When Kerala Beckons

            From the driver in Udaipur who carried a feedback book with him, to the beaches, backwaters and tea gardens of Kerala, it has been an year long gap since we took a vacation from the drudgery of everyday life.

            Venturing through Cochin, Cherai, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey and Kumarakom, has been a wonderful experience.

            Cherai, a town near Cochin in Western Kerala, has some beautiful beaches to offer to its tourists. The Munambam and Kuzhipally beaches line the town on one end and the Chinese fishing nets in its backwaters stand tall on the other end. Sandy beaches of the Arabian Sea have great number of visitors, both local residents and tourists, flocking there at sunset to admire the sea.

            The route from Cherai to Munnar offers some beautiful waterfalls like the Cheyppara waterfalls, almost midway. The locals have spice shops lining the roadside throughout the route where they have adjoining spice gardens, the tour costing just INR 100/- per head. Another business that flourishes here is the homemade chocolates.

            Tea gardens line both sides of the hills as you enter Munnar and they continue to smile at you throughout Munnar. Though the Madupetty dam and Echo point are the main tourist sites at Munnar, I feel the entire town is a place of significance. The mountains are covered with tea plantations, providing scenic beauty that provides for beautiful photography. The tea museums/ factories provide an insight into the transformation of fresh green leaves into tea that gets served to us in its glorious form in tea cups. It is a wonder that a tea tree lasts forever, an elixir of life. The tea trees of Munnar are now 135 years young.

            Our journey continued through the tea plantations to Thekkady, a destination 90 kms from Munnar. Cardamom, pepper, rubber and coffee plantations kept us awed through the 90 kms stretch to Thekkedy. The Periyar Tiger Reserve lent a serene backdrop for our walk through the jungle periphery where monkeys and langurs outnumbered the tourists. At one point I almost lost my camera to one of the monkeys that strolled towards me.

            The next destination, Alleppey, has beautiful backwaters and beaches to offer satiation to our wanderlust. Alleppey or Allapuzha as it is called by the locals is a difficult to pronounce name. Pronunciation has to be perfect like a musical note. Incorrect pronunciation is like a note going off that hurts the ear. So I tried my best to pronounce Allapuzha and succeeded in getting the 'zha' correct. We went boating in a 'Shikara' for three hours in the backwaters, an augustine experience. The red lighthouse near the beach is blocked from view by the railroad construction which is in progress nearby, but we managed to drive up close to it to take a picture.

            The last stop was at Kumarakom where we skipped the boating in the backwaters. Our cottage in the resort overlooked the lake and we spent the evening watching fish and ducks swim in the water. We drove down to Cochin where we took a motorboat ride in the Vembanad Lake for about an hour and a half. The mangroves provided us with a good sighting of Kingfishers, Cranes, African crows and some other birds. This culminated our twelve day vacation in Kerala in the magnificent beauty of God's own country.

Rajasthan Hidden Gems

            As we set out on our vacation to Udaipur, we were not aware that we were about to discover two hidden gems of Rajasthan. On the first day of our trip we drove to Kumbhalgarh, awestruck at the scenic beauty of Rajasthan with mountains on both sides of the road and lush green fields dotting the horizon. The first gem, Hameripal Lake, is hidden in Village Hameripal in Kumbhalgarh district, a two hour drive from Udaipur. The lake welcomed us with its calm waters which had clear reflections of the mountains, that stood on its side, spread grandly across its shining surface. We created a stir of excitement in the village as the lake is not frequented by tourists. We bought bread and biscuits from a vendor near the lake and climbed down the steps to the bank of the lake. It was an overwhelming experience to see all the catfish come up to the shore the moment I threw a piece of bread in the water. The catfish had their mouths open to catch the bread. They were literally jumping out of the water to catch every piece of bread that we were throwing at them. I kept throwing the bread and biscuits to see them storm near the shore and jump up from the water. Children and adults from the village joined us to watch the adventure in the water. There was a sense of fulfilment in our hearts as the catfish ate the bread and biscuits.

            We discovered the second gem on our return journey from Lake Jaisamand to Udaipur on the third day of our vacation. Our driver, Rakesh Kumar, (prefers to be called Panditji), decided to show us a temple that has been recently excavated. He had read about this 10th century temple in the papers and wanted to impress us with this information. We drove through the villages lining the lake in search of a village called Jagat. This is where Ambika Devi temple was unearthed. The drive through the villages was absolutely divine. Flanked by a lake on one side and the villages on the other, we drove for almost thirty kilometres, stopping frequently to get directions from the villagers on the way, before we found the village of Jagat. The temple was definitely worth a visit. The entire temple is made of marble and has intricate carvings of Gods and Goddesses giving it a divine beauty. We stood there astounded looking at this beautiful piece of architecture. The temple did not have any other visitors except us. A pandit  had just finished performing a puja as we could tell from the smoke rising from the hawan kund in front of the main temple. The serenity at the temple compound filled us with a peaceful aura and the creativity of our ancestors filled us with pride at the masterpiece of heritage they have left for us.

            The road less taken, had made us discover the richness of civilization of our country. 

All Things Living

A treat for children and the animal lovers and animal activists.

Sid is captured by some animals and there is no way he can escape. Is he going to pay for the follies of mankind? Is he going to become a pet for the animals?

https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-Living-Ranjana-Kamo-ebook/dp/B01HTRXJQ8

Review - Beyond The Sunset

            I just finished reading, Beyond the Sunset. Actually I got a bit busy with something else and so paused for a while in the middle but I think it goes to Ranjana's credit, that I picked up where I had left off without forgetting a thing:))

            I am quite amazed by the amount of hard work Ranjana has put in her writing. The setting is so clearly etched out - the cruise as well as the city background. The characters stand up as humans, I loved the scenes between Shipra & Rita and the beauty of the central love story.

                                                                                          

                - Nilanjana Sengupta, Author of 'A Gentleman's Word' and 'The Female Voice of Myanmar'

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My Mother's Books

Beyond The Sunset

Rita was battling her depression when she embarked on a life changing cruise with her friends.

A story about the struggle of Rita, to battle her depression after her breakup. What remains to be discovered is how Rita moves through her breakup and how her life shapes up later.

Get your copy from -

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Sunset-Ranjana-Kamo-ebook/dp/B01G9SKORA

Out Of Their Shadows

Nita's life is led by an invisible force and Aman is struggling to get visibility in the visible world.

They redesign their destiny amidst their struggles.

Get at discounted rates from -

https://www.amazon.com/Out-Their-Shadows-Ranjana-Kamo-ebook/dp/B01H9Z2204

God Walks My Dreams

An inspiring story of a man who refused to give up in dire circumstances. He struggled till the end to make his dreams come alive. A subtle romance amidst the struggle.

Get your copy at discounted rates from -

https://www.amazon.com/God-Walks-Dreams-Ranjana-Kamo-ebook/dp/B01H9TOCEY

Blind Chase

He is in a blind chase to find a man for what he owes his father. 

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https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Chase-Ranjana-Kamo-ebook/dp/B01GLVX46I

A Life Of 105

It was the 5th of November in the year 2000 when we buried him on his fifteenth birthday. Tiger, our pet dog, whom we preferred to address as our child, was a pivotal member of our family. He was three months old when we welcomed him into our family and he grew up to be as handsome as a Labrador Retriever can be.

            A decade later, his pace slowed down and he started to distance himself from play. We chose to ignore the signs of aging as we did not want to lose him. It was not too long before my mother and I were standing next to him as he lay unconscious on the operation table a couple of years before he died. We looked hopefully at the Vet through our tears and a sinking heartbeat and prayed as we waited for a miracle to happen. The miracle did happen and he survived the stroke with the help of the multiple injections that the Vet kept infusing into his frail and weak body. We thanked God when he wagged his tail while we lifted him up from the table.

            His kidneys had been damaged, cataract and arthritis had started to trouble him but his pain did not deter him from wagging his tail as an expression of his love and gratitude for us. He introduced me to the gentle kindness towards all living things with his loving nuances. It was a fulfilling life with him around us. I was again at the Vet's clinic a day before he died. Tiger had taken ill and was in a miserable state.

            The Vet tried to write something but just scribbled on his notepad and sighed. His words came as a severe shock as he spoke, "This is the end. They have a life span of maximum nine to ten years. It is your love that has pulled him along for fifteen years. Nothing that I try to prescribe now can help, it will only prolong his suffering." His words came as a fierce blow and I drove back home in tears. We were crying and praying for a peaceful end to his misery.

            My mother gave him some 'Gangajal', switched on the cassette for 'Geeta Path' and whispered in his ear, "Pray to God to go to heaven and return to a healthier body and human life form". We believe in the continuity of the soul through eternity moving from one form to another. He was gone by the next morning leaving us devastated. A dog year is equivalent to seven human years, giving him a life of 105 years. My mother called the 'Panditji' and arranged for a 'puja' for him where we sat in sombre silence praying for peace for his soul.

            Tiger taught me how to love unconditionally. His eyes were always overflowing with selfless love and loyalty. His departure made me jobless as my life till then had revolved around him while I played with him, took him for his walks, went through an elaborate session of coaxing and petting him during his meal times as he was a fussy eater, chasing him to give him his bath which he always wanted to avoid, and grooming him, something he just loved as my fingers moved through his soft and silky fur, making him snuggle up to me. His death created a vacuum in our lives with empty hours at our disposal.

            His presence had brought an overflow of happiness in our lives. He appreciated the little things in life, a little snack would meet with vigorous wagging and caressing. He knew how to bring a smile on our faces with his pranks and cuddling. I learnt to love selflessly and appreciate every little thing around me. He groomed my personality to make me more sensitive to others' needs and emotions. He made me a better person. I wish he is in a healthier body leading a very peaceful life just like my mother wished for him.