Ganeshpuram- silence in soliloqy

Kodai Express ground to halt at the sleepy station Kodai Road early in the morning at around 4.30. The only Tempo Traveller in the parking lot meant to be our mode of transport hereafter, was easy to loacte and we bundled ourselves into it without much struggle. Having chatted away late into the night, we were finding it difficult to break free from the shackles of slumber. A cuppa was a desideratum. The outstanding feature of Tamil Nadu is that it wakes up quite early. By the time we reached the tea shop at Bathalakundu, there was a sizable crowd sipping the invigorating drink. After a cup of steaming hot tea, moods brightened up and the entourage was ready to take the winding road up the Palani hills.

 Our destination was Ganeshpuram, a sleepy little hamlet off the village Pethuparai. It is located 76 kms from Kodai Road and 18kms to Kodaikanal. Compared to 2133 meters elevation of Kodaikanal, Ganeshpuram was only 1034 meters above mean sea level. Thus, climate was just salubrious enough for comfort and not biting cold as Kodai in this December month. Our choice of places to rest and recuperate is usually far from the maddening crowd and would invariably avoid tourist places. The present place was identified by my friend D.Srinivas a year ago. Except for a small hamlet of around 200 residents there was no habitation in the vicinity and this was the lure of the place-Zac Valley Resorts.

 It was breakfast time by the time we landed up at the resort. Post a brief debate, whether bath should precede breakfast or the other way round, it was decided that we will go ahead with a simple breakfast of sandwich and tea. As it was a stag only gang, we took just two cottages for the 8 of us. Thus began our lazy holiday at the resort. It was two o’ clock in the afternoon by the time all of us finished our bath and then joined in the restaurant for lunch. It would be pertinent to admit here that food wasn’t great. But in the beautiful weather simple chicken curry, veg stew and rice appeared delicious. Post lunch, we had plans of a rummy session which was quickly abandoned as most of us were sleep deprived. With more than a stomach fill, most of us enjoyed the afternoon siesta.

 The sun was casting its long shadows when we woke up. With tea and biscuits in hand, we decided to explore the property. The rooms/cottages are on either side of a steep gradient on a hill. Up the path, there were plantations. Lumbering up, our friends who had visited this place last year narrated their experience of having sighted an Indian Gaur (bison) among the plantations. We decided to try our luck and trekked up. As we turned the corner, there stood the Gaur right inside the property! Initially it appeared harmless and regurgitating the afternoon meal. But within a second, it changed its disposition and the vapour emanated by the loud snort was clearly visible. I was taking position to click a picture to find that all my friends had scouted in a tick.

 

Hearts beating fast we ran down the slope and entered our cottage. The gaur advanced for a meter or two and stood its ground appearing to be domineering and challenging anyone who would dare to tread into his terrain. With a hearty laugh of having escaped being catapulted and trampled by a two tonner, we dumped the idea of seeing the plantation and decided instead to take a stroll down the village road. There was nothing much on the offer except for a few small cottage industries manufacturing lemon grass oil. Winding up the lazy walk, we trudged our way back by dusk all geared up for the bonfire.

 With the sun dipping into the horizon, there was a nip in the air and sweaters became a necessity. The bonfire having lit and as the group warmed up with a couple of shots of Bacardy, the mood enlivened. Nassar assumed the role of the master of the ceremony for the evening and beguiled the audience with his immortal Malayalam song “ethoru thondaravu, ethoru thondaravu.. ammayimmde” extolling the virtues of mother-in-law . Spirit of the evening was fed and fuelled with spirits and what started off as foot tapping soon progressed into a wild dance-wild because none of us knew how to dance. It was a moonless night and with the power failing for an hour or so we were enveloped in absolute darkness with only the embers from the flame to illuminate the immediate periphery. The thought of the bison lurking behind came to me and I often scoured the area, though very little was visible. Our friend Jagan asked me what I was looking around. Initially I resisted the answer but on repeated queries, I told him that I was scanning the area for the bison. The very mention of the word bison was enough for our friend who within a split second leapt and reached the veranda of the cottage. It took a lot of persuasion from all of us to bring him out and he was offered a seat farthest from the pathway and sandwiched by two others.

 As night progressed, the frenzy slackened a bit and we decided to sit back and relax to enjoy the quietude. A million stars were visible in the sky and a gentle cold breeze blowing, the stage was all set for some blue numbers from our friends. Sinhaji rendered few evergreen numbers of Talat Mahmood. The tranquillity of the environs interspersed with the loud chirping of the crickets was empyrean. As city dwellers we had long forgotten the twinkling stars. Did we hear a jackal howling? Jagan was up on his feet again. Despite the overpowering lure to sit and enjoy the serenity nonchalantly, the chef summoned us for dinner and we had to dust off and walked to the dining area. After a quick bite we returned indoors for couple of games of rummy before resigning to bed at around 1 am. The waterfall trek beckoned us the next day and we had to get up early.  

 Gearing up for the morning trek, we were to be led by two experienced guides. As we were to leave early, it was decided that breakfast would be made available in the course of our trek. Coursing the path of a small stream we moved ahead with narrow misses in the slippery path. Within half an hour we reached the head of the waterfall which was our first pit-stop. We watched in sheer child-like joy as numerous small streams converged and moved towards the waterfall. Crystal clear cold water in the small puddles among the rocks were enticing. We sat there enjoyed the scene for over an hour before moving on.

 

From the waterfall came our first tryst with climb. A rock face at around 75 degree with no hold had to be climbed to continue the trek. In retrospect, I find that this was a very precarious adventure. Any slip and you would tumble down several hundred feet down to the bottom of the waterfall! The mere sight of the rock face was exacting. The guides scrambled up effortlessly. I made the first attempt from the team and was largely successful and could reach the summit without much of a hassle. Such attempts call for a disciplined body and stamina in ample measure. With increasing girth of their middle, some of our members were struggling within the first few steps itself. Soon they could be seen in all their fours, literally crawling up.

 

It took almost an hour to cross this hurdle and then we were on an elevated plain with a vast expanse of the Palani hills below us. I climbed up a solitary watchtower in the open land. The view from the tower was electrifying.

The trek continued then into the wooded area. Initial phase was not very thick but as we progressed, we had to manoeuvre through thick lush green woods with no path. 

Morning rays were fighting hard to penetrate through the thickets. Last night rains on the dry leaves were also posing no less challenges. Sometimes the undergrowth too was entwining between our tired legs.

 

My friend Mishra asked the inevitable question to the guides- Are there any wild animals here? The guide replied nonchalantly- “There are no tigers or elephants here but bears are there in plenty and they come to savour the jack fruits”. 

This was enough for Jagan to grumble, whine and bleat. In less than an hour, we were out of the woods and at the sight of the stream where our hosts were waiting with breakfast the entire team heaved a sigh of relief.  

 

Even though this part of the trek was short in terms of distance, the initial climb and then struggling through the thick woods in trepidation made us really hungry. A quick wash in the cold crystal-clear water rejuvenated us while we settled down for tasty breakfast of upma, peanut chutney, bread and boiled eggs.

 Amidst the ravenous hunger, the food parcels soon vanished. A cup each of hot masala tea poured from the thermos topped it all. Post a small blather about the risky path endured, we were back on our feet.

 

 

 

Following the course of the stream we walked along, with once in a while hopping from one bank to another and in the course landing in water at times. It was no more challenging but a pleasant walk. We reached our resort around 1. Post a bath and lunch, we enjoyed the afternoon siesta and then the evening stroll through the village. A brief drizzle added to the fun in the evening as the temperature came down drastically. Unlike the previous evening, we decided to retire early as the next days trek was a tougher one.

 Day 3 dawned with a chill weather due to the rains last night. With packed breakfast we left the resort at 7 and started our trek to Kodaikanal. We had to ascend 1100 meters climbing up the winding path through plantations, crossing rivulets and streams. Initial kilometre or so was pleasant as the gradient was less. But by the end of another two kilometres the sun came up in all its glory and the incline too became tougher. Most of us were panting but two of our friends were ranting too. Soon, Jagan and Sinhaji decided to drop out. It was proving to be tougher and with a heart condition we did not want to persuade Sinhaji to go further. Jagan with his rotund belly was looking for an opportunity to scoot but was holding back as he could not muster enough courage to walk back alone. Unlike the previous day we were climbing with no tree cover and was at the mercy of the scorching rays hitting unhindered as the sky had cleared up.

 Every hundred meters we sat and quenched our thirst under a rare tree on the path.

 

Occasionally we could see tribals coming down the slope with some random forest produce. After an hour and half we sat down besides a gurgling stream and opened our breakfast packet. Hungry, as we were, idly and chutney were soon gobbled up.

 But there was one problem. Water was rationed. Each of us were given a bottle of water and we had to make do with this and make the entire course of our trek. Sweating profusely, our parched throats were seeking water very often. There were two options-one conserve the water available or refill from the stream. I and Srinivas decided to take the latter approach.

 

We dusted ourselves and sprung up to move ahead. The path ahead proved to be further formidable. Balancing between boulders protruding from the hill face we moved ahead. After an hour of hike, we reached a less exacting area. Walking between fields of carrot and other vegetables, the fragrance of lush green fields provided the much needed impetus to move on.

 

As we had ascended almost a thousand meters, the weather too had mellowed down. Soon we were at Kodaikanal and all famished. Dog tired and hungry we were in mood to ferret around for restaurants and dashed into the first sighted Gujarathi joint for a meal. The meal was sumptuous and appetizing. We had asked our jeep guy to pick us up from Kodai who reached after quite a wait. Back at our cottage, our muscles were craving for rest. Hitting the bed immediately we had a delightful sleep. Post the evening bonfire and dinner, we settled for a game of rummy. We were in no hurry to wake up early in the morning and therefore the game lasted late into the night.

 On the fourth day morning post a late lunch, we bid adieu to this wonderful place fully re-charged.          

Alleppey the land of Happy Waters.

This passion of mine, writing about the places which fascinated me had gone into hibernation for quite some time now. Professional commitments took away all the spare time and the composure required to write. Now, this second wave of pandemic coupled with my own affliction by COVID has offered me this long-waited opportunity. It is not without reason that they say 'every dark cloud has a silver lining'.

 In this small piece I would be writing about the backwaters of Kerala called "Kuttanad'. This place used to be the granary of Kerala accounting for more than 90% of the grain produced in the state. But with dwindling yields, rising cost and unpredictable rains, most farmers have unfortunately abandoned paddy cultivation in this area. It is not an exaggeration to state that most parts of this area are below sea level! The residents of this area have been through one of the worst natural calamities by way of floods few years back. But their resilience in the face of worst of the adversities saw them back on their feet in a jiffy. 

As a child I grew up in this part of Kerala where the small pond in the courtyard was both our swimming pool and bathroom. Surrounded by paddy field which turns into a vast ocean during monsoon our quaint house was heaven for us. Eluding the rebuke of our grandfather, our adventures in snaring a frog from the flood water, the jump-scare of water snakes slithering between our legs, diving into the water from the embankments, attempting to swim across the flooded river et al have remain etched in my memory. It is therefore no surprise that I feel more akin to water than land!

Considering the innate love for this beautiful land, I always allure my friends with stories of the landscapes of Kerala and woo them to visit the place. For me, I grab every opportunity to be the guide.

Back in early part of 2000 when I was leading a small team of 11 Officers, I had made it a point to take my team out for a jaunt every three months so that they get a small window of relief from the deary work schedule. One of these trips was to Alleppey (known as Alappuzha in Malayalam). The near 24 hours boat ride gives the visitors a bird's eye view of the life and times of the people of this part of the state. For those who have only small window of opportunity, this boat ride is ideal. Before I proceed further, I need to educate the uninitiated reader little about these boats.

These house boats are re-worked and re-furbished version of kettuvalloms of yesteryear. Kettu in Malayalam means 'dwelling' as in naalukettu meaning a dwelling with four parts. Vallam means a canoe/boat/barge. So kettuvallam could be loosely translated as a boat with a small dwelling unit. These were made by tying together jack-wood with coir and a lacquer derived by burning cashew kernels added as a binder.  Kerala is known for its many thousands of waterways interconnected naturally. In olden times, these kettuvallams were the only means of transport of bulk cargo like rice and spices to the ports of Alleppey and Kochi. In fact, Allepey was one of the principal ports of south India and was called the Venice of the East. These house boats could carry up to 30 tons of cargo. As the journey from the hinterland to the port would take somewhere between 2 days to 7 days depending on the distance, a portion of the boat was hooded by a bamboo canopy and consisted of a small resting area and a kitchen. As the load was heavy three or four able-bodied men used long bamboo sticks to push the boat forward (I have deliberately not used the word ‘row). The modern houseboats are refurbished versions having an outboard motor fitted to it. These now have air-conditioned well-furnished and well-maintained rooms for added comfort. These have a front sit out in the bow where the tourists could have a 360-degree view of the waterscape or could just sink into the sofa with a book. The rear end of the boat has a kitchen and some boats have a balcony which can accommodate up to a 100 pax. 

We, a group of 8 landed early in the morning at Kochi airport and hired a mini-bus to move towards Alleppey. As per the plan, we intended to have our breakfast on the way before reaching the boat jetty. An early morning rise and the travel had made us all famished and my companions were demanding breakfast no sooner we landed. I appeased them with a chaya (tea) and a kadi (small snack) in front of the Cochin Export Processing Zone with an assurance that the wait till Cherthala is worthwhile so that they could savor genuine Kerala breakfast. The entourage acquiesced to my proposal and we moved after the brief pause for tea. As we left the four-lane highway and moved to the Chertala bye-pass I was on the lookout for a decent joint which I found in two minutes-Huts Restaurant. It was early in the day and the folks were waking up. Probably we were the first customers. Even though they were yet to open, they didn't want to lose the windfall of 8 hungry mouths. Politely they asked to take our seats. I asked them for the breakfast menu and the waiter broke into a soliloquy-puutu-kadala, puttu-motta curry, porota-beef curry, appam-stu...Tired of remembering what was said in the beginning despite so many iterations, I ordered all combinations two plates each. Even though I had an inkling that it may be a little of an overdo, I excepted my crowd to finish it as they were starving. The waiter committed a cardinal blunder by bringing in the items in bits and pieces. By the time he went in to fetch the second plate, the first one was devoured. My folks didn't know the name for most items and they merely said 'repeat'. By the end of the hour, we had 7 plates of all what was available in the place. The only regret was that the beef fry was not ready and would take another half an hour to be on the plate. Our friends ungrudging agreed to wait and taste this dish too.  Over cups of tea, I could sense the air of contentment and acknowledgment it was worth the wait. Finally, the celebrated beef fry arrived and four plates were soon washed down with more cups of chaya and we set off again to the boat jetty at Alleppey. The folks now had a glimpse of the fare in store and were delighted to say the least. 

We resumed our journey towards Alleppey for our rendezvous with the house boat. The agent met us at the pre-arranged location in the town. Alleppey or Alappuzha as it is known in Kerala is an old town with narrow roads with houses and shops jutting out on the road quite often. Interspersed by channels which served as waterways for boats carrying goods from the hinterland to the town and to the port, it is no wonder that this town is called the Venice of the East. The agent boarded our bus and directed the driver to ride on the Alleppey-Changanasserry road. Our boat jetty was near Thakazhi a distance of around 10 kms from the town. As we were negotiating the lanes of Alleppey, our agent asked us the most important question-“Are you guys stocked up? In case you need anything, it has to be procured in the town”. In our department, we never venture out without our own stock of alcoholic beverages so that we don’t end up consuming spurious liquor. He then asked us whether we need anything special for lunch or dinner. Even though I knew that the meals would be sumptuous by any standard, I wanted the folks to savour something different. I understood that karimeen (Pearlspot) would invariably be part of the menu. Hence, I wanted my friends to taste kaari (Stinging Catfish). This fish has elongated compressed body and grey brown to black in colour. Catfish are a distinctive type of fish that have whiskers a long projecting hair or bristle protruding from the area around the mouth. This is one of the most delicious fresh water fish available and is also very rare because catching this fish is very arduous task. As soon as we reached the jetty, our ever-so sprightly agent had tete with the boatmen and scurried off in a bike. As we waited, the boatmen introduced themselves to us and welcomed us aboard. Despite being having a feast of a breakfast, my friends were enticed by the smell of pazham pori (banana fritters) fried in coconut oil emanating from one of the nearby kiosks. By the time we were done with tea and pazham pori our agent arrived with a not so happy face. His frantic search for kaari yielded only two kilograms which was grossly insufficient considering the gluttony group we are. Nonetheless, I was happy that at least the guest would be able to get a bite and savour the delicacy. We boarded the four-bedroom boathouse and started off- ahoy!

As we eased into the blue green backwaters with an easterly wind blowing, humidity of the August month was soon blanked out. With the faint thud of the outboard engine the boat entered the channel with mild waves rocking you before the vistas opened up. Coconut palm fronds swayed to the wind and cast their shadows in the channel as life moved on in this part of the country where water is an integral part of their life. From one channel to the other as we criss-crossed the backwaters of Kuttanad, we were treated to the daily life of the people who reside on the banks of these channels and in many cases, small islands in the middle of nowhere. These backwaters are the lifeblood of the inhabitants here. The richer ones among them have small canoes with which they commute to the mainland. As we have local buses in the town for commuting, water buses operated by Kerala Waterways Authority is the only means of transport. Interestingly shaped like a Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC), these water buses are the only means of travel for people in this area where people hop-on and hop-off. Some distances are as long as 30 kms and takes more than an hour of travel. As we moved on languidly, the waterscape offered us many pleasing sights-men fishing from a canoe no bigger than 5 feet, ladies washing their clothes and utensils in the water, sprightly kids diving and swimming in the waters, a foreigner and his boatman attempting canoeing, small boats selling fruits and vegetables etc each unique and mesmerizing.

It was 1’O clock and boat crew heralded the lunch time by serving us rasam soups. We were soon treated with a lavish Kerala lunch. Besides the matta rice (partly polished par-boiled rice) and the normal fare of Sambar, Moru Curry, Avial, Thoran, Mezhukkuvaratti, Pappadam we were treated with duck raost, karimmen pollichathu, kaari curry, prawn fry. Each of the dish distinct in its flavour with a feisty and lavishly marinated in home grown and home ground spices tickled our palate. It was no-holds-barred hog. Ada Pradhaman to top it all as dessert made the meal complete. Before we could wash our hands, the cool afternoon breeze lulled us to a siesta.

After the brief layover, we were back in action and the boat now furrowed into the vast expanse of Vembanad Kaayal. As we skirted around the island Pathira Manal, we could sight many migratory birds. Our next pit stop was a small island in the lagoon which had a Kallu Shap (as they call it in Malayalam meaning toddy shop). Kallu or toddy is extracted from the coconut flower by tapping. Fresh toddy has a sweet tangy flavour and is not an intoxicant. The toddy which is tapped is fermented for a day or two to make a local beer. The fermentation adds a new twist to the brew and may perhaps contain less than 5% of alcohol content. Nonetheless, it creates a very soothing effect on the body and is a good muscle relaxant and appetizer too. Our friends had a decent pouring of the toddy before they returned to the boat. We were soon approached by another boat selling Tiger Prawns. Even though the boat had a more than decent stock of fish and meat for dinner, our friends were drawn at the size of the prawns and after a brief haranguing bargain we carted 4 kilograms of Tiger Prawns to the boat.

August-September is the period for snake boat races in Kerala and particularly in Kuttanad. There are numerous small and big races and at the crown is the magnific Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at Alleppey. Several teams under various categories, including a women-only category, vie for the coveted trophy. Several months of preparation goes into the just a 5-minute frenzied race. These backwaters turn into practice grounds where the teams sweat it out every day for the grand spectacle. Each snake boat has team of 50 to 100 rowers who through their synchronised movement pushes the boat forward. The sheer sight of precision rowing where 100 hands work in unison is a treat to watch. From a distance, it would appear like a centipede moving. With the intense heat of the afternoon abetting, several teams were practsing and putting their acts together. Though it was incidental that our trip was timed during this period, we were indeed fortunate to watch this spectacle too.

Sunset in the backwaters is special. As the glowing red sun sinks into the waters, and the shadow of the coconut palms grew longer, there was an eerie silence with brief respites in between by bird-calls moving to their far-off nests. The whole atmosphere turns ethereal. Water growing darker lent another shade to the vista. Twilight of dusk often kindles a sense of rumination. Then all of a sudden, there was a hustle of activities in the lagoon. Several fishermen fanned out into the water in their small canoes and were spreading their nets. There is an unwritten code that the houseboats would not move after dusk so that they don’t cut these nests. Our boatmen identified a narrow strip of land with few coconut palms in the middle of the lagoon and laid his anchor. We jumped off the boat to the small island and enjoyed the cool breeze and smell of water hyacinths wafting through the air. Preparations for the evening sit in with the single malt had commenced.

A quick shower and we assembled in the bow with Glenlevit-18 years. The chef cum oarsman kept up the steady supply of goodies in the form of Tiger Prawns, Beef Ulathitahu, Chicken Fry, Green Salad, Sprouts. A small drizzle enlivened the atmosphere. We had a few good hands at singing who perked up the party. The binge eating and jamming went on till past midnight. Despite paucity of space in the stomach for any sort of dinner, tapioca and fish gravy with kanji (rice gruel) was irresistible.

Post a small walk on the grass on the tiny island surrounded by fire flies we hit the bed.

As day dawned, our boat was on our way to the jetty where we would soon join the maddening crowd. Getting down the boat with a mighty hug to our boat crew, we knew that the past 24 hours would be reminisced for a long time to come.

I was accompanied by Sailesh Gupta, Radhakrishnan, Syed Rahman and Sundara Bhaskar