Thoothukudi to Thekkady

 

The places we visited in the first lap of our trip may not have had the sophistication of the earlier jaunts but the simplicity and newness were a pleasure.

As on our previous trip, this time also we flew into Madurai. Then on, it was bye Indigo and hi Innova. The driver and the car were different. The Kartikeyan of the previous trip was replaced by his brother, we were told. As Aruna said, we didn’t know whether it was his “own” brother, cousin brother, working brother or even a brother-in-arms! Sunder was taciturn but drove the new taxi with elan.

This trip was also, in a way, a pre-birthday gift for Aruna’s mom who would be turning 80. Quite a few novel and nice elements, I would say.

As we sped to our hotel in Madurai, what caught our attention was the sprawling onion market. Onions were arranged neatly on jute bags according to size and an entire street (footpath) was taken up by these tear jerkers.

The hotel we checked into had an overpowering yet majestic air to it. In the lounge, ornate sofas jostled for space with elephants and traditional Indian games, all in decorative wood. The center tables had chessboards, pallanguzhi games with unique heads of horses and monkeys – all in solid wood. Our rooms also had stylish wooden furniture.

We visited the Koodal Azhagar temple which had been on our bucket list since our last visit. One of the 108 divya deshams, this Vishnu temple was in the midst of a bustling neighbourhood. However, the vast area, the thin crowd inside and the soft breeze gave it a peaceful ambience.

Huge granite walls surrounded the temple, enclosing all its shrines. The temple’s 5-tiered gopuram, the gateway tower, was architecturally amazing. The central shrine with its elevated structure housed the images of the presiding deity, worshipped as Viyooga Sounderajan, in 3 positions – seated, upright and recumbent. Seeing the God in His seated and upright shrines was manageable but in His recumbent form in a narrow space, it was difficult to have His darshan. I was able to negotiate the steep steps to the top but could not scale the last wall in order to see the Lord in his reclining form. Kuppu and Aruna bravely accomplished the task but Ashwin stayed back for my sake.

Smaller shrines were dedicated to Lakshmi Narasimha, Rama, Krishna, Andal. The massive pillared halls also had exceptional sculptures, a trademark of South Indian temples.

Tuticorin (or Thoothukudi) it was, the next day. Ashwin teases Aruna saying that there are only two streets in that town – one to enter and one to exit. True to a certain extent but the lanes and by lanes made it seem more 3-dimensional.

Before going to Aruna’s house, we visited the family church which was almost next door. Established in 1503, it looked new and was well maintained. The exterior was painted a cool white and blue. There was no service going on so we could leisurely move about. The colourful altar and the statues inside depicting scenes from the Bible were spectacular.

We started out for our next destination with Aruna’s mom. The resort we had booked, “Anantya in the Village”, was more like a homestay, a heritage home, a traditional village house. The décor was minimal and the furniture was functional, not ornamental. The sloping tiled roof and the verandah with chairs exuded warmth and hospitality. It was a nice, quiet, old-style retreat. We were told this was a joint venture between a renowned historian and author, Pradeep Chakravarthy, and the Anantya family. The house has 8 rooms on 2 floors. The reception area had framed photos of various Gods on the wall as also in a niche. A very religious and scholarly person would be captivated by a shelf full of books, religious and historical. An antique swing made our wait (paperwork) worthwhile. This front room with the kitchen (Adukule) and the dining room formed one unit and was separated from the lodgings by a huge neem tree and other flowering plants. I heard the incessant, sonorous cry of the squirrel for the first time here. Birds also flew in and out fluttering and twittering.

The dining room was very interesting. Traditional but with tables set for the tourists. On one wall there were alcoves colored blue and yellow, in which alternately brass chombus and brass lamps were kept. The blue alcoves, representing water, had the lamps and the yellow ones, representing fire, had the small water pots. The explanation was that harmonious co-existence of water and fire, the two primal elements in Hinduism, is important.

The other wall was adorned with a series of beautiful handcrafted wooden fish. This was meant as a show of reverence for the Pandya kings who had ruled over this village and whose symbol on their flag was the fish. The fish also signified water which is synonymous with prosperity. The fish motif was an ode to the history of the place. The quiet dedication with which the kitchen staff worked, their warmth and the wholesome meals served added to the earthiness of the place.

We also took time off to walk on a beautiful stretch along the river Thamirabarani. The cool, at times brisk breeze made our stroll along the road more enjoyable. It was a scenic view with the river Thamirabarani full and flowing on one side and the tall palm trees, guarding as it were, the green lush rice fields on the other. This was a treat – serene moments far from the madding crowd.

The amazing property of the resort was right opposite to the western wall of the 2^nd Vishnu temple (Sri Aadhinatha Swamy Temple) we visited. This temple is supposed to be the most prominent among the nine (Nava Tirupathi) temples in Vaishnavism and is associated with Jupiter. The nine temples situated enroute from Tiruchendur to Tirunelveli are linked with the Navagrahas.

Located on the banks of Thamirabarani river, the temple shows Vishnu in a standing posture. Again, a granite wall encloses the temple and the pillars have remarkable sculptures. The temple, in this small and remote village of Alwar Tirunagiri, a town in Thoothukudi district is said to be the birthplace of Nammalvar, one of the 12 Alwars, and is built around a sacred tamarind tree. Nammalvar is said to have crawled and sat in yogasana in a burrow of the tree lending the place its sanctity. We had to climb a lot of steps to reach this particular sacred area. The unique tamarind tree, said to be an incarnation of Adisesha and more than 500 years old, rests on the roof of the temple with no roots to be found. The tree is said to be sleepless because its leaves do not close at all. Perhaps linked with this are the innumerable tamarind trees seen all along the route.

The tall sculpture of the main deity in the temple is made entirely of granite. Encompassing a large area with sturdy columns and painted rangoli in its passages, it breathed divinity. We had a good darshan but had to wait for the theertham and shatari. There is the temple of Nammalvar adjacent to the temple of the main deity in the same enclosure and only after performing the rituals and Aarthi to the golden Moorthi of Nammalvar the theertham is given to the devotees. We walked and climbed steps like never before, to our foot’s (dis)content.

The prehistoric live excavation site Adhichannalur we went to was a marvellous discovery. Dating back to 600BC – 1000BC it is said to be an ancient burial ground. It is located at the peak of a hillock offering a view of the Thamirabarani river which flows from the Agasthiya malai in the western ghats to the gulf of Munnar. All the excavated pits had the unearthed objects in them. Some had huge urns found with bones so they were assumed to be associated with burial. 

Work here was still in progress. Documentation needs to be done, the caretaker said, after which they might publish the findings. Exploring this site gives the tourist a unique opportunity to delve into the cultural history of the area and witness the ongoing work of uncovering ancient master pieces. We were diverted to a museum nearby which was as riveting. Here the huge pits which were dug up were covered with glass so you could walk on a side and look at the treasures below. Still to be completed, the museum displayed amazing objects of the Bronze, Iron and Stone ages. Outside the museum, lawns and landscaping were in progress. When complete, it will present a lovely, fresh and colorful view – a contrast to the ancient artifacts inside.

The staff at our homestay had told us about a red sand desert not too far from where we were. That was going to be our next stop. As we approached our destination, brilliant red sand was seen on both sides of seemingly less travelled route. Shrubs seemed enveloped in redness. Called “Theri Kaadu”, the red sand seemed to extend for a stretch of 50 sq kms or more. As we made a stop, we saw an awesome hillock of red sand. We walked on the fine sand, reached the top and marvelled at the dunes stretching below. An astonishing sight for us, a red letter day to be sure. A&A spotted birds in the palm trees and that added to their satisfaction. 

The 2^nd church we went to was picturesquely situated near the sea and the light house. It was on a hillock and as we climbed the innumerable steps, the strong breeze from the sea seemed to pull me away, my weight notwithstanding. It’s a coincidence that the 2 churches we went to had divine objects said to have been salvaged from a ship caught in a storm here – the wooden statue of Holy Mary in one and the heavy wooden Holy Cross in the other. We got a beautiful view of the sea, the fishing boats and the people enjoying themselves on the beach from our elevated viewpoint.

Come to South India and not talk sarees? The sarees specific to this place have beautiful embroidery on them, the same embroidery seen on the lampshade in our room. The chedi butta sarees are a traditional weave known for their intricate design and high-quality weaving. These traditional techniques, our homestay staff said, are passed down through generations to create beautiful garments.

Thekkady was our next halt. The scenery as we drove towards Thekkady on the Kerala border, was a sight for sore eyes. Hills on both sides almost merging with the green fields swaying in the gentle breeze, tall coconut trees and the 100s of windmills steadily harnessing wind energy. As a contrast, the 2 or 3 villages we passed were choc-a-bloc with humanity. We were also, for the first time, witness to a uniquely funny spectacle. We were told that a particular wealthy community here celebrated all functions big and small, and the family’s pictures with the date of the event were put up on huge flexis on the road side. Such flexis usually associated with politicians' faces, XL, large, medium and small were aglow with the pictures of random families in their finery – the bride and groom with parents in law, a small glowing girl with her kith and kin, a boy in a crisp dhoti looking up at his elders, a girl again surrounded by her loved ones – these referred to weddings, coming of age of a daughter or a son, and even an event as quiet as ear piercing was given dramatic publicity. All the info in Tamil was filtered for us by Aruna, our translator par excellence, whether in shops, or temples or flexi-bearing roads.

The last 15 minutes of our drive to Thekkady was on a ghat road with scary curves and sharp turns. This is where our trust in the driver is tested, I thought. The resort at Thekkady, CGH Earth - Spice Village, was reminiscent of the one at Marari beach, also in Kerala, which till date remains Meera’s fondest holiday spot. Thatched roofs kept the cottages beneath cool and comfortable. TVs and ACs were thankfully given the go by because why would one want to stare at a screen when nature’s beauty and bounty dwelt everywhere outside. The paths in front of the 52 cottages were a walker’s delight with inclines and slopes. Lawns here and there beckoned us to walk barefoot on them. Huge trees and flowering plants delighted us with their exotic names and origin. They were also a haven for a variety of birds and for A&A who photographed them with excitement. A huge jackfruit tree right in front of our cottage had succulent fruit hanging low and high. Squirrels and monkeys bypassed the ones almost kissing the ground and safely ate from the fruit on the higher branches.

Coffee / tea time on the lawns was a pleasurable evening activity. The lady with her cart / trolley would smilingly serve hot beverages with onion fritters, vada and biscuits. A place to smile at others, this is where we met the newly appointed General Manager of the resort who was a treasure trove of information and personal experiences with birds and wild life resorts. A&A shared their precious birding moments with him. I sat and basked in the setting sun and their illuminating conversation.

Dinner time would be a food and music time. The in-house artiste would play melodious semi-classical tunes on his Veena accompanied ably by the vidwan on the mridangam. Songs from the movie Roja were literally music to the ears. When complimented, the musicians were humbly overjoyed. Apart from the main restaurant, there was also an eatery called “The 50 mile” place, so named because all the ingredients, vegetables and fruits used in the cooking would come from within the local area. We had absolutely yummy food in both the places.

Valentine’s Day was celebrated here with special dishes and with 2 huge hearts decorated with flowers at the main restaurant. We thought of posing near it as a family, but finally only the better halves made the scene more colourful! Also on this occasion, each of the cottages, with the guests’ names, was given a lovely, hand-written heart shaped card. Just as we had seen the wonderful preparations for Christmas in the Andamans, here we were part of this day, actually geared towards videshis who formed the majority of the tourists.

We had planned a pug-mark walk inside the forest but when we reached the gate to the jungle, we were told that a herd of elephants were roaming around in a vicious mood, hence the activity had been cancelled. We were disappointed but we did the next best thing – we trekked on the road beside the forest, we were overawed by the denseness of the woods on both sides of the road but managed a determined 3.5km stretch with hardly any human encounter till we reached the forest range bus top from where we returned to civilization. Fearsome but playful black langurs, cuddlesome black chicks and large squirrels with long bushy tails made our walk back to the resort a ½ hour of pleasant discovery.

Boating on the Periyar river was also on our agenda and fortunately, there were no hiccups here. There were hordes of people thronging the waiting area. There was no chance for a queue to be maintained; people jostled and pushed to reach the patiently waiting boats, despite the fact that seats were numbered. We were overwhelmed by the crowd, the screeching of children, the shouts of adults and the giggles of teenagers. 4 boats with 400 chairs were occupied in a matter of minutes. We got good viewing seats and with the help of binoculars and a sophisticated camera, spotted a family of elephants, another family of wild boars, deer, bisons and different kinds of birds perched on fragile twigs in the water. It was a wonderful experience.

As A&A had trekking and rafting planned for the morning, they left very early and came back happy and exhausted. While they were away, we opted for a property tour. The naturalist showed us the organic vegetable garden, lot of unseen before birds, large squirrels hanging on branches by their tails and took us to the place where the elephant grass used in the thatched roofs was stored and then made ready for use.

Later in the day, we walked on the property for one more time and enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the place, luxuries we yearn for in the noisy world. I also realised that I had never before written (in English) or heard so many Tamil words – names of temples, deities, stories connected with the Alwars, the food served at the earlier homestay. That was a very novel learning experience for a half-baked Tamilian.

Birding pictures are available on A&A's blog (Thamirabarani and Periyaar – Birding (arkhub.co.in))