Himachal Pradesh 2015

The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas always stood as the sentinel of India in the north. It demarcated Indian culture and way of life as sharp as a divider. Himalayas had been a profound source of inspiration for poets, artists, devotees, statesmen and thinkers alike. I always dreamed about it, the moment I could catch a glimpse of a snow-capped Himalayan mountain peak with my own eyes. The opportunity presented itself only now, in the form of a trip to Shimla, Kullu and Manali

Day 1 (Oct 18, 2015)

Our Indigo Airlines flight to Delhi took off at the right time at 7.05 am from Kochi Airport. After an eventless travel of three hours, it touched down at Terminal 1 of IGI Airport at Delhi. Our Tempo Traveler was ready at the airport. Without wasting much time, we proceeded straight to Shimla at 12 pm. The travel to Chandigarh is through the prestigious six-lane NH-1, but our driver was a very uncooperative person who continued to move very slowly through the highway. Had lunch near Karnal on ‘Haveli’ on the roadside. We lost the beauty of the ghat roads ascending to Shimla as it was already very dark when we reached the foot hills. At last, we reached the hotel at 9.50 pm, just in time when the restaurant was about to close. We had a peaceful sleep at night – the hotel is so calm and quiet.

Day 2 (Oct 19, 2015)

At about 9.30 am, we went to Kufri. The roads in Shimla are very narrow and extremely congested. At the slightest hitch, long lines of vehicles pile up on either side of the road. The moment the vehicle reached Kufri, horse trainers and photographers gathered around us with solicitations of horses and photo opportunities. Rs. 380 was offered for horse ride to the top and for sightseeing. We accepted and the rough 15-minute ride to somewhere that looked like a fair ground felt like an hour. It is very risky to ride on the horse, as the road is very narrow and when two or more horses come abreast, they try to bite each other. This causes a commotion and sometimes it so happen that the animal may be walking very near to the edge of a small ravine. The horse trainers seem to be enjoying the sadistic pleasure in making the horses prance or canter unnecessarily, just to tease the hapless riders. At last, we reached the top where nothing except a view point having a telescope welcomed us. The operators offered a rate of Rs. 150 per person just to have a glance through the telescope which was claimed to be able to peer at the border hills of China. We thought better of it and declined the offer. Tibetan yaks are also positioned there, and it is a good idea to have a photo taken sitting on them.

Every tourist spot in India is riddled with cheats and petty thieves. We fell to the tricks of such a man named Sanjay Sharma. This man approached us totting a camera and introduced himself as a professional photographer who is a member of the local photographers’ group. He offered Rs. 60 per piece and even though very much on the higher side, we accepted the offer. He came along with us and took many snaps in various poses, sitting on the Tibetan yak, donning Himachali costumes and a gesture of stepping for a folk dance. After taking 47 photos, he very kindly offered a discount and demanded Rs. 2500 up front. We protested at the full amount to be paid as advance, but he earned our confidence with such tricky acting that we paid him the money. He told that he will deliver the package at our hotel between 7 and 9 pm. When nobody was seen, we contacted him. He kept telling that a person has started from his place and would reach the hotel within half an hour. Our wait was in vain. It became clear to me then that this rascal had cheated me. Travelers beware of crooks of such type. (Also see postscript to this post).

We drove straight to a local restaurant on the wayside for lunch and then moved to Mall Road. There is a lift operated by Himachal Tourism at street level for carrying tourists to Mall Road at a fee of Rs. 10 per person. Normally, vehicles are not allowed on Mall Road. This street is ideal for shopping freaks as you can see a wide array of merchandise put on display. We went to Christ Church at The Ridge, which is the oldest church built by the British in Shimla. We had a quiet walk on the road till Kali Bari Temple. The abandoned Bantony Castle on the wayside loomed like a ghost house. At about 5.30 pm, we returned to the hotel, but due to a heavy traffic snarl, we reached only by 7.30 pm and settled for a peaceful night.

Day 3 (Oct 20, 2015)

Since this day included a long journey to Manali, we took off at 8 am. Had lunch at Mandi. The ghat road with river Beas on the right side begins after Mandi and is quite an experience. The hills on the left looked so fragile, with granite boulders showing a striated pattern. Somehow, it appeared weak, familiar as we were with the hardness of Deccan rocks. The Aut Tunnel having a length of 3.5 km gave an eerie feeling when we fled past the moist interior covered with smoke and dust. Just after Kullu town, we had the first glimpse of the snow-clad Himalayas. We reached the hotel by about 7 pm and retired for the night.

Day 4 (Oct 21, 2015)

Our driver, Mr. Parvesh Kumar from Delhi was an imbecile. We dropped the journey to Manikaran, which is about 80 km away, as that useless fellow might take an entire day for the trip. So we decided to sample the local attractions. We drove to Vasisht, which houses a hot water source inside the temple. The water is scalding hot, but a few people were bathing in it. The street to Vasisht is full of merchants dealing textiles and souvenirs. At about 11.30 am, we returned to Manali town and had lunch in a government-owned restaurant at Mall Road.

Manali is very picturesque from the banks of River Beas

Our next point of call was Hadimba temple. This is an isolated shrine decorated with trophies of wild animals along its outer wall. In all probability, this might have been the place of tribal worship. It stands in the middle of a clutch of dense and tall deodar trees. We spent almost one hour there. Locals throng the path to the temple with offers of taking photos with their rabbits that looked like large white bags of fleece. We returned to the hotel when it was quite dark.

Day 5 (Oct 22, 2015)

This was the memorable day of Rohtang Pass. Vehicles from outside Himachal will not generally be allowed to the pass without taking a permit. The most practical option is to hire a local vehicle which charges a hefty fare. In our case, it took Rs. 8500 for a tempo traveler with 12 seats. The driver was young but very bold. He was rather reckless by using mobile phone even while negotiating difficult, narrow curves on the hill roads. The cold was just bearable for us, but warm cloths can be obtained on rent from the wayside at Marhi. We wore these dresses high on the hills for Rs. 250 apiece, whereas these may be obtained for Rs. 200 in Manali. Rohtang Pass is situated at a height of 13,000 feet – Manali is at 4,000 feet. Oxygen deficiency was not experienced at that altitude, though two among us appeared rather deflated at the top of the pass. The small hill on top of the pass covered in snow was a memorable experience for us who had never felt the touch of snow. By about noon, we descended back to Manali and had lunch. Nothing was planned for the afternoon, so we went back to the hotel and rested for the day.

Breath-taking Rohtang Pass

Day 6 (Oct 23, 2015)

We started from Manali at 6 am. It was a very long drive of 560 km back to Delhi. Apart from time lost on traffic jam connected with a Dussehra procession and with a flat tyre of the vehicle, the drive was tiresome but smooth. The driver was clueless about the location of the hotel, so we had to spend nearly an hour looking for it. By about 11 pm in the night we were back in bed.

Day 7 (Oct 24, 2015)

We left at 3 am from the hotel to the airport. The Air India flight took off at 5.35 am and landed at 8.45 am in Kochi.

Tour Operator

We booked the tour package at Intersight Tours and Travels, Kochi. The hotels arranged by them were very good, except the one at Delhi. But on the vehicle and driver, they disappointed us. Even though they had promised an English-speaking driver, the allotted one could not understand even a word of it. If that was the only problem, we wouldn’t have minded. He was arrogant and vengeful. If he felt that he was slighted in any way, from that point onwards he drove very slowly as if to upset our schedules. We had to cancel many places like Manikiran just because such an imbecile was allotted to us as our driver. We notified the agency about this after our journey, but apart from a cursory call of apology, nothing was observed from Intersight. The rate was Rs. 13,500 per person for 6 nights and 6 days including accommodation and breakfast-dinners.

Accommodation

In Shimla, we stayed at Hotel Sukh Sagar Regency at Taradevi, which is a good 8 km from the city centre. The place is very calm and quiet, but travel to the city is a torture due to narrow roads and heavy traffic. The rooms, hospitality and food were very good. We had breakfast and dinner as part of the MAPI plan.

In Manali, we stayed at Sun Park Resort on the left bank of the river. This hotel has some excellent mountain-facing rooms, from which we had a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Himalayas that was unforgettable. The rooms, hospitality and food were excellent. We had breakfast and dinner as part of the MAPI plan.

In Delhi, we were put up at Hotel Metro View, Karol Bagh. This has very modern amenities like door locks with smart card keys, but the hospitality was mediocre. The guy at the Reception was glad to know that we would check out in four hours’ time. Presumably, in order to get rid of room cleaning after our exit, he told that dinner will not be served in rooms and we have to be present in the restaurant on the ground floor.

Mode of Travel

We took Indigo flight to Delhi and Air India on the return flight to Kochi. A 12-seater temp traveler was used for travel between Delhi, Shimla and Manali. Another 12-seater tempo traveler was hired at Manali for the trip to Rohtang Pass.

Postscript

I had written about the crook who swindled us Rs. 2500 by promising to given prints of photographs. When we returned, I sent a complaint by post to the District Superintendent of Police, Shimla, detailing all the points. Fortunately, unbeknown to him, one of our team had taken a photograph of that person. His mobile number was already with me. So, in the written complaint, I included all these details. Himachal Police responded with astonishing speed and effectiveness. Hardly a week later, Sanjay Sharma contacted me on my mobile and apologized. He readily sent the photos and CD via speed post to me. Sincere thanks and appreciation to Himachal Police!

Seminar on Managing for Excellence

Attended a seminar on ‘Managing for Excellence’ conducted under the aegis of Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering (IIIE) at Ernakulam on Sep 11, 2015 at The Renai. Shri. George Sleeba, who was the chairman of the Kerala Chapter of IIIE was an active presence on the venue and made the welcome speech. The national president of the organization, Shri. Bhaskar M Bhandarkar, delivered the presidential address. Though rather portly, he had a long service in the Navy and served in the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka. Dr. J Latha, Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science & Technology formally inaugurated the seminar. Dr. M Ayyappan, CMD of HLL Life Care, made a thought-provoking keynote address. The inaugural session began 15 minutes late at 9.45 am, but came to a close at 11.45 am.

The inaugural session was followed by presentations from Shri. C Balagopal, founder managing director of Terumo Penpol Pvt Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram, said to be the world’s largest producer of blood bags and other healthcare products. He resigned from IAS after 6 years of service in 1983 and founded the company which is the first one of its nature in India. His presentation included stills from the factory floor which appeared to be of world class. He stressed the need for maintaining a thoroughly clean atmosphere on the floor. It is strange that most people in the audience, including me, have not heard of this company before, even though it is said to be employing about a thousand people.

After a delightful lunch, the afternoon session was handled by Shri. Rajesh Arakkal, GM of FCI OEN Connectors, who had bagged the first prize in the productivity contest conducted by IIIE. A presentation on the productivity measures implemented in the company was delivered by three of its officers, in a rather dramatic style. However, the content was too detailed and text-oriented to be of any use to the delegates. It is heartening to note that this company too is a renowned one in the international arena. They make connectors for electronic circuits, which help to interchange signals from one board to another. Ensuring a trouble free path for electrical signals is not a mean job and the company has certainly dedicated considerable resources for achieving this.

The atmosphere was a solemn one, in which the vice chancellor arrived with the escort of a uniformed security guard. Though normal for a z- or y-category politician, this looked rather odd for an academician, who was also a learned professor in civil engineering. The function began with a 3-minute long theme song of the organization which was rather modern and somewhat pleasing to hear, but lacked any relevance to the organization or the function. Why the audience have to stand up while the theme song is playing is beyond my comprehension! Bhandarkar, the national chairman, made the point that excellence is not a corollary of knowledge with an example from the Ramayana. Even though Ravana was a very learned man, we associate excellence only with Ram. Knowledge has to be dedicated to the service of the society in order for it to excel. On a lighter note, he sounded like Thikkurissi, a former actor of Malayalam cinema. Dr. Latha stressed the need to think differently, in order to excel. She mentioned George Sleeba, who is the former CMD of FACT, who proposed the idea of gypsum boards in the construction industry to her way back. Even though construction panels were not in the direct line of products of FACT, he thought about alternate ways of using a waste material, which is a sign of excellence. She also warned that different thinking need not always lead to excellence, citing the example of Lehman Brothers, the investment bank which failed in 2008 to herald the era of recession in the US.

Ayyappan reiterated the need for personal excellence in the pursuit of management excellence. He was very emphatic on the requirement of good personal relations, even with the company’s competitors! One should be confident of oneself and impart knowledge to others. The most relevant message delivered by him was an exhortation to get out of the comfort zones in the quest to excel. If you are very comfortable with what you do, chances are that you would stick on to it for an indefinite period of time without any incentive to improvise. Balagopal’s address was replete with anecdotes of his company’s build up of strict quality measures. Throughout the speech, he was praising the Japanese for their strict adherence to quality procedures like Kaizen. The Japanese brought standardization to absurd levels, as he mentioned the case of a Japanese consultant. This man observed that four operators in the company had been doing a procedure in four different ways, even though they were meticulously following the standard operating procedure. The Japanese guy was insisting that everyone should do it in the same way and eventually won his way! This evokes memories of rank automation in a process in which the Japanese treat the operator as just another cog in the wheel. His creativity and personality is no bother to them and in all probability, they would fail to appreciate the message of Charlie Chaplin’s famous movie ‘Modern Times’. As long as the operators were following the SOP, what role this Japanese automaton has, to change their working chores? Frequent references to terms like Kaizen and Gamba were rather pompous. The Japanese don’t value individuality and they are also said to be very weak in conveying bad news.

Balagopal was in fact, enthusiastic about the labour situation in Kerala, comparing the ethos of the workforce to that of Americans. He casually disregarded interference from labour unions and mentioned the power scenario in Kerala to be far more advantageous to the industry than that of Tamil Nadu. This is clearly misleading and perhaps sheds some light on his political leaning. His proved to be a lone voice in singing the praise of labour unions in Kerala whereas the entire state is fed up with the militant and violent trade unionism rampant across Kerala’s industries. Balagopal’s opinion appeared to be politically correct, but insincere.

Most of the delegates were very young, having at the most 5 – 10 years of post-qualification experience. Among them, I felt like sticking out like a sore thumb with the crushing weight of 20 years like a millstone around my neck! Probably, it is conferences like these that help you realize that you have aged a lot. At the same time, Balagopal’s enthusiasm was contagious, even though he was respectfully aged.

Kanyakumari 2015 (Self Drive)

Aquatic borders convey a sense of absolute finality when demarcating territorial boundaries. Even mountain ranges don’t proclaim such feeling of exclusivity. When we look at an ocean marking the end of the land, we intuitively comprehend the measure of man and his powers when compared with that of nature. Everyone should visit a beach once in a while to cultivate some humility in our minds. This aspect of nature and man’s parasitic reliance on her is nowhere as pronounced as in Kanyakumari where the ocean surrounds you on all three sides. You feel the sea everywhere in the Cape, in the incessant rustle of leaves as the wind flows caressing over them, on the horizon that offers a line that never undulates, in the smell of the sea felt everywhere and in the rising and setting of the sun that can be observed just by walking a short distance on the beach. At the Cape, you become one with nature.

My last visit to Kanyakumari was some 24 years ago, as a teenager. So, with a quarter of a century of toil that is part of a working life, it was felt that the time has come to renew the experience of being in perfect communion with nature. In fact, you can do it on your own backyard as well, but exotic places help you achieve it quicker and better. It was also decided to visit the nearby places in Kanyakumari district also, driving our own car. Once in a while, you should do a load test on your vehicle.

Day 1 (Aug 14, 2015)

We started at 6.30 am via MC Road. Hardly a few kilometers through the drive, a long traffic snarl awaited us at Chelamattom, near Perumbavur. The commotion was due to the convergence of thousands of people for ‘bali tarpanam’, the ritual offering of food for one’s own ancestors on the occasion of Karkkidaka Vavu (new moon day on the month of Karkkidakam/July-August), which fell on that day. It took a painful half an hour to get extricated from the jam. After that, it was smooth driving till Muvattupuzha with a smooth road and low traffic. But all hell broke loose on the stretch from Muvattupuzha to Chengannur, having a length of 91 km. The road is badly potholed and in some areas, even the colour of black is missing on the mud roads. The pathetic condition of the road is simply indescribable. We feared that something would snap inside the car, which was being manipulated through ditches, pools and unpaved earth. Luckily, MC Road is exceedingly fine south of Chengannur. We had a hearty lunch at Kilimanoor.

Neyyar Dam is full and water is being discharged

Road to Tirparappu is scenic

At Vembayam, we took a detour from MC Road to go via Nedumangad on the way to Neyyar Dam. The drive was smooth, with the road conditions good for most of the stretch. At 2.20 pm, we landed at Neyyar Dam Park. There is a range of attractions at Neyyar, the most prominent being the Lion Safari Park. But we didn’t have that much time to spare and decided to spend some time in the garden, which was mediocre and the dam top. The reservoir was full to the brim and water was being continuously discharged. The view from the top is breathtaking on both sides. The climb is worth it. Vehicles can go to the top, instead of parking in the designated area near entrance. This could’ve saved us an arduous trek in the afternoon sun. We left the place after 45 minutes.

Tirparappu Waterfalls is ideal for bathing

We headed next to Tirparappu Waterfalls, which is a lesser known place, but provides great opportunity for bathing. The river just tumbles over a steep rock that looks like a black wall of geometric precision. River Kodayar falls on the waiting heads of the bathers from a height of about 15 meters. Water flows for about 7 months in a year. Being the end of monsoon, the river was in spate. A lot of people were bathing, having refreshments and simply enjoying. We spent nearly half an hour there.

We had one more item on the agenda for the day – the Padmanabhapuram Palace. Since the time was already nearing 4.30 pm, there was no point in attempting to reach the place which was scheduled to close at that time. So we decided to drive straight to Kanyakumari and take rest for the rest of the day. We reached hotel at 6.15 pm.

Day 2 (Aug 15, 2015)

Independence Day dawns at Kanyakumari

It was Independence Day and all of Kanyakumari was dressed up for the event. The eastern sky promptly turned crimson. Far away, a slew of wind turbines turned majestically in the morning breeze. As a balance for the renewable energy being generated in those turbines, the twin nuclear reactors of Kudankulam silhouetted against the distant haze. After breakfast, we moved to the ferry office which operates the boats that ply between mainland and the Rock Memorial. We were amazed at the absence of crowd there, because the serpentine queue normally spilled over to the streets. But the official at the gate told us that due to low tide, ferry service was suspended till 11 am. So, that was the reason the place seemed deserted; and it was only 8 am!

There is nothing in Kanyakumari that helps to pass time except the beach. So we went to Vattakkottai, which is a seaside fort that is about 7 km northeast of the town. Here, we must pause for a brief moment to reminisce about a Dutch naval officer who has a colourful reputation in Kerala’s history. Let’s go back to the 1740s when the princely state of Travancore in South Kerala entered a crucial phase. For the first time in its history, Travancore had an able ruler on the throne in the person of Anizham Tirunal Marthanda Varma who parted company with many old customs and set the country on the path to modernity. War in Kerala was some kind of sport till then, where the troops fought only during the day and strictly according to rites as ordained in the shastra texts. Marthanda Varma put a stop to all this and started annexing defeated kingdoms to Travancore one by one. British power was rising while the Portuguese were vanquished and the Dutch on the wane. The rising clout of Travancore disturbed the Dutch who sent a naval squadron under the leadership of Eustachius de Lannoy, with the intention of capturing Padmanabhapuram Palace. The troops landed at Kolachel near Nagarcoil, where they were joined in battle with the primitive Travancore forces. Even though possessing superior firepower and trained soldiers, fortune didn’t smile on the Dutch on that fateful day on August 10, 1741, almost exactly 274 years to this day. The Dutch troops were overcome and de Lannoy, along with a few of his soldiers capitulated to the king. De Lannoy soon became a trusted servant of Marthanda Varma. Many royal favours were heaped on him until at last he was made one of the generals of the Travancore army. He thoroughly modernized the army, introduced artillery and infantry and upgraded the fortifications that ringed the country’s frontiers. Vattakkottai, which we are going to visit, was one such fort built under his supervision. We will see more of him later.

 

Vattakottai

The drive was smooth and we reached there by 8.30 am. The fort is made of granite blocks and a part of it extends to the sea. This commands a picturesque view of the sea on one side and the craggy peaks of Western Ghats on the other. There were no visitors when we arrived there and we had the whole place to ourselves for about 15 minutes. The panoramic view of the sea from the promontory is breathtaking. After half an hour of enjoying the sea and the wind, we left the place.

The drive to Muppandal was a dream. We had a 4-lane highway that goes to Varanasi practically deserted. Wind turbines were seen everywhere you look. Of varying sizes and designs, thousands of such turbines produce electricity from the ever blowing wind, both

On the way to Muppandal on NH 7

night and day. About 1500 MW of electricity is produced here, which comes to about one-tenth of the entire wind power generation in India. There is no smoke or any exhaust from the machines, making it a source of green and clean energy. We drove through Arulvaimozhi (Aramboli in British times), which was the historical border pass of the erstwhile Travancore state. At around 10 am, we returned to Kanyakumari.

Still, the boats had not begun service after the low-tide. So we hailed an auto rickshaw to Wonder Wax, the celebrated wax museum in Kanyakumari. If you were expecting something like Madame Tussauds, you are in for a big disappointment. There are very few exhibits here, around 10 to be precise, and they don’t show much resemblance to the celebrities they were meant to represent. Einstein and Tagore looked lifelike, but others really needed a facelift. In hardly ten minutes, we finished the museum and walked back the short distance to Boat House.

The long meandering queue had breached the gates and overflowed to nearby streets as well. All the tourists were patiently waiting in line under the blistering sun. But as part of the pre-tour research, I had already heard about a special ticketing scheme by which tourists can buy special tickets at five times the normal fare and go straight to the landing pier, without the need for waiting in line. There are no notices or anything about the availability of special tickets, while the price of the normal ticket was displayed everywhere. So we asked the guard at the gate about the special tickets and he immediately directed us to the counter. The cost of a normal ticket is Rs. 34, while the special ticket is priced at Rs. 169. But the premium is worth it, if you wanted to avoid the grueling wait which may last up to one or two hours! Soon, a boat arrived. It is only a 10-minute ride to the rock, and three boats were in service. Life jackets are compulsory for passengers, which are available in the boat itself. Due to low-tide, boats were not plying to Thiruvalluvar Statue.

Footwear is not permitted inside the Memorial and you have to deposit them at a designated counter in the jetty. It was a very hot day and the solid mass of rock was scalding. Fortunately, there is a line painted in white on the rock face, which you need to follow to reach all the intended areas on the rock. You won’t feel the heat while walking on the white line. It offers a superb view of the town and the temple situated at the southernmost tip of land.

Watching the bustle of life unwinding on the mainland, one can not help spare a thought about a 28-year old ascetic who reached these shores on the Christmas day in 1892, after wandering for around three years across the length and breadth of India. He saw the dark rock beckoning him over the waves. Probably on an impulse, he dived into the sea and swam all the way to it and spent three days and nights there meditating – taking the whole of India from that vantage point. At the end of it, he realized his life’s mission was to arouse the nation from its slumber of a thousand years of slavery and rediscover its past glory. On that day, Narendranath Dutta metamorphosed into Swami Vivekananda who dedicated all his life to the country until his death at 38 years of age. The story of the building of the monument is another saga that could be compared to the efforts of Bhagiratha in mythology.

Swami Vivekananda’s birth centenary arrived in 1963 and some activists decided to put up a memorial on the rock as a tribute to him. Unfortunately, the local Christian population rose up in arms against the scheme. The district has a sizable Christian population who are very active in proselytism. Even today, we met several pastors distributing leaflets on the beach. The fisher folk claimed ownership of the rock, naming it St. Xavier’s Rock, which was said to be the place where St. Francis Xavier converted them to Christianity 400 years ago. A big cross was put up on the rock, which was visible from the shore.

Now, things began to turn ugly. A communal riot was in the offing. Both sides took aggressive postures. Litigation followed and the government declared the placement of the cross illegal and asked it to be removed. Even though a decree was passed, the government was unwilling to carry it out for the fear of alienating the numerically strong Christian population. Then, all on a sudden, the cross was found removed on a fine morning. Tensions flared and prohibitory orders were clamped in the town. Armed guards were posted on the rock. Interventions at the highest levels forced the Tamil Nadu government’s hand in giving permission to install a ‘tablet’ on the rock commemorating Swami Vivekananda. Tensions again escalated when it was discovered another day that the tablet was destroyed overnight and thrown in the sea. At this point, Eknath Ranade stepped in and amassed national public support to build a massive structure. Donations poured in from all over India. The construction began in 1967 and the memorial dedicated to the nation in 1970. A pedestrian bridge was planned to reach the rock, but it was later dropped. So, when you look at the Memorial today, you should be aware of what a Herculean task it was to construct it!

 

Vivekananda now has eminent company!

After embarking on the mainland, we had our lunch and took rest for a few hours, as it was a tiresome day. At 4.30 pm, we walked through some very narrow country lanes to reach Vavuturai. A local church fete was going on and Christian devotional songs were billowing loudly in the air. The earthen fishing pier jutting into the sea offers lovely photo opportunities. It is better not to miss them.

Spending half an hour there, we wanted to reach the Sunset Point before sunset. But it was nearly 3 km away and the beach was heavily crowded, being a national holiday. There was a public meeting held at the traffic circle (India’s southernmost!) by the Congress party. A typical Tamil political leader clad in white shirts, white pants and white shoes was directing the proceedings. A black coloured belt provided sharp contrast to the whiteness of his entire attire. We came to know that his name was H Vasanthakumar, who was the owner of Vasanth & Co, a huge retail chain in Tamil Nadu and a Congress leader. The sunset was a drab affair because of the huge crowd and the thick layer of dark rain clouds in the horizon. We took an auto rickshaw to get to the Kumari Amman Temple, which gave the place its name. The term Kanyakumari actually refers to the goddess enshrined here, who is also an aspect of goddess Parvati, Shiva’s consort. As in many temples of Kerala, this temple also prohibits men from entering the shrine with their shirts on. In this era of low-waist trousers, this custom results in some awkward scenes inside the temple. The authorities probably detest the shirt more than the underwear! The temple was nearly deserted with only a few tourists inside the temple at that time. Getting out of the shrine, one can have an excellent view of the Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue illuminated at night. After a decent dinner, we retired for the night.

Day 3 (August 16, 2015)

Being the last day on the itinerary, we had to finish many places by noon so as to reach home before it was too late at night. We checked out at 7 am and headed straight to Chitharal Jain Temple. We had breakfast on the way and reached the foot of Chitharal hill by 8.30 am. There are steps leading to the top of the hill and most of the path is arched over by low trees to provide the weary traveler with some shade from the scorching sun. It might take about 25 minutes to reach the top and there is ample scope for resting midway. This Jain cave temple was built in the 9^th century and taken over for Hindu worship in the 13^th century when Jainism declined in Kerala. In this regard, this temple displays a marked similarity to Kallil Temple near Perumbavoor in Kerala. The natural cavern on the hill is formed by an overhanging rock with bas relief on one side depicting jinas and their attendant yakshis. The Bhagavati temple faces west. The cave has been extended at a later date with a masonry mandapa in front. The chief deity now worshipped is Bhagavati, but in all probability the idol must originally have been that of goddess Padmavati of Jain mythology as we see the idols of Mahavira and Parsvanatha, the 24^th and 23^rd thirthankaras respectively, are also worshipped in Hindu style, attesting to its syncretistic zeal. We also saw stone inscriptions in vattezhuthu, an ancient script in which Malayalam language was written, before the present script was adopted.

 

Bas reliefs at Chitharal Jain Temple

The number of visitors was slowly building up as time went on. The charm of the place lies in its secluded quietness, and the stunning view of the verdant Kanyakumari district that lies round you in full panorama. The land is covered in dark and light shades of green, here and there interrupted with hues of blue signifying a lake or the ribbon of a rivulet. Far away in the horizon, a suggestion of azure reminded one of the sea, which accompanies you everywhere you went in Kanyakumari. How splendid must it be to watch the sunset from here! Probably, we may come back here one day just for that unforgettable moment! We came down the hill by about 10 am.

Our next destination was Mathur Thottippalam. This is an aqueduct built to carry irrigation water across the Parazhi river from an elevated level on one hill to another. It is said to be one of the longest and highest aqueducts in South Asia, with 378m in length and at a height of 35m from ground level. This is a huge concrete structure held up by 28 tall pillars. The water trough is partly covered with concrete slabs, allowing people to walk on the bridge. It is definitely worth a visit.

 

Padmanabhapuram Palace

Padmanabhapuram Palace was the next location to which we went. The palace is now a museum, but was built around 1600. The original building, called Thai Kottaram (mother palace) was built around 1550. This was the capital of the Travancore dynasty and Anizham Tirunal Marthanda Varma rebuilt it around 1750. The palace and the land on which it stands continue to be an enclave of Kerala, under the state’s archeology department. The palace complex consists of several structures including the King’s Council Chamber (dewan-i-khas, if you prefer Mughal nomenclature), the Queen Mother’s Palace, a navarathri mandapa, dining halls and other buildings. It houses exquisite articles of luxury like ornate bedsteads, chairs, reclining chairs built with smooth granite, huge containers in which pickles were stored and gifts from foreigners like mirrors, lamps and furniture. We immediately realize the scale of the extravagant life of the kings. The palace houses oil paintings mainly connected with the life of Anizham Tirunal like the surrender of de Lannoy, non-aggression pact with Cochin signed at Sucheendram temple, early attempts on the life of the king and others. The paintings have faded much and soon it might have to be moved to a climate-controlled gallery. We spent half an hour inside, which felt like a trance. The intense heat outside woke us up to the reality of life.

 

Chapel in Udayagiri Fort where de Lannoy is interred

We had only one more place to go. Udayagiri Fort is very near to the Padmanabhapuram Palace, around 3 km to be precise. Before proceeding there, we need to know a little more about de Lannoy, whom we had abandoned at Vattakkottai. After his surrender, he was assigned the charge of a regiment of the Travancore army. Marthanda Varma was thoroughly impressed with his talent and dedication that he was elevated as one of the generals of the very army that defeated him. He came to the capital at Padmanabhapuram, but being a Christian, was not allowed entry into the palace. But he had to have frequent interactions with the king and so a place was found nearby to accommodate him and family. Udayagiri Fort was thus rebuilt and served as a military training centre and a foundry for casting guns. He introduced gun powder and firearms hitherto not used in the kingdom and together with the tactics of Ramayyan Dalawa and the statesmanship of Anizham Tirunal, annexed the northern kingdoms stretching up to Cochin. The fort was used till mid-19^th century by the British. De Lannoy was interred inside the fort.

De Lannoy, his wife and son's tombs

Udayagiri Fort is now a bio-diversity park operated by the Tamil Nadu Forest department. Some entertainment for children is found here, but the whole place shows signs of neglect. We missed the sign pointing to de Lannoy’s tomb at the entrance. You should turn right after entry into the fort and follow the stone-paved path which runs to the tomb. A dilapidated chapel welcomes you at the end of the road, which might be the private chapel built by the General himself. The fort is also known as de Lannoy fort. Swaying the creepers to one side, we entered the chapel and immediately saw the burial site of de Lannoy, his wife Margarita and son Johnnes, who died at the age of 20 in battle while serving in the Travancore army. It is said that after his son’s death, the General felt greatly distressed and he grew prematurely old. The epitaph in Tamil and Latin stands as a mute pointer to the work of this adopted son of Kerala, which runs as follows.

Stop wayfarer,

Here lies Eustachius Benedictus de Lannoy,

Who as the commander-in-chief of the troops of Travancore

Was in command, and for nearly 37 years

Served the King with the utmost fidelity.

By the might of his arms and the fear,

He subjected to the king’s sway all the kingdoms

From Kayamkulam to Cochin.

He lived 62 years and 5 months and died

On the 1^st June 1777.

May he rest in peace

We stood silent for a moment beside the tomb and regretted that we hadn’t brought any flowers for placing on the tomb. So, if you plan to visit it, please carry a bulb of rose for us. The time was already 1.15 pm and the time had come to wind up the trip and return home.

The return journey was eventless. At Adoor, we took a detour to reach NH47 at Kayamkulam, as we had no intention driving through that dreadful sector on MC Road from Chengannur to Muvattupuzha. A slight drizzle was falling and we reached home by 9.15 pm

Accommodation

We stayed at Hotel Melody Park, East Car Street, Kanyakumari for two nights which offers a very good view of the Bay of Bengal. We had a deluxe sea facing room on the 3^rd floor and had an excellent view of sunrise on day 2. But the view from Melody Park is not unimpeded, as there is a line of buildings on the eastern side of the street. Only Hotel Maadhini, Hotel Manikkam, The Sea Shore and Hotel Sea View offer an unobstructed view of the sea. Our room was rather small and the air conditioner slightly problematic. The hotel doesn’t have a car park. A balcony facing the sea is provided. The hotel has a good restaurant too.

Travel

We traveled by own car. For local travel, we used auto rickshaws. In Tamil Nadu, always fix the rate before engaging the vehicle, otherwise the experience may turn out to be a bitter one.