Travel

Travel

A passage to Kumarakom, a non-stop feast for eyes

day goes till the evening. Then it is anchored on the shores for the night. The journey starts again the next morning to reach the destination. Boating is banned between 6 pm to 6 am as the local fishermen cast their net for fishing. The captain of the house boat we travelled in has been in this profession for many years, Joseph Jacob, “There were around 300 boats in the year 2000 but there are around 650 boats now, that’s the kind of growth you can see in this trade,” he says. He also adds that tourists are all treated like kings. The locals realise that they bring money inflow to this region. And there has not been a single instant of crime incident involving the tourists. The tourists can totally relax. We travelled with our Japanese friends who were very excited to be in India. They were totally in love with this country and its people.

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ouse Boats are one of the major tourist attractions in Kerala. All through the year we can see people flocking from across the world to have a glimpse into the heartland of Kerala. Our cruise started from Pallathuruthi at Alleppey. We were provided with a welcome drink as soon as we were on the houseboat also known as Kettuvallams. The moment we set sail, it is a non stop feast for our eyes. Lush green fields, coconut trees, shore side houses, kids waving, canoes, cranes, storks are some of the familiar sights. At some point you will see only stretches of water with umpteen number of house boats. The house boats are moving star hotels. We stayed in two well furnished air conditioned bedrooms with attached shower and toilets. We were provided with 3 wholesome meals and it had an authentic Kerala taste. Any special delicacy also can be ordered at extra rates depending on your choice of food. If you are lucky 40

enough you can see some rare birds in action catching their prey or relaxing in the waters. Kerala has over 900 km of interconnected waterways, rivers, lakes and inlets that make up the Kerala backwaters. The backwaters have a unique ecosystem – freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. In certain areas – barrages have been built to prevent salt water from the sea to enter the rivers. We sailed via Vembanaadu lake, Meenapalli lake and Pamba river before reaching Kumarakom. People use this water both for drinking and bathing, it is also used for irrigation. Some family use small boats and canoes for reaching from one shore to the other. We can even see woman paddling through the water channels. Every house boat usually has a crew of 4 members. The captain is in charge of steers, engine supervisor, chef and a person for anchoring and errand jobs inside the house boat are the other members. A cruise on these boats starts mid ed matrix MAY 2008

For Saori, an aspiring student from Tokyo, a cruise in the backwaters of Kerala is like a fantasy. He expressed his desire to come India often just to relax in the scenic beauty of Kerala and to watch sunrise and sunset in a natural ambience. For Takeshi, professional dancer and writer, a trip to Kerala is a rejuvenating experience. He wishes to bring his friends, to share his delight of strolling near the bewitching backwaters of Kerala. He never fails to get for himself an ayurveda massage, everytime he comes. After the overnight stay, we started cruising around 8 am and in a couple of hours we reached the famous Kumarakom. There are innumerable number of beach resorts which dot the entire stretch. Unwillingly we alighted from our house boat at Kumarakom after the tranquil voyage. A cruise through the backwaters of Kerala is a must in the list for travel geeks. Rajvee

TRAV E L Nakula and Sahadeva). There are also elephant and lion structures which stand close to the Five Rathas. Rathas literally mean chariots.

Mahabalipuram Rocks!!

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iger Caves – Don’t be startled by the name this is one of the travel spots just 5 kms before Mahabalipuram, 60 km south from the city of Chennai. There ain’t any tigers in these caves; it gets its name from one of the cave carved with images of many tiger faces. Situated at Saluvankuppam, this place is well fenced by the Archaeological Survey of India. There are small hillocks and huge rocks inside this campus that one can test their climbing skills. Surrounded by lots of shady trees with good grasslands people can have a relaxed afternoon with their loved ones. A small rock cut cave temple with inscriptions attracts a good number of visitors to Mahabalipuram. Two of my friends from Germany, Eleonore and Eduard wanted to see this place listed in the UNESCO world heritage site and architectural marvel of the Pallavas. Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. They were pretty excited to see the mammoth carvings and were so much in awe. Eleonore was totally impressed by the creative skills of the sculptors who managed to carve so many tiger faces 40

(around 15) from just a single piece of rock. She was fascinated by some lone huge rocks and managed to climb atleast a quarter of it. Eduard was doubly happy because he was impressed with the rock carvings and as the entry was free. He kept asking why there is always charges for everything that we try to do, entrance fees, parking, photography, even for using toilets (I don’t seem to have any answer for it). Then we entered the town to catch some of the other exciting artworks. We came to the Five Rathas and here, Eduard and I got into an argument. The entrance fee was Rs.10 for Indians and Rs.250 for foreigners which included entry for shore temples and Five Rathas. Then I had to convince him by coming up with a rather stupid view atleast to defend that we are right, “Indians pay 10 rupees but foreigners pay only 5 dollars infact Indians pay more”. Nevermind the argument stopped once we entered the 7th century dated Five Rathas. These are examples of monolithic structure (carved out of a single stone) during the reign of King Mahendravarman-I. The Five Rathas take their name after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, ed matrix june 2008

We headed to the most famous monument of Mahabalipuram. Just close to the shore of Bay of Bengal is the lone survivor of the so called seven temples. The shore temple is a structural temple built out of granites dating back to 8th century. The entire place is neatly fenced and huge boulders have been put around this place to avoid further erosion. It has three shrines two for Shiva lingas and one for a reclining Vishnu (the shrine for Vishnu has been closed for administrative reasons). When lit by moonlight it brings out the poet in you, with so much of charm and charisma. Then we went to Arjuna Penance, a 100 feet long monolithic structure with various figures of humans and animals is the site of the annual mamalla dance festival. Legend has it that this represents the penance of Arjuna standing on one leg to receive a boon for fighting against Kauravas in the Mahabharatha war. It is also filled with detailed carvings, including a family of elephants and monkeys. There are also many chambers close to it filled with sculptures of human and animal figures and in some case mix of human and animals as well like body of a lion and head of a human. Close to this site is the much talked about Krishna’s Butterball, a giant natural rock perched on a hillside. There is also a sculpture museum and a 1000 year old lighthouse. The view from the lighthouse is fabulous and the Dec 2004 tsunami has exposed some previously submerged temples and sculptures. The whole town of Mahabalipuram seems like an open air museum of art and architecture. There are whole lots of resorts, shops, sculpting centres that dot the entire town. Of course you will be constantly nagged by hawkers, gypsies and touts to buy their beads and products. But trust me they are all harmless nuisance. Together they spice up this marvelous Mahaballipuram. Rajvee

TRA V E L

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eople in the city are heading towards hill stations to escape the scorching summer. It’s either ooty or kodaikanal that might come to our mind to chill this summer but there is another magnificent hill station which does not feature in any tourist itinerary. We were told that Valparai, which is around 100 kms from Coimbatore has a great weather all round the year. I got hold of my friend Dhananjeyan who works at the coconut research station in Aliyar to help me explore Valparai. We took the 40 hair pin bend long uphill road, the only way to reach Valparai from aliyar. Our first stop was at Aliyar Dam which is at the beginning of the road to Valparai. It has awesome view and boasts of a well maintained park. I was told that a 8 km long tunnel has been drilled through the mountains for the water to reach from Neerar to Aliyar Dam. Our next stop was at Monkey Falls, going by the name it sports there are monkeys hanging in and around the site of the falls almost all the time. They are harmless but we were cautioned not to leave any thing unattended. It’s a small waterfall which is a boon for the locals and tourists alike. A nominal entrance fee is charged for the maintenance and upkeep of this place. It’s a perfect spot to get a natural water massage. I enjoyed a good head and body massage under the constant flow of water. My friend asked me to drink the water so as to avoid headache. It’s a general belief that one should drink or taste the water before he/she bathes in these waters. And I readily obliged. Then for the next two hours it was an uphill journey on the winding roads which gives some breathtaking view of the places in and around Valparai. We were lucky enough to spot some lion-tailed macaques, dragon lizards and birds on the way to Valparai. The only sign shown that we reached valparai was the vast stretches of tea estates. Even though it looks emerald green and clean, environmentalists say these are biological deserts. Decades of spraying pesticides and insecticides had made sure not even a frog croaks on a rainy night here. Plenty of forest areas have been replaced by these mushrooming tea estates. Anyway life just goes on for these people who are happy plucking and pruning with their typical backbag of tea leaves.

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The Inviting Valparai Man-eating-leopard-onthe-prowl was constantly in the back of our mind but still our thirst to see the tunnel had the advantage. Unlike other tourist destinations, Valparai doesn’t have any specific tourist spot as such. We were told that there is a great view point near Nallamudy village which is known as suicide point. After a point we have to go on foot to reach this suicide point. And it was worth the effort because we saw one of the most picturesque places where we saw clouds passing beneath us. It was a gorgeous valley decked by a couple of waterfalls. I wish I had a glider to take a bird’s eye view of the entire surrounding. We chilled at this place for sometime taking some snaps from various angles to capture the depth of its beauty. Then we headed towards Neerar Dam where we wanted to go and find out the scenic beauty and the great mountain tunnel. After a long arduous journey through the forest and tea plantations we reached Neerar Dam. We were told that this dam is used for irrigation and production of hydro electricity. We met a PWD contractor who was inspecting minor repairs on the ed matrix july 2008

dam. He warned us not to venture deep because a man-eating leopard was on the prowl which killed a five-year -old girl baby a couple of days earlier. That did startle us a little but we were keen to see the eightkilometer-long tunnel bored through the mountains. The reservoir side of the dam has got an awesome view too. From there we went on foot for a couple of kilometers to see the water canal drilled through the mountains. Man-eating-leopard-on-theprowl was constantly in the back of our mind but still our thirst to see the tunnel had the advantage. From a distance we spotted a small cave shaped structure with iron barricades like structure to control the flow of water. The canal is so big that even an elephant can go and inside and there were instances of elephants entering into these canals. We wanted to go inside the canal but after a few steps of walking in the canal , the darkness, silence and the instances of animals getting into these canals forced us to retreat. This is a perfect example of the architectural skills of our engineers built way back in 1962. It can last for another couple of centuries. Finally, it was time to say goodbye and we took the same road to go where we came from.

Rajvee

TRA V E L

Getaways - Feel Good Factors

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ake a break – this is one simple way to rejuvenate your body and mind. A perfect weekend can get you charged for the next five days or more. This week we will be exploring a beautiful hill station close to Chennai. Yellagiri, also known as poor man’s Ooty, is a great place to unwind yourself. Situated at a height of 920 metres above sea level it has a pleasant climate and can be a perfect getaway for weekends anytime of the year. There are 11 hairpin bends on the way to Yellagiri and every bend has been named after poets such as Kambar and Valluvar. It takes approximately an hour by bus to go uphill. The view from the top is overwhelming especially in the nights. We were lucky to have a glimpse of the town Jolarpet from the top, looking like stars scattered down below. Yellagiri comprises of 12 villages and Athanavoor is the biggest of them all. My friend Jeyachandran alias JC a local of Yellagiri, who is also the only General Physician in the mountain hamlets, was kind enough to show me some of the best spots not featured in any guide books or maps. There are three major attractions in Yellagiri. There is the artificial lake known as the Ponganur lake, where boating is popular. Then there is Swami Malai, near Mangalam, a hamlet at the foot of the hill . It’s an easy climb taking about an hour with infrequent breaks (about a 1000 foot climb). Smaller peaks with quaint names like the Jawadi Hills, Palamathi Hills and others are also worth climbing. The Jalagamparai Waterfall is a five km trek from Yellagiri downhill. It’s a tough trek, but the view of the valley from the sides of the mountain is truly rewarding. It’s not the mountains alone which are special but the quiet villages, thatched houses, the fields and its farmers, sunrise and sunset draws you close to this beautiful hill station. JC, my doctor-friend promised to take me to a place which does not feature in any guide books or maps. We headed to a mountain near Nilavoor. We had to cross a stone quarry which is not open to the public because of the dynamites used to break these mountains. After clarifying if we could go ahead we started to climb. It takes about ten minutes to reach the first base camp but from here only those who dare can reach the temple on top of the hill.

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A very steep rock welcomes us but undaunted I decided to climb only to slip. Prakash, a localite, well-versed with the topography of this region asked me politely to remove my shoes. Also we could not enter the temple with footwear. Anyway I heeded to his words and he helped me cross the first hurdle. There is again an iron ladder with about 30 steps without any support to take us to the temple. Winds are strong enough to push you off your feet and looking at the steep ladder ahead I was a little hesitant. But then the world belongs to those who dare and so I ventured. The sight was indeed rewarding. We can see the whole of Yellagiri, its surroundings, Swami Malai , Jalagamparai falls and the nearby Jawadi hills. As JC pointed out, this place was indeed a suicide point as there was a steep gorge very close to the temple. A small slip can prove to be fatal.

This place also has its mythological tales. It is said that a girl got trapped when she came to pray who was later considered as a goddess. People come to worship here on special occasions.

Driving from Chennai Yellagiri is about 250 km from Chennai. The Poonamalee High Road out of the city leading to the Bangalore highway towards Vellore via Sriperumbudur, Walajapet and Katpadi. Vellore would be ideal for a break, there are a lot of eating places right on the highway. From Vellore continue on to Ambur and then towards Vaniyambadi. Take a left at Vaniyambadi and another left at Ponneri towards Yellagiri- watch out for this one as it is easy to miss. The roads are well punctuated with signboards in English, and the roads expecially the Chennai-Vaniyambadi stretch ed matrix august 2008

are excellent. It is fairly safe, watch out for the occasional truck that changes lanes abruptly. There are 11 hairpin bends on the ghat road from Ponneri to Yelagiri and the road is pretty narrow so you can’t actually park a car to enjoy the view except at some of the wider hairpin bends. Bikes won’t have this problem though. Please note there are no petrol stations in Yellagiri, so it’s always better that fill up your tanks in the city. Except for a few tyre changers there

You need to see a forest, mountain and a river once in your lifetime.

By train By train, you will have to alight at the Jolarpet Junction from where both public and private transport can take you to the hills. The frequency is very less so watch out.

Sight Seeing Swami Malai, Jalagamparai Waterfalls, Vainu Bappu Solar Observatory, one of the largest solar observatories is in Kavalur (Jawadhi Hills). And if you are lover of temples there is one in almost every village here.

Food and Lodging There are number of eateries and lodges available. Tariff ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 3000.

Rajvee