Hampi Bazaar – Karnataka

Photo credits :Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits :Ramesh Kidangoor

Hampi is one of the most frequently visited tourist sites in Karnataka state and India’s most prominent Heritage sites. This village in Northern Karnataka is the former capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. Continue reading

Pink Rose

Photo credits: Eldhose

Photo credits: Eldhose

Pink Roses are popularly crop for commercial and domestic cut flowers. This low-growing climber is well-suited to cooler regions and therefore is very commonly found in the High Ranges of Kerala. Pink Roses are good repeat bloomer.

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Coracle – Traditional Boats

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Coracles are local fishing crafts that are circular and ideal for navigating river waters. These traditional vessels are made out of reeds and the design is believed to have been used for centuries. They are mainly used for fishing and river crossings. Continue reading

Angels’s Trumpet – Datura suaveolens

Datura suaveolens

Angel’s Trumpet is native to Tropical America but naturalised in India, especially in the Western Ghats up to 2000 meters. It’s a tall shrub with very large drooping trumpet-shaped white flowers. Continue reading

Chellarkovil Waterfalls- Thekkady

Chellarkovil Waterfalls

Chellarkovil Waterfalls

Chellarkovil Waterfalls is located just 14km from Thekkady. Especially during the monsoon the cascading waterfalls and the abundance of flora make this place a trekker’s and photographer’s paradise. Continue reading

Mahabalipuram Shore Temple – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Completed in the latter half of the 8th century A.D, Mahabalipuram Shore Temple is one of the finest examples of structural temple architecture, meaning that it was built from granite block as opposed to being carved from solid stone. It belongs to a period when this temple construction style was at its peek. Continue reading

Kochin Port

Kochin Harbour

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Kochi, Kerala’s business hub, is home to one of the best ports in the country. Before independence, a British engineer Mr. Robert Bristow developed Kochin port, now a gateway to international trade and tourism. It is an all-weather port, located on the East-West trade route and among Indian ports, situated closest to the international sea route. Continue reading

Vazhachal Waterfalls – Kerala

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Vazhachal Waterfalls is located 78 kilometers from Cochin. Set amidst the lush green foliage at the entrance of the Sholayar forest, the famous waterfall is a popular location in the Indian film industry. Continue reading

Chettinadu Mansions – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Chettinadu, loacated in the Sivagana district of southern Tamil Nadu, is the homeland of Nattukottai Chettiars (also known as “Nagarathars”), who are the highest class of the Chettiar Tamil community.  Nattukottai Chettiars, are often prosperous individuals in either the banking or business community.  Due to their rich cultural heritage such as their art, architecture, and antiques, their mansions are often a popular attraction for visitors. Continue reading

Skandagiri Hills – Karnataka

Photo credits: Dileep

Photo credits: Dileep

Skandagiri Hills is located near the town of Chickballapur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. Skandagiri Hills is very famous for its night trekking, and consequently, can be a trekker’s paradise during an evening with a full moon. Part of the allure of a Skandagari trek is with the high altitude one feels to be “walking above the clouds.”  Additionally, there is a small temple stationed on top of the hill that is worthy of a visit.   Continue reading

Bharani Festival, Chettikulangra Temple – Alappuzha

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Chettikulangra Temple is dedicated to the Goddess Bhadrakali. The temple is famous for the Bharani festival, with special rituals and Kettukazhcha processions attract numerous devotees. Continue reading

Kovalam Beach- Kerala

Photo credits:Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits:Ramesh Kidangoor

Kovalam Beach is located in Thiruvananthapuram, which is the state capital of Kerala, and is only a short drive away from the local international airport.  It is comprised of three adjacent crescent-shaped beaches, and is the sight of golden sand, rocky palm groves, and miles of shimmering sea. Continue reading

Tiger Cave – Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu

Tiger Cave

Tiger Cave

Monuments in Mamallapuram are comprised of three kinds of rock-cutting techniques: excavated cave temples, monolithic temple models, and structural erections. The Tiger Cave, a rock-cut Hindu temple, is located 4 km north of the main Shore temple in Mamallapuram. Continue reading

Waterfalls – Kuttikkanam, Kerala

Misty Mountain Waterfalls

Misty Mountain Waterfalls

Kuttikkanam is a village nestled in the lap of the Sahyadri Ranges and is en route between Kochi and Thekkady.  Kuttikkanam is very famous for its scenic beauty, especially its waterfalls, and it once was a summer retreat of the Travancore Kings.  Continue reading

Pampanar – Thekkady, Kerala

Tea Estates

Pampanar is located near Thekkady en route to Kottayam. It is a picturesque place with an unending expanse of lush green tea plantations. Tea estates, lush hillsides, forests and coffee estates views lend charm to this hill station. Continue reading

Chellar Covil – Thekkady, Kerala

chellar covil

Chellar Covil

Situated about 14 km from Thekkady on the Munnar road, Chellar Covil has one of the best overlooks from the heights of Kerala into Tamil Nadu. The sleepy little hamlet offers a breathtaking view of the plains and cascading waterfalls of the neighboring state. Continue reading

Wild Periyar – Avifaunal Hotspot

malabar parakeet

malabar parakeet

Periyar Tiger Reserve is an avifaunal hotspot extraordinaire and one of the most facinating birding destinations in the entire Western Ghats. The verdure of rolling hills, rich flora and a many-armed reservoir supports an impressive 323 species of birds, including Malabar Parakeet, Hill Myna, Bulbuls and Hornbills. Continue reading

Shayanapradikshanam

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

The shyanapradikshanam is ritual worship by devotes (usually male) of circling the temple sanctum sanctorum by rolling on the ground. The ritual is performed as atonement, pledge fulfillment or a gesture of thanks giving. It’s a common sight in many Kerala temples. Continue reading