CHITRAYATRA

യു. എ. ഖാദറിന്റെ 'ചാത്തു' - കോഴിക്കോട് അൻസാരി പാർക്കിൽ നിന്നും   

ആനവാരിയും പൊൻകുരിശും നവകമിതാക്കളും - കോഴിക്കോട് അൻസാരി പാർക്കിൽ നിന്നും (8-April-2016).

കോഴിക്കോട് ബീച്ചിൽ നിന്നും ഒരു ഏപ്രിൽ സന്ധ്യാനേരത്ത് 

The 1979 black and white Malayalam movie "Vellayani Paramu" was about a legendary local Robin Hood. The popular movie had made the place Vellayani quite famous in those days. Recently I happened to watch the movie again in YouTube and suddenly an urge came over me to visit the place in person. വെള്ളായണി പരമു എന്ന മലയാളം സിനിമ കൊണ്ട് കേരളം മുഴുവൻ അറിഞ്ഞ സ്ഥലപ്പേരാണ് വെള്ളായണി. നസീറും ജയനും സോമനും അടൂർ ഭാസിയുമൊക്കെ അഭിനയിച്ച ആ സിനിമയിലെ "വില്ലടിച്ചാൻ പാട്ടു പാടി.." എന്ന ദേവരാജൻ മാഷ് സംഗീതം ചെയ്ത പാട്ടിലും "വെള്ളായണി അകലെ അകലെ" എന്ന് സ്ഥലനാമപരാമർശമുണ്ട്. പഴയ ഈ സിനിമ ഇയ്യിടെ വീണ്ടും കാണാനിടയായി. അപ്പോൾ അടുത്തുള്ള വെള്ളായണി കാണാൻ മോഹമായി. One must see the lake in person to appreciate its beauty! Decorated with lotus, the lake provides an experience you will never forget. You must visit the place early in the morning before the flowers get plucked by the local temples. വെള്ളായണി തടാകം ഒന്ന് കാണേണ്ടത് തന്നെ. നിറയെ താമര ഇലകളുമായി ഒരു കായൽ. പൂക്കൾ ധാരാളമുണ്ടാകുമെങ...

On the east side of Trivandrum Vellayani lake there is a farm. Among the various breeds of cows and bulls there, one particular bull attracted my attention. It looked similar to cows in Kerala of an early era. We used to have this kind of short cows in almost every farmer's house. In fact in our family too we had them. When I asked a farmhand, he said it is a bull of Vehoor breed, a diminishing species. I am no cattle expert and not sure if the claim was correct. Also, I can't say if the cows we had at our home were of Vechoor breed as that was long ago. Here is the picture. More info on Vechoor cattle is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vechur_Cattle

It was on Sunday 4th September we visited Perumbalam, an island north of Pallippuram Desom. Secluded, serene and beautiful Perumbalam often witnesses nature enthusiasts from all over the world. In my college days, we used to visit this place for unadulterated toddy, which was in abundance. We enjoyed the product direct from the source! From Panavally boat jetty on the mainland it is a ten minutes ferry to Perumbalam.  The journey is enjoyable for the shortness and lake scenes. We reached Panavally early morning and the jetty was nearly empty. Our plan was for a short visit to Perumbalam island, so we did not take our car to the island though there was a  Junkar service available. We parked our car near the open space at the jetty. The beautiful Pnavally boat jetty The life scenes on the lake was always a fascination for me. A fisherman Perumbalam Jetty When we reached Perumbalam, we enquired an auto-rickshaw driver of places of interest. He took us to the north end of the isl...

If you were a cow you should be born in Vagamon for it is a bovine heaven! If green would make you happy, this place is for you. The meadows, the streams and the pleasant climate will make you forget the miles you have to go before you sleep. View from one of the green hills On 18th, when we visited the place the light was harsh and the sky uninspiring for a photo enthusiast. Since it was Onam holidays the place had witnessed lot of local tourists. They came in groups and climbed the hills with extended selfie sticks and camera phones protruding above them. We settled for sometime on one of the hills enjoying the scenery. Suddenly a butterfly took off from one of the groups and fluttered around the hilltop incessantly. The butterfly Many of the tourists who had brought food and loads of plastics littered the place inconsiderately. The place is sparsely inhabited and well preserved. Farming, laboring in tea estates and tourism are the ways of life here. The locals are mostly farmers or ...