1. On Tour with Bhagini. By Jayant Doshi
(A Scenic tour of Sri Lanka and South India organised by Navnat Vanik Bhagini Samaj)
After months of preparations, lots of
meetings and phone calls, the trip got off to
a start on 17th January 2002. Sixty
passengers were at the airport before
dusk, and were surprised to receive a
packed dinner to tidy them up till the
supper, which was not expected till almost
midnight. For next seventeen days, the
group of sixty travelled together, and
formed a small family type of affinity. We
landed in Sri Lanka after the overnight
flight. Sri Lanka, a small island to the
south of Indian sub-continent with a
population of 19 million, and having achieved zero growth in its population growth, is a
lush green island with a charm of its own. Sri Lanka is where Rama, of the Ramayana
fame, came with his army led by Hanuman, and killed Ravana and rescued his wife Sita.
Our sightseeing began from the time we left the airport at Ngambo. We were shown a
Buddha temple and a Dutch fort on our
way to the hotel. The Dutch came to Sri
Lanka first until the British drove them out.
Next day we had an early start and drove
to Kandy. We were taken to an elephant
orphanage, where we saw the feeding and
bathing of the baby elephants. We passed
through a sleepy village and lots of
greenery on the way. We visited a spice
farm where herbs and oils are made from
the herbal plants and sold to the tourists.
After lunch we visited the city of Kandy where we saw the Buddhist temple of the tooth
relic. It is said that the tooth of Buddha
was smuggled from India, and brought to
Sri Lanka, and the temple built with this
tooth as the centrepiece, has become a
great Buddhist pilgrimage attraction. We
visited a gem factory and saw the gems
being cut into their beauty, and then saw a
local cultural show. It included a walk on
fire and taking fire into the mouth. The day
ended with us travelling to a hotel on a
mountaintop, with dinner served by the
poolside where we could admire the
2. beautiful scenery.
On our way to Nuwara Eliya, we were
taken to a tea factory where we were
shown how the tea leaves are processed
and made into the black tea we buy in the
shops. It was interesting to learn that all
tea is made from the same plants, but it is
the grading and blending that gives every
variety its own flavour. Nuwara Eliya
draws its beauty from the mountains, the
valleys, waterfalls and tea plantations,
which surround the town, and climatically
it is cooler than other parts of the country.
We toured round the town, and spent some
time on shopping. After dinner, we had a
large gathering of the group members, and
had entertaining singing competition.
Travelling in a large group has its
advantages and disadvantages too. Coach
trips were enjoyable. The long coach
journeys were cushioned by jokes and
laughter, singing and card playing, with a
nap in between, and overall everyone
managed to find something to while their
time. On the other hand, it also meant that
more time was taken at comfort stops, and at sightseeing. But balancing the two, the
pleasure was greater for most. It was a trip where caring, sharing and enjoying for one
and all was the central theme. This was a trip organised without any profit motive. It was
a trip for the lonely and elderly, who would not have gone on such trips otherwise. It was
heartening to see how each passenger was taken care of, and their special needs looked
after.
Since Sri Lanka was an important place
mentioned in the epic Ramayana, it was to
be expected to see some places named
after those characters. We visited Sita
temple, possibly located where Sita was
kept in captivity when Ravana kidnapped
her and brought her to Sri Lanka, and we
saw a waterfalls, which has been named
after the devil king Ravana. While Ravana
has been depicted as a devil king with ten
heads, it was interesting to find out from a
guide that he was very intelligent, and
3. wrote a book on medicine based on minerals and chemicals, and that even today that
medical science is practiced in this part of the world. We toured around the Lara National
Park in open vehicles, but hardly any wild life was to be seen in two hours of driving
around the park. When one has been to an African national park and seen lots of wild life,
this particular excursion seemed to be a wasted trip.
We headed for the golden beaches of Sri
Lanka. We visited an ancient Dutch fort
and saw fishermen on stilts, which is a
novelty for tourists. Our hotel was on the
sea front, and rest of the day was spent at
leisure, and some of the members indulged
in swimming in the warm waters of the
Indian Ocean. Our last day was in the
capital city Colombo where a drive through
its imperial buildings, and some historical
sites was the high light. We were taken to
an eighteenth century Dutch church and a
very old historical Hindu temple, and these visits were interspersed with shopping stops
on the way.
Our Sri Lanka tour had come to an end. It was too short a time to appreciate the beaches
and the beauty of the country but it gave us a glimpse of what the country is like. We had
a special cook from India who made some delicious food, and gave us a big choice at every
meal. The food was very tasty and tempting, and soon every one could feel a bulging
waistline. We left Sri Lanka early in the morning to fly to Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala
state.
Kerala, with a mountain range to its north, and ocean on the west, is the land of spices.
The Arabs controlled the spice trade until the Europeans scrambled and ultimately
succeeded in finding a sea route. Kerala
has always had more contacts with other
countries, like China, Arabia and Europe,
then with the rest of India. The influence of
these countries is reflected in its
architecture and culture. Christianity came
here in its very early days and Jews
settled here in the fourth century. Even the
Moguls, who ruled most of India, failed to
conquer this part of the country. Today
Kerala has a large Christian and Muslim
population amidst its Hindu majority.
Sadly, with the creation of Israel, and a
desire to go back home, has meant that a Jewish population of ten thousand has dwindled
to only fourteen now, and is expected to disappear totally in the near future.
We were taken to a hotel on the beach, and our stay was for two nights, which came as a
4. relief to everyone who were getting tired of being on the move all the time. The warm
waters of the Arabian sea, and the famous Kowlam beach, gave pleasure to some, while
others opted to confine themselves to the safe waters of the swimming pool, and others
decided to take a well-earned rest for the afternoon.
Next day we drove to the southernmost
point of the Indian sub-continent, known as
Kanyakumari, where the three oceans
(Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of
Bengal) converge. Some say and believe
that it is literally possible to see the three
oceans converging, and differentiate the
three colours of water. This is more of a
myth, and an illusion created by faith, as
we mankind named the oceans and
created their boundaries while god had
made the earth and the water as one
entity. The main attraction of this “Land’s End” are two rocks in the sea across the
mainland, one of which has a memorial to Swami Vivekanand while the other one has a
millennium memorial with a huge statute of Saint Thiruvalluvar, a famous Tamil poet. A
ferry takes tourists to both the islands. The sunset at this point is supposed to be
excellent, but hazy cloud cover spoiled our view and we missed the opportunity to view
that.
Swami Vivekanand is known for taking Hindu religion and its philosophy to the West, and
is worshipped for his expounding the religion in a way we all can understand and
appreciate. His memorial on this rock is a tribute to his contribution to the spreading of
Hindu religion. Like the statue of Liberty imposing itself on the city of New York, the statue
of Saint Thiruvalluvar stands at the tip of the mainland of India, and the height of the
statute, including the pedestal, is an imposing 133 feet, dwarfing the Vivekanand temple
on the other rock.
It was a long journey to Madurai, which is
in the state of Tamil Nadu. On the way we
saw the PadmanabhapuramPalace, with its
hundreds of spacious rooms and chambers.
We also saw the NaickerPalace in Madurai,
which is 486 years old and built in a
Indosasin style, with a distinct Arabic
influence. There is lot of Dutch and
Portugese influence in the construction of
these Palaces. Madurai is famous for its
colossal Meenaxi temple, which is a
wonderful example of Dravidian
architecture. It has five huge gates, each with thousands of colourful statutes, and the five
gates represent two legs, two hands and the head of a human body. The temple is huge,
and the whole complex is spread on a few acres of land, but situated in the middle of this
5. town. The main temple was constructed in 13th Century, but additions were made over a
period of time. The central dome is 158 feet high. There is so much following and belief in
this temple, which is built for Meenaxi or Parvati, wife of Shiva, that there is always a long
queue to do darshan. We were taken through another queue, and luckily avoided waiting
in a long queue, and were fortunate to see
the arti. Across the temple there is a three
storey building, where we were taken on
the terrace to have a breathtaking view of
the whole temple complex, but
unfortunately it was dark and our view
was not that clear. However, coming down
the building we were lured into looking at
the products on offer, and we spent much
longer time in the building then most
would have preferred.
We moved on to Thekkady, and to the famous Periyar wildlife sanctuary of Kerala. After
lunch we were taken on a boat ride around a lake, and there was disappointment as the
only wild life to be seen was deer and wild boars. However, on arrival back to the hotel,
our day was made with a wonderful display of Kathakli dance. I found out about trekking
at night, and I decided to go for it. Two others decided to join me. When we reached the
jungle in pitch dark at 10 p.m. at night, the other two decided to back out. I continued. I
had three guards with me, and everyone carried a torch and one rifle. We walked for over
three hours. It was pitch dark as there was no moon in the sky that night. We did not see
much wild life except a few deer and wild boar. However, hundreds of fireflies lighted the
pitch dark trees, as if tiny candles in hundreds were hung from the branches. But walking
at night in the jungle, walking through tree roots and leaves, and the ups and downs of
the land, was an experience that made a memorable day for me.
The famous “backwaters” of Kerala was
our next destination. About forty rivers flow
into the Arabian Ocean, and they form
these backwaters. The rivers, the estuaries
and a web of intricate canals forms this
huge lake like area where the water is a
mixture of sweet and salt, depending on the
tides. This is the only such water spot
where vegetation grows in abundance in
spite of the water being salty. Half the
group stayed at a resort for a day to spend
at leisure, while the other group went on a
6. houseboat. The next day, there was a swap of the groups. Houseboats were not luxurious,
but comfortable and cosy. Chefs on board cooked nice food. The boat cruised the waters
lined with rice paddies and cocoanut groves. The day was relaxing and peaceful,
especially after the hectic tour so far. The hotel was also luxurious with lots of facilities,
and everyone enjoyed a relaxing day with massages, swimming and lazing around.
British, during their times in India, sought
cooler climes, and every hill area, where
the temperatures were cooler and were
developed for their comfort and to get away
from the scorching heat of summer. Munnar
was developed in the same fashion and
was our next stop of stay. The hills of
Munnar are either covered with thick green
forests, or planted with tea, which looked
like a layer of green carpet and the scene
was enchanting. The beauty of the
mountains is in the eyes, and watching all
that greenery and the misty atmosphere is pleasing.
We reached Cochin, the city where the Europeans came first to India to get the spices. The
city has a distinct blend of European influence in its buildings and planning. We stayed at
a luxurious hotel, and the city tour gave us a glimpse of this historical and busy city. We
saw the Chinese net fishing, which is only existent in this part of the world. We saw a
16th century synagogue, which was built right next to the palace. When the Jews came
seeking refuge in Kerala, the King gave them land next to the palace where the Jewish
settlement was built, and still exists. We visited a palace, five hundred years old, with
paintings from Ramayana and other Hindu mythology.
It was gala dinner that night. We had a demonstration of Kathakali dance, explaining the
meanings of facial expressions and hand and body movements. After dinner there was
music and dancing, and good byes were
said as everyone was departing next day
early morning, and going in different
directions. Majority had opted to extend
their stay in India, and visit their
relatives. A few decided to take a stop in
Dubai during its famous shopping festival,
while a few came back home. The
wakeup call was quite early, but the
attachments formed during the trip were
such that no one wanted to leave the
dancing floor. But all good things have to
come to an end, and early next day each
passenger departed their own way. It was a hectic trip, with some long journeys, and at
times tiring waits. But overall it was a wonderful and enjoyable trip. We had no
sicknesses or mishaps, and the feeling of being like one family was wonderful.
