Thunbergia mysorensis
Mysore thunberia is a superlative climber found in the shola forest foothills of the Western Ghats. Blooming from October to February, this highly decorative plant creates quite an impact in any garden. Continue reading
Fort Cochin; Photo credits: Manoj Vasudevan
Known as “God’s Own Country”, Kerala is one of the most beautiful states in India. Lonely Planet apparently agrees by citing it among the World’s 10 best destinations for a family holiday in 2014. The Lonely Planet award for Best Family Destination was bestowed at the World Travel Mart in London, the leading trade event attended by industry representatives from around the world. Continue reading
When I think of Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, what comes to mind is a lake surrounded by thick, dense forests, and the iconic dried tree snags created when the lake was formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam over 100 years ago, not to mention the elephants that often frequent the water’s edge. It was cloudy when I left for the boat excursion and by the time I reached the boat landing, it was pouring; it is monsoon season after all. Salim said there would be fewer “sightings”, as the locals put it, since the animals tend to take cover in the rain.
St. Mary’s Church, Kottayam; photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Kerala is known for the abundance of churches that can be found every few kilometers. Every Christian family in Kerala is associated to a church, which represents the major celebrations in a family from baptism, to a child’s religious education, to his or her marriage. In this way the church plays a vital role in every individual’s and family’s life. St Mary’s church celebrates five feasts through the year which attracts lakhs of devotes seeking blessings. Continue reading
“The Lord”
Historically elephants have been part of the rich culture of Kerala. As the physical representative of Lord Ganesha, people consider this animal a harbinger of good fortune, a remover of obstacles and an inseparable and integral part of religious and economic life as both temples and mosques embraced the animal during festivals. Continue reading
Argyreia nervosa
Native to India, Silky Elephant Glory is a large woody, perennial climber with heart shaped leaves with silky silver undersides–both he leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine.
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Siva Temple in Ettumanoor is a huge temple with excellent woodcarvings and 16th century murals depicting deeds of Krishna and scenes from The Ramanaya. Another added attraction is the mural depicting Lord Shiva performing his cosmic tandava dance. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Kerala has an extensive network of waterways that lace the interior coastline from north to south. For visitors the backwaters of spell relaxation–people can’t help but unwind as they enjoy the blue waters of the canals and the verdant shade on the banks . Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Kerala literally means the “land of Coconut” and is one of the leading producers of coconut in the world. Coconut trees are an integral part of the lifestyle and the economy of the state, and because of the numerous products and by-products derived from its various parts coconut is known as the “Tree Of Life”. Continue reading
A few weeks ago I joined the RAXA Collective team and have been spending time familiarizing myself with all the properties. The last location to visit was Thekkady.
As a child, I have frequently travelled to Poonjar, my grandpa’s place; each vacation was spent there until about 25 years back. That’s a long time!! Those then remained distant memories until yesterday when I had the chance to travel through the same route. Kaduthuruthy, Pala, Erattupetta, Bharananganam and St. Alphonsa’s Church were familiar small towns which I passed on my way to Cardamom County, Thekkady. Nostalgia and a sense of loss (as both my grandparents have passed) is what I felt and if time had permitted, I would have definitely convinced Amie to drop in at Poonjar for a few minutes – it was only a 5km detour….
I have a lot of places to cover in Kerala before even I think of exploring other destinations. The small coffee shop placed on a small hill which had a magnificent view to the valley and a majestic water fall was the highlights of the journey.
After a longish car drive, the yellow lights alongside the Cardamom County garden and the warm ‘garland’ welcome which I received from the staff was quite refreshing. I immediately concluded that I was going to have a whale of a time, even though the trip was official. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Located above 1700 meters Munnar was the summer residence of the British administration of South India.The British recognized the potential of tea and started planting on about 580 square kilometers of land. Now famous for its tea plantations, Munnar retains its colonial charm with sprawling estates, rolling hills , sparkling waterfalls undulating valleys and hamlets. Continue reading
Strobilanthes kunthiana
Neela Kurinji is a blue bell-shaped flower found on the hilly slopes of the Western Ghats at an altitude between 6000 and 7000 feet. The unique feature of this tall bushy shrub is that it blooms only once in 12 years. Eravikulam National Park is famous for the flower, which will next bloom in 2018. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renjith K Thomas
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the Western Ghats nestled between the Anamalai Ranges of Tamil Nadu and the Nelliyampathi Ranges of Kerala. Spread across 277 sq km, the sanctuary is a heaven of tranquil greenery as well as the first scientifically managed teak plantation. Blessed with rich flora and fauna, Parambikkulam is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts. Continue reading
The Hindu
Local farmers in the Western Ghats, like their counterparts everywhere, generally want to be unencumbered to do what farmers do. Any given morning we wake up feeling complete solidarity with farmers. Full stop. We wake up every day looking for opportunities to support conservation where we live and work. Full stop. Currently, one such region where we work, known as the Western Ghats in southern India, is wrestling with the challenge of letting farmers be farmers while also allowing the ecosystem–one of those rare places worthy of being called a biodiversity hotspot–to continue to be the ecosystem. Sometimes, farmers and ecosystems do not get along well. We thank the Hindu for its coverage of this issue, which is much more complicated than one article can convey:
…The sites, spread over 34 countries, “harbour the majority of the populations of more than 600 birds, amphibians, and mammals, half of which are globally threatened. Many of these irreplaceable areas are already designated as places of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention,” the report said. Continue reading
Lord Ayyappa
Sabarimala Temple is one of the most important pilgrim centres in India. Every year, lakhs of devotees throng this holy shrine situated amidst the thick forest of Periyar Tiger Reserve. Pilgrims have to undertake 41 days vritham (penance) consisting of strict celibacy. Females between the age of 10 and 50 are not permitted in the shrine. Continue reading
Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
Revered by both Hindus and Muslims, the town of Erumely is famous for the Vavar Mosque as well as the Sastha Temple. The Ritual of Petta Thullal during the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage is a unique feature of this place. Pilgrims who visit the temple consider it their sacred duty to offer donation to a representative of the Vavar Mosque. The reason for this devotion is that Vavar was considered to be a contemporary and friend of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala Temple. Continue reading
Rice Soup
Rice is one of the staples of Kerala cuisine and a rice soup called Kanji is one of the classic dishes. The soup is a simple preparation of serving the rice in the water it was cooked in. Kanji is usually eaten for as the evening meal as the dish is light, rich in nutrients and easily digested. This dish is usually enjoyed with condiments like pickle or chutney, as well as Kerala’s favorite dry fish and pappadam. Continue reading
Returning with the days catch
We’ve written previously about Keralalites’ love for fish. However, eating it is only half the story; how it enters into people’s lives is another part of it. Here we’ll share how daily life starts for many locals in a fishing town.
Fishermen usually leave their nets in the water overnight and come back in the morning with prayers in their heart for a good catch. Often luck is with them and their prayers are answered, primarily due to the healthy waters along Kerala’s coastline. Continue reading
Cardamom
Cardamom is known as the “Queen of Spices” and Kumily is known to have the biggest cardamom market in the world. Exceptional care goes into growing this spice. It needs a minimum altitude of 800 to 1200 meters above sea level and plenty of shade and water. Kumily is located at 1100 meters with an average annual rainfall of 3000 millimeters, making it the perfect atmosphere for the plant to thrive. Continue reading
Organikos 