Bhoothathan Kettu Dam, built by the Bhoothams

Every journey we embark on has its share of surprises and adventures. This trip of mine to Kochi was no less. It was Saturday and i was busy shuttling between calls making plans to visit the Salim Ali Bird sanctuary in Thattekadu on Sunday. Vishesh, a friend of mine was coincidentally in Kochi and he mentioned another friend Binny, who was from Kochi was interested in the trip. 

There we were, standing on the banks of River Poovar when a sudden splash of water broke our reverie. There were giant fish playing around in the water, enjoying the feast of peanuts a bunch of kids were throwing at them. It was almost like a cue for us, time to leave Thattekadu and head back towards Kochi.

After a brief stop at a roadside Tea shop, we piled into the car, reminising of the birds we had sighted and how calm the place had been. Our Driver Bobby [yes, that is his name] asked if we would like to make another quick stop at "  Bhoothathan Kettu Dam". Neither Vishesh nor i had any clues of this place, but we nodded yes, especially Bobby mentioned it was only a short detour and a place worth a visit.

 

 

The place is about 10 kms from Kothamangalam town and about 50 kms from Cochin. Along the drive, our driver started giving us a brief introduction to the Dam. . It is called Bhoothathan Kettu and there is a legend that says it was built by the demons. There is a tale that goes with the Dam, though not many are sure it is what really happened. But, the small makeshift temple of sorts made with boulders on one end of the  Dam proves otherwise. We finally reached the village of Pindimana where the Dam is located.

The car pulled into the parking lot and we got out, carrying our camera, phone and water bottle towards the majestic entrance of the Dam. [It is more like a bridge with the dam on one side]. A step onto the path and we could feel the fury beneath our feet. The entire road shook against the water rushing beneath it. We quickly ran to one side of the Dam where the gates were located and saw what looked like a mini version of the Niagara Falls rushing down. We could feel the cool water on our faces and held on to the railing, for fear of slipping over the small wall. As we walked along each of the sections, the water flowing out of the gates seemed like a bunch of school kids running out of the gates once the school bell rings [a sense of madness].

Wow! What a feeling it was standing there.

The entire bridge was built beautifully, very neat, and lined with fancy looking light fittings. As we crossed the path to the other side, the water flowing out looked like it could kill [force was too high], and then within minutes it mixed with the river and calmed down. We stood there staring at the water for nearly an hour, walking from gate to gate, and catching a glimpse of what seemed like a gazillion tone of water.

The Legend..

Apparently, the natural dam like structure was entirely built by Bhoothams (Spirits, Ghosts, Demons).It is said that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi lived here. One day Shiva went into the forest to meditate saying he will return in a month, but he dint return even after 3months. When Parvathi went enquring, she was told that he was in the forest having an affair with Ganges. Getting angry, Parvathi decided take revenge against Ganges. She is said to have called on the Bhoothas requesting them to build a dam across the big river. This would change the direction of the river sweeping with it Ganga's village, Trikkariyoor. Since the Bhoothas were scared of Shiva and yet dint want to anger Parvathi, they started building the dam [with the one condition that they will build only till dawn breaks]

Shiva came to know of Parvathi's plot and decided to take matters into his own hands. He took the form of a Rooster and cock a doodle doo's announcing that Dawn had arrived. The Bhoothas instantly dropped the boulders and disappeared from the scene, leaving the dam unfinished. The people are said to have complete the dam thereon. Infact, we did notice the rougly piled on group of boulders on one end of the bridge as we walked back to the car. 

As we got back on the road towards Kochi, i could still hear the water flowing out through the gates and wondered if the Demons were still hovering over the Dam!

Where the Jews Live on- Mattancherry, Kochi

"Jew Town in Cochin? Are you sure?" was the 1st question that popped in my head. But this was before i did some research and read about Mattancherry and Kochi. We were there for little over 2days and on the last day, decided to make a quick visit to the Jew town, specifically to explore the Synagogue and area around, maybe even try speaking to one of the Jews living there.

The place has a certain charm. Narrow lanes resembling a beautifully laid out cobbled street, with brightly painted walls, stores brimming with antiques on either side lead us towards the  one of the oldest Synagogues, heading to a dead end.   

Vehicles are not allowed inside, unless it is a two wheeler.  The stores have items literally spilling out into the streets, which leaves just about enough space for people to walk on. It feels like we are in a different country altogether, that is how different the atmosphere here is.

 

As I walked along the lane, I could feel a few eyes on us, probably thinking "ah, more tourists, wonder where they are from" Some smiled, while others just stared, as if looking straight through me.. kinda creepy!

 

Visitors were asked to leave all our belongings, including mobile phones and cameras with the storage space provided near the Synagogue and then enter the premises. The hall before the main synagogue showcases a brief history of the place, through photographs and content lining the walls. Built in  1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin, this is called the Paradesi Synagogue.  Situated in an area called Jew Town, this is probably the only one of the 7 synagogues that is still in use. In all, there are about 13 Jew families living in the area, and the lady we met at the entrance shooed us away saying "we have had enough of reporters and journalists prying into our lives, please leave us in peace"  

 

The Synagogue complex in all has 4 buildings and has been built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple, infact they share a common wall.Spent in all about an hour, the main synagogue is beautiful, decked with blue and white tiles, plenty of chandeliers hanging across the ceiling, and pristine... Luckily, there was not much of a crowd, but for a group who had come with a guide... And since i dint have my camera, there was no chance of taking any photographs inside the premises....

Just outside, in the path around the synagogue i spotted a few stones and pieces of wall with Jewish inscriptions on them. Wish i knew what they meant, there was no one around or no board that explained the words. And before i knew it, the lady at the entrance was beckoning me with her head, it was time to leave. I walked out with so many questions in my mind, but alas, they remain there.....

Photo courtesy: keralavillagehomestay.com

After gathering my bags and belongings from the storage locker, i strolled out of the street, wondering what history was hidden within these walls. As i reached the junction, i noticed that there were 2 paths ahead of me- one that takes me back to the palace, while the other heads towards the spice market and the Jew cemetery. And the latter is what i chose, keeping a watch on the time... :-)