Thursday, June 14, 2012

Thottuva - Our Ancestral Village

From Kalady , Thottuva is around 12 Kms across on the opposite banks of the Purna River. We have two options of reaching Thottuva from Kalady - drive around via the road bridge over the river or take the direct "thoni" crossing (boat crossing). We preferred the road crossing. My two distant cousins Vasu & Viswam (both brothers) live there - their main occupation is farming. They grow coconuts, pepper & other spices and have rubber and bamboo plantations. Between them they own around 12 acres of land of which around 10 acres is cultivable. The land was purchased by their mother Thangamma from my grandfather K.R.Ganapathy Iyer. (Thangamma & my father were first cousins. Both are no more now). This transaction took place some 50 -60 years or so ago.We visited both families - had breakfast at Vasu's comprising "Gnali Poovan" (small yellow tasty bananas) and "boiled kappai" (tapioca) and this washed down by generous volumes of steaming hot Kapi (coffee). I must have swallowed about a dozen or so of these delicious bananas. At Viswam's house we  had a refreshingly cool coconut water from freshly picked coconuts. Here are some pics taken during this visit:
Approach Road to the river from Thottuva
Scintillating river view
Country boats for ferrying people & goods
Another view of the serene river
Portrait of the late Thangamma & her husband
Thangamma's grandson Suresh & his newly wedded wife
Thangamma's son Vasu, son Suresh, his new wife & my spouse Shobha
Lush Bamboo plantation in their campus
Small rivulet flowing through their land

35 comments:

  1. Lush green environment. The river looks beautiful. Visits to ancestral places are always nostalgic.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

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  2. there is so much to say about this post... the boats, the old photo, the nature!! I love how your capture your travels Ram, your blog is one of my favorites to visit :)))

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  3. what a beautiful place..i really envy you RK...

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  4. An amazing place. I love these photos. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  5. that is great that you still get to enjoy the rural area with your cousins!

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  6. Greenery Galore ! Specially like all the photos with boats,something special about them !

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  7. Beautiful area, beautiful people! Looks like you all had a great time together.

    Ram, will you be able to come and have dinner in Delhi with us on Sunday, Nov 4. I have also invited Kavita, Ruprekha, and Arti. This dinner will be paid for by my husband and me, so don't worry about the expense.

    Please email me at glendahinchey@yahoo.com.

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  8. Beautiful place.
    Looks like you had a great time with your family.

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  9. I like those boats, a boat ride in the river must be very refreshing!

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  10. What a wonderful place! The pictures are so delightful.

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  11. What a beautiful experience and a place!!

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  12. @Gigihawaii: Gigi, Thanks for the dinner invite.It is too early for me to confirm whether I can join you and David.The distance from Coimbatore,where I live to Delhi is close to 2500 Kms.It is almost like travelling to another country :)However closer to date of your visit if I happen to be in the vicinity of Delhi I shall definitely try and join.

    Wishing you both a grand and enjoyable trip to India.

    Regards & Best Wishes Ram

    ps.Tried to send you a message on your e-mail but for some reason the mail id was not recognized !

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  13. Was expecting a closing paragraph after the snaps... but may be, the photos did all the talking.

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  14. Beautiful shots of the village. The country side is lovely. I also like the shots of your family.

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  15. Such a gorgeous place! Love these wooden boats - they look like works of art to me. Have a fabulous weekend ahead!

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  16. Ram, did you delete the period at the end of the sentence containing my eid? That address should work, otherwise. Anyway, hope you can make it. Bring your wife, too, to Delhi.

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  17. @gigihawaii: Yes Gigi looks like I overlooked the period !

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  18. They are beautiful images, the scenery, and the pictures of your family, nice one.

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  19. How wonderful to visit with family. The place looks so beautiful, green and peaceful. Great pictures!

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  20. Beautiful village..Thanks for sharing ..As Ashok said , I envy you too.. (lol)!

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  21. My friend,
    Once again great pictures and a beautiful family. The boats are very well designed and built. Great post as always.

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  22. The land is very beautiful. I really like the river views.
    It's good to visit family and to know family history.

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  23. very soothing sights. I like the portraits and pictures you have shared.

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  24. Lovely place for families to enjoy. And the memories that come with it.

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  25. oh....
    so much lovable in the post....
    1-tasty pazam(gnali poovam)
    2-kappa
    3-coffee
    4-ur beautiful wife :-)

    regards
    anu

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  26. I miss kerala, wonderful place your native is

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  27. I like the place. With rivers and lakes and narrow roads, it looks like the perfect place when you want or need serenity. :)

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  28. Uncle,
    Nice to see your Blog.
    I am Vasu's Son(Thottuva)
    I will definitely go through all your topics one by one.

    Request you to please visit the below link too....

    www.rajaramvasudev.blogspot.com

    With Lots of Regard.
    Rajaram

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  29. Thanks Rajaram. How did you "discover" my blog? Shall visit your link soon. Best Wishes to you and parents. I had a very memorable visit to Thottuva and Vasu & Viswam were such gracious hosts.

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  30. Serene, tranquil...Kerala is GOD's own country...!!!!

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  31. If Kerala is God's own country, then Thottuva is God's own Village

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