Tucked away in the southermost part of the Indian peninsula is this wonderful strip of land, so rightly called "Gods Own Country".... Kerala. Right from the beconing sands of Kovalam beach down south right up to the lush tropical rainforests in the north, Kerala is unique. Any which way one would wish to look at it. The land of coconuts and lazy backwaters, of Kathakali and snakeboat races..., luxurious houseboats and rejuvenating ayurveda... Scenic tea plantations and wildlife sancturies.. and last but not the least.. a 100% literate state... visit Kerala. You will want to visit again and again..
I will try and give you a brief glimpse of the picturesque Kerala that I have lived and experienced all my life...through the lens of my camera....
Located at the entrance of the Sholayar range, about 70 km NE of Cochin city, the Athirampilly waterfalls is a place of great scenic beauty. Here, the water from the multiple waterfall plunges from a height of nearly 80 feet before joining the Chalakudi river. Further upstream is dense forest and two dams. Though entry to these dams are restricted, it used to be a favoutite haunt for us during the university days. Biking up to the waterfall and then going on to the upper sholayar dam and camping there. The ride from the waterfall to the upper dam is about 30kms and the forest is infested with wild elephants and once we had to work our way around fresh and steaming elephant dung on the road.... All said and done, the place is simply awsome. i would love to go there again.. anytime..
Elephants...always a treat to watch. I love watching them.. Kerala has an abundunce of elephants in her dense tropical forests,and its only natural that elephants find their way into the everyday life of Malayalis. These massive, yet so serene pachyderms can hold one's attention for hours. The way they flap their ears, and the way they sway to the beat of the drums... Have you seen an elephant sleep ? It does.. for a very short period. Leaning on a tree with its trunk all rolled up into its mouth. I once stayed up the whole night in the company of a drunk mahout to really see if the elepahts do sleep.. And i did see him (the elephant i mean ) sleep.....
They look at their best when they are decked up for the temple
festivals. With gold plated covers for their head, they look majestic
and when there are 10-15 such decked elephants standing tall, swaying
to the beats of the "panchavadya" percussions, they are a real treat
to watch....a must-see for anyone who hav'nt experienced it yet...
The lazy backwaters that ziggags through the central Kerala is the best thing that could have happened to Kerala... From the size of a stream to a massive lake, the brackish backwaters not only make Cochin a natural port, but also gives it the name "Queen of the Arabian sea". A virtual goldmine of marine life, the backwaters also provide livelyhood to many people..
Watching the sun set into silhouette of a massive oil tanker as it moves out to the sea from Cochin backwaters thats lined with the ancient chinese fishing nets is a sight that I am never tired of watching. Cochin, is also famous for its spice markets, as the place where the great traveller Vasco-da-gama lies in his eternal rest, and last but not the least, as a bustling, cosmopolitan port city and one of the major commands of the the Indian Navy.
Harmony... Nature teaches us that.. All one has to do is to look carefully
around one's surroundings. As a person who likes the outdoors a lot, I do
keep my eyes open for such examples that nature provides us with.. Just
wish and hope that mankind would just observe and learn...
Well.. i got this far didn't I ? .... :-)