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
Banyan Trees
Banyan (Ficus benghalensis)
Banyans are large evergreen trees with aerial roots descending from branches that enter the ground and thicken and become strong enough to support the crown. The Banyan is sacred to the Hindus; they frequently stand guardian near temples and shrines. The figs provide food for variety of animal life and the leaves are fodder for elephants and camels. Banyan is the national tree of India.
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Sacred Trees
The fig-tree at this day to Indians known
In Malabar or Deccan, spreads her arms,
Branching so broad and long, that on the ground
The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow
About the mother tree, a pillar’d shade,
High over-arched and echoing walks between.
–John Milton, Paradise Lost
Organikos 