https://shindebai.home.blog/2019/03/24/our-south-india-trip-kanyakumari-day-1-2/

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Every year we take a family trip and travel to various parts of India. This was our second trip to South India and this time we were going to explore the states of Tamilnadu and Kerala. Our plan was to start at the southernmost tip-Kanyakumari and travel our way northwards. There is a 24 hour direct train from Pune to Kanyakumari. The train journey was exhausting, I mean 24 hours is way too long to be sitting, eating and sleeping in a public train in India. My cousin and I were bored 5 hours into the journey and so started chatting with a guy who was heading back to his home from Pune for summer break. We ended up playing cards with him and his brother and years later, we are still in contact. It’s funny how friendships start. We reached early morning next day to Kanyakumari. Fun Fact- Kanyakumari Railway Station is the last station of the Indian Railway Track, you can actually see the dead end of the railroad which is mind-boggling!

After getting a much needed rest, in the evening we went to see the Vivekananda Rock Temple which is literally at the edge of the country. This is where land stops and you can see nothing but water ahead. This place is built on a rock and is a 10 minute ferry ride from the coast.

*As you enter, you see this shallow raised pond with small fishes in it.*

*My grandmother standing at the entrance 🙂*

*Foreground- Sabha Mandapam, Background- Dhyana Mandapam*

This rock is where Swami Vivekananda supposedly attained enlightenment. It was evening time and so there was a cool breeze as we wandered around the rock seeing all the structures. The architecture style used for this monument is the Mauryan Empire Style which was primarily used in Buddhist Stupas and other monuments.

*Dhyana Mandapam (Meditation Hall) where you can meditate for a while.*

*The Valluvar Statue at a distance- It is a 133 feet tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and philosopher- Valluvar.*

We wandered around for a while clicking pictures and watching the sun set in the distance. By the time we got back, we were exhausted and dozed off after a light dinner.

The next day we set off early to see the Thanumalayam Temple which is one of the oldest temples in Kanyakumari. The road was lined with coconut trees as far as the eyes could see. Kerala is filled with such picturesque views.

I love studying temples and spaces and this temple did not disappoint me. When we arrived, I couldn’t take my eyes off this 8 storeyed gopuram– entrance tower, with hundreds of statues, each intricately detailed.

*This temple is known for its elaborate sculptures carved in stone*

Our day had started with praying and seeing some wonderful heritage left behind. Ending here for now, more to come! Day 2 continues with visiting the largest wooden structure in Asia and enjoying a ride in Kerala’s backwaters

Our South India Trip – Kanyakumari Day 2 continued

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We left the Thanumalayam Temple and head north-west to Padmanabhapuram Palace, about 45 minutes away. You have to park outside, no vehicles are permitted within the Palace complex gates. This palace is the oldest, largest, wooden palace standing to date in Asia.

*Sculptures welcoming you at the entrance.*

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since we arrived and already I was lost in the architecture, the heritage, and the beauty of this place. Kerala gets a lot of rainfall and hence the architecture is of sloping roofs with overhangs and so it has this unique roof architecture, (Taccusastra-Science of carpentry), with intricately carved wooden louvers having birds and floral motifs which I’ve not seen anywhere else.

*Spacial juxtapositions, volumes, and play of light and shadow have an important part in the traditional Kerala style architecture.*

Extreme weather conditions call for climate responsive architecture- over here the transition from sun to shadow is beautiful. The buildings open up into small courtyards which act as nodes and ventilation spaces.

Mantrasala- the King’s Council Chamber- the raised platform behind was actually filled with dried herbs so that the cool breeze from the outside would bring in pleasant smells and take away the dampness, sort of like a potpourri.

*The ceiling has over 90 different flowers carved with precision and lacquered.*

*Privacy is maintained when building screens or jaali walls where a person from outside cannot see a thing inside!*

*200 year old Guard tower- wish they could place the services more discreetly*

*The King’s Bed- gifted by the Chinese merchants has various timber used which have healing properties. The carvings also show the Hermes staff in the center.*

The passage wall is nothing but a wooden screen punctured with designs and supported by columns- it makes an old dull passage so much more interesting to walk on! Plus it provides light and ventilation too.

*All windows and punctures have unique views of the complex.*

The Nataksala-Performance Hall is known for its polished gleaming floor. The floor is actually made out of a mixture of river sand, burnt coconut shells, charcoal, jaggery, lime and egg whites. The sheen is still apparent after over 500 years.

*Finally we made it back to the entrance! Thank God we started early as it was even crowded than before.*

After roaming about for 2 hours we were exhausted. It was almost noon, we went outside and saw lots of small stalls selling coconut water and other beverages. We had some refreshing, cool coconut water and head off to have lunch.

Our South India Trip- Kanyakumari Day 2 Backwaters

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After a long day of visiting temples and Padmanabhapuram Palace, we had lunch and were on our way to see the backwaters.

The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. Source-Wikipedia

This particular backwater spot is located on the Neyyar River, about an hour drive from Padmanabhapuram Palace. There are different varieties of boats you can choose from- either a standard open boat with a cover on top or a houseboat varying in size. For this trip we went with the standard boat but if you’re a tourist and want a real authentic experience, do go for the houseboat.

As we went further into the channel, the waterscape shifted to more of a mangrove trail with canopies of trees around the channel. It’s hard to see but you can hear the birds and insects clearly over here. Every sound gets doubled in intensity, every drop of water can be heard.

*Sun dappled waterways with birds chirping, crickets singing their songs on the way.*

*The boat-rider takes you through such small mangrove trails*

The spatial patterns are interesting here, from wide ways at the start, to smaller enclosed trails, and wide again, this makes the journey enjoyable.

*You enter into the wide open channel again*

*This is where you can see the lake widen and a part of the Poovar beach ahead.*

At some point you reach the long strip of Poovar Beach, and adjacent to it is the Arabian Sea. You can see clearly from where the sea water enters the lake and forms backwaters. There are a lot of resorts and floating cottages next to the beach.

*Neyyar Lake, Poovar Beach, and the Arabian Sea ahead!*

*Floating Cottages in front of the Poovar Beach*

*Pieta Sculpture on a rock in between the lake and the beach*

*The Elephant Rock standing solemnly surrounded by water*

This was my first experience seeing the backwaters of Kerala. I do visit again after some years but at a different location and in a houseboat! I love the backwaters, they have this element of mystery to them. The nearly still waters makes you shut off the chaos in your head and let your thoughts clarify somehow. We spent some time on a nearby beach then and left for our hotel. Such a fun day filled with a lot of beautiful places

Our South India Trip-Thiruvananthapuram Day 3

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The Thiruvananthapuram Zoo is located right in the heart of the city Thiruvananthapuram, which is the capital of Kerala. The zoo is sprawled across 55 acres of land and houses botanical gardens, carefully manicured lawns, ponds, swamps, woodlands, and even an art gallery. This zoo has as many as 82 species of animals.

The IUCN- International Union for Conservation of nature has declared the lion-tailed macaque as endangered.

*Lion-tailed macaque waiting patiently for me to take a photo*

*Shaded pathways make the walk comfortable and pleasant*

*When the blue of the fence matches the vibrant hue of the graceful peacock*

*An elephant walking among people- it’s all good!*

The Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal for India and Bangladesh. On the IUCN Red List as Endangered.

*Manu the tiger-couldn’t capture this beauty properly but look at him!*

*Sree Chitra Art Gallery- A must visit, featuring many works of Raja Ravi Varma*

Raja Ravi Varma is considered one of the greatest Indian painters. I love his works especially the detailing he does on the jewelry worn by the portraits, the expressions and the poses- it’s simply beautiful. Some of his famous works-

We were spent after all the walking, and went for a nice lunch in the city. Everyone was excited to go to our next destination- The Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Although from afar it looks like any old temple in Kerala, it came into limelight in June 2011, when an enormous amount of gold, diamonds and other precious stones were found in some of its secret chambers were opened. The temple has 6 secret vaults. Vaults A, C, D, E and F were opened and the amount of treasure found there has solidified the fact that it is the wealthiest place of worship on Earth estimating its value to be 1.2 lac crore or (17 billion USD)! Vault B (the largest vault) remains closed as it is said that opening it might give the person an ill fortune and can lead to his death. Read more about it here- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple#Controversies

*Padmanabhaswamy Temple Complex, source – Wikipedia*

There is a dress code when you enter the temple complex. As I entered the old 16th century Gopuram, I stepped into a different world. The interiors are of stone, oil lamps are placed in niches and on surfaces and light up the huge space. The evening prayers are heard and the traditional instruments clang noisily, making reverberations as they hit the walls. The queue goes forward pretty quickly, I can’t take enough of this place! It takes me back to the time when it was built and makes me wonder how did they place those solid rock beams? how long did it take to carve this particularly beautiful sculpture? The security is tight everywhere and you cannot dawdle. We offered our prayers, saw the temple complex and left.

I like going back to photos and remembering things when I see a particular picture. There was no photography allowed inside and I have a very weak memory! I want to go back there one more time, take it all in and write down everything I see the moment I exit the premises. At times like this I wish I had a Pensieve so that I can store a memory immediately and play it over in my head whenever I feel like. 🙂

Day 4- Visiting the tea gardens of Munnar!

Our South India Trip- Munnar Day 4

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We started off early the next morning and were on our way to Munnar. The journey was pleasant as the temperature decreased considerably and the air started getting cooler.

We stopped on our way to visit a spice garden where they showed us how to identify different spices and their cultivation techniques. Kerala- is also known as land of spices and does some major exporting of spices throughout the world. Some of the popular spices grown here are- Black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, and bay leaves. After visiting the spice garden we went to visit a tea museum and factory where the entire process of tea making can be seen. The place is filled with tea aromas and you don’t feel like leaving this place! The cultivation of tea in Munnar started during the British era and has grown tremendously since then.

We reached our hotel by noon and checked in. After having a quick brunch we set off again to see a botanical garden nearby. There are a lot of different flowering plants and succulents cultivated here.

At this point it’s safe to say that I love clicking pictures of flowers haha 🙂

*My Grandpa just chilling in the middle of the walkway*

We stopped for sometime at a small park with a lake before going back to the hotel.

*My uncle and aunt having fun on these rudimentary swings!*

We waited long enough to watch the sun disappear between the trees and headed back. This was a day well spent. Munnar is lovely, I could sit and wander about in the tree gardens for hours on end without getting bored. This place is a must visit when you visit Kerala