimTToeMA-pJRkJtusb_CBEFgEE/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+2-sony+100.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231384250147250210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQW4AsbDbUaw0ag9cYo9ug9V9DzjZ9zun-5rOvTt3vnMT8UJX2U4buZmtaWIlJbh38uHvLOqXk3mXhtYY1v8QpHBBn8e6pLrNQt_VfbGvKC4-4lUdaimTToeMA-pJRkJtusb_CBEFgEE/s400/Munnar+Day+2-sony+100.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
On traveling further forward, we came across a sign saying “Bend 1” and there were a total of “12 Bends”. The jeep was unable to negotiate even a single bend at one go. On each bend the jeep had to be reversed and then driven forward. Even though I had seen quite a few hair-pin bends in my time, the bends we were negotiating now were a new experience to me. By the time we had climbed past “Bend 9”, we had reached a border at the height of 7130 feet. It was the Kerala – Tamil Nadu border.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLvIXYrv9a-3rNRSbZ04RYPtE7K2VZIPKjOkdxHpuNRTVSTlIw52SArP4SlvbbP2DOtzcpCgC-Azk7n_hpVT_m3Q0VtnzDetgz3QzxSxmS3zjbjowOa_tJKscqhRCpMKoaRh1ttaHi2w/s1600-h/varambu.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232466667567851202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLvIXYrv9a-3rNRSbZ04RYPtE7K2VZIPKjOkdxHpuNRTVSTlIw52SArP4SlvbbP2DOtzcpCgC-Azk7n_hpVT_m3Q0VtnzDetgz3QzxSxmS3zjbjowOa_tJKscqhRCpMKoaRh1ttaHi2w/s400/varambu.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKDbjiySk8uBzpg1_pN6uof9d10C5QrwcBDI9DpiKIIxUne1RWU1UFgdsnMVBM3b1t2-hJyDzIMo8Omr5P2wmHglxQKr_9nBJBrCG-tbWt_nV8c9i8RjtkorrjdozAsziiv4mGjtAN7A/s1600-h/thipata+mala.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231851089761946146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKDbjiySk8uBzpg1_pN6uof9d10C5QrwcBDI9DpiKIIxUne1RWU1UFgdsnMVBM3b1t2-hJyDzIMo8Omr5P2wmHglxQKr_9nBJBrCG-tbWt_nV8c9i8RjtkorrjdozAsziiv4mGjtAN7A/s400/thipata+mala.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
The valley down on the left side was all Kerala and the valley down on the left was Tamil Nadu. Across on the front, stood a mountain with its head majestically held high. This was the Theepada mountain. We stood there for some time whispering sweet nothings to the clouds that leisurely sailed just above, almost caressing our heads. Some clouds, like scattered flock, could be seen settled here and there over the mountain sides. It was a sight to behold…..a sight that you would never have enough of…..a sight that soothened not only your eyes, but your heart as well.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_OVklEEUdhr5_M2aYOUwfTjMDecHPPCrUhyphenhyphenbRf3S8u4Ds5w6HHsVMnFej0ckRfONUohoX_7bW5_HxoWN5pKtK-9aLLJLNb2-gcun0zLnJQqIL22MyN-kIZsxokihKT3VnbhXDbE97jU/s1600-h/mountain+and+tea.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231855038028745106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_OVklEEUdhr5_M2aYOUwfTjMDecHPPCrUhyphenhyphenbRf3S8u4Ds5w6HHsVMnFej0ckRfONUohoX_7bW5_HxoWN5pKtK-9aLLJLNb2-gcun0zLnJQqIL22MyN-kIZsxokihKT3VnbhXDbE97jU/s400/mountain+and+tea.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Another jeep came and parked right behind us. In It was a honeymoon couple. Now their jeep couldn’t move forward unless we did so too. But like us, they too seemed not too keen to move away from this lovely place. I guess people did not travel such heights and distances, away from their monotonously fast-paced lives and work to indulge in a race of another kind.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPB-MLtpXGBvnyMYTolQGcYR43Bnqych6VepBKlBdJXhspYj6-AKnXB_t2lgoDLa_TatLamYdvsbfi0-LgWxfPXSv7zwGTJStsH6IElVIj5pTS_5EG3_R3w3pEzX5zR61g3mpp85mzqM/s1600-h/clouds+and+medow.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231856578170750210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPB-MLtpXGBvnyMYTolQGcYR43Bnqych6VepBKlBdJXhspYj6-AKnXB_t2lgoDLa_TatLamYdvsbfi0-LgWxfPXSv7zwGTJStsH6IElVIj5pTS_5EG3_R3w3pEzX5zR61g3mpp85mzqM/s400/clouds+and+medow.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
There were 3 more bends all heading down. From here on, the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate owned by the Kottagudi Plantations could be seen spread over 300 acres at a height of 6625 to 7980 feet.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XpfbBNUCarw8jlvRqB5WEZM3TA-G3nvGQlNZyNZhX6YDmTFaD5bKdoxvKLhEBzCutYC_dA-OatICcKQF-q8Q2NXQOqr-iOCaUPLwWFjwLNoLAHrTyLgei6hrA4tIGmhaRLVe6T_Ta5Q/s1600-h/echo+spot.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231859859817537010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XpfbBNUCarw8jlvRqB5WEZM3TA-G3nvGQlNZyNZhX6YDmTFaD5bKdoxvKLhEBzCutYC_dA-OatICcKQF-q8Q2NXQOqr-iOCaUPLwWFjwLNoLAHrTyLgei6hrA4tIGmhaRLVe6T_Ta5Q/s400/echo+spot.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Ramesh stopped the jeep half-a-kilometer further down. It was an echo point. Everybody alighted and shouted their hearts out. The sounds echoed back not once or twice but three times. By then the honeymoon couple’s jeep had once again come right behind ours.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Qg45bnkI34XbJnDUPFaXbUkKVK7veFRfFNO_JaTyVzEtTglBlg9QJP9smozboKrLQ-eNYkun_j6HOi2magMYuliYJHHcKKbg28C5gOMC4Rz7AOcmg1IXweMHFdcbKKNBCf0Z54sL3w/s1600-h/building.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231861338191050690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5Qg45bnkI34XbJnDUPFaXbUkKVK7veFRfFNO_JaTyVzEtTglBlg9QJP9smozboKrLQ-eNYkun_j6HOi2magMYuliYJHHcKKbg28C5gOMC4Rz7AOcmg1IXweMHFdcbKKNBCf0Z54sL3w/s400/building.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1MsSrvxoAtUQvmQ5SH2cjjfhRPP9X7ehHjSArjef7x9GpBxt4myPW6rEIoPXwlyrAUxhbxBEmcAMgQJTCopmneqCZbOWvIw7sMrymHhUN6EkbtNYPJdE3K_jEhhy8KaxovwvvdnDnzk/s1600-h/building+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231862668197235186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1MsSrvxoAtUQvmQ5SH2cjjfhRPP9X7ehHjSArjef7x9GpBxt4myPW6rEIoPXwlyrAUxhbxBEmcAMgQJTCopmneqCZbOWvIw7sMrymHhUN6EkbtNYPJdE3K_jEhhy8KaxovwvvdnDnzk/s400/building+1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Looking ahead we could see some building amidst the tea gardens. The tall building seen was the tea factory and adjacent to it was the office building. The rest were staff quarters. The clouds seemed to roam fearlessly without any complaints amongst these buildings, having gotten used to the sights and sounds of the humans who had nestled even higher than their abode.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVSHBw9zk7yj43Qa8uhfCCa8R8GEwDfJ4i37GxdPrRqaAkoSxFBqOeUt7OrXH-HdnE1W-v7MW2d4KsDHH4eDv5cTaCb4n2bHLMHhLAqEf3lGLRCXRl6GWGzmiOSKBNh5nJTZdr5gTCDs/s1600-h/clouds+and+bldg.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232471271058173522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVSHBw9zk7yj43Qa8uhfCCa8R8GEwDfJ4i37GxdPrRqaAkoSxFBqOeUt7OrXH-HdnE1W-v7MW2d4KsDHH4eDv5cTaCb4n2bHLMHhLAqEf3lGLRCXRl6GWGzmiOSKBNh5nJTZdr5gTCDs/s400/clouds+and+bldg.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Within the next five minutes we reached the tea factory. After having given the milk packets from the jeep to the office building, Ramesh informed us that we could relax on the chairs provided. Since Ramesh was a frequent visitor here with tourists, he seemed to have the freedom to deal with everything. After playing the gracious host by giving us all a cup of tea, Mani, a factory employee took us inside the tea factory. The tea leaves were being processed here in the traditional way using the machines brought over from England by the British in 1930. It took about 45 minutes for Mani to take us around the factory, explaining to us the various processes involved and clarifying our doubts. Looking out of the view point behind the factory, we could see Top Station, the Kodaikanal hills, Palani Hills, Meeshapuli Hills, and Bhodinaickanoor.<br />
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Kolukkumalai can be reached by road only from the Kerala side. If we travel down 7000 ft to a distance of nine kilometers, we can reach Kurangini in Tamil Nadu. It is only from here we can travel by road to Bhodinaickanoor. There is no other way by road to Tamil Nadu. Before the road to Kerala was formed, the tea garden workers used to travel down the mountain on foot and sell the tea leaves, buy their daily provisions, and return back to the top on foot.<br />
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I had come to know that Kolukkumalai was the highest tea plantation on the Indian Subcontinent before we had started out to this place. But it was only after the factory visit and photo sessions when we went into the office buildings to buy some factory-fresh tea leaves did we come across an astonishing bit of information. Kolukkumalai was, in fact, the highest tea plantation in the whole world. This was printed on the tea leaf packets kept for sale.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherVsaFDi8W17rB4_Jem_bq3V5hTZ9UVNlcTkvfD0MihJLiPra52xgBb5I0HlefCesKIghGxvyJolK-QI-f9hZ_mDcLZXezXrx7W81JTAWR-vp4buAvF3xrlFyv82r3KarYyyuUgSochk/s1600-h/Tea+Packets.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231062923978221330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherVsaFDi8W17rB4_Jem_bq3V5hTZ9UVNlcTkvfD0MihJLiPra52xgBb5I0HlefCesKIghGxvyJolK-QI-f9hZ_mDcLZXezXrx7W81JTAWR-vp4buAvF3xrlFyv82r3KarYyyuUgSochk/s400/Tea+Packets.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
Most of the tea leaves processed here were bought by the tourists who visit this place, and except for some that is sold in a handful of resorts, we couldn’t get to see it for sale in any of the shops selling tea leaves in Munnar. Perhaps that is why, in spite of getting the Golden Leaf award in 2007, many in the outside world are still unaware of Kolukkumalai. If the Kerala Government takes up the initiative and puts Kolukkumalai on the tourism map, I am sure that the Government will be able to reap in the benefits.<br />
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Before we started our return journey, we were treated once again to a cup of piping-hot tea in the office building. Except for an annual Urea treatment, the tea plants are grown without the use of any other chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Unlike in other tea plantations, there is no need to water the tea plants grown here. The high humidity maintained by the constant contact with the clouds was the reason behind this. The waste that is formed after the processing of the tea leaves is used as the fertilizer.<br />
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After understanding these new bits of information, the second cup of tea seemed tastier than before. No….not seemed, the difference in taste was definitely palpable. The very thought of drinking tea made from a tea plantation situated on the roof of the world in itself was a pleasurable experience which gave the tea an awesome taste. We started the return journey after buying more tea leaves and tea dust than we had originally intended.<br />
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Driving the jeep down with the gear in neutral caused me a bit of anxiety, but refrained from questioning Ramesh who was an “old pro” in driving on these terrains. We became aware of a couple of jeeps coming up only when they reached very close to us, but Ramesh could instinctively sense it beforehand. Two jeeps could cross each other only at the bends. So when a jeep approached you, one of the jeeps had to wait at a bend. If this calculation misfired, it was inevitable that one of the jeeps had to reverse back to a bend in order to let the other jeep pass.<br />
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The fog descended on many an occasion on our return journey through the tea gardens with the clouds caressing us overhead. These were rare experiences which enhanced the beauty of this journey. By the time we returned back to Blumont Resort it was evening. We lit up a camp fire and spend another night there.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw4-2VRC_sc_roVVJBXyENWKgR5mUTHrG3zatrqpoT7ko-uN55k4ZJ1jJy2McfjINQwWOe2h3vX1KoDB3NsxlTz8RPdoFYV7AghTDpKPyHnLevjmJqmltN-OswGQuNi70r69VIDK0Umc/s1600-h/Munnar+Day+2+II+044.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231058985085489026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTw4-2VRC_sc_roVVJBXyENWKgR5mUTHrG3zatrqpoT7ko-uN55k4ZJ1jJy2McfjINQwWOe2h3vX1KoDB3NsxlTz8RPdoFYV7AghTDpKPyHnLevjmJqmltN-OswGQuNi70r69VIDK0Umc/s400/Munnar+Day+2+II+044.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
On the return trip to Ernakulam the next day, some small sign boards put up by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department caught my attention.<br />
It said, “<span style="color: red; font-size: 130%;"><b>LEARN, ENJOY, AND RETURN</b></span>”<br />
We had learned enough and had enjoyed it even more, but it was impossible to return in the truest sense. After all, even though our corporeal bodies could return back in our vehicle, our minds still remained enthralled, some 8000 ft above in Kolukkumalai.നിരക്ഷരൻhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00081463945304717260noreply@blogger.com9