Thursday Challenge.. In the Dark...

"NIGHT" (Dark, Low Light, Twilight, Evening, Shadows, Long Exposure, City Lights,...)

This photograph I clicked from a moving train, the train that was taking me to Goa... It was pitch dark outside and all I had was my mobile phone for company...

The beautiful Beach in Goa, forgot which beach it was.. I remember walking in the evening and saw the sky turn a funny shade of blue- almost indigo....

Kalady- The birthplace of Adi Sankaracharya

It was my friend's birthday and I had decided to lane there as a surprise. Her husband knew of my plans, but she did not. That eventful morning I landed in Kochi, it was pouring. I reached the entry gate and waited for my friend's husband to come pick me up [ navy area, so he had to come with a pass to allow me entry]. There I stood nearly drenched with my bags as he pulled in near the small passage. Hopped into the car and got a quick update that my friend was fairly mad and pissed off with him. Why? She had wanted to visit Kalady temple that morning but he kept putting it off saying he shall take them that afternoon. She had huffed off to the shower while he left for "work" aka to pick me up. 

I got home, was greeted by their kids who upon seeing me began screeching with excitement. Took all my might to get them calmed down. The little one was unable to zip her lips, she went running screaming "ma, look who's here, look who has come.. come out fast...".. hahaha... It was nearly half an hour before my friend stepped out of the room, all dressed up and muttering under her breath about how her husband couldn't fulfil her wish even on this special day. She turned into the living room, saw me and stood still zapped. Phew!!What a memorable moment that was.. :-) Once she was convinced I was really there, she couldnt stop screeching, told everyone who called about my surprise visit and then we got to making a quick lunch. 

Around 2pm, we were all piled into the car and on our way to Kalady, a place I had been wanting to visit forever but yet to. My grandparents, mom dad, uncle etc had all visited the place. And finally, it was happening. Kalady incidentally is just about 6kms from Nedumbassery Airport and the nearest station is 10kms away-Angamali railway station. Infact, we had to cross the airport and go down the road to reach Kalady. 

It was a fairly small village town that was nearly silent when wee reached there. We pulled into the parking lot near the temple and made our way to the temple. I noticed there were 2 temple complexes, one straight ahead and other on the right side. Friend told me the way to the river was between the two. Apparently there were steps leading to the river from the temple, but it had been sealed shut few years ago. 

We had to cross a small bridge of sorts to get into the temple, in the pond below were quite a few fish and turtles that had the kids excited. There was one shrine dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya as Dakshinamoorthi and the other is dedicated to Goddess Sharada. the temple is maintained by the Sringeri Mutt. 

On the left hand side, near the temple entrance is a black pole, which is said to be the exact place where Adi Sankaracharya was born. There is also another spot called "Brindavan", where Shankaracharya's mother Aryamba was cremated. There is a light that burns day and night here in the lamp within the box. 

The river here is referred to the "Crocodile Ghat". This is the place where the young Shankaracharya once got caught by a crocodile. Legend has it that his mother was dead against his taking Sanyasa and so went into the river and refusedd to come out till she agreed. This is when a crocodile got hold of him and would not let go. Once the mother gave him permission to take up Sanyas, the crocodile let go of his leg.   There is also a large hall in the temple where homams and small functions are held where the ceiling is lined with the entire story of Adi shankaracharya in image format. The paint was wearing off, letters fading away, we wished someone would maintain this better. 

As you walk to land from the river, on the left you will see the Shri Krishna temple, the family temple. Built in true Kerala style, this temple was beautiful. But because of the rains, we beat a hasty retreat to the car, had a quick hot cup of tea and headed back on the road towards Kochi. 

Legendary beginnings [Source: Wikipedia]

Legend holds that one day, the widowed mother of Little Sankara, Aryamba, fainted after walking three kilometers for her daily bath in the Periyar then known as Purna river. Feeling helpless, Little Sankara prayed to Lord Krishna. The tears of the child moved Krishna, who blessed him thus: "the river will flow where your little feet marks (കാലടി വരയുന്നിട്ത്തു നദി ഗതി ആവും). The Purna river took its new course in the place marked by the little boy's feet. That place came to be called Kalady.

The Purna river began flowing through Little Sankara's home garden. Sankara then installed Lord Krishna into the present temple, and marked the occasion by reciting his famous Ätchutha Ashtakam.

Thus 'Kalady' signifies the love of an innocent child for his beloved mother and the blessings of Lord Krishna[citation needed].

Skywatch Friday ... Racing ahead

It has been a week since I got back from a relaxed break. I spent a good 5days in Kochi with a friend and her family, doing nothing but unwinding.  One evening we headed out to the club but since it was raining, there were shamianas with seats beneath them. But luckily, made another trip to the place with friend another day when the Rain Gods were taking a break, and there was just a gentle drizzle through the 1st half of the day. 

The last time I was here, the water was way below this level, and flowed down slowly. But this time, since it was monsoons and crazy rains, the water was brimming to the top and raving ahead, taking with it anything that came in its way. 

These were taken near the make shift jetty near the Navy Institute.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Onam with colours...

The one thing i associate with Onam are flowers, i see elaborate kolams made with different flowers for days in advance. We have had Malayali neighbours, i have had friends and colleagues, and apaprently this kolam keeps expanding everyday.. they add a layer to it till the final Onam day. How wonderful is that..

Another speciality of Onam is the Onam Sadhya...The elaborate vegetarian feast.. A few years ago, 2 friends and i enjoyed a Sadhya at Ente Keralam... Watching people all decked up in white and gold saree, the beautiful ornament that is placed on the elephant's front, along the trunk... all of this shows how strong and vibrant their culture is.

It has been a few months since i visited Kerala, and today, on Onam I thought i'll write a post showcasing all the places and sights i have seen and enjoyed in Kerala...

 Padmanaba Swamy temple, Trivandrum

 Varkala Beach, Varkala

The Dutch Cemetry, Fort Kochi

Wishing everyone a very Happy Onam!!

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... :-)

Skywatch Friday- Serene

While in Kerala rather Kochi few weeks ago, I would go on lazy walks along the Fore shore road, a quiet street along the back waters. I kept telling my friend "why dint you guys get a house here" and she would retort "ya, right, like we have a choice in the navy"... The place seemed so surreal, so peaceful.. There is something about water that has me feeling good and happy.... 

I took this shot one day while walking  on another part of the Navy area, that was more open, the road that took us to the shipyard and the jetty and beyond..... it was a cool day, and yet the sun was shining bright..

This was one holiday that felt like a holiday. Yes, i dint have packed agendas, nor was i racing around town, since i had been to Kochi earlier, it was a peaceful unwinding holiday.. Spending time with my best friend, her family, meeting their friends, walking, absolutely relaxed dream vacation!! Looking forward to doing this once in a few months... :-)  

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Leaving Kochi in a blur....

As we raced to the airport, the one thing going on in my mind was "damn, we should probably have just booked ourselves on a later flight" n but another conflicting thought pounced in- "if flight were later, you'll be off exploring more places and who's to say you'd have had a journey any different than now".. Hmm, true! I knew we would definitely have either spent more time in the Dutch Palace, or hopped in for a quick visit to the Police museum or grabbed lunch en route..

The little over 24hrs in Fort Kochi was fun, amazing, interesting, tiring- but all in all a good experience! Got a taste of what Kochi offers and I sure hope to revisit some of the places or snoop around for more ..soon!!

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