Glimpses of Kerala in Monsoon

On Sunday I took a trip to Palakkad district in Kerala. I drove from Coimbatore to Kozhinjampara, Chittor, Tattamangalam, Kollengode, Payyalore, Kunissery, Chathapuram,Kalpathy & Lakshminarayanapuram. I visited the Brahmin Agraharams in the villages in most of these places. The sky was heavily overcast & it was raining intermittently - in fact Kerala had been lashed by heavy rains for the past two weeks . The journey took me through interior Kerala countryside. There was lush greenery everywhere. One could see abundance of coconut palms, banana plantations, inundated paddy fields, rivers, ponds, paddy birds & glimpses of the Western Ghats (mountains). The atmosphere was exhilirating and energising. The scenery was magnificent & breathtaking. I could not resist the temptation of stopping my car ever so often to inhale the fresh air & take some memorable shots.

Beautiful Beaches of Kerala

Shown below are shots of the Mazhupillingad & Thalayi beaches on the Western Coast off Cannanore District of North Kerala. The beaches are clean and uncluttered and are seldom frequented except by fishermen. These are among the most beautiful beaches in India perhaps anywhere in the world. The State of Kerala is truly called Swamiyude Swantham Nadu (in Malayalam the language spoken in Kerala) or 'Gods Own Country". As per legend Kerala was formed when Lord Parasurama threw his axe northwards from Kanyakumari - the southern most tip of India. The area between the Kanyakumari and the point where the axe fell became Kerala. Parasurama was considered the sixth among the ten avatars (reincarnations) of Lord Mahavishnu one of the three major Hindu Gods. Kerala is also know in the legends as 'Parasurama Kshetram' or the place created by Lord Parasurama.

Mazhupillingad Beach

Mazhupillingad Breach

Waves breaking on Mazhupillingad Beach

Another shot of Mazhupillingad Beach

Muzhupillingad Beach - white sand and coconut grove

Waves on Thalayi Beach

Waves on Thalayi Beach

Boat with fishing net about to embark on fishing expedition

Thalayi Beach - Fishing Nets under repair

You may like to read an earlier blog on the subject of beaches - the Kapad beach where Vasco de Gama had landed and thought he had "discovered" America in 1498: http://sankriti.blogspot.com/2007/03/calicut.html

Tavarakere Village

On our return from Ramohalli to Bangalore, we decided to take a different but longer route via Tavarakere Village. This road was definitely superior. We briefly stopped over at the Tavarakere Sunday morning bazaar, a typical dusty village environment with a lot of hustle & bustle. On sale were vegetables, ground nuts,corn, fruits, meat, fish, poultry, sheep & a range of miscellaneous items. While the ladies were busy driving a good bargain and picking up farm fresh vegetables, I wandered around. My camera shutter kept clicking away and I succeeded in getting some delectable shots of a typical Indian countryside market.

Banyan Cluster

Ramohalli is a sleepy village located around 35 Kms on the Bangalore -Mysore Road in the southern State of Karnataka in India. The last 7 kms of the journey from Kumbalagod is a dirt track away from the highway. Ramohalli is a delightful but not so frequented picnic spot and has a large botanical garden containing the largest Banyan Cluster in Asia. This magnificent "monument" is protected by a flimsy fence, entry is unregulated, urchins freely gallivant inside, stray dogs & monkeys have free access too. This 3 acre premises is well landscaped and is maintained by Bank of Maharasthra. There is a paved pathway all around the garden & cement benches on either side. We learnt from the watchman that the Big Banyan cluster (Dodda Allada Mara in Kannada) is around 400 yrs old but the parent tree has already met with its tragic demise and its obituary written some years ago. This garden has the potential to be developed into one of the most attractive tourist spots in Karnataka - by building good roads, providing regular shuttle services & through proper publicity. This site is must see for any visitor to Bangalore.

Pictures:1-6 Various shots of the Banyan Cluster.Pictures:7-8 Other plants in the Garden

Mylapore Temple

You can see below the pictures of the Kapaleeswarar Temple, an important Hindu Temple at Mylapore, Chennai, India. The main Deity is Lord Siva (known here as Kapaleeswarar) and his consort Goddess Parvati (known as Karpagambal). The main entrance to the temple is through the Eastern Gopuram- a tall regal trapezoidal tower carrying myriad sculptures depicting various Hindu Gods & Goddesses.

The name Mylapore is derived from the legend that Goddess Uma(another name of Parvati) worshipped the Lord Siva in the form of a Peacock (Myl in Tamil). Ptolemy the Greek Geographer (AD 90-168) referred to Mylapore in his books as 'Maillarpha' a well known sea port town with flourishing trade. Saint Tiruvalluvar,the celebrated Tamil author of Tirukkural(an ethical treatise), lived here nearly 2000 years ago. The Saivite Saints of the 7th Century, Sambandar & Appar, have sung praises of this shrine in their hymns. Mylapore fell into the hands of the Portugese in AD 1566, when the Temple sufferred a demolition. The present temple was rebuilt around 300 years ago. The most beautiful miracle associated with this temple is related in the Periapuranam - that of bringing back to life of the girl Poompavai by the boy Saint Gnanasambandar through his singing of Hymns in praise of the Lord.

St.Thomas, one of the Apostles of Jesus, is reported to have visited Mylapore in the 2nd Century AD. The Stately Rajagopuram or Entrance Tower in the Eastern side of the Temple.

Vimanams of Kapaleeswarar Shrine (left) and Annamalaiyar sub shrine (Right)

The Kolu Manpadam or long pillared hall - which is decorated with idols, dolls & a variety of themes during the Navaratri festival which is celebrated over nine days.

The Vimanam(trapezoidal tower) of sub shrine of Singaravelan (Lord Muruga) son of Shiva & Parvati.

The Nagalingam flowers in bloom - the flower is in the shape of a lingam with a snake's (Naga in Tamil) hood over it. Hence the name of Nagalingam.

The pillared portico in front of the sub shrine to Singaravelan or Lord Muruga

The pillared portico which leads to the main shrines of Lord Kapaleeswarar & Goddess Karpagambal. The Lord is West facing which is a unique position since in most Siva Temples the Lord is generally East facing. You can also see the Dwaja Sthambam or Flagstaff with brass covering which is an essential part of Hindu Temples.
Here you see a close up of the base of the Dwaja Sthambham which carries images of Siva, Parvati, Ganesha & Muruga. In front you can also see the shrine to Nandi the bull which is the celestial vehicle of Siva.

Finally after complete circumambulation you reach the sub shrines of the Navagrahas (seven planets), Jagadeeswara( another Siva Lingam), Narthana Ganesha(dancing Ganesha).

The Brahmotsavam or "Great Festival"takes place during the month of Panguni(March-April) for 10 days. On the 5th day is Rishabha Vahana-the Deity is taken out on a Silver Bull. On the eight day is the car festival - the deity is placed on a huge chariot and pulled by devotees around the temple. The float festival takes place in the month of Thai (Jan-Feb) when the deities are taken out on a float (Teppam) around the Temple Tank.

Kalpathy Heritage Village

Kalpathy Heritage Village

Another View of the Heritage Village

The Village Temple

The Temple Chariot
Temple View from Village

Close up of a Village house.

Kalpathy village is located in Palakkad in Kerala State in South India approximately 500 Kms South West of Chennai & 50 Kms South of Coimbatore. The Village has been declared a Heritage Site and no alterations on building structures are permitted by the State Government. You can reach Coimbatore by flight from Mumbai, Chennai,Kolkata or Cochin.