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Those days, alone and bored. A Owner few house far from my villa,  came down with his sparklingly white moondoo with gold colour border. All my first day in Kerala  was something full of wonder of different dresses that men wears. Easy to fold at any level, airy and very comfort. Perhaps, The hot humid climate makes this the most comfortable dress. In few cases, Keralese Men don a typical south shirt, and the trouser that looks like the 80’s trim to hollow , replaceing the moondoo. Mr. Vennu, the villa owner, in front of me, wearing the same moondoo. I startled with a word Onam. “Onam! Whats that?” .. Mr. Vennu turned himself as an Historian. That was real fun part of him. Guess what? He threw an invitaion for me. I had to accept it. The day, I wonder about the gift what I can give him off. I thougt of cholocates, laddu or some sweets. Thought of many things. Finally, I landed on a shop and asked for sweets. A short northern-Indian guy, who we met often, has suggested to take a brown kheer like sweet porridge that sounds to me really not a gift worthy. Later, I found out that thats the real things you can pass on..! Thats What, I learned the culture that you were brought up will never help you to understand others culture.

All the way round my colony small kids were spending time with Uunjal aattam (swings), which I believed I should have seen in the rural part of Kerala.  I heard a Onappaattu. An onam enchanting songs.

The Onam with Mr. Vennu was something being a part of in my family Dashain festival. He gave a full respect and treated us like close family. His young son and daughter were in  new dress, all sparkling white. A sari with gold colours border. He offered us Satya, a typical Kerala food spread out temptingly on a clean green banana leaf. And the food is to be eaten with the fingers. Even the dessert, payasam, that tastes like rice pudding, is served on the leafy plate. Its a pure delicious vegetarian food with such as sambar, rasam, olan, kaalan, pachadi, kichadi,rice…a lot of variety. We were inspired the way they shared the Onam with us with whole hearted enthusiasm. I love Kerala and people like Mr. Vennu. They treated me so well. I hardly can forget it.

I was in Alleppey, a small district of Kerala State of India, fondly known as God’s Own Country. Alleppey one of the major centers for backwater boat trips in India. We were there to attain a wedding ceremony. Unlike traditional Kerala wedding, it was somewhere in modern auditorium following traditional ritual. Hall was filled with hundreds of people. In about few minutes, I noticed a groom arrived at a stage greeting everyone with Namaskar. The bride’s was in a traditional “dhoti” and “angavastram”. My Kerala friends told me that the bride’s father washes the groom’s feet and welcomes him. The groom then gives him the off white sari that has to be worn by the bride for the nuptials and exactlly i saw the same white sari, she was wearing the day.

Sadya

After wedding ritual was over, A typical Kerala feast, referred to as sadya, is spread out temptingly on a clean green banana leaf. And the food is to be eaten with the fingers. Even the dessert, payasam, that tastes like rice pudding, is served on the leafy plate. Its a pure delicious vegetarian food with such as sambar, rasam, olan, kaalan, pachadi, kichadi,rice…a lot of variety.

A typical Kerala feast

Despite protest, the encroacher were in full swing capturing Munnar beauty. Recent year, The full cases of encroachment was growing drastically. The illegal building were popping up like mushrooms. Until Last week, The Kerala government special task force launch action against encroachment. During this blogging, the task force were continuing the demolition task. I got a news, that one of the biggest resort, Munnar Woods on nearly 1 hectare within about 25 hectares of cardamom plantation, The cardamom Hill reserve, at the gateway to the hill station at 2nd Mile at Pallivasl is also in the list of demolitions. Number of major cottage cluster of the resort were demolished. The employees’ quarter and a children’s park were brought down. It was amazed to see the scale of encroachment, illegal building in Munnar. The lost charm of the place is returning. Lets hope pristine beauty of Munnar will remains forever.

 
Whatever reasons and motives may be swirling around. We had made a plan. We got approval from company’s head honcho. The trip back to hill station Munnar. Its almost April 1st, and is surely the apotheosis of summer in Kochi, a day of faded-blue-denim skies and fat white clouds , all of it freshened by a salt-tangy breeze. The travel with a soft seabreeze was an extra bonus, the increasing altitude render the humidity negligible and sweeping away the mosquitoes and sandflies of Kochi.

In about 2 hrs, We could sense a change in the air; cleaner and greener. The first reward is the Idduki.

The roads from Idduki to Munnar like snake up across the majestic mountains. Should you make a wrong move and go down to hell.

Calvury Mounts, 15km far from Idukki, Kerala

We reach the Government guest house, through steep gradient road that almost turn TATA indica to lose its break. An excellent view site like a Taj Mahaj bank of the Ganges. A lovely guest house, albeit its government, and the rules says you need reservation, lol! we dare make bribe, in vain but still round way to explore the garden and the way upto the Hill view park, where we saw the mighty dam site pretty damn clear.

On the way to Idukki.

The other Pretty was a pity skin, turning as red as apple. The complete exhaustive hot lead us to climb down to the idduki main town. We gotta check a hotel. One of our friend a native kerala got some of his work. The same reason render a trip to munnar. He had a song recording And We had to stay for a night, The hotel wants 250 bucks, the rooms look gross, and have cold water. Which is fine.

As we come close to the munnar, the chill wind started blowing, I saw blurred images along with a group of coconut trees. The all way round you see a begin of tea estates, The Tata tea estates ofcourse and there we enter Munnar.

A lovely place. Abundance of colours. I was soon reeling from a scenic overdose and wishing for an extra wide camera lens to capture the truly striking visual feast. The all we had was a old cannon and a tiny tot moto.