Harvest in Kerala

Coconut, mangoes and bananas, what more could you ask for?

Pongal perhaps?

 

Bhadrakali Temple Festival, Parippally

I recently attended a popular and lively temple festival inclusive of 70 elephants, sugar cane sellers, 1000s of spectators along the roadsides and on the rooftops, and numerous floats including this one that I became rather fond of for its ability for contagious laughter.

 

On to aesthetics, part I…

Alas, the time has come to give you a bit more of a taste of the aesthetic appeal of my immediate surroundings at present. At present, I am “holed” up in a flat somewhere in the nethers of Thiruvananthapuram District, close to an oceanic haven. As mentioned here, the summer rains have settled around me.

 

From Cheriya Chakka to Velliya Chakka

There is a cyclonic force dancing around in the ocean and prancing around much of Kerala and Tamil Nadu at present. From what I hear there are indeed summer rains that drop-in momentarily, perhaps for a day or two. But this cyclonic wonder has settled in for at least 1.5 weeks now and has wreaked havoc on paddy fields and paddy harvest. This has lead to the deployment of agricultural officials and experts to assess the damage in affected areas such as Palakkad and Kottayam and report back to the central government on the degree of damage in order to determine adequate farmer compensation. People remark, although this is “not normal” it happens every few years…either there is no rain or rain and some agriculture is negatively affected.

 

First kaithachakka, now chakka

ചക്ക

Yes, chakka! ചക്ക, if you will. Even பலாப்பழம and Artocarpus heterophyllus and jackfruit. Et même jacquier!

Aurora used to look at this chakka everyday and over six weeks it more than doubled in size and was much larger than her head by the sixth week.

 

Somethin’ Stupid (I Love You)

I recently caught this Robbie Williams version of a classic on VH1, India while enjoying metropolitan ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು/Bangaluru. I thought I would share it - quite lovely really and resonates with my state of mind at times.

 

Beached in Varkala (Barkala)

 

Anamalia, India

 

Ah, the sleepy “fam” in India…

 

The TRAIN-files

These here pictures are something I call the TRAIN-files. While the “fam” was in India we spent some time on the good ol’ Indian National Railway, including a few over-nighters in second class sleeper. Aurora loved the train and all its amenities, including the squat toilet. She loved the idea of sleeping on the train and our allowance of sticking her hands and arms out the window - a novel and exciting venture since she had learned after repeated warnings that it was perhaps not a good idea to stick body parts out of autos (rickshaws) or cars.