For adventure lovers it’s cherry on the pie and for first timers it can be little scary.
So, what happens in Solang valley paragliding??
You take the cable car in a group of 4 and it takes you to the place where you will meet your guides. Your guides will take you the starting point and prepare you with all safety equipment and guidelines. Then you have to wait for your guide to do all the other preparations to fly, and all this take only 5 minutes. You will be so amazed by the preparations that the time will fly. Next the guide will attach all the equipment with your seat and he will be just behind you. Then he will tell you to run and jump off a steep cliff.
And you will be wondering in your mind whaaattt!!!! And by this fraction of second you will already be flying, it’s that fast guys!!! The ride is for 15 mins and that’s going to one of the most memorable 15 minutes in your life.
Imagine one your right side you have snow clad mountains, on your left side you have blue cloudy sky and beneath you are the coniferous forest, a beautiful river flowing and in front of you is the breathtakingly expansive Solang valley.
I wish I could fly forever !! that’s what I thought. It was so calming experience, there was a sense of peace and satisfaction in my mind. A sense of numbness in my ears because of the cold air, the cold air caressing my face and my soul.
Every one of you who wishes to fly should try this once at least. It’s a marvelous experience and a must do activity.
Was I Scared? NO, I was super excited and only for a second when my guide told me to jump, I felt scared.
The kids also loved the experience that they did it thrice, also the kids tried archery as well.
Don’t be scared just go for it, trust me you won’t regret it. It’s an amazing feeling which cannot be expressed but only felt.
The roads from Delhi to Manali is pretty good and the highway is well maintained. There are few check posts in between which can consume your time in long queues otherwise there is no issue. There are plenty of Dhabas and restaurants on the way, you can munch something whenever you feel hungry.
The food we recommend are: Aloo paratha, Rajma chawal, Dal chawal, Chole puri & kucha chole. We recommend not to have Maggi on you first few days because later on that is the only food available throughout your trip.
The first pitstop was at Hanogi bridge at Mandi. This place is famous for its hanging bridge over river Beas which leads to a Devi temple perched on top of the hill. The temple is also famous for the breathtaking view of the valley and the river flowing underneath add to it. We visited this place because of the fascinating bridge we came across while passing the place.
We reached Manali around 5 pm and it was so pleasant to be surrounded by coniferous trees and mountains. Never I my life had I imagined to see the Himalayas so closely. It was almost dark by the time we reached our homestay.
We stayed in Hampton Homestay at village shuru, Manali.
The next day began with treat to our eyes, at 6 am I wake up to see the mighty Himalayas behind our homestay. Also, the homestay was surrounded with Apple trees. My mind said wow!! And my heart was pounding with excitement to touch these apples.
Being born and raised in plateaus and coastal areas this was my first time in mountains. It was no less than a dream come true. This was just the beginning as I had no idea there were more wishes to be fulfilled during the trip.
We decided to explore Manali for the whole day and as the first place everyone visits in Manali is Mall road . Also, our major reason was to get permit for our rented car.
*Harrytinkers Tip: the queue for ladies is minimal so it’s better that a female member in the group goes to get the permit
We had amazing parathas from Aashiana pure veg restaurant in mall road and headed towards Himalayan Nyinmapa Monastery.
This was my first visit to a monastery and I found it very peaceful and beautiful. The colors they use is very bright because of that the monastery looks vibrant.
Next we headed for some adventure activities in Solang valley, famous for adventure activities like zorbing, paragliding , archery, ropeway, skiing, river rafting and horse riding.
Paragliding is the most adventurous activity during summers and skiing during winters. The rate for paragliding for adults is Rs 2000 /- (1500 for paragliding + 500 for ropeway) and for kids its Rs 600/-
Leh Ladakh was on my list since a long time, I guess after watching 3 Idiots and lots of travel documentaries I realized that I really have to go this place before I get married. Well, if you ask me why this criteria because you never know what if you partner is not as trave enthusiast as you are, why take risk man!!
So, I, coming from a family where it’s little difficult for girls to convince their parents to go on a road trip, I somehow managed to convince my parents (I know they were very scared) to allow me to visit a no network area. I had to literally prepare them not to panic if they are not able to contact me for 12 days.
Travelling with your friends is the best idea for this road trip. The first tip I would say is always travel in a group. Check out the below articles to know a detailed info about Leh Ladakh road trip;
I visited a very peculiar temple, one of its kind, situated in Kannur. A temple which considers dogs very sacred and the offerings made to the deity is toddy and roasted fish. Never ever seen something like this.
Parshinikadavu
Parassinikadavu Muthappan temple is situated in the banks of Valapattanam river, 10kms from Thaliparamba in Kannur.The presiding deity of this temple is Sri Muthappan, a personification of lord Vishnu as Thiruvappan and lord shiva as Vellatom. The temple welcomes everyone irrespective of their caste, religion or nationality. Before entering the temple wash your hand and feet In the Valapattanam river.
Nearest railway station: Kannur railway station
Nearest Airport: Kannur international airport 30 km away / Calicut international airport 133 km
Timings and dress code
Timing of the temple is 7 am to 7 pm. There is no particular dress code for the temple and the devotes have to remove the footwear before entering the shrine.
The story
The story is very interesting as the ruler Ancharamanaykkal Vazhunnavar of Eruveshi of Kannur was childless and His wife Padikutty amma being a shiva devotee made sacrifice to lord shiva for children. When she was returning home after her bath, she found a child near the river and she took the child with her back home and treated him as their own son.
The child was very kind and used to offer food and help to the tribal who used to reside in the nearby jungle, which was not acceptable by his father. His parents requested him to stop this practice and he didn’t. Ancharamanaykkal warned him and the boy revealed his true form (Vishwaroopam), he was an incarnation of lord Vishnu himself and his anger through his vision burnt everything which came in his way> his mother pleaded him not to destroy everything he created so he pierced his eyes to stop the destruction. The myth says that Lord Muthappan is blind because of this reason.
P.C Keralatourism
The story behind unique offerings and prasadam
This temple offers boiled red beans, coconut and tea for all the devotes from morning till evening 7:30.
The story says that when Muthappan (disguised as an old man) reached Kunnatoor, a place which is filled with palm trees, he was attracted to toddy. A toddy tapper found him stealing the toddy, he tried to shoot an arrow on Muthappan but was unsuccessful and fainted. The toddy tappers wife came searching for him and found him unconscious and called out for help from Muthappan and earnestly prayed for her husband and her husband regained his conciseness. Later she offered Muthappan red beans, coconut, roasted fish and toddy.
Pc. Uasatish
This is why red beans; coconut is distributed a s prasadam to the devotees and roasted fish and toddy is offered to the Lord.
This is one of those temples in Kerala which serves free food to the devotees every day. Prasadam: which includes boiled red beans, coconut and tea for all the devotes from morning till evening 7:30. Meals is served from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm, 8 – 10 pm.
The seating arrangement for men and women are arranged separately.
Importance of Dogs
Dogs are considered to be the vehicle of Lord Muthappan. The offering for the Lord is first served to the dogs. Dogs are considered sacred here and roam around and inside the temple premises and are never ever driven off. As you enter the main sanctum you will see two bronze dog statues one on either side of the sanctum.
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Theyyam
His life is best portrayed through a traditional dance known as Muthappan Theyyam. Theyyam is the ritual which is performed every morning in the temple. The artist, who performs the theyyam, listens to the plight of the devotees, comforts and blesses them. It really looks like as if Muthappan is standing in front of you and listening to you. This is truly a divine experience.
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The temple is usually crowded with devotees form all around the world and its very unique.
I happened to participate in a pongala only once till now and that was because my mother and both my grandmothers were active participants of Attukaal pongala since many years. I have always been a spectator and be a participant is way different than watching. Its difficult I must say.Only a women can participate in the pongala. Attukaal pongala is the largest pongala gathering in the world.My mother and grandmothers were my inspiration to finally participate in the ritual.
What is pongala?
Pongala is a ritual performed during the harvesting season in Kerala and Tamil nadu.The term pongala means to boil over wherein a special porridge made with rice,jaggery,grated coconut and raisins is offered to the sun.Women of the household perform this ritual.
Materials required for Pongala?
Earthen pot for cooking and rice, jaggery, grated coconut, ghee and water are the ingredients for the porridge. Brickand firewood for the makeshift stove.
Dress code:
There is no particular dresscode for the temple on regular days. On special accasion traditional Indian wear is worn by the devotees.On attukaal pongala day women usually wears saree and kasavu sarees or kerala set saree are the most common outfit worn by of the devotees.
Where does Attukaal pongala takes place:
Attukaal Bhagwati temple, Thiruvananthapuram
Attukaal Bhagwati temple is one of the ancient temples in Kerala situated in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city. This temple is considered to be the Sabrimala of women as most of the devotees is women here.The presiding deity of the temple is Supreme goddess who is considered to be the creator , preserver and destroyer of all living beings.
Attukaalamma is Incarnation of Goddess Parvathi in the form of Kannaki (Goddess Bhadrakali). ‘Bhadra’ means good and ‘Kali’ means goddess of time.The goddess of prosperity and salvation attracts plenty of devotees all over the world. Any devotee who visits Padmanabhaswami temple definitely visits Attukaal Bhagwati temple in Trivandrum.
How to reach?
The nearest railway station is the Thiruvananthapuram railway station which is 3km away and the nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram airport which is 5km away
Timing:
4:40 Am -12:30 pm, 5:00 – 8:30 pm
Why is temple famous for?
The temple is renowned for its grand Attukaal pongala which is conducted annually in the month of feb/march.Its a 10 day event stating on Kartika star of Makaram-kumbham month in Malayalam calendar. On the 9th day is the world famous Attukaal pongala conducted in large scale. This grandeur of the festival has made the temple hold a Guinness book of world record for holding the largest gathering of women for religious event.
The experience
The pongala begins with you getting a place and setting up the makeshift stove with help of bricks and firewood. Its difficult to get a space in front of the temple, but we got it a s my cousins friend arranged it for my mother and aunt. The chief priest lights up the fire in the main hearth from the temple and this fire is then passed on from one stove to another
After that you keep your earthen pot filled with water to boil with the rice. When the rice is half cooked you add the jaggery and coconut. Once the porridge starts boiling you lower the heat or set it away and waits for your turn to get a part of temple porridge which is distributed to each and ever devotee’s cooked Pongal. After which you can take the blessing from Attukaalamma and leave the premises.
What happened with my pot is it was leaking and the water wad extinguishing the fire and I had to get my pot replaced and start from the scratch. I found it to be a very difficult process as I have been cooking using the modern methods like gas stove and microwave and have never ever experienced the traditional way of cooking. On that day I was literally covered with soot and dust which made me sick the next day.
My advice would be if you are allergic to dust and wood soot, please stay away from this ritual as you might catch cold after this.If you ask me would you participate again I would definitely say yes 😊
On total the experience is mesmerising as you would be cooking with millions of ladies in the same span of time and its kind of a trance which you experience. The best part is the moment when the porridge boils over and the feeling of extreme satisfaction.I felt so grateful that my mother took me the temple to participate in the festival
Ladies, once in your lifetime participate in the world-famous festival.
Thiruvananthapuram is splits into Tiru + Anantha+ Puram” meaning “the town of Lord Anantha. The town is said to be the capital city of Travancore rulers and the kings have called themselves “Padmanabha-Dasa” (servants of Lord Vishnu), and ruled the state as the representatives of Lord Anantha-Padmanabha.
Sree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple Hindu temple, and situated in Thiruvananthapuram. The temple is ancient and Garbhagriha (main sanctum) is carved out of a single stone.The temple is also known to be the Mahakshetraas it belongs to one of the 108 Divya desam (Divya Desams are shrines that have been sung by the Azhwars in their Pasurams, which are a part of the Divya Prabandham) in India.
It’s said that the temple was made on the first day of Kaliyuga 5000 year back. The temple is spread over 7 acres of land and has 4 main entrances.
Temple Timings
Morning: 03:30 am to 04:15 am, 05:15am to 06:15am, 08:30am to 11:00am, 12:00pm to 12:15pm
Evening: 05.00 pm to 06.30 pm, 07:00pm to 07:20pm
Dress code
Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple and the dress code have to be strictly followed, For Men its dhoti with bare chest and for woman its only sari or pavada (ling skirt) is allowed. Any bifurcates or any other kind of outfit is strictly prohibited. The outfits are available outside temple on rent.
12 Interesting facts about the temple
Pc : kerala tourism
The idol Composition
The Lord Vishnu is in Anathashayanam position (sleeping position) which shows the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) made of kadasharakara (a composition of herbs, resin and sand).
The main idol is made with 12,500 saligram stones transported from the Gandaki river in Nepal. Saligramas are auspicious stones worshipped and venerated as the direct manifestation of Lord Vishnu.
The temple was first made of wood and later constructed with granite that its today. It has 365 pillars representing one for each day of the year.
Three doors for Darshan
The most unique feature of the Padmanabha Swamy temple is that it has the idols in reclining, sitting and standing postures.
The main idol is inside the sanctum sanctorum is in the reclining posture is 18 foot long, can be viewed through three doors –
first doors show the Lord’s face and Siva Linga underneath his hand
second door shows Brahma seated on lotus emanating from the Lord’s navel along with the “Utsava moorthi” and the idol viewed through the central door in the standing posture Lord MahaVishnu, Lakshmi devi (goddess of wealth) and Bhoomi devi (goddess of earth)
and the Lord’s feet in the third door. Utsava Murthi”, the idol taken out for the festival processions is in the sitting posture.
Ottakkal mandapam
Only the King of Travancore performs Namaskaram, or bow prostrate on this “Ottakkal Mandapam”. Since the idol of the Lord is also on this “Ottakkal Mandapam”, anybody who bows prostrate, or any material object that is kept here, henceforth belongs to the Lord.
Tradition says the King is a “Padmanabha Dasa”, (a servant of Vishnu). It’s also believed that lord Vishnu rules the Kingdom of Travancore
The Ottakkal Mandapam (single stone platform) is in front of the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Vishnu which is built with a single slab of granite. Its granite pillars are covered with gold.
Usage of gold in the Temple
The idol of Lord Sree Padmanabha Swamy is covered almost entirely in gold by a “Thanka Anki” or golden dress. The Ottakkal (or single stone) Mandapam in front of the main Sreekovil is covered in gold. The flag mast of Sree Padmanabha Swamy is also covered in gold. Further, the Nivedyam called Navaratna payasam for the Peruthiru amrith pooja is offered to the lord in Gold Vessels. A unique feature that came to light recently, while cleaning the idol is the fact that Lord Padmanabha’s idol is entirely cast in gold except for the face and chest. Along with the crown, ear rings, chiseled poonool, ornaments covering the chest, Lord’s legs and the right hand sporting a huge kankanam, the left hand holding a lotus and the lotus stalk are in gold. The kadasharakara (covering the idol with a dark coloured ayurvedic paste) was used to hide it from the Muslim invaders
The mysterious Vaults
The temple has 6 vaults known as kallaras labelled from A-F and as per supreme cout directions the chamber A were opened and On 2 July 2011, The chambers contain gold jewellery, medallions, precious stones, gold coins, model necklaces, stone-studded ornaments, golden armlets, head sets, heaps of pearl jewels, diamonds, golden lotuses, silver biscuits, decoration items for the Garudavahana, pooja items and festival equipment now it might become the richest temple in the world. The most amount of treasure was discovered in chamber A. Vault B is the final vault that has not been opened yet. The royal family there was a mystical curse associated with it.
Sreebalippura
Sreebalippura is a rectangular corridor built of stone is believed to have included 10,000 labourers and over 100 elephants for six months to construct it. Sreebalippura is supported by 365 and a one quarter of pillars. Each pillar is a monolith.
The gold Kodi maram
The flagpole or kodimaram is 80ft tall which was initially made with teak wood, later converted to golden flagpole has Garuda Swami, the sacred bird who carries Lord Vishnu, is carved on the top of the pole.
Intricate Gopuram
The 35-metre high seven-storey Gopuram made of granite imprints a visual remembrance of the temple in each spectator’s mind. The 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are depictedon the gopuram along with seven golden domes on the top. The opening on the ground floor has a grand doorway to enter the temple.
Archietectural marvel
The temple architecture is a fusion of Dravidian and Kerala style architecture. It is also known for its architectural marvel being creative achievements of the past in the fields of art, architecture, science, and engineering which cannot be compared to the present standards
The temple is said to have inspired by the Adi Kesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar in Tamil Nadu. The deity of in both the temples are in reclining position.
Another marvellous architectural work is the Sapthaswara Mandapam supported by 28 balustrades of pillars its believed that the pillars on the four corners can produce musical notes when tapped.
The sacred Padmatheertham
Padmatheertham is one of the oldest water bodies in the city of Thiruvananthapuram and is the temple pond of the temple. This pond has been mentioned in several Hindu scriptures. Srimad Bhagavatha says that Balarama visited this Temple, bathed in Padmatheertham and made several offerings.
Beautiful Mural Paintings
The outer walls of the main sanctum are decorated with murals. The 18 feet long mural of the Ananthasayanam on the backside of the sanctum is termed as the largest one among the temple murals of Kerala, and was painted by Chalayil Kalahasti.
Thiruvambadi Sree Krishnaswamy Temple
Even though the Thiruvambadi Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is inside the main Temple walls, it enjoys the status of a separate Temple with separate flag-staff, sacred stones and its own rites and rituals. It is quite unusual. Here the presence of Sri Krishna in the form of Parthasarathi, is naturally luring. The outer walls of the temple are fully covered with lamps which is called Villaku Madom. Another significant and striking feature is the attractive Gaja Lakshmi carved on the top in granite.
Harrytinkers tips
The dress code has to be strictly followed otherwise the entry is prohibited.
You have to enter the temple barefoot
Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple
Gadgets are strictly prohibited
No photography
Try spending an hour inside the temple in order to explore all the above-mentioned interesting portions of the temple
The sound of waves can be heard from the pillars inside the temple.
The main sanctum is dimly lit and the idol is also dark in colour so you have to look closely to see the details of the idol
Visit in the early hours to get a peaceful darshan
One of the best Hindu temples in terms of Architecture, history, grandeur and spirituality
Trivandrum Or Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of Kerala. Being the southernmost point of the state, this city enjoys the beaches with vast stretch of white sand. In order to enjoy the serene atmosphere, away from the chaos of city life head to the following beaches
Veli
Veli beach is located 10 kms from Trivandrum city. Here you can witness the confluence of Veli lake and Arabian sea. The lake is separated by a sand bar from Arabian sea which offers an interesting view. Veli beach is a golden sand beach with a waterfront park. The tourist village offers boating facility like motor driven safari launches, powerboats, peddle boats and row boats to explore the lake. The floating restaurant maintained by Kerala tourism development corporation attracts plenty of tourists.
PC : trivandrum.nic.in
Ticket Rates
Adult – Rs. 20/- (Above 12 years) Children – Rs. 5/- (Admit One – Between 5 to 12 years) Family – Rs. 40/- (Admit Four – 2 Adults + 2 Children) Group – Rs. 200/- (35 Students + 2 Teachers)
Shanghumukham beach
Shanghumukham beach is located un the western part of Trivandrum and it’s the nearest beach to airport.It is considered to be the ‘Arattukadavu” ( the bathing ghats) of Lord Vishnu ( the presiding deity of the city) Read more about Padmanabhaswami Temple.
The waves here are quite deadly and its scary to watch them on a high tide day.
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The beach is smaller than other beaches in Trivandrum.The voluptuous mermaid sculpture: Sagarakanayaka by Kanayi Kunhiraman is one of the attractions for the beach. The white sand beach is serene and beautiful, considered to be a place of relaxation being away from the city life.
Kovalam
Kovalam means grove of coconut trees and true to its name the beach offers an endless sight of coconut trees throughout its shore. Kovalam beach forms a crescent shape in its aerial view, and consist of three division in its coastline namely Lighthouse beach, Hawa beach and Samudra beach.Amongst these Hawa beach is the most commercialised one.
The lighthouse, coloured in striped Red and white pattern; is situated at the southernmost tip of the beach which is clearly visible as soon as you enter the shores of the beach.Its also known for its clean shores.Kovalam beach is
Somatheeram
Kerala and Ayurveda have an eternal connection!! Somatheeram beach is a part of the sandy stretch of Chowara which is south of Kovalam. Somatheeram as well as the Chowara beach line is best for swimming as well as relaxing under beach umbrellas.Most of the visitors reaching here have a special intention – Ayurveda wellness. Many visitors search for Aurvedic resorts in Kovalam as a part of their luxury holiday in Kerala. There is no dearth of Ayurvedic resorts in the coastal region south of Trivandrum. Beware of some fake ayurvedic places because there are plenty of them.
Enjoy the beaches at the southernmost tip of Kerala
Guruvayoor is full of stories. Actually, each person who has visited this temple will have different stories to narrate. To me Guruvayoor is equivalent to heaven, whenever I imagine heaven, the only picture which comes to my mind is of Guruvayoor. What more can you expect from a Krishna bhakta
Guruvayoor temple is dedicated to Guruvayoorappan (Four arm form of lord Vishnu) situated in town of Guruvayoor in Kerala, India. Its popularly known as the Bhuloka Vaikuntha (the holy abode of Lord Vishnu on earth). The city is considered to be Dwarka of Southern India.
Several weddings and Children’s first feeding ceremony (annaprasan or choroonu) take place almost every day. The devotees seek the blessings of Lord Krishna for a happy future and the temple is famous for its healing power.
The temple is also famous for its beautiful Mural painting which is done by artists who have been trained by the Devasom board in Guruvayoor.
Temple timings
Morning: 3.00 AM to 1.30 PM Evening: 4.30 PM to 9.15 PM
The Temple will be closed from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm:
How to reach
Guruvayoor, is well connected with all parts of the country by road and rail. The National highway passes through Kunnamkulam which is just 8 kms away. The private bus stand is towards the east of the temple, near Manjulal (the famous banyan tree). It is half an hour drive by car from Thrissur and buses ply every 5 minutes from the cultural capital, Thrissur.
The nearest railway station is Guruvayoor but not all the trains have a pitstop here, mostly people prefer Thrissur which is 20 kms away and Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport, which is 72 km.
PC: wikipedia
Story of Guruvayoor
Lord Brahma used to worship Lord Krishna’s idol during Krishnavtaram and he gifted the same to Lord Vishnu. After seven days when Lord Krishna left for his heavenly abode, the city of Dwarka submerged. Lord Vayu, the Lord of winds and Guru were entrusted with the work. They had to find a suitable place to install the holy idol. After searching for a long time, Guru and Vayu installed the idol at the temple. This was carried out because Guru Parshuram had insisted this place.
The place got its name Guruvayoor because both Guru and Vayu had installed the idol. Initially, the temple was known as Guruvayurappa and later changed to Guruvayoor
The temple pond
The temple tank (pond) temple is called Rudratheertham. Because for thousands of years, Lord Shiva used to bath here. As Shiva is also known as ‘Rudra’, the pond was named after him: Rudratheertham.
PC : local guide connect
Dress code
Devotees and tourists have to strictly follow the dress code.
Men and boys: wear mundu (single piece garment draped along the waist, very similar to sarong or dhoti) around their waist, without any dress covering their chest. You can wear a veshti ( small piece of cloth) to cover your chest.
Women and girls: saree or long skirt and blouses. Recently even salwar kameez is allowed.
Modern dresses like Trouser, short skirts are not allowed. Girls below 12 years may wear gowns.
The reason of south Indian temples emphasising on wearing one single piece of cloth (read here)
Significance of Elephants in guruvayoor
The first elephant Keshavan was donated to the Guruvayoor Hindu temple by the royal family of Nilambur on 4 January 1922. Since then, it became a common Hindu custom in Kerala to capture elephants either as calves or young adults from the wild and to donate them to the deity of the temple as an offering. Guruvayoor temple currently has 59 elephants. All these elephants are decorated and held in a procession on the day of Thrisoorpooram.
PC : Keralam.me
Krishanattom
Krishnattom is a temple art in Kerala, India. It is a dance drama and presents the story of Krishna in a series of eight plays and was created by Manaveda (the Zamorin king of Calicut) in northern Kerala. He created a poem for Lord Krishna is eight cantos.
I misinterpreted this as kathakali which was initially derived from Krishnattom. I saw this art form for the first time when I was 6-year-old, my grandfather loved this art form and on every visit to guruvayoor, he used to take me along to watch this art form. At that span of time, I couldn’t understand any of it but now being a classical dancer myself, I enjoy watching this art form. Watching krishnattom in guruvayoor is a blissful experience and one of my fondest memories in Guruvayoor.
PC : Wikipedia
Annadanam (Prasada oottu)
Every day Guruvayoorappan Temple department provides free Prasada Oottu for the devotees in Annalakshmi Hall located outside the temple. Prasada Oottu starts from 10.30 am. People can have free meals and there is no religious barrier. The food is simple and filling, simplicity is what makes it delicious
Shops near the temple
There are numerous shops near to the temple which sells souvenirs like mural paintings, sculptures, variety of lamps made with bell metal. Definitely, if it’s your first visit you will find lots of unique items which you will be tempted to buy.
Where:The East and West Nada
Things which can capture your interest can be Mural paintings, lamps, electronic items, religious books, brassware, very unique Kerala handicrafts. Don’t miss the the most popular Kasavu Saree. If you are fan of mural paintings then definitely there are so many options of clothing for you. Also, you should definitely shop some of the favourite Kerala snacks such as Papadums, halwa and Murukkus.
Ghee roastDosha
Every visit to Guruvayoor is accompanied by having ghee roast from the nearby restaurant for all the three meals (I wish). Why I am emphasizing on the ghee roast is because its very delicious and as well as super crispy.
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Harrytinkers tip
Avoid visiting the temple on weekends as it will be too crowded and you won’t be able to have a peaceful darshan
Also, during the weekday, you can expect long queues for the morning darshan.
The meals served is simple food and the place would be crowded as its free it is given to the homeless and beggars as well
Its better to stay for at least two days and 2 nights in order to attend all the rituals if you wish to and to visit the nearby places and watch Krishnattom.
Strictly follow the dress code, otherwise you won’t be allowed to enter inside the temple
The kovil inside is dimly lit so you have to look carefully inside in order to see the deity.
Most of you must have been to an everyday fish market, but this experience is totally different because it’s Neendakara fishing harbour.
Neendakara fishing harbour is a magnificent fishing harbour in the coast of Ashtamudi lake. One can also witness the confluence of Ashtamudi lake and Arabian sea from the Neendakara bridge. Neendakara is the biggest fishing harbour in Kerala having the capacity to contain over 500 fishing boats at a time and is among the major sea ports in Kerala
How to reach
Nearest railway station: Kollam, about 9 km away
Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport is around 66 km away
How did we travel
We took a bus from Kollam city at 4 am to reach the harbour and from the entrance gate you need to walk a little inside the harbour and then you will enter the fish market. It took us almost an hour’s journey.
The experience
My teachers used to scream in the classroom saying ” classroom ko machli market bana rakha h” (the class room sounds like a fish market). I understood the meaning of the sentence clearly on this day.
There were thousands of people in the harbour, shouting, screaming bargaining, selling and buying fish. No one was bothered to have a look at the spectator who is watching them for the first time. The place was in so much chaos that I couldn’t hear my mother speaking even though she was just besides me.
The next thing I noticed was heaps of different varieties of fishes being placed like mountains for bidding. I wondered: How many fishes are there in the sea because this was just the scene of one fishing harbour in Kerala? It was just a day’s scene for me and one can imagine how many fishes the sea has in the entire universe.
As we entered the main harbour, we saw so many fishing boats arriving with tons and tons fishes. So, they have these big tanks inside their boats where the fishes are stored, which will be transferred to an even more huge container at the harbour. This is a very different experience!!! The different varieties of fishes are separated in the boat itself so that it’s absolutely ready for the selling process.
There were plenty of men who I assume were restaurant owners who were bidding on heaps of fishes. On the contrary there were few people stealing fishes from these heaps and selling it at a much cheaper price for the spectators like us.
I was amazed by the whole setup, the scenario and of course the fish mountains. Well it was stinking like hell and what happened is, a fisherman was taking his fish basket on his head and by mistake his basket slipped and the water from his basket fell on me!!
I felt disgusted but the whole process of the struggle of these fishermen made me realise that this is their everyday job and they do it so much passion but still I was drenched with stinky fish water. (Advantage: I got the whole seat all for myself in the bus as no one wanted to sit near me !! not even my parents)
Well, the advantage of visiting this place if you are fish lover is; you can get plenty of fish at a very cheap price and you can have a close view of a process which each and every fishing harbour witnesses on an everyday basis. And to watch so many fishes of different shapes, sizes and colours will make you appreciate the mother nature for creating them all so unique 🤩
If you ever have a chance to witness this process please try and reach before 6 am because that’s when you can watch the whole process. If you are late then you might not even see the fishes because by 9 am the harbour is empty.
As a child all the images and scenes are stored in my memories and the only regret I have now is at that time I did not have a camera to capture this. Probably next time I would defianely capture some.
Neendakara Fishing Harbour made me realise that sometimes chaos has its own beauty.
This has been interesting topic to talk about and different people have different views. I don’t believe in superstitious beliefs, what I always chase is the scientific reason and here’s what I have found out.
Earlier temples were built on places with high positive energy source of a certain locality. The main deity is placed at the arear of most amount of energy.
The unstitched cloth
When you enter the temple by draping a single piece of cloth it is easy for the energy to flow throughout the body. Since every thread in an uncut cloth remains intact, it is able to spread waves of Energy all over the cloth. Therefore, when an individual wears an uncut cloth, the Energy spreads in its body and it undergoes spiritual healing.
When you cut the fabric into several pieces it threads are not intact anymore. When a cloth is cut, the continuity of the threads is destroyed. This creates obstacles in the flow of Energy through them which is not allowing the body to absorb the utmost energy available in the temple. Hence, wearing a stitched garment imparts less Energy and the extent of spiritual healing is also considered to be less.
Entering temple bare chested for men
Another point is the hair on our body act like natural receptors of energy in our body.
Men usually have hair on their chest area and armpits too. These hairs act as a receiver of charges present around them when they enter the Temple bare chested removing their upper garment. It is helping them to receive the energy easily.
This also [proves the point of taking pradakshnam (Parikrama or Pradakshina refers to circumambulation of sacred places to imbibe their energy in Sikh, Hindu, Jain or Buddhist context, and the path along which this is performed) to get the maximum positive energy from the temple premises.
And people also have the habit of raising their hands above their head and performing namaste which is allowing the hair on the armpits can absorb the positive energy from temple’s surroundings.
This is a fair enough theory which I thought of sharing after reading and knowing about scientific reasons of Hinduism in bits from many sources.
Harrytinkers travelog 