Visit Kerala-God’s Own Country
Visit Kerala-God’s Own Country
I was working in the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Orissa in 1974 when I got a call for interview from the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute situated in Trivandrum, Kerala. Before this in the Rice Research Institute I had got the idea of Kerala as some of the scientists and other staff were from Kerala and we celebrated Onam with them and had taste of Kerala food and culture,
It was my first visit to Kerala and I was happy to visit the green country down south.
My first experiences of Kerala were through train. I still remember the fair and beautiful woman who boarded the train as we neared Kerala and occupied the berth before me.
There was a difference in the countryside the moment the train entered Kerala state, as there were trees and greenery all around where as in Tamil Nadu there were more fields and less trees.
At the Ernakulam railway station the relative of a colleague who was from Kerala met me.
He took me around Ernakulam and Cochin. I saw the churches and Chinese fishing nets along the Fort Kochi sea face.
Then he took me to their traditional home with tiled sloping roofs situated amidst dense greenery in a big compound. The compound was full of coconut, jackfruit, drumstick, mango, imli and banana trees; coffee plants; pepper climbers; tapioca and the big leaved yams and arvi.
I had a traditional Kerala style welcome with lamps and flower garland. The lunch was in the main room with a high sloping roof. We sat on the ground on mats and had banana leaves for plates. My friend’s brother poured water all around the banana leaf plate and I did the same. It was presumably to keep off the ants climbing on to the food plate. I was served traditional vegetarian sadya dishes which included parboiled rice, dal with ghee, variety of vegetables including yam or artichoke, avial (mix of many vegetables), sambhar with pieces of sahijana or drumstick, variety of chutneys, mango pickle, rasam, banana chips both salty and sweet, bananas, sweet poli along with payasams.
On my way to Trivandrum by train I was very impressed by the greenery and the abundance of water. I remember the sight of bright greenery somewhere before the Varkala station. I have faint memories of that visit to Trivandrum.
What I remember is that I had to meet a relative of my colleague in Trivandrum on way to Kanya Kumari. As I went up and down the sloping roads a huge dark cloud came suddenly and drenched me fully. Just then I located the bungalow. I was very embarrassed as I rang the bell. The door opened and they immediately put me at ease telling that it was common to get such sudden bursts of rain from passing rainy clouds; hence some people wore lungis and walked bare feet or wore rubber slippers. I remember having gone to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple to have darshan but there was a very long queue and men were allowed inside with bare chests and only in dhotis.
As I had my programme all booked in advance I could not miss the next transport to Kanya Kumari, so I left. I found houses all along the road. At Kanya Kumari I visited the Vivekananda Rock memorial by the ferry service. I saw the sunset and sunrise. The feeling of being at the southernmost part of India and the sight of the three oceans the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal meeting at this place, overwhelmed me. I visited the Kanya Kumari temple. I bought packets of coloured sands and decorative pieces made of seashells, which were my treasured possessions for a long time but were thrown out as garbage after marriage.
I then returned to where I was working.
Later I got a posting on promotion as Commissioner South Kerala and I went and joined there. I took my wife as everyone said it was a state worth visiting. In spite of the family problems created by the change, internally I felt happy as I was going to a very green state.
Anyway the first visit to Kerala by flight was from Pune to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Thriruvananthapuram Airport. I tried to make out the ports of Karwar, Panaji, Marmagoa, Mangalore and Cochin. We passed over some small islands.
I could see the coastline and the topography of Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka on the way. The topography changed totally as the plane came over Kerala.It was suddenly all dark green and interspersed with lighter green patches of fields. There were views of snaking dark bluish rivers and vast water bodies. There were clouds on some wooded peaks. Then the plane took a semi circular swoop around from over the Arabian Sea on towards the coast. I looked down to sea the waves rippling on the sea and some multi coloured sails of boats looked attractive. The pilot announced that we were flying over the coastal resort of Kovalam, the weather was rainy and that we were to land at Trivandrum Airport shortly. As I looked out trying to look for Trivandrum city I only saw a vast carpet of the tops of coconut trees with a few buildings peeping above. I felt that Trivandrum was a very small town.
Suddenly the plane came in over the beach and flew over a big mosque and we were over the airport and landed. Outside rain was lashing. We came out and boarded the coach, while the rain subsided a little. I was met with bouquets and garlands by the staff, eagerly waiting for their first regular Commissioner posted to a newly created Commissionerate.
It was a very small airport.
I moved out and passed through a small fishing village then came the Shankhamukham (Shanghumugham) Beach. To the right was a big sloping roofed building next to a children’s park, showing the name India Coffee House with its turbaned and uniformed waiters. I was told there was a big badminton hall inside. To the left was a small but regal building. It was a building owned by the Maharajas of Travancore. There were two structures of stone on both sides of the road. There were people going around a big stone sculpture showing the sensuous figure of a mermaid on a grassy mound. The rain had subsided and there were patches of water on the roads. There was a delay in reaching the office because of a road blockage.
Once in office I asked the ADC who belonged to Lakshadweep as to what were the places to see in Trivandrum.His answer was “Sir, what is there to see in Trivandrum”.
As I loved traveling and sightseeing along with photography and hoped to write about my experiences, I got some information on the sight seeing places from a brochure on Kerala and pamphlets from Kerala Tourism. They had given a slogan or logo Visit Kerala- “God’s Own Country”. I felt happy with this.
The reason being that God had bestowed so much to the country by way of a long sea coast with many beautiful beaches and lagoons, the hills of the Western Ghats, heavy rain, pleasing greenery in all its shades and variations, streams, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, backwaters, forests, wildlife and natural beauty. Man had given it habitations, plantations, culture, religion, places of worship, cuisine and modern development.
In my first visit way back in 1974 I had not been able to visit the temple of Shree Padmanabhaswamy.This time I had decided to visit the temple and the same day in the evening I had a darshan of Lord Vishnu –the big golden image in a reclining position with the sacred multiheaded serpent Anantha behind, a lotus- Padma emerging from the navel- nabhi and infant Brahma on the lotus.
I came to know that the new name Thiruvananthapuram was actually the old name of Trivandrum. Perhaps the British for ease of pronunciation had changed the name to Trivandrum. The city -puram of Thiruvananthapuram was named after the mythological sacred –Thiru, serpent-Anantha. I also came to know that Thiruvananthapuram was originally a city built by the Maharajas of Travancore on seven forested hills and they had encouraged coconut cultivation around houses to help the people in improving their economy.
I had earlier delved into philately and had been impressed by the stamps of Travancore- Cochin and Travancore State issued prior to independence of India and abolition of princely states. These showed the conch shell (Shankha) along with two elephants, which was the Royal insignia of the Maharajas of Travancore.
The city of Thiruvananthapuram thus had places worth seeing linked to the rule of the Maharajas e.g. the huge Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple with its interesting gopuram; the Napier Museum (photogenic) complex with the Shree Chitra Art gallery having among others Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings on display, zoo, Chitra Thirunal art gallery, natural history museum; the beautiful Kanakakunnu palace (photogenic); the heritage building of the Trivandrum Golf Club situated in Kowdiar (a posh locality), built around 1850; the Kowdiar palace,
There was another museum near the Padmanabhaswamy Swamy temple to be seen.
In addition one could visit the Ganpati temple, planetarium, observatory, Tropical Botanical garden. It was good to visit the Veli lagoon with its good garden, sculptures, and small sea beach and have boat rides in to the backwaters and Akkulam Lake.
Vellayani Lake was also much reported in the newspapers for a place to visit.
The new and very impressive State Legislative Building, the various churches, mosques, temples in almost every locality dedicated to various “devis”including the Attukal Bhagavathy temple, the Parashuram temple near the river on way to Kovalam, the
Nayyar Dam, Kallar with its pebbly river and wild forests, Ponmudi Hill station with its KTDC resort and surrounded by tea gardens and spices plantations, Thenmala Ecotourism Project with forest huts, walkways, trekking, lake and boating, were other travel and tourism places.
Near Trivandrum were the world famous beaches at Kovalam.We had two rooms for the departmental officers and staff through the Customs Welfare Fund in the Best Western Swagath Hotel at Kovalam.To the north of Kovalam were boating and backwater rides on a river near the Parashuram Temple.
An out of this world place is Poovar which has a few resorts including one which has floating cottages situated on calm backwaters just behind the beach and the lashing waves and foam of the sea.
Varkala beach with red crumbling cliffs, with place connected with Narayan Guru was on way to Kollam.
The Sabarimala Ayyapa temple situated in the forested hills near Pathanamthitta, Punalur past Pamba River has devotees increasing every year.
Shencottah has nice hills and river ambience with an old railway line.
Kollam, two and a half hours drive north from Trivandrum on NH 47 had the famous Ashtamudi Lakes, and an old Government Guest House near it.
Further up on NH 47 an hour and a half drive was Alleppey-the Venice of India with waterways in the city, a beach with beach resorts and the famous backwaters and Vembanad Lake cruises starting from here.
Moving to Kottayam, famous for its rice fields, books and printing and churches, about an hour and a half from Aleppey one could visit the famous backwaters of Kumarakom.This place has a number of high end resorts e.g. The Taj, Coconut Grove, the Abad resort, Kumarakom Lake resort and a few others and the cheaper KTDC resort. One can do bird watching in the early morning with help of guides and take boat rides in the backwaters and the Vembanad Lake. A variety of houseboats with modern facilities have come up on the backwaters and lakes of Kerala with varying rates and packages.
One can go to the hills of Kumily going past some tea gardens and visit Thekkady and have experience of sitting on a raft to cross for a forest trek in the forest reserve and see a variety of wild life including birds, flying squirrels, tigers and elephants and do boating in the Periyar Lake.
Ernakulam Cochin is the commercial capital of Kerala.There is a big seaport and naval establishment with a naval Golf course. There are a lot of water bodies, islands and the sea around Cochin. Bolgatty Island has the Bolgatty Palace-- a KTDC hotel with a small golf course around it. Of the palaces, Tripunithira Palace is on the tourist map. One can drive two to three hours to the high ranges and visit lovely Munnar (it means three rivers). One can stay with KTDC or many private hotels.
If one can manage then try for the High Range Club accommodation (there is a small but beautiful golf course here) or the Tea estates Guesthouses or accommodation in tea estate Manager’s bungalows. Of the excursions Kundale dam is worth visiting and if you play golf get it arranged in advance for the exclusive golf club there. If you want to see wild goats- the Nilgiri Tahr, then Eravikulam sanctuary is the place to visit. Munnar hills are also beautifully covered with tea gardens. The wild hills are home to the Nilkurinji flowers, which bloom once in twelve years.
From Ernakulam one can visit Guruvayoor Shree Krishna Temple if one is eligible for entry. Further up one can go to Calicut (now called Kozhikode) and go and see the beach where Vasco da Gama landed long back.
If one wants to go into deep forests the place to visit is Wayanad.The huts on the tall trees branches high above ground are liked by many an adventurous and brave tourist.
There are many beaches and beach resorts along the coast of Kerala. Kerala has also become famous for its Ayurvedic massages and Ayurvedic resorts some of which are situated near beaches. Many foreign tourists come and have variety of treatments in different costly packages- the most favoured being the ones during the monsoons.
It is learnt that there are a few old caves with Jain idols near Vizhinjam south of Kovalam but I could not see them. There is however a Jain temple made by the Gujaratis at Alleppey and also one in Ernakulam.
One can enjoy the tasty and healthy Kerala cuisine right from breakfast to dinner.
The culture of Kerala is a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian.
There are fishermen, boatmen, rice farmers, coconut growers, cashew and spices plantations, coir workers, teachers, nurses, people, wildlife, trees and plants, birds and butterflies, elephants and colourful processions and...
I loved God’s Own Country for the bounties and beauties nature had bestowed upon this beautiful land. I could not have all of it. A lot remained to be seen. But I am thankful to the all-powerful that when a door was closed for me another was opened into God’s Own Country, providing me with the greenery of nature, abundant fresh and healthy unpolluted air and leaving me with wonderful memories of nature and culture, filling my heart with childlike joys and enriching my pristine soul.
Rakesh Kumar Jain, ICCES
Commissioner—TAR, 30th March/ April 27 /May 23 2007 Nagpur
I was working in the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Orissa in 1974 when I got a call for interview from the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute situated in Trivandrum, Kerala. Before this in the Rice Research Institute I had got the idea of Kerala as some of the scientists and other staff were from Kerala and we celebrated Onam with them and had taste of Kerala food and culture,
It was my first visit to Kerala and I was happy to visit the green country down south.
My first experiences of Kerala were through train. I still remember the fair and beautiful woman who boarded the train as we neared Kerala and occupied the berth before me.
There was a difference in the countryside the moment the train entered Kerala state, as there were trees and greenery all around where as in Tamil Nadu there were more fields and less trees.
At the Ernakulam railway station the relative of a colleague who was from Kerala met me.
He took me around Ernakulam and Cochin. I saw the churches and Chinese fishing nets along the Fort Kochi sea face.
Then he took me to their traditional home with tiled sloping roofs situated amidst dense greenery in a big compound. The compound was full of coconut, jackfruit, drumstick, mango, imli and banana trees; coffee plants; pepper climbers; tapioca and the big leaved yams and arvi.
I had a traditional Kerala style welcome with lamps and flower garland. The lunch was in the main room with a high sloping roof. We sat on the ground on mats and had banana leaves for plates. My friend’s brother poured water all around the banana leaf plate and I did the same. It was presumably to keep off the ants climbing on to the food plate. I was served traditional vegetarian sadya dishes which included parboiled rice, dal with ghee, variety of vegetables including yam or artichoke, avial (mix of many vegetables), sambhar with pieces of sahijana or drumstick, variety of chutneys, mango pickle, rasam, banana chips both salty and sweet, bananas, sweet poli along with payasams.
On my way to Trivandrum by train I was very impressed by the greenery and the abundance of water. I remember the sight of bright greenery somewhere before the Varkala station. I have faint memories of that visit to Trivandrum.
What I remember is that I had to meet a relative of my colleague in Trivandrum on way to Kanya Kumari. As I went up and down the sloping roads a huge dark cloud came suddenly and drenched me fully. Just then I located the bungalow. I was very embarrassed as I rang the bell. The door opened and they immediately put me at ease telling that it was common to get such sudden bursts of rain from passing rainy clouds; hence some people wore lungis and walked bare feet or wore rubber slippers. I remember having gone to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple to have darshan but there was a very long queue and men were allowed inside with bare chests and only in dhotis.
As I had my programme all booked in advance I could not miss the next transport to Kanya Kumari, so I left. I found houses all along the road. At Kanya Kumari I visited the Vivekananda Rock memorial by the ferry service. I saw the sunset and sunrise. The feeling of being at the southernmost part of India and the sight of the three oceans the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal meeting at this place, overwhelmed me. I visited the Kanya Kumari temple. I bought packets of coloured sands and decorative pieces made of seashells, which were my treasured possessions for a long time but were thrown out as garbage after marriage.
I then returned to where I was working.
Later I got a posting on promotion as Commissioner South Kerala and I went and joined there. I took my wife as everyone said it was a state worth visiting. In spite of the family problems created by the change, internally I felt happy as I was going to a very green state.
Anyway the first visit to Kerala by flight was from Pune to Mumbai and from Mumbai to Thriruvananthapuram Airport. I tried to make out the ports of Karwar, Panaji, Marmagoa, Mangalore and Cochin. We passed over some small islands.
I could see the coastline and the topography of Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka on the way. The topography changed totally as the plane came over Kerala.It was suddenly all dark green and interspersed with lighter green patches of fields. There were views of snaking dark bluish rivers and vast water bodies. There were clouds on some wooded peaks. Then the plane took a semi circular swoop around from over the Arabian Sea on towards the coast. I looked down to sea the waves rippling on the sea and some multi coloured sails of boats looked attractive. The pilot announced that we were flying over the coastal resort of Kovalam, the weather was rainy and that we were to land at Trivandrum Airport shortly. As I looked out trying to look for Trivandrum city I only saw a vast carpet of the tops of coconut trees with a few buildings peeping above. I felt that Trivandrum was a very small town.
Suddenly the plane came in over the beach and flew over a big mosque and we were over the airport and landed. Outside rain was lashing. We came out and boarded the coach, while the rain subsided a little. I was met with bouquets and garlands by the staff, eagerly waiting for their first regular Commissioner posted to a newly created Commissionerate.
It was a very small airport.
I moved out and passed through a small fishing village then came the Shankhamukham (Shanghumugham) Beach. To the right was a big sloping roofed building next to a children’s park, showing the name India Coffee House with its turbaned and uniformed waiters. I was told there was a big badminton hall inside. To the left was a small but regal building. It was a building owned by the Maharajas of Travancore. There were two structures of stone on both sides of the road. There were people going around a big stone sculpture showing the sensuous figure of a mermaid on a grassy mound. The rain had subsided and there were patches of water on the roads. There was a delay in reaching the office because of a road blockage.
Once in office I asked the ADC who belonged to Lakshadweep as to what were the places to see in Trivandrum.His answer was “Sir, what is there to see in Trivandrum”.
As I loved traveling and sightseeing along with photography and hoped to write about my experiences, I got some information on the sight seeing places from a brochure on Kerala and pamphlets from Kerala Tourism. They had given a slogan or logo Visit Kerala- “God’s Own Country”. I felt happy with this.
The reason being that God had bestowed so much to the country by way of a long sea coast with many beautiful beaches and lagoons, the hills of the Western Ghats, heavy rain, pleasing greenery in all its shades and variations, streams, rivers, waterfalls, lakes, backwaters, forests, wildlife and natural beauty. Man had given it habitations, plantations, culture, religion, places of worship, cuisine and modern development.
In my first visit way back in 1974 I had not been able to visit the temple of Shree Padmanabhaswamy.This time I had decided to visit the temple and the same day in the evening I had a darshan of Lord Vishnu –the big golden image in a reclining position with the sacred multiheaded serpent Anantha behind, a lotus- Padma emerging from the navel- nabhi and infant Brahma on the lotus.
I came to know that the new name Thiruvananthapuram was actually the old name of Trivandrum. Perhaps the British for ease of pronunciation had changed the name to Trivandrum. The city -puram of Thiruvananthapuram was named after the mythological sacred –Thiru, serpent-Anantha. I also came to know that Thiruvananthapuram was originally a city built by the Maharajas of Travancore on seven forested hills and they had encouraged coconut cultivation around houses to help the people in improving their economy.
I had earlier delved into philately and had been impressed by the stamps of Travancore- Cochin and Travancore State issued prior to independence of India and abolition of princely states. These showed the conch shell (Shankha) along with two elephants, which was the Royal insignia of the Maharajas of Travancore.
The city of Thiruvananthapuram thus had places worth seeing linked to the rule of the Maharajas e.g. the huge Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple with its interesting gopuram; the Napier Museum (photogenic) complex with the Shree Chitra Art gallery having among others Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings on display, zoo, Chitra Thirunal art gallery, natural history museum; the beautiful Kanakakunnu palace (photogenic); the heritage building of the Trivandrum Golf Club situated in Kowdiar (a posh locality), built around 1850; the Kowdiar palace,
There was another museum near the Padmanabhaswamy Swamy temple to be seen.
In addition one could visit the Ganpati temple, planetarium, observatory, Tropical Botanical garden. It was good to visit the Veli lagoon with its good garden, sculptures, and small sea beach and have boat rides in to the backwaters and Akkulam Lake.
Vellayani Lake was also much reported in the newspapers for a place to visit.
The new and very impressive State Legislative Building, the various churches, mosques, temples in almost every locality dedicated to various “devis”including the Attukal Bhagavathy temple, the Parashuram temple near the river on way to Kovalam, the
Nayyar Dam, Kallar with its pebbly river and wild forests, Ponmudi Hill station with its KTDC resort and surrounded by tea gardens and spices plantations, Thenmala Ecotourism Project with forest huts, walkways, trekking, lake and boating, were other travel and tourism places.
Near Trivandrum were the world famous beaches at Kovalam.We had two rooms for the departmental officers and staff through the Customs Welfare Fund in the Best Western Swagath Hotel at Kovalam.To the north of Kovalam were boating and backwater rides on a river near the Parashuram Temple.
An out of this world place is Poovar which has a few resorts including one which has floating cottages situated on calm backwaters just behind the beach and the lashing waves and foam of the sea.
Varkala beach with red crumbling cliffs, with place connected with Narayan Guru was on way to Kollam.
The Sabarimala Ayyapa temple situated in the forested hills near Pathanamthitta, Punalur past Pamba River has devotees increasing every year.
Shencottah has nice hills and river ambience with an old railway line.
Kollam, two and a half hours drive north from Trivandrum on NH 47 had the famous Ashtamudi Lakes, and an old Government Guest House near it.
Further up on NH 47 an hour and a half drive was Alleppey-the Venice of India with waterways in the city, a beach with beach resorts and the famous backwaters and Vembanad Lake cruises starting from here.
Moving to Kottayam, famous for its rice fields, books and printing and churches, about an hour and a half from Aleppey one could visit the famous backwaters of Kumarakom.This place has a number of high end resorts e.g. The Taj, Coconut Grove, the Abad resort, Kumarakom Lake resort and a few others and the cheaper KTDC resort. One can do bird watching in the early morning with help of guides and take boat rides in the backwaters and the Vembanad Lake. A variety of houseboats with modern facilities have come up on the backwaters and lakes of Kerala with varying rates and packages.
One can go to the hills of Kumily going past some tea gardens and visit Thekkady and have experience of sitting on a raft to cross for a forest trek in the forest reserve and see a variety of wild life including birds, flying squirrels, tigers and elephants and do boating in the Periyar Lake.
Ernakulam Cochin is the commercial capital of Kerala.There is a big seaport and naval establishment with a naval Golf course. There are a lot of water bodies, islands and the sea around Cochin. Bolgatty Island has the Bolgatty Palace-- a KTDC hotel with a small golf course around it. Of the palaces, Tripunithira Palace is on the tourist map. One can drive two to three hours to the high ranges and visit lovely Munnar (it means three rivers). One can stay with KTDC or many private hotels.
If one can manage then try for the High Range Club accommodation (there is a small but beautiful golf course here) or the Tea estates Guesthouses or accommodation in tea estate Manager’s bungalows. Of the excursions Kundale dam is worth visiting and if you play golf get it arranged in advance for the exclusive golf club there. If you want to see wild goats- the Nilgiri Tahr, then Eravikulam sanctuary is the place to visit. Munnar hills are also beautifully covered with tea gardens. The wild hills are home to the Nilkurinji flowers, which bloom once in twelve years.
From Ernakulam one can visit Guruvayoor Shree Krishna Temple if one is eligible for entry. Further up one can go to Calicut (now called Kozhikode) and go and see the beach where Vasco da Gama landed long back.
If one wants to go into deep forests the place to visit is Wayanad.The huts on the tall trees branches high above ground are liked by many an adventurous and brave tourist.
There are many beaches and beach resorts along the coast of Kerala. Kerala has also become famous for its Ayurvedic massages and Ayurvedic resorts some of which are situated near beaches. Many foreign tourists come and have variety of treatments in different costly packages- the most favoured being the ones during the monsoons.
It is learnt that there are a few old caves with Jain idols near Vizhinjam south of Kovalam but I could not see them. There is however a Jain temple made by the Gujaratis at Alleppey and also one in Ernakulam.
One can enjoy the tasty and healthy Kerala cuisine right from breakfast to dinner.
The culture of Kerala is a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian.
There are fishermen, boatmen, rice farmers, coconut growers, cashew and spices plantations, coir workers, teachers, nurses, people, wildlife, trees and plants, birds and butterflies, elephants and colourful processions and...
I loved God’s Own Country for the bounties and beauties nature had bestowed upon this beautiful land. I could not have all of it. A lot remained to be seen. But I am thankful to the all-powerful that when a door was closed for me another was opened into God’s Own Country, providing me with the greenery of nature, abundant fresh and healthy unpolluted air and leaving me with wonderful memories of nature and culture, filling my heart with childlike joys and enriching my pristine soul.
Rakesh Kumar Jain, ICCES
Commissioner—TAR, 30th March/ April 27 /May 23 2007 Nagpur
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