God's Own Country

Life is also green sometimes… This happened to me when I was rambling aimlessly at the backwaters of Kerala, and then I understood why it is God’s Own Country…!!!

It was morning 10 Am on Aug 15 of 2008 when we reached our destination Kottyam, we were enjoying our journey as the travel was further heading towards the exquisite backwaters. I was sitting quiet at the end of the seat before getting down, not because I was feeling the beauty but since I have been kept empty stomach from last night. We boarded our journey from Chennai Central at 8:30 Pm which was scheduled for 7:30 pm actually. Longing for the food, first dinner time flew, followed by late night snacks occasion, and then struggling moment of breakfast in the morning. Now it was the time to finally get down at Kottyam, with some hopes of getting anything that can give motion to my jaw and relaxation to my burning belly. Nothing happened again as the buses were waiting outside of the station to provide us pick and drop facility to our final terminal at WATER SCAPES resort. This was the time when I started enjoying the dainty peach of the green and beautiful Kerala with my firing tummy. It was all around only green, and crouching leafy stems of the trees softly scratching the windows of bus producing a melodious bow of music as the bus was pushing on the thin roads of the state towards the resort, bestowing me the memory of rainy days at my green village “Manpur”.

It hardly took 30 minutes for us to reach the holiday resort which gave us very haunting feeling when we dismounted from our buses, there was nothing but just trees and water blocks around us. People were shocked and were speechless looking at each other with the expression of what the hell ?, but further when we walked down through the narrow pavements between the water stocks, it surprised us with it amazing hut type small cottages almost 6 feet from the round, over the water stacked paths. It was the feeling of impossible and I just pitied the people who were going to miss this. The whole view was so awe inspiring that, I did still not believe that I was there.

I am among the people who have grown up in villages. I have seen and felt the poor India and have also experienced the healthier and fertile nation. I feel happy that I have gone through a wider kaleidoscope of life. Though there is lot more to discover but this exposure will always help me in my growth and survival.

There were four wooden pillars, maintaining the balance of AC human hutch with attached washroom. Sliding wooden windows, doors and wooden floor was adding to the beauty of the interior of the Hut and beneath was there an artificially developed watercourse. Not very far, I can see a pool of water, and I was more interested in the swimming pool as it was more than a year for me since I have not kicked and punched inside the chlorinated water of the pool.

I still remember the day when I was reading the book Comedy of Error and suddenly I felt that something got inside my eye, I tried softly squeezing, splashed water and washed it thoroughly however the problem still persisted and I was having continuous etching which was unbearable and not allowing me to open my right eye. I somehow managed my day and night with the problem, and when I approached the eye physician next day; he declared I have developed Dry Eye because of continuous swimming in the chlorinated water. Chlorine in the water has deposited the minute lime stones under my eye lids and my tear gland was not secreting the tear properly to clean the eyes.

I was very well aware about my eye problem but the site and state of affairs has forced me to get into water, again treated with the same chlorine without swimming glasses, gracefully nothing happened to me this time. It was an amazing time inside the pool with entire co-workers with the swashing water, and all non-swimmers in the pool. We came out from the pool after a long lasting exercise session and now it was time to go back to our little huts, have shower and get ready for lunch.

Lunch was damn good with Kerala fish followed by our great backwater boating on the top of the boat; we started at around 2:30 Pm from our resort. It was a long trip on the backwater of Kerala. After half an hour of sailing our boat got boarded at a jetty which was the door to a small village. Our target was to search a kall shop (Taadi Shop), and fortunately we got the same in 10 minutes walk from the jetty. This was my life maiden experience of taadi, I heard from my childhood but never-ever tasted it and today I had the chance, and neither had I missed it...! I consumed almost 3 glasses of the sacred drink of the local drunkards and was little worried about the punch but it performed under expectation and not affected much. We returned to the jetty, had some photo session and moved back towards the resort. We saw lots of small boats, house boats and Kerala traditional boats. Backwaters in Kerala is like road in our small towns, at old ages people must be using these waterways for traveling purpose from one place to another. When we were traveling through waterways we saw lots of resorts by the side of water, each one having their own style and design. Every resort was different from other and was making sure that we are better than the other, and I was completely unsure who the best was...!

Quietly sitting by the side of the water I often heard the soothing sound of rippling water; I often saw the green countryside, swinging coconut and palm trees, children playing around with their flying hand and grinning gestures; I often sensed the relaxing air with the sweetness of the tradition and love for the visitors; I often scented out the aroma of the graceful realm of King Mahabali.

It was now the evening time we again got into the swimming pool for final dip and went for the dinner in the night. We were actually enjoying a package that was bought from Indian Rail and have never thought that government agencies could ever do so well. Dinner was even better than lunch, that was Friday and I wanted to have as much as non-veg, because the following day was going to bring me a Satvik life; it was going to be a Saturday. I woke up early morning next day, freshen up, had my shower, uttered some sloka and opened my bag for the rakhi given by my sis since it was Rakshamandhan. I asked my roommate to put the tilak on my forehead, tie the rakhi, and knot it properly, then pushed for the breakfast which was again giving me a varied choice with long list in carte du jour to go ahead.

Buses were waiting outside; we were now heading towards Cochin/Ernakulam to board our train at around 2000 Hrs. We started just before noon, enjoyed our lunch on the way to the twin city and reached there by matinee prime time. Our first spot was the Mattancherry Palace Museum, It was earlier a palace which was later on turned into a museum by the Kerala govt. Mattancherry Palace Museum was buit in around 1545 AD by the Portuguese and presented to Veera Kerala Varma, afterwards it went into the hands of Dutch and they did major repair of the palace and that’s why is it also called as Dutch Palace. Just infront of the Place there was a small market of handlooms and Kerala scents, spices and some traditional fit outs. Just behind the market place there was again a water lagoon, where we once again took the boatride. This time the experience was different as we saw the traditional system of fishing in Kerala, it was a huge four wooden column, and the fishing net tied at the end of the columns to catch the fishes from the Arabian Sea. We saw some fisher boats also with the new motor technology implemented in place of the oar blades to propel the boat faster on the water.

After finishing our ride, we moved into out buses and progressed toward Cochin sea port, spent some time there and again moved back to the railway station to board our train to Chennai.

I had a wish to visit and see Kerala from a long time, I heard from many people that if there is any true nature beauty in India then in North it is Kashmir, and South it’s Kerala. I had a longing to visit the true nature and I achieved the same that day. It was a divine verdant green experience for me which I was not going to forget until I have the capacity to remember.

While going back to Chennai, I was calm and composed, I was fresh and happy, and I was quiet and serene.

I had gained the tranquility…!!!

Shivendra Singh
Sep 22, 2008