The Travel Connection

I start planning for a holiday by looking out for the resorts, reading their reviews and looking for deals. I managed to hit upon a highly rated resort in Poovar kerala but nothing prepared me for the beauty and uniqueness of the resort. Poovar island resort in along the backwaters and is accessible by half ride on boat. So this resort had me at mention of boat ride. Floating cottages catch your eyes on one side and beach on the other as you approach the resort. You step onto a kerala style dock and you have entered heaven. A short walk in amidst of swaying coconut trees , landscaped path way leads you to the reception where a massive urli brings you closer to peace. A welcoming maze takes you to the cottages past the swimming pool. A perfect place to unwind!! The magical ambiance was further highlighted by the gutsy Arabian sea which we could hear from our cottages but not see it. The mystery can be solved by taking a short ride across the backwaters to the beach. This turne...

Three distinct memories will never  leave me after my visit to Thrissur. The first one is the unusually rare architecture of a circular inner sanctum sanctorum Sri kovil. Second is the frescos that adorned the walls of these temple and thirdly the oil lamps used in various locations and for different purposes within the temple complex. Vadakkumnathan Temple is a religious complex dedicated mainly to Lord Shiva but housing several other deities . The circular Sri kovil  with painted substructure, has a conical brass plated super structure over it. The sanctum sanctorum is further divided into three chamber with Ghee adorned lingam facing west and  Parvati facing east denoting the ardhanarishvara concept. Also housed within the main Sri kovil is Ganapathy facing the complex kitchen. What was interesting the circumambulation around this shrine was in anti clockwise direction  and was only 3/4 th of the circle. Was is a temporary ritual as restoration was on? I can...

Leap of faith! An unforgettable moment on my short visit to Thattekad was when the nimble Malabar gaint squirrel  sprang from one tree to another at a height of more than 20 feet. What was even more amazing was that my guide let me know the possibility of this moment much before it happened.The flight from the tip of a slender branch to another was among many moments that got me closer to nature and accentuated the importance of understanding the behavior of  its inhabitants  both the animal kind and the man kind. Now my experience says understanding animals is far more easier than understanding some of our fellow men. Am i wrong? Thattekad had been on my wish list for sometime as it is considered  one of the richest bird habitat in India. The fact that two of favorite activities were offered at one place , made it even better. What was the second activity. Let me get back to it later For the less informed Salim Ali bird sanctuary is situated between branch...

Soul stirring spell , Emotional connection, Cherished moment, Unforgettable memory!  Seeveli at Sri Krishna temple in Guruvayur is all of the above and more. Three caparisoned elephants circumambulating the internal court of the temple complex with devotees following them is a dramatic sight.The most majestic of the three elephants has the honor of carrying the deity. The elephants have on them three very stable well balanced young men each holding the tinseled silk parasols muttukuda,  swaying white tufts vencamaram and peacock feather fans alavattam. All of this is accompanied with an orchestra which  touched me almost instantaneously.  I cannot recall another event wherein I was under its spell so easily. The crescendo of different instruments is loud really loud but at the same time so musical that it touches your heart. I got to know later that the five piece orcestra is called panchavadyam and it includes Kombu, Edakka, Thimila, Illathalam and Maddalam ...

I always heard this hill station being mentioned with a lot of excitement. I was very eager to reach the place and experience it first hand. But first a long 4 hour journey through hot and humid Cochin had to be made from Allepey. I waited and waited for the amazing drive I had been told about. A long drive but it all started with two amazing water falls:Cheeyapara and valara. Since I was traveling at the end of the monsoons, both the falls were at their best. With new vigor I carried on till I hit on the rolling hills with tea gardens. Behold, I had reached Munnar!! A sight for the soothing eyes. Yes the drive through tea gardens is one of the good drives one can do in India  We stayed at a home stay “Olive brook”. This place had got very good reviews on trip advisor but I felt it could have been better. The only great thing about the place  was it felt like i was  in an aviary. I could hear the constant...

In midst of a stressed lifestyle, I set upon planning my trip to Allepey. I was really surprised to see all trains booked though I had sat down to book the tickets one month before the planned trip. With some permutations and combinations I managed to get the onward and return tickets around the time I wanted.  I loved the fact that the resorts at Alappuzha (Alleppey) are about 10 kms from the train station. You can take one of the pre paid autos to reach the resort. I had narrowed upon kayaloram heritage lake resort keeping my budget in mind. This is a quaint little resort of just 12 rooms in well manicured grounds with swimming pool. I loved the heritage buildings or Tharavads (ancient Kerala houses). The Tharavads have been painstakingly re-assembled from the original, using only wood, bricks and tiles. Even most door hinges are wood. A unique feature of these Tharavads is the bathrooms with open to sky roofs, offering you a communion with nature. ...