Kerala Trip with the Family!
The one trip every nature lover needs to make to Gods own country; which is the 7th smallest state in India and yet there is just so much to explore. Let me quickly brief you up on our itinerary first before moving onto the actual trip.
Day 1 – Reaching Trivandrum via air route.
Day 2 – Kanyakumari,TN (Vivekananda Memorial + Bhagavathy Amman temple ) + Suchindram Temple
Day 3 – Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple + Kovalam Beach
Day 4 – Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary + Trivandrum Zoo
Day 5 – Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Day 1
There are hundreds of flights to Kerala but if you have to convince 4 families to travel together; even a million flights will seem less of an option. Everyone has an opinion which needs to be taken into consideration because otherwise “logo ko feel ho jata hai”.
So, 11 of us were to travel from Mumbai to TRV. Now, if it were my college batchmates whom I had to travel with, I wouldn’t be half as worried – they travel light and listen to the instructions from their fellow men. But unfortunately, none of these rules are applicable to family members. And so I am glad to have joined gym because the workout comes handy when one has to pick bags as big as mountain rocks.
“My family, My rules” should not be the motto at the airport because you wouldn’t want to put a bad impression in front of the beautiful girl at the baggage counter. And that would happen because:
a. The luggage had to be pooled. One of the things you do if you are a frequent flyer is travel light – with no check in luggage allowed. I had to keep the luggage from all 3 trolleys on the belt – with no appreciation from the members and no smile from the girl at the counter. Quite like at my office.
b. Most of us had done our web check-in except for the senior citizens since they didn’t have the option.
Anyway, I handed over the boarding passes; ID’s and ticket printouts to each so they could proceed for security check in. But surprise surprise!! There is another member from our family who has been waiting for us; thus making Mumbai airport – my personal centre of surprises, for last time it was my brother, while this time, it is my brother-in-law! (Imagine the K3G sad version playing in the background.)
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| View From Flight just before landing |
So now we were 12 and obviously the last to board the bus.
We booked Uber cabs from the airport and were dropped near the Akkulam Lake, which was our stay for the trip. Also, 5 more of my family members had already reached the previous day. This meant 17 people in all! So much fun (read fun as mismanagement with the K3G music playing again except that it has to be louder this time)!
Day 2
Mornings in Kerala cannot be missed. The beautiful morning walk is a delight to sore and always-staring-at-the-computer-screen eyes. So never miss that!
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| Akkulam Lake and the morning walk track |
When we came back – some of the folks were still sleeping while the others were enjoying their tea, discussing about plans for the day.
My brother managed to strike a good deal with local transport firms and got us a Tempo Traveller which could accommodate 16 people. It’s always fun if the entire family travels together. However, as per the treaty with our mom and maasi’s, we were not supposed to bother them to come with us unless Ratna Masi (most loved and the strictest member of the family) is along, this meant 12 of us were going to Kanyakumari.
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| Our Tempo Traveler |
Initially, I was apprehensive about opting for a Tempo Traveller as it could be as uncomfortable as the bangalore office buses but when I felt the AC, saw the charging point, LCD screen – I was cool. You see, one can never remove gadgets and AC from a computer engineer.
Trivandrum to Kanyakumari is a 100Km ride and takes around 3-4 hrs minimum. Mid-way there is a toll for interstate tax collection as we had moved from Kerala to TN. Also, the authorities out there request for the names and ages of all the members in the vehicle and once the formalities are done, you are allowed to proceed ahead.
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| Girl gang enjoying the breezy view |
A few more hears into the trip and we were finally at the southernmost tip of our great nation! We got down from the bus ; streched ourselves after the long journey and walked through the local market. We bought the tickets for the boat ride and waited for our turn. The boat ferried us to the next island.
This was the first time we were on an island (none of us had been to one before), woh bhi, in the middle of the ocean. The breeze was strong and the water kept gushing in a vociferous rage – a true photographer’s delight.
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| Sripada Mandapam & Vivekanand Memorial |
In the image above, is Sripada Mandapam where one can see the footprint of the Goddess on the rock. It is said that she performed austerity on this rock.
The main attraction is the Vivekananda memorial. The structure has a statue of Swami Vivekananda erected on the rock where he had meditated.
In the video above, you can see how unsafe it can get while reaching the island even on a boat. In 1892 – this great man swam the Ocean!!! He sat on the rock, meditated on it for two days before his leaving for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference where his words put this impoverished country back on the world map as the capital of Spirituality. His life and service to the nation is an inspiration to how a man alone can change the image of an entire country.
A little insight: Kanyakumari is also the place of confluence for Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal while meditation too unifies with the creator – quite a resemblance.
The boat ferried us back to the mainland and the Kanyakumari Temple (Bhagavathy Amman temple)was next on our list. It is a 5 min walk from the boat yard. This temple is one the Shakti Peetha’s therefore shouldn’t be missed. Men have to wear out their shirt before entering the premises (Lucky women!!). You can comfortably get Darshan done as there is not much of a rush.
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| Bhagavathy Amman temple |
Note : Temple is closed between 11 AM – 4 PM so plan accordingly.
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| Candy Floss vendor |
Another thing to watch here is Sunrise and Sunset. It was 6:00 PM so we were too early for sunrise and almost in time for sunset(6:29 PM). The distance to sunset point is 5 mins in an auto. It took us some time to convince the starved girls (food hungry females of our clan), for they wanted to eat Chinese Bhel in extreme south of India instead of watching the sunset. Had I known this situation earlier – I would have prayed for it in the Temple. Anyway, only after they were fed with Masala Dosas and bribed with more selfies did we manage to reach Sunset Point at 6:18 PM.
The view was lovely – beaches, rocks, sand and clouds! Everything was there except the “Sun”. Since the clouds had covered the sun, we were unable to witness the sunset. So we sat by the rocks and enjoyed the cloud-like Candy Floss and yeah, the selfies too!
We got 2 Candy Floss for free because some of us were from Gujarat – the home ground of PM Modi and the vendor was a huge Modi fan!
We got 2 Candy Floss for free because some of us were from Gujarat – the home ground of PM Modi and the vendor was a huge Modi fan!
We took an auto back to Kerala House where our van was parked. The next stop was at Suchindram for Sthanumalayan temple. This temple is more than 3000 years old! The same rules apply here for men. When we were entering the temple there were trumpets being blown and a man was carrying a huge torch. Three Palkies carrying idols went out. Maybe that was the tradition followed out there.
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| Beautiful Gopuram of Sthanumalayan Temple |
Inside the temple is a Navgrah place. Unlike many other temples, the Navgrah are inscribed on the rock over the head . You have to circumambulate in clockwise direction holding the plate with 9 earthen lamps while looking up at the inscriptions.
Next was the Ganesh Temple. The idol was made of black rock, except for the head (Elephant head) which was made out of gold. It shone bright and beautiful.
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| The Main Deity’s Image |
Have you ever been to a temple which is important to both Shaivites(Shiva preachers) and Vaishnavites(Vishnu Preachers). The main temple is the one where an idol whose lower part contains the head of Bhrama, middle part that of the serpent rings/Trikund representing Shiva and the top is of a Snake (Sheshnag) representing Vishnu. (Sthanu-Shiva; Maal-Vishnu and Ayan-Brahma)
There is giant hall next to this where one can see two pillars protected by steel net. The temple has 4 such special pillars made out of single rock that emits musical notes on being struck. In the same hall is a huge black Hanuman idol with its rock cut architecture quite evident. This deity wears a garland of leaves – double its length, which was being sold at the entrance.
On the way out, the Palkies returned back with drums and trumpets being blown. On enquiry, we were told about it being a tradition. The PujariJi also told us that the procession was taken out on that particular day as it was a night of Purnima(full moon). Besides Purnima, the procession is taken out on 10 more days in a year! We were lucky to witness it.
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| People carrying the Palky inside temple premises |
On our way back, we had dinner at a restaurant where the girls still couldn’t get their Chinese Bhel (Must be a punishment for not praying whole-heartedly)! We reached back by 12 am with the driver’s cellphone charger (mistake se ho gaya)!
Day 3 –
Opened my eyes to the lovely view of the Akkulam lakefrom the window which gave me the strength to move out of the cosy confines of my bed quite early in the morning. After the eventful day yesterday, we were running low on the energy bar and therefore with no stamina to walk, my cousin Hriday and I satiated ourselves by clicking some pictures and got back.
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| Sunrise @ Akkulam Lake |
We learned about going to the Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The announcement was broadcasted to all the sleepyheads as we had to leave by 10 am because by 11:15 am, the Darshan closes. The early birds like me did the honours of getting the taxis booked.
Some insight: Now there are certain rules of temple -:
a. Men have to wear a lungi/dhoti only!
b. Women can wear a sari or they have to drape a lungi around their waist if they are wearing something apart from a sari.
c. Strict Timings – you cannot be late. You will either not be allowed or pushed out if not on time.
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| A Map of Temple, I prepared based on my understanding |
Some of us who didn’t have a lungi bought it from the stalls there itself. Also, before going inside the main Sanctum, you need to submit your cell phones and clothes.
As photography is restricted there are no pictures, nevertheless use your imagination and besides my words may help. Let me take you on a tour of the temple….
It is none like anything one has ever seen before. The magnificent entrance leads you to the stoned path which goes around the temple, pillars as tall as 30 feet on either side – inscribed with several symbols and on each pillar there is a lady carrying an earthen lamp in her hand. The entire path is covered by a stoned roof. On either side of the path is sand and the ambience inside is so serene that peace reverberates from all the directions. The temple is an architectural marvel. It has 5 gates – 4 gates (Gate is Nada in Malayalam) in each of the directions and the 5th is strictly reserved for the royal family – who visit the temple every single day and pay a fine if they don’t. I appreciate the fact that the rules stand unchanged for all!
Note – There are 9 gates in all but 4 are still unknown to the public.
After a short walk a turn comes where the entry is restricted and only the ones with a special pass are allowed. It leads to a room where you can get Darshan of Narsingh Bhagwan. People pray here for riddance from any sort of diseases and black magic.
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| Anantha Shayanam Pose of the Lord |
The next is sanctum sanctorum. The main deity of the temple – Vishnurests here in his yogic sleep. He is visible in three parts – the first part is the head and his hand made of gold praying to the Shivling besides him. The Sheshnag’s head is barely visible. The most striking feature about his head is his exquisite long nose. The second part is the navel and a gold bowl from whichLord Bhrama emanates and the devis below. The third part has lord’s divine feet adorned with gold jewels.
This vision is truly surreal. The image of the lord in Anantha Shayanam position is stuck in my mind and will certainly remain unchanged. This idol is consecrated with 12000 Shaligrams – rare fossilized shells found in Gandaki river in Nepal.
As we get down from the wooden platform, there are idols of Sita, Ram, Laxman & Hanuman near the exit of the room. The connected hall takes us to the back of the temple to a golden door which has inscriptions of two Lizards. People keep their hands on these and pray for the forgiveness from this Dosh. Just besides it is a small temple where the great Ved Vyasa and repulsive Ashvathama are kept together. Strange isn’t it? The good with the bad?
Another insight: One school of thought said – in Kalyuga, both will be preached equally while other said that in next Manavatar, Ashvathama will be Ved Vyasa.
On the exit, you will receive the Prasad which consists of some flowers, leaves and Chandan. A 2 min walk from there leads to Krishna Temple and just outside is a small acoustically made structure – from a combination of wood and rock. On the eastern side of the temple is a Hanuman idol erected over Agastya Rishi. They put butter over the idol and no matter what the weather, it doesn’t melt. The moment the butter is pulled out of the idol, it starts melting. The idol faces a huge rectangular gold structure weighing almost 250 kgs where they say all bad spirits are captured beneath. The numerous idols in the temple can give you an estimate of the size of premises. Anyway, besides the Hanuman idol is a structure of a sea-lion found in most of the Dravidian temples. The mouth of the sea lion has a rock ball which can be moved. The king who got the temple constructed threw a challenge to the citizens – if they could remove the ball from its mouth without breaking the structure, he would give half his kingdom away. This depicts the king’s belief in beauty and strength of the design. The number of pillars in the temple are equal to the number of days in a year – 365 ¼, the ¼ piece is kept in incomplete state . Such level of maths and science makes us think as to who must have engineered the temple.
Talking about the Chief Engineer, he had made this marvel with the help of 1000 elephants, 6000 labourers in just 6 months! On one of the pillars, he is erected along with his family members on other sides. His idol is still a part of the temple rituals. This speaks volumes about the love the ancient India had for art as not only the creation is valued but the creator is given his due.
Several people kept inquiring about the wealth worth 22 billion hidden in various vaults here. Unknown to them, Some of those lie just beneath the sand over which they walked!
I wish not to talk of gold because beauty, art, knowledge and peace are priceless. The consort of Laxmi takes away precedence over the materialized Laxmi.
You need to exit the Temple from the same gate if you wish to collect your clothes☺. Heartfelt thanks to Bhaskar Bhaiya (extended family, localite, bachelor 🙂 ) because of whom the Pandits took interest in telling us all intricate details.
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| Kovalam Beach |
Next on the beach was Kovalam Beach and we had two taxis pre-booked for. We are asked to let the car be driven all the way down the slope so that we had less walking to do. Sometimes, it’s good to reach late, isn’t it? We did just that and let the taxi drop us all the way down to the very end of slope i.e. at the beach. The beach was pretty crowded and I had to call my brother to know where they were in the sea of people. The conversation between us was as this:
Me: I’m standing near the mosque.
Bro: There’s no mosque here.
Me: How can you not see the big mosque right in the centre!
Bro: Wait. I will confirm.
Bro: There’s no mosque here.
Me: How can you not see the big mosque right in the centre!
Bro: Wait. I will confirm.
He called back again and told us that we had to get to the lighthouse beach; only to call back after a minute and instruct us to get to the Hawah beach, thus changing the name of the beach with every passing wave.
A little insight: There are three beaches in total and you need to be absolutely sure about where you want to go. If not, you may have to walk more than a km like what we did. Anyway, another slope which is steeper than the one earlier leads to the Hawah beach.
After reaching, we all decided to go for Speed-boating! 12 people and 3 boats and guess what was my motorboat named? “Casanova”. While the Casanovas wore life jackets, the other two boats left. I had all the intentions of video recording but the moment the boat started; we had to hold on to our seats tightly because the boat was literally flying!! Oh yes….and we zoomed past the other two boats in no time. I was certain that the cellphone would drown and so would we. After sometime he slowed down the boat in the middle of the sea and before I lost all of it, I gathered some courage and quickly took some photos before we flew back over others. The thrill of speed boating was an experience I believe; everyone should enjoy at-least once.
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| The slower boat’s jump |
Post that, we enjoyed playing with and jumping over the waves until we realized that we had no change of clothes but then who really cares! On our way back, we had to climb the steep slope all the way up in order to find a taxi as only 4 of us were left and the rest of the clan had left. Uber and Ola were not being shown in the vicinity. We asked an Auto driver if he would drive us till the Akkulam lake and he quoted 4 times the usual fare. At the same time a single Uber go was available and it was costing ‘only’ Rs.375 for the ride which earlier had been for Rs 150. However, after refreshing the app, the estimate skyrocketed to Rs 1500 making us wonder if the people at Uber, by any chance, had heard our conversation with the Auto driver!? We decided to walk a little till we had some more options and the walk included climbing the slope that we had earlier descended. One could easily estimate our tiredness – walking from one beach to another, speed boating, swimming, ascending the local slope from Hawah beach and currently moving up to the main road in our wet clothes with three of the four having no money in our pockets (only Bhaskar Bhaiya had).
After 20 mins into the lethargic walk, we reached a bus stop with still no sign of any taxis. Bhaskar bhaiya suggested taking a government city bus which was due in the next 10-15 minutes. In that anticipation, we did not even sit and kept looking in the direction from where the bus was to arrive. And finally when it did, we all heaved a sigh of relief.
But after I opened the gate, Bhaskar bhaiya asked me if I had money. I said no because I assumed he had since he came up with the idea of a bus. But “I don’t have either” replied Bhaskar bhaiya. So I closed the gate and precisely at that moment he said “Oh wait” and pulled out his wallet. But again, the bus had already left by then; leaving us laughing at the unusual turn of events. The local who helped us in ascertaining time of next bus must have thought we were drunk (anyone would!). Anyway, having run out of patience we decided to take whichever auto comes in next. After sometime we did manage to hire one, with the Autowala charging a “meagre” twice (after negotiation) the usual day charge.
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| What CA’s in our family do! They prepare Maggi. |
4 people sitting in the backseat of an auto is not the convention but desperate times call for desperate measures. In the middle of the way, my cousin had called me up as she was facing desperate times too……she wanted us to get Schezwan chutney for her Maggi. Poor girl!.
We were tired, hungry, and thirsty and were somehow managing to return home with great difficulty and she wanted “Schezwan chutney”!!! We didn’t have the bare essentials and she was looking out for luxuries. And so it was easier to decline her request then re-negotiating with the Auto driver.
Day 4
In the Morning, we had everything planned out for the rest of the day with Bhaskar Bhaiya. We were to visit Neyyar Dam with all the members as Ratna Masi had finally acquiesced. Again the tempo traveller was booked; only this time the driver was different. He asked us if we had his brother’s charger 😀 and we were glad to finally have given it back. As we got on the bus, we noticed his choice of songs was more decent than his brother’s – Baby Doll Main Sone di was playing.
From one perspective, if you see, it is a spiritual song –
From one perspective, if you see, it is a spiritual song –
Yeh duniya, yeh duniya pittal di
Baby doll Main sone di
This world is all Maya.
I’m a puppet in God’s hand.
Don’t blame me for the translation difference.. We had to tell something to Ratna masi.
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| All set in the bus (Tarang clicked) |
So, Neyyar dam is 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram.
The tour started with a boat ride from the base. Maximum 22 people could be seated. The water was so still that the only ripples we observed were created by the boat.
They took us to the Lion Sanctuary.
They took us to the Lion Sanctuary.
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| Lioness resting during daytime. Captured from the window of the Bus. |
We had to wait at the bus stop here (much better than the last night’s). The bus took us for a small tour inside the jungle and it stopped right next to where two lionesses were lazing in the day. It was my first time seeing the big cat this close – at a hand’s distance. We were there for a comfortable 10 mins, enjoying the sight to our heart’s content.
We were dropped back to the bus stop. The driver told us that there were two more lions- a male and a female. But they got involved in a fight and were put in the cage for treatment. On hearing this, my witty brother said, “Pati Patni main jhagde toh hote he rehte hai….“.
Since the boat took a longer time to come, we enjoyed stone skipping and saw a person swimming across from the other side. As he came closer, we noticed he was an old man.
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| Old Swimmer with people of his age group 😛 |
On asking him, what motivated him?
He replied, “I am an old man, I like to feel young”.
He was spending his post retirement life in Kerela. What a spirit!
He replied, “I am an old man, I like to feel young”.
He was spending his post retirement life in Kerela. What a spirit!
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| A pond of Crocodile Tears |
The boat brought us to the Crocodile Park. We had to climb the hill to see these lazy reptiles who remain in the position for hours. I told my sister that was where she got her tears from! But how could she understand such jokes? Because all she could see was the brand ambassador of “Lacoste’s” *facepalm*
After a walk through the forest, we reached the Deer Park which was a huge fenced park with trees all around; with the only thing missing being the Deer. We clearly saw no deer just a sign board related to beer (and you don’t discuss that in front of the family).
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| Dear, no Deer |
Elephant Park was next in the course. Sadly, due to time constraints, we had to cut short our trip and return back. This is a nice place to come with the family however, the aged must be careful since they might not be comfortable walking on uneven and rugged path.
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| Trivandram Zoo – The birthplace of Richard Parker |
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| Zoo Rider |
Post lunch, we got ready for Trivandrum zoo. The same zoo which had inspired the author of “Life of Pi”! (Thanks Hriday for the info). The entry fee is just Rs.20 but I suggest you spend Rs.50 and get on the vehicle here.
We couldn’t get one as all of those had already been booked.
I have been to zoos at several places – Ahmedabad, Indore, Pune –and all three combined can never make up for this one. It’s not just animals but sheer variety of trees and plants that add a magical touch to it. Some of the trees are as long as 4-5 storeys. There is a complete different section for reptiles; cutest one being the Indian turtles – they are as tiny as a baby’s palm.
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| Deers didnt like Deer park so they possibly relocated to the Zoo |
Day 5
No morning walk. Because all play and no sleep had made Jack a tired boy! And all we wanted was some sleep and then some more sleep. Last 4 days of continuous travelling had taken a toll on our body so we were not ready for any more adventures. Nonetheless, since we were so fascinated by the Padmanabhaswamy temple – we went there again – to see and memorize the swarthy complexion of Lord. On the way back, we bought with us some of th the spices – this is what South India is famous for (They were overpriced).
As the evening approached, it got time to bid adieu to my family members and this beguiling state of enchanting lakes, aesthetic temples and mesmerizing greenery. I boarded my flight to Pune. A middle aged, pleasantly plump, co passenger was standing in the way to my seat. I was just about to say an “Excuse me Aunty… “ when I stopped short because I realized that she was none other than the Air hostess! Had I said that earlier, she would have replied with a “Namaste! Welcome on board Beta!“
People in Air India are so relaxed that I didn’t have to tie my seat belt anytime. But they are not so relaxed otherwise: The air hostess asked me the preference for my meal and guess what was served in the vegan meal? Baigan ki sabzi!! Can you imagine? Did she hear me call her an Aunty and decide to take a sweet silent revenge? Maybe yes; maybe no.
Conclusion:
Kerala has the highest literacy rate in the country so we didn’t face any language issues since most people could converse in English. All the places mentioned above had a mobile network coverage which is unlikely in many forest areas. In the 5 days, we could manage only the Southern Kerala. The rest had to be left out. This is one of the best family trips I’ve ever had. I have with me my memories, photographs (and my lungi)!
* I do not support the idea of Zoo’s. No matter how big – unnatural habitat is still a cruelty.
**Will be posting more pictures on my Instagram.
**If you have any suggestions/questions/remarks write in comments here itself.
**Will be posting more pictures on my Instagram.
**If you have any suggestions/questions/remarks write in comments here itself.
February 27, 2017 @ 9:46 am
Beautifully Described bro!! 🙂
February 27, 2017 @ 11:01 am
Great job man, very well written XD
February 27, 2017 @ 3:26 pm
Great post. All the necessary information needed if one has to visit Kerala (with family). It takes lot of efforts to manage such big family trip where everyone has their own opinion and yes I could hear the k3g music playing in the background.
February 27, 2017 @ 3:53 pm
This is just beyond words I never had an idea that these pictures would come out so creatively
February 27, 2017 @ 5:30 pm
Your travel blogs are written proofs that you would become a wonderful and emotionally thoughtful travel specialist/travel guide.I hope you don't take another decade to turn this into your full time. 🙂
February 28, 2017 @ 5:17 am
Thank u bro! Next time you be there.
February 28, 2017 @ 5:33 am
Thank u Nishi! Since you have commented, I can point out that the first image where the plane is landing has been clicked by you.
February 28, 2017 @ 5:34 am
Thank you man! Hope you read equally well 🙂
February 28, 2017 @ 5:37 am
Thank you for the words Ms Kher. 🙂 Expecting your write up soon for the trek to be.
February 28, 2017 @ 6:57 am
Thank you Meenakshi! We can start once you are back to India!
January 29, 2018 @ 4:09 am
Too bad you couldn’t impress the pretty girl at the airline counter.
The desperate hunt for schezwan chutney – hilarious.
And the video of the waters is such a treat to the eye. What a lovely, clean, blue sight!