Day 2: Kodanad Elephant Kraal

"Did you go to Thekkady?", a guy from Kollam whom I friended yesterday at Indiblogger meet, asked me when I said to him that I visited Kerala about a couple of weeks ago.

"No", I replied.

"Munnar?"

"No!"

I could almost hear him asking "where the hell did you go then?", when I told him the places we (Winnie and myself) visited. He gave a surprised grin, of the same kind which Jijo, the cab driver, expressed when we said "take us to some interesting place nearby" after coming out of Kallil Bhagawati temple.

The best part about going on a trip without having any plans ahead is that you get to talk to local people and find about many places that are interesting, but usually do not find any mention on the web, or through word of mouth. After all, for both of us, since journey is more important than the destination, we were enjoying every moment we spent in and around Ernakulam, with no intention to boast "I too went there"!

It must have been a different kind of an experience for Jijo as well, because he was always called to drive a cab, and (I think) never before was he called to guide a trip! "Have you been to Elephant Kraal?", he asked with an enthusiasm reflecting the feeling you are my guest now and its my duty to show you around!

When we asked him to tell us more about the Kraal, we quickly recognized that that was where we wanted to go. We drove out of the Pulavazhi Kallil Road to reach the elephant kraal in less than 15 minutes. "The Kraal is the only place in Kerala where they rescue and train adult and baby elephants, captured from forest", he said while driving.

a cute baby elephant taking its mid-day nap

The elephant kraal is also famous for the elephant safari, which we could not go to since we did not get any elephant to take us on a ride. There is a mini zoo just outside the kraal, maintained by the Department of Forest, perhaps not to disappoint you if you are not able to see any elephants.

 caged beauty

deers lunching

meditating crocodile (can you see a small 'human' face in its neck?)

the lone adult elephant that we spotted at Kraal

exterior of the mini zoo at Kodanad

A man in his early fifties

The red TVS Scooty came to a halt in front of the vacant space near the security desk of Krishna hostel. On the wall next to the security desk was written "No Parking."

Apparently oblivious to the signboard, he parked his scooter, turned off the ignition, picked up his plastic bag, and walked towards the Krishna mess.

His wrinkled face, silvery mustache and near bald head showed that he must be a man in his early fifties. His blue shirt with stripes told me that he works for Hostel management. The wall clock stroke 7 times when he entered the mess hall, the time at which the breakfast begins.

The mess hall was mostly empty, only a few early birds were waiting for the mess cook to serve idly with sambhar. The sleepless night spent on putting a fight with my work was slowly taking its toll, making me feel sleepy. Not wanting to sleep on an empty stomach, I was waiting in the queue to have my breakfast before hitting the bed.

The man in his early fifties went inside the mess kitchen when one of his juniors came out with a plate full of idlis to be served. I waited in the queue until my turn came, picked up two idlis and vadas. "Sambhar will be served at your table," the junior said.

While I was waiting for the sambhar to be served, the man in his early fifties emerged from the kitchen with a plate full of steamed idlis, enough for a family to feast. He kept the plate on one of the dining tables, took the tiffin carrier from his plastic bag, started filling idlis in each of the boxes. He filled the first box with freshly prepared aromatic sambhar.

After filling up the boxes with idlis and sambhar, he kept the carrier inside the plastic bag, took another one out and filled it with the remaining idlis and vadas. He took the water bottles out, filled them with ozonized drinking water from the mess, and collected hot tea in a flask. Content with the quantity, he carefully placed the container inside his bag, avoiding spilling, took the bag and went out.

"Is he going to eat all the idlis himself?" I doubted. "Maybe he is making breakfast for his colleagues as well," I reasoned to myself.

I finished my breakfast, dropped my plate at the wash counter, picked up a glass to drink some tea. It was about 7.30 now, and there was movement in a mess. The table was getting busy serving idlis and vadas to the students where more people in the blue shirt with stripes were spotted, standing in the queue.

"Why are they standing in the queue? Didn't the man in his fifties take breakfast for them in two big carriers?. If his colleagues have come to mess to have their breakfast, for whom did he take the food then?", I asked myself.

"Does he run a shop of his own outside the campus? Is he taking the food to his shop to sell and earn some extra money?", my thoughts started to build conspiracies.

Had it been true, it would not have come as a surprise for I had read enough about corruption in government institutes/organizations, thanks to the print and online media. But do the mess manager and the student secretary know about this?

It suddenly dawned on me that he was not stopped by the mess officials when he went into the kitchen, came out with the plate, filled his carriers, and left the mess! Is it a network of organized corruption at the mess level, at the expense of student's mess bill?

A sudden rage enveloped my thoughts, wanting me to take action to put a full stop to the corrupt practice I just witnessed. I was about to head towards my room to write a mail to the mess secretary asking him to take appropriate action when my phone rang. It was a call from my friend who works in the same lab as me.

"Hi! I have high fever suddenly. I got myself admitted to institute hospital", he said. His voice was too low as if he got drained of all his energy.

It must be a viral infection, I guessed, for several students were getting admitted to insti hospital due to sudden fever in the past couple of days. "I will come to see you in a few minutes," I said.

I cycled to the insti hospital, enquired the way to reach the ward where my friend was admitted. The hospital nurse was leaving the room after noting down the temperature and collecting my friend's blood sample to test for viral infection when I entered.

"Did you take your breakfast? Shall I get something for you to eat?" I asked him, not sure if he had had his breakfast before getting admitted.

"I just had it before the nurse took my blood sample for the test. A man came and served breakfast to all the ward mates about ten minutes ago", he said. 

Being a residential institute, the students of IIT are first tended by his friends or the faculty, before their relatives come to take care of. In most cases when its minor health issues such as common cold or fever, the relatives do not even know about it! "Our insti hospital has made a wonderful arrangement to ensure proper food for the patients", I told my friend.

"Would you like to have some tea?" a voice from behind me asked my friend. At the entrance was standing the man in his early fifties, with the flask in his hand, plastic bag at his feet.

Day 2: Kallil Bhagawati temple

"Will you show us around Ernakulam tomorrow?", I asked the cab driver while returning from the Marine Drive.

"Where do you want to go Sir?", he asked in reply to know if I have made any specific plans.

"Take us to Kallil Baghawati temple, Kaladi and Chalakudi", I answered. Kallil temple?, he gave us a surprised look, perhaps because its not a popular spot. "Ok Sir. But first, you please talk to our cab owner to book the cab for tomorrow", he said handing out his business card.

We returned to our guest house, had dinner (thanks to the groom's mom), placed the call to the cab owner and fixed the car to pick us up at 8.00AM next day, and retired to bed.

We got up at 6.30AM, took bath, packed and got ready by 7.30AM. While depositing the key at the reception, we enquired to find that breakfast is ready. We went to the restaurant and placed orders for aappam with kadalai curry and a cup of tea, for each.

Me and Winnie with the YMCA guest house manager.

By the time we finished having our breakfast, Jijo, the cab driver arrived with the cab that we booked the previous night. We thanked the guest house manager for his kind hospitality, kept our bags in the luggage compartment and got in to the car ready to head towards our first place, Kallil Baghawati temple.

Winnie, myself and Jijo (cab driver cum guide)

Kallil koil in local language means the temple made of rock. As the name implies, the Bhagawati (Devi) temple was carved in rocks during 8th or 9th century by Jain monks. In the perimeter, one can find a number of rocks in which our ancestors had tried their hand in giving shape to the rocks, some of them has written inscription too.

The welcome board

way to reach the shrine by walk

drive way to reach the shrine

Final steps to reach the shrine

View from behind the temple

Picture of an Elephant cut on the rock prior to carving

inscriptions in old Tamil

carving of the conch

view of pristine beauty of the mountains on the west

 small passage cut through the rock

a Jain deity

original path to reach the shrine

The idol of Brahma is carved at the top of the shrine within the perimeter where photography as well as wearing a shirt is prohibited.

P.S: The header image of this blog is shot in panoramic view at this location, partly covering the walking way and the drive way to reach the shrine.

Day 1: Vypin and Marine Drive

"Could you please arrange for a cab?", I asked the reception manager at the YMCA guest house lobby.

"Where for, Sir?", he asked me back, wanting to know if it will be a local or a distant trip. So many places came to my mind then, suggested by my IIT friends, some of whom are from Ernakulam or from nearby places. "Visit Synagogue, Vasco Da Gama church, Chinese fishing nets; do not forget to take the ferry from Vypin; there is a walkway at Marine Drive, you can also go for private boating from there if time permits" are some of the ideas suggested by them.

"I want to go to Vypin", said I to the manager asking him to book the cab at the earliest. The time was already 15 minutes past 4. We occupied the room that was booked for us by our friend who got married, refreshed and came out in fifteen minutes to get into the cab at 4.30pm.

A view of Fort Kochi through backwaters from Vypin

We first went to Vypin crossing Vembanad bridge, the longest railway bridge in India that passes through 3 small islands. We roamed around Vypin clicking some shots of backwaters and Fort Kochi from the other side of the bank, observing Chinese fishing nets with a cup of Chai.

A view of Fort Kochi island from Vypin

Chinese fishing nets

"Could you take us to the starting place of boating? We would like to explore Fort Kochi", I asked the cab driver.

"There is no boating at Vypin Sir. Boating point is at Marine Drive. If you want, I will take you there", he said, apparently referring to the private boating service. "Its already past 5, and so churches and synagogue will be closed", he continued, "there is no point in crossing the backwater across to reach Fort Kochi as you would not be able to see anything".

Taking his word, we asked him to return via the Vallarpadam bridge to reach Marine Drive.

We reached the boating point at Marine Drive where we asked our cab driver to park the car in waiting. We got into one of the boats which was getting ready for a tour around the islands.

Indian Coast Guard, Cochin

We first sailed through the eastern edge of Willingdon island, a base of the Indian Navy in Cochin, where we saw some of the international ships either getting serviced or being loaded/unloaded with cargo. The boat took a 180 degree turn after reaching the southern tip of the Willingdon island, and continued to sail through Fort Kochi island.

Private boating at Marine Drive

A fare of Rs. 50 per person is charged for the boating trip which lasts for about an hour. We came back to the Marine Drive boating point, got into our cab and returned to YMCA guest house.

Day Zero - Chennai Central to Marriage Hall

A trip to God's own country to attend a friend's marriage on the days after Onam, but before the monsoon begins, will someone in his own senses say 'No'?

Well, but there was a time, few days before the trip, when I said to my friends "It can't be Yes" for there was a deadline I'm working on. But then, the unpredictable ups and downs of research gave me a much wanted up at the right hour that I could finally say 'Yes' on the previous day.

They sell Southern Railway along with Emergency Medicines here. Wanna buy?

The day when the fateful accident at Arakkonam junction happened, canceling most of the trains leaving or arriving at the Chennai Central railway station. "Are we not destined to continue with the trip?", I questioned myself. "Well, if that's how it sounds, let us persist with the idea", I said to myself.

"So we are going for the trip, no matter what happens", I said to my friend, Winnie. In fact, the Kerala trip was Winnie's plan as soon as he heard about the marriage, while I was interning at TIFR this summer.

Does Indian Railways have train from Andaman to Jammu?

The next day, we packed with minimal luggage, had early dinner and took the MRTS train to Chennai Central half an hour after the train is scheduled to depart, thanks to one of my friends who notified me about the delay in the departure of Trivandrum Mail online. But the delay does not end there.

Winnie and I roamed around the station observing people and trains when the next announcement about the delay came. The train will now depart with a delay of 3 hours and 45 minutes! With nothing much to do and no where to go at that hour, we walked on each of the platform, observed different trains and more people who are coming from all parts of India. The final announcement came 30 minutes after the 3 hours and 45 minutes delay saying the train will be further delayed due to a delay in the return of Trivandrum Mail from Trivandrum.

At last, the much waited announcement came that the train will leave from Chennai Central at 2.00AM, after about 7 hours delay. The problem in such late departure is that once the journey is set, preference will be given to those trains which are running "on time" in order to avoid propagation of delay, and so the train that departed late has to give way to every other train before it gets the clearance at each junction.

The mail that is earlier scheduled to reach Ernakulam at 6.30AM reached the North junction at 2 PM and by that time, my friend had already got married! We were in fact got just lucky to catch up for lunch with the bride and the groom, after being directly transported to the marriage venue from the railway station.

A view outside YMCA guesthouse

After exchanging pleasantries and having 'special' lunch, we went to the YMCA International Hostel at Palarivattom, about 2km drive from the marriage venue.