CHITRAYATRA

Punalur is an old township with a grand legacy of British architecture and labor activism. The thirteen arch railway bridge and suspension bridge are gateway monuments to a memorable past when trains on the meter gauge rail route between Kollam – Punalur and Punalur – Sengottai chugged along the scenic mountain terrain for over a century. They are still there, neglected and usurped. Our visit to Punalur early in October was short. The climate was hot, humid and hardly bearable. Amid the buzzing confusion stood the suspension bridge like a monument. The bridge and surroundings are now cluttered with constructions and development activities, which emphasizes the lack in preserving our precious memories; or are we trying hard to leave them behind? Are they haunting us? The silly colonial, oppressive memories. View of Kallar river from the bridge.  Another view of the Suspension bridge. I would have loved to take a journey  over this bridge in that lazy but wonderfu...

A reunion. It has been 24 years since we left NSS College, Chethtala, behind

On our way to Gavi, we learned from a local that only 30 vehicles per day were allowed to pass through the jungle. For that too, one must reach the check post early in the morning. He suggested (rather insisted) that we visit Aanakkoodu (Elephant cages) at Konni instead, which was not far from there. It did not disappoint us. The visit was a memorable one. Sprawled over a huge landscape were beautiful buildings in typical Kerala traditional architectural style, well-laid-out pathways and gardens. The majestic elephant cages and shelters stood among these, bearing a history of over 100 years. One wonders how many elephants of generations manifold were trained and nurtured here. where all they went, what festivals, carnivals and processions they took part! How many of them died in harness, killed their mahouts or were mistreated and neglected to death. When we visited the place, the mahouts and elephants were busy doing their chores. A cute little infant elephant who got stranded in the ...

A fisherman and his son return home after the day's toil - from Poovar beach

The smelly but quiet and beautiful Vizhinjam fishing harbor, awaits its destiny to become a major port in Asia. Where will this beauty be in the next 5 years?

If you are visiting Trivandrum, the aquarium at Vizhinjam/Kovalam may be of interest.

A heron at Vizhinjam unaware of the development that has befallen.

Poovar, despite its natural settings and scenery, is over-hyped for tourism. But it is yet another beautiful place in Kerala, especially the beach.