Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
In most of the South Indian states villages are still using the bullock cart for transporting goods and people, mostly in farms and plantations. The oxen are fitted with horseshoes in order to protect their hooves from heat and uneven roads. Continue reading
The pavement is being rebuilt on the street leading to ‘downtown’ Thekkady. Right now it looks like in many other Indian cities, which is apparently like a constant work in progress according to this article by N N Sachitanand in the New Indian Express:
Once upon a time, roadside pavements were meant for the use of pedestrians so that they could safely traverse the length of the road without being knocked down by traffic. That is why the Americans (as in the US of A) call them sidewalks. Indians have adopted and adapted to this Western concept to suit their own environment and, in the process, mangled its original purpose beyond recognition.
…or an extreme-gardening experimentation : Continue reading
Anupam Nath/Associated Press. An Internet cafe in Guwahati, Assam.
An article in India Ink today explores the odd (from the perspective of non-Indians, at least) phenomenon of elites downgrading their socio-economic status in the interest, apparently, of a stronger sense of community belonging:
If you are an Indian reading this, you are very likely among the top 10 percent in the country, since you have Internet access. Continue reading
Our neighborhood, where kids know how to have fun on a hot summer’s day, is currently full of kids all day every day, now that school has been out for a while. The usual suspects are at it again, thinking about how to get airborne.
Fire. That’s what comes to my mind when I think of Indian food. I understand from my colleagues that here in Kerala food can never be too spicy. Don’t get me wrong– I love spicy food. I am less keen on surprises. But how to make sure to avoid them ? Continue reading
When we last saw New York Times contributor Joan Nathan she had written a lovely article about the fading tradition of a cuisine in India–exactly the type of story we love to share on this blog, but somehow we failed to. This time, failure is not an option. We missed her at Cardamom County, but found her now in the New York Times. She was in our neighborhood, walking our walk and talking our talk:
Kumily, India — One of the best parts of traveling, at least for me, is bringing back a food story, a new ingredient or a recipe. My family journeyed last year from the verdant tea plantations of Munnar down to the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, in southwestern India. Our driver, Janaki Raman, who had proved himself by dodging many a cow on the winding mountain roads, asked whether we might like to go to a local cooking class. Continue reading
Tea in India tastes stronger, so I always ask for mine to be mild, just like I do for curry. As I learnt today during a visit at a tea plantation and factory this is due to the processing of tea mostly used here for the Indian market: CTC. Continue reading
Thekkady sits right next to the frontier between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. But once you cross the Western Ghats it’s like setting foot in a whole other country. The alphabet is different, the language is not malayalam but tamil. And the temperature is much hotter than in the hill stations, thus flora and fauna are radically different too. I mean it’s quite a shock, I’ve never felt this otherness when crossing a border in Europe. Tamil Nadu counts 72 million souls and tamil has been used for 3800 years so naturally the country has a distinct identity. Continue reading
Photo credits: Dileep Kumar
Keshava Temple of Belur is aptly referred to as the “Jewelry Box” of Hoysala architecture, such is the ornamentation and detail of the sculpted pieces. The Mohini Pillar in the Navaranga Mandapa is one of the finest specimens of the Hoysala pillar order. The pillar is placed vertically on a sixteen pointed star plan decorated with a narrow band of filigree work. Continue reading
Traveling in a pack, or you might say a group, is not something I do on holidays. I’m a lone wolf kind of traveler. See what I mean? Then I took the opportunity to escort a group coming to Cardamom County for a bird photography workshop into Periyar Tiger Reserve, and all my preconceptions disappeared. Although my companions came from all parts of India to take wildlife pictures and I arrived on day 1 with just an iphone, I quickly felt like I belonged. Continue reading
Photo Credits: Dileep Kumar
Known as the “Tiger of Mysore”, Tipu Sulthan was the ruler of the Mysore Kingdom from 1782 to 1799. The construction of the summer residence was started by his father Hyder Ali. Built with French rosewood and adorned with pillars, this beautiful palace is surrounded by ornamental trees and a beautiful garden.
Continue reading
To make a beautiful “uruli”, a traditional Kerala bowl filled with water and flowers, you need a keen eye. Picking the right flowers, drying them if it rained, placing them artfully, it is a craft. Continue reading
Cardamom County is located at the junction of Kumily and Thekkady and for me it is not quite clear yet where one starts and the other stops. Walking around Kumily in the early morning is a privileged moment to witness daily wonders. Continue reading
Photo: Brian Orland. Farmers belonging to the Apa Tani tribe transplanting paddy in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Thanks to India Ink for the reference:
ZIRO VALLEY, Arunachal Pradesh — The end of April is planting time for the women of the Apa Tani tribe. Their 50-square-kilometer valley is a meticulously groomed jewel of green conservation, compared to the flood-beset Assam plains below or the slash-and-burn plots that neighboring tribes cultivate in the shrinking forests of the surrounding hills. Continue reading
My colleagues pressed me to arrive at Kathakali half an hour early : “You cannot miss the make-up session”, they insisted. Kathakali is non-speaking theatre you see. So the performance starts early on, before the show even starts. Continue reading
Tamarind Flower
The Tamarind is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 30 to 35 metres in height with beautiful flowers. Tamarind grows all over India, especially in hot and dry climate. Continue reading
One of the things you notice first when you arrive Kerala is the beautifully curvy and mysterious script. The Malayalam alphabet consists of 56 letters. Its rounded form comes from the fact it was primarily handwritten with a sharp point on dried palm leaves. Continue reading
The first aid kit I packed to come here in Kerala is the size of a small shoebox. Except for mosquito repellent and cold cream I have yet to use it, and although I should be relieved, I am annoyed. It’s the heaviest part of my luggage and I’ll probably carry it all back home ! A lot of this medication treats tummy-aches and Kerala has a strong system of traditional medicine, Ayurveda, that handles those issues well and without the long tail of potential side effects.
“You were right to take precautions, when traveling you never know where you’re going to land and what you’re going to find. Kerala is rich in water sources and is not at risk for Malaria. But you may want to travel to other parts of India which are less fortunate in those regards.” Dr Sulficker reminded me. Dr Pameela Sulficker is the Ayurvedic doctor here at Cardamom County, she introduces travelers to ayurveda at the Ayura Wellness Center. Continue reading
Dragon Ball, you remember Dragon Ball right, from the 80’s ? I hope you do as I saw the exact live version of “The World Tournament” last night, only here it’s called Kalari. Continue reading
A sari: five yards of unstitched fabric ingeniously wrapped and draped. Nowadays, with the exhausting rhythm of fashion, tons of unwanted secondhand saris are discarded every day and collected by India’s informal rag-picker community who resell these fabrics. This task has gotten harder and harder to do as India’s GDP per capita rises along with a distaste for secondhand.
Back in 2010, Bijal Shah was working on slum development issues as a fellow of the AIF-Clinton Foundation for the NGO SAATH in Gujarat, India. In a sea of beautiful second hand sari fabric, she had the idea to turn secondhand Indian saris into one of a kind, exciting products. Continue reading
Organikos 