Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2008

Chettuva Backwater, Thrissur

Our next plan was to visit Chettuva Backwater, which is about 8-9 kms away from Chavakkad Beach. There were buses, taxis and autorikshaws available to take you to Chettuva. As we were waiting for a taxi, an autorikshaw came and we hopped into it. A good part of Chettuva River meanders through Chettuva village. It is Azhimugham, where the Chettuva River meets the Arabian Sea. Chettuva Backwater is a great tourist destination of Kerala. It is located in Chettuva village, in Thrissur Dist. Like many other tourists, we too loved to experience a Houseboat cruise in the backwater in Chettuva, enjoying the dense mangrove thickets on the banks, which enhance their beauty. We were told that those who can have an overnight stay in one of the House Boats will give an unforgettable experience. The boatman was very helpful and patiently he took us to whole area and explained everything. When he saw a fisherman catching the lobsters, he reduced the speed of the boat further so that we could se

Chavakkad Beach

Chavakkad Beach is a beautiful beach situated 5 kms away from Guruvayur, in Kerala. It is a scenic beach lying on the coast of Arabian Sea, and ideal for spending some time leisurely. Sitting in the beach at the fringed shadow of the coconut lagoons and the mesmerizing atmosphere, you can enjoy every moment there. It is a pristine beach, and not crowded. Chavakkad is famous for Haidross Kuttee, a lieutenant of Haider Ali of Mysore. After our darshan at Guruvayur temple, we had some time with us and decided to take an autorikshaw to Chavakkad Beach. It was simply wonderful. The other important places nearby are Guruvayur Temple and PunnathoorKotta Elephant Sanctuary.

Hogenekal Water Falls, India

A visit to Hogenekal Water Falls is exhilarating and worth for the money and trouble taken to reach there. The best time to visit this wonderful place - Niagra of India - is from July to September. When you go there don't forget to watch the beautiful sunset. Distance from Bangalore - about 145 kms.

Happy Diwali Greetings!

Wish you all a Happy Diwali!

A visit to Kanakakunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

My elder sister wanted me to visit her at Thiruvananthapuram before her proposed international trip. I took the chance to visit the tourist spots there, when she was still there so that I could enjoy a free accommodation:) Her driver took us to many tourist spots, where he was familiar with. Among them, I was lucky to get a chance to visit the famous Kanakakunnu Palace, situated in the heart of the city on the crest of a small hill surrounded by meadows and grooves. Now it is under the custody of Kerala Government. This famous palace was used by the Travancore royal family to entertain their guests in the earlier days. Entrance to the Palace This stunning piece of architectural excellence was constructed during the reign of King Sree Moolam Thirunal (1885-1924). Later, during the period of King Chithira Thirunal, one of the most popular rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore, modified it and constructed tennis courts in the premises, and used it as a summer retre

Different Names for Goddess

On my recent weekend holidays, I came to know the different names of Goddess Lakshmi. There are 16 names by which Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped. Did you know this? If not, read on...... Adi Mahalakshmi is worshipped as the Main core of all the Lakshmis Arogya Lakshmi is worshipped for Good Health Jnana Lakshmi is for gaining self-knowledge Keerthi Lakshmi is worshipped to achieve Fame and name Medhalakshmi is for Brilliance Pushti Lakshmi is for good Health and Courage Samrajya Lakshmi for success in profession and career Santhana Lakshmi for progeny Shanthi Lakshmi for getting Peace of mind Shakthi Lakshmi for achieving Power Soundarya Lakshmi for Beauty Soubhagya Lakshmi for All Blessings in life Thushti Lakshmi for Contentment Veera Lakshmi for Courage Vidya Lakshmi for acquiring good Education Vijaya Lakshmi for achievement of Success

Tippu's Palace

Tippu's Palace is one of the historic buildings of Bangalore, situated in the Fort area near the City Market. The construction of this ornate building was started by Hyder Ali, and subsequently it was completed by his son Tippu Sultan in 1789. This building is built in Islamic style with lots of pillars. The Bangalore Fort was first built by Kempegowda in mud in the year 1537, and later after passing through the Bijapur Sultans, and later was extended by Tippu Sultan. Adjacent to the Palace is an ancient temple of Kote Venkataramana, as a mute testimony to the Bangalore City's history. This 300-year old temple was built by Maharajah Chikka Devaraya Wodeyar. There is a small entrance fee of Rs.5/-. The other buildings in the Fort area are Victoria Hospital and Vani Vilas Hospital for Women and Children. Bangalore Medical College is also nearby.

Time for a siesta!

Getting ready for an afternoon siesta at the busy Paravur Kavala near Cochin!!

Enjoying an Onam in Kerala, after Several Years

This year I had to attend two marriages in Kerala during the first and second weeks of September, which also happened to be Onam season. The nostalgic memories of my childhood days Onam came rushing into my mind as I helped my niece to make the pookalam.We used to wait for the Atham day to start collecting various flowers to make beautiful pookalams. It was a time of great thrill and excitement. By 4.30 a.m we used to get out of our beds without making any noise and rush to the garden to pluck the flowers. Each one of us used to return with handful of flowers, sometimes lapful of flowers, to sit in circle and make the best pookalams, fighting each other as to the order of flowers in the pookalam . Once the pookalam is complete, we used to run to our cousins' houses to compare their pookalams with ours, and to make suitable comments. Sometimes we even exchange the flowers with them. When our parents look for us none of us would be available at home, as we were deeply involved in our

Gowri Ganesha Habba (Festival)

Bangalore is getting ready for the celebration of Gowri Ganesha Habba. September 3rd is not far for the people to rejoice in this celebration. Gowri Festival is celebrated on the previous day of Ganesh Festival. The prices of flowers, fruits and the beautifully carved idols in various sizes and shades, have already gone up. The shopkeepers both in the big shops as well as in the roadside, are trying to exhibit their best forms of Ganesha idols for the prospective buyers.

A Trip to Chendamangala, Kochi

I had to visit my niece and family staying at Chendamangalam, about 42 kms from Ernakulam in Kerala. Chendamangalam is an amazingly beautiful small town, comprising of three rivers, seven inlets, hillocks and green pastures. There are some interesting places to explore in Chendamangalam. The Paliam Palace, 450 year old, is the architecture marvel of Kerala. It was the home of Paliath Achans, and now houses some rare artifacts, relics and historical documents. They were the hereditary prime ministers to the former Maharajas of the erstwhile state of Kochi. A visit to the hillock at Kottayil Kovilakom is worth because it presents an unusual view of the church, temple, mosque and the synagogue. Jewis Synagogue In the hillock, you can see a Hindu temple, a church, a mosque and the remains of a Jewish synagogue, all together within a distance of hardly one km of each other. It was amazingto see the co-existence of four religions harmoniously - a unique blend of culture! It is believed tha

Oottuthirunal festival at Edathiruthy, Trissur

Recently I had visited a friend in Trissur. It happened to be a day of Festival in their church. The festival was called "Oottuthirunal" of our Lady of Carmel Forane and St.Vincent de Paul, at Edathiruthy in Trissur. My friend asked me to join her if I don't mind when she proceeded to the church. I was in fact only too happyto attend the festival . It was a grand festival with spectacular firework. Thousands of pilgrims attended this festival,followed by a mass feast.

An Evening in Veli Tourist Village

During my recent visit to Thiruvananthapuram, I was keen to visit Veli Tourist Village. Veli Tourist Home is located amidst the lush green coconut groves and backwaters of Thiruvananthapuram, in the Veli Tourist Village, bordered by the Arabian Sea and the Veli Lagoon. It is a great picnic spot, with a beautiful garden and facilities for water sports. There is also a waterfront park which has a floating bridge that connects to the Shanghumukham Beach. The Veli Tourist Village is the place where the lake merges with the Arabian sea. The lagoon here is separated from the sea by a narrow sand bar. It is a nice place for tourists with young children to spend an afternoon. There are lots for the kids to do. Children can also enjoy a horse ride. Thiruvananthapuram Airport is just 3 kms away, and the railway station is just 8 kms away.

A Weekend Trip to Mysore

On the early morning of a Saturday we reached Badami House at Bangalore to board the KSTDC tourist bus to Mysore. There were few other buses also ready to proceed to different tourist destinations. Sharp at 7.15 a.m. our Volvo bus, began its journey through the "not-so-crowded" roads (because of the time) towards its destination Mysore, located 140 kms away. Among the tourists, there were many domestic and international tourists as 'first-timers' to experience the well known "City of Palaces" and many repeated visitors like me. The weather was extremely pleasant and hence our journey was enjoyable. By 9.30 a.m. we stopped for our breakfast at "Hanchina Mane Restaurant" at Somanahalli. Our next stop was at historic town Srirangapatna . It was the capital of Mysore rulers Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, popularly known as Mysore Tiger. (Chamundeswari Temple) (Music Fountain) See the people trying to capture it in their mobile camera. (Hotel Mayur

Visit to Halebid to see another Architectural marvel

We left Belur by 3.30 p.m.for our next destination Halebid, which is just 16 kms away from there. The weather was cool, the landscape was beautiful and the roads were excellent. The small town was the earlier capital of Hoysalas, and then it was called as Dwarasamudra. Hotel Athithi Temple Garden Hoysaleswara Temple Shiva Parvathi Another guide was there who took us around. He explained in detail about the history of Halebid Hoysaleswara temple and the amazing architecture of the temple. The images of Hindu Gods were carved beautifully in different moods and in different shapes on the walls. Even after 100 years of hard labour, the work was not complete. With the wonderful memories of the architectural beauty of the temples, we boarded our tourist bus for our return. On the way, we stopped for dinner at Hotel Athithi. A nice and clean hotel. We reached back in Bangalore by 10.45 p.m, with the satisfaction of worth a trip.

A Trip to Belur, South India

After visiting Shravanabelagola, our KSTDC tourist bus headed towards Belur, 90 kms away from there. Belur is well-known for its marvelous temples built during the rule of Hoysala dynasty. (Gopuram of the Temple) We reached Belur by 12.30 p.m. and had our lunch at Hotel Mayura Velapuri, a unit of KSTDC, Belur. Then we got back to our bus and after 5 minutes we were at the entrance of the famous Chennakeshava temple. Chennakesava means "handsome Kesava". Our tourist guide requested us to be together and follow him. He took us inside the temple through the gopuram and reached the main temple. He then explained to us about the history and the architecture of the magnificent temple. For a moment, we stood there mesmerizing the beauty of the temple architecture. It was so much more beautiful than I had read in many travelogues. (Chenna Keshava Temple) The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and daily worship still goes on there. This beautiful magnificent temple was commissioned by

A Visit to Shravanabelagola

Last month, we decided to visit Shravanabelagola, a famous Jain pilgrim centre, in Karnataka, South India. It is situated 160 kms away from Bangalore. Early morning our tourist bus left Bangalore city and reached the first destination Shravanabelagola, a small town at Hassan District, after about 3 hours of travel. Sravanabelagola is famous for the huge statue of Bahubali, standingatop the Chandragiri hills. One can spot this spot from a distance because of this magnificent statue. It is believed that Bahubali, also called as Gomatheswara, quarreled over their inheritance with his elder brother and nearly killed him. Later on, he repented for his action and meditated to achieve moksha (salvation) here. (View from the top of the Hill) (Temple on the top) (Bahubali) The town is located in between two lofty hills, named Vindyagiri and Chandragiri. The landscape around this place is greener and fertile looking. From the top of the hill one can see a huge pond in the centre, which is calle