Sahadev's World: KERALAM

(Munnar)

I had gone to Keral thrice; those were official visits. This time I went on a private tour. The name of state Keral, in the meantime, had been changed to Keralam. Shasi Tharoor raised a pertinent question; the people of Keral were called Keralites, what would they would be called now? I need not, of course, worry.

We reached Kochi at 2.30 PM. The hotel where we were to stay was 40 kms from the airport. On the way, we had our lunch at around 3 PM. A veg meal, the curry mixed with cocoanut grates. Served on banana leaves, the food was tasty. It cost only Rs. 125 per meal. We checked in hotel at 5.30 and went for marine drive at 6, evening.

Boats were anchored on the shore. The boatmen called us for boat ride. We did not. It was getting dark and we had also in our itinerary to stay one night in a boat house and a boat ride in Thekkedy. I had boat ride experience. I had come to attend Empowered Committee meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram in 2014. I was staying in Kovalam, the hotel arranged for us by Karal government. The government had arranged for the delegates for boat ride in Kolam, seventy kms away from Kovalam.

Near the bus stand at the marine drive, the sewerage of the city connects to the sea. The sewerage emanated pungent ammonia smell. Unbearable, I could not stay longer there. Keral is one of the richest states in the country, and is most educated. Unhygienic, and lack of cleanliness seemed incongruous. Local people and tourists were still enjoying and roaming on the drive.

In the dinner, the hotel had three or four kinds of fish curry, three types of chicken dishes and also one beef preparation. I had rice and fish curry. Our people avoided beef.

We visited Dutch Palace, St Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica in Kochi. We were a group of 29 including the tour manager. The group had 15 women. The women and even most of the men also were not conscious of history. They did not have interest in these monuments.

The Portuguese had built the palace and the churches in the 16^th century AD. The palace was built by the Portugese as a gift to the kingdom of Cochin. The Dutch had undertaken major repairs. The Dutch palace now operates as a museum.

(St. Francis Church)

The St Francis Church was built in 1503 AD, one of the oldest churches in India. Vasco da Gama was buried here. However, the remains of the body of Vasco da Gama were returned in 1539 AD and re-interred in a casket decorated with gold and jewels in Portugal.

After visiting Santa Cruz Basilica, we proceeded towards Munnar. On the way, we went to Pothys’s mall. The tour manager told to come back to the bus after making whatever purchases within forty-five minutes. But the ladies in the group were naturally fond of shopping. After repeated phone calls, all returned to the bus after one hour and fifteen minutes.

I met Patitapaban and his wife Gayatri. They were in our group. Patitapaban was an OATS officer, posted in Sonepur treasury. Having worked in the department for more than thirty years, I had a fraternal feeling for an officer of the same department.

(With Patitapaban and his wife Gayatri)

The distance between Kochi to Munnar is 126 kms. But the bus took more than five hours because of mountainous road. We reached Munnar in 8 in the night.

The tourist group had fifteen women and thirteen men; thirteen pairs of wife and husband and two single women. The guide told, in the echo point, if you called someone, his or her name would echo, provided you really love him or her. If you did not love, there would be no echo. No one called anyone; all kept mum.

Of course, this was a joke.

The lake is located in between mountains and jungles. High mountains and dense forests. The lake is full of water. If you call in a loud voice the name of someone, there will be echo because of the mountains and jungles and deep water of the lake. But, by the time we reached there, it was 11, forenoon, and there was rush of vehicles on the road, causing sound pollution. Perhaps, echo was not created for the sound pollutions of the vehicles.

(With Paresh; Chinese fishing net in the background, Kochi)

In the cultural village, they had arranged classical dance from 4 to 5 PM and 5 to 6 PM. I did not have the patience to wait to enjoy the dance programme. I had seen mohini attam and kuchupudi in my previous visits, and also in Bhubaneswar. The price of ticket was Rs.400 or Rs. 500. All except two ladies did not want to see. The two ladies were single women. They said that they would have massage in the spa before the show started. We had reached the venue at 3.30 PM.

We left them there and came to spice market and to visit Keral Farm. We would pick them up after their show was over on our return to hotel. One employee of the Keral Farm told us to give a free ride in their jeeps to the farm and an expert would explain us the utility of the medicinal plants and trees. We opted for visit to the farm. One employee of the farm explained us the plants and trees and their medicinal values. He brainwashed us for the efficacy of ayurvedic medicine prepared by the Keral Farm. The Farm spread fifty acres of medicinal plants and trees.

After we returned from the farm, I purchased ayurvedic medicine for my diabetes and many of us also purchased medicines for their illness. The medicine cost me Rs. 6000/. I have taken the medicines for three months. But I don’t feel any improvement. Now, I feel cheated.

After lunch, we waited for boat ride in Thekkady. But all tickets had been sold. Srinivash, the tour manager told he would come next day early in the morning at around 4, and book tickets for us. We had to leave the hotel for boat ride by 6 in the morning. Fifty percent of tickets available off line, and they sell 50 percent on line. We were not sure of getting tickets next day also, as large number of tourists came for boat ride.

(Elephant Safari)

We enjoyed elephant safari. The elephant took a round for twenty minutes, me and my wife sitting on its back. The path the elephant took was amidst spice plants. The cost of ticket Rs. 600 per person. The ride was exciting, though the price of tickets, Rs. 600 only for twenty minutes was high.

(Boat ride in Thekkedy)

It was 10, morning when we left Thekkady after boat ride, to Alleppey. We stayed in a boat house. It was 3.30, afternoon when we had our lunch in the boat house. They had served rice, sambar, veg fry and fish (pomfret) fry.

I was introduced to Mahesh Sahoo, ex-MLA, Talcher and ex-MP, Dhenkanal. He had come with his wife in this IRCTC package tour. He is a simple man and, perhaps, an honest politician. A four-time MLA and an MP, but he had come for visit in a group. Had he been a politician like others we see, he would have come alone and had a luxury travel. I noticed he had a simple Nokia phone without WhatsApp or internet, not an android one as we all had. We sat on the deck of the boat. He did not discuss politics. An honest, simple and sociable person.

(We with Mrs and Mr. Mahesh Sahoo)

The boat house we were put up in was not good. The blankets had not been washed for a long time. The toilets were not clean. But we enjoyed the stay; spending an afternoon, the night and the morning on a floating house. It was a pleasure to see the flying birds in a row, returning to their nests in the evening, and the fishermen catching fish in the middle of the sea.

(Trying to pilot the boat house)

We came from Alleppey to Thiruvananthapuram. On the way, we had our lunch in a hotel. A Keral thali; five kinds of chutney, brownish Keral rice, one banana and three kinds of payasam with other veg dishes. The cost was only Rs.260 per thali.

We reached Aazhimala Shiva temple of Kovalam at around 4, afternoon. A cave has been hewn and the Shiv image installed inside. After darshan of Lord Shiv we came out and had darshan of the Lord in the nearby temple. Situated on the sea shore, the temple, the cave and a tall Shiv image looked attractive and a favourite tourist spot.

(At Aazhimala Shiva, on the sea shore)

We went to the Kovalam beach, spent some time there and purchased a few t-shirts for my son as mementos. We reached the hotel and checked in at around 8.30, night.

(With poet Subas Sahoo and writer Paresh Patnaik on Kovalam beach)

Srinibash told us to wake up at 3 in the night to go to Swami Padmanav temple at 4, morning. The darshan time was from 6.30 to 7.30, and we had to stand in the queue. I did not want to go. I could not have patience to stand in the queue for a long time. I had also visited the temple and had darshan twice in my previous visits. Tila went with others and I stayed in the hotel.