Mimosa pudica
“Touch-me-not” is a low growing prickly shrub with very sensitive compound leaves that close together and droop down when touched. The genus name is derived from Greek mimos, which means mimic and pudica, which means shy, referring to the sensitive leaves. Continue reading
Photo credits Mr. Shyam
Mr. Shyam, naturalist and tour escort from Wild Kerala Tour Company, went for the Periyar Tiger Reserve Nature Walk last week and has shared some of his photos with Raxacollective. Continue reading
Cassia mimosoides
Native to India and Sri Lanka, Feather-leaved Cassias are seen on the forest floor of scrub and degraded forest, prefering hills up to 1600 metres. The plant flowering from October to February, attracting many species of butterfly. Continue reading
Bos gaurus
Wild Gaur is one of the Periyar’s top 10 mammals. The tropical climate, rich and productive banks of the Periyar reservoir attracts Gaur that gather in large numbers to graze on fresh fodder and drink and bathe in the waters of the famous lake . Continue reading
Cyanotis tuberosa
Native of peninsular India and Sri Lanka,this stocky succulent herb is seen among the rocks in gravelly and sandy soil growing up to 1200 meters. The plants blooms during September, October and November. Continue reading
Common Floss Flower is frequently found along road sides and on hills up to 1200 meters. Native to tropical South America and naturalized in India, it is an aggressive invader. The flowers of the plant attracts butterflies.
Photo Credits: Ullas G
The view from the Anayirankal dam is one of the most popular excursions points in Idukki district. Situated near Munnar en route to Thekkady on the Munnar state highway, the dam is flanked by steep hills and tea plantations, making it a tranquil and scenic picnic spot. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ranjith
Ayurveda is science of life. Although Ayurveda is practised all over India, Kerala is perhaps the only state where this science of medicine still follows age-old traditional laws. Marma Points are positions on the body where flesh, veins, tendons, bones and joints meet. Oil therapy is an important Marma Chikitsa, where warm Medicated oils are used in specific Marma points. Continue reading
Photo credits: Sooraj
Kummattikali is a folk dance celebrating the arrival of King Mahabali to visit his subjects during Onam. Kummattikali is famous in the north of Kerala, especially the region of Thrissur. It is believed that the presiding deity of Vadakkuumnathan Temple in Thrissur asked the attending spirits to perform for him. The dance they presented came to be known as Kummattikali. Decorated masks carved from wood adorn the face while the body is covered with a grass skirt . Continue reading
Photo credits: Aaradhana
A Para is a traditional measuring vessel associated with the rice paddy system in Kerala. Customarily the vessels are made of either brass or wood. Filling a Para to overflowing with a paddy offering to God is an important ritual by many devotees. Continue reading
A Kerala Christmas season always includes a plum cake and throughout the state people begin the preparations well in advance of the holiday itself. It’s considered auspicious to invite friends to mix the ingredients that must “marinate” for 2 months prior to the actual preparation of the cakes. Cardamom County’s Cake mixing ceremony took place yesterday, 16th October. It’s a tradition at the hotel to welcome the holiday season with a fruit soaking ceremony that included staff and guests from around the world.
Property Manager Naveen Mohan described the event perfectly:
This Cake mixing ceremony happened at Raxa Collective, Cardamom County, Thekkady yesterday. The warm, friendly staff of the hotel led everyone to the ceremony. It’s a tradition at the hotel to welcome the holiday season with a fruit soaking ceremony ahead of Christmas. There were massive steel basins with candied ginger strips lining the bottom, and huge trays filled with fruit – raisins, black currants, candied orange peel, candied cherries, etc. And of course the all important ‘spirit of the season‘ in bottles – wine, rum and whiskey to soak the fruit. To set the ceremony off, we were each handed gloves, aprons and chefs hats. We set to work with handfuls of fruit ceremoniously dumped into the steel basins and started mixing the fruit. Once all the fruit was in and well mixed, ladles of the liquor were flambéed over the dried fruit and then the bottles were emptied in one by one. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Vidyarambham is a traditional Hindu ritual conducted in the first week of October at the time of Navaratri, Vijayadshami day. Vidyarambham means the beginning of education. The Goddess Sarasvati is worshiped all over the country as the Goddess of learning. Continue reading
Photo Credits: Manoj Vasudevan
Mr. Manoj Vasudevan, the leader of a visiting tour group, joined the nature walk last week at the Periyar National Park. We love it when our guests share their shots with us ! Continue reading
Photo credits: R R Renjith
Thenmala is India’s first planned ecotourism destination. Located 500 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Kollam district of the Westeren Ghats, Thenmala’s 10 satellite ecotourism attractions create a colourful canvas of diverse flora, fauna and vast tracts of forests. Continue reading
Common Rattle Pod plants are frequently found along river banks and fields as well as in the hills up to 1200 meters. The flowers are showy and large, and favored by carpenter bees. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Dakshina Mookambika Saraswathi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi, the patron Goddess for learning and arts. The major festival of this prominent Saraswathi Temples is the Saraswathi Pooja that takes place in September or October, depending on the annual Malayalam calendar. Continue reading
Photo credits: Dileep Kumar
The Thenmala-Sengottai Meter Gauge Ghat section had been one of the gems of the Indian rail system and certainly one of Kerala’s most beautiful routes. Maharajah Balarama Varma of Travacore conceived and implemented the railway line during 1904, with an , with an inaugural run in July of that year. Continue reading
Photo credits: Nujum Myannad
Padmanabhapuram Palace was the capital seat of the Travancore State until 1792, when it was shifted to Trivandrum. This magnificent home of the Travancore rulers was not a single unit, but a complex of 14 palaces spread across six and a half acres. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Dedicated to the Goddess Kali, Neelamperoor Pooram Padayani is celebrated at the Bhagavathi Temple near Alappuzha. Padayani is a ritualistic dance popular in the central Kerala region but it differs from other Padayani performances as it features a swan motif called “Annan Kettu”. Continue reading
Photo credit: Ranjith
The Kerala speciality Vattayappam is a steamed rice cake made with rice flour, sugar, yeast, cashews, raisins and coconut milk infused with the wonderful aroma and taste of cardamom. This is a traditional tea time snack.
Organikos 