LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS

When we proposed a tour program to the famous LAKSHADWEEP Cluster of islands, two more couples of same age group joined. We found out that everyone requires a special permit to visit Lakshadweep, which is an  Union Territory of India. We were able to book our package tour through Travel agents from KOCHI (Kerala) to the islands in Lakshadweep on the popular ship TIPPU SULTAN. We opted for their package taking us to 3 islands in a span of 5 days   We reached Ernakulam and lodged ourselves in a Hotel and boarded TIPPU SULTAN next day morning.    It had three classes of accommodation,  A/C cabin,  A/C reclining seats and deck,   plus a cafeteria, snack bar, and upper deck promenade. It was almost like a big town, with so many people, locals and tourists, accommodated in different decks, carrying fruits, vegetables, petrol, kerosene, groceries and even drinking water.

 After a few hours, we were totally in the Arabian Sea, surrounded by the ocean in all sides. I found the upper deck quite fascinating and spent most of my time there, watching the expanse of the blue sea. It was such an unique experience, floating in water, completely cut off from land, trees,  vehicles and the usual mundane world.....far far away  from the maddening crowd... The Lunch, dinner and snacks were delicious and sumptuous.  Many people became sea-sick within a few hours, including myself, and the dispensary was there to take care of us.

The sun set was a glorious sight to see, with the horizon on all sides without a land mark.  We saw a group of Dolphins crossing our ship and it was a thrilling sight. We decided to sleep on the open space in the upper deck and carried our bed and reserved our space. It was wonderful to lie down and look at the stars and the dark sky endlessly. Quite a dreamy night.

Next morning we reached Kavaratti Island about 200 to 400 Kms from the coast of Kerala and many small boats came to the ship to carry us and the locals to the island. It was quite exciting to sail towards the small island, in crystal clear waters. Within a short time we were able to cover the whole island.There are many Mosques on this island and the Ujra mosque was the most beautiful one. We were told that this is the most developed Island and also the capital of Lakshadweep. There were more outsiders here than islanders. I had the pleasure of swimming in the waters of Lakshwadeep and watching strange marine specimens.  There were many coconut trees and we drank the sweet coconut water to our heart's fill.  There was a folk-dance show by the locals in which we also joined. We reported back to TIPPUSULTAN by evening, to proceed towards the next island.

After a grand dinner with fruits, we decided to sleep on the upper deck, watching the sky and stars. A group of youngsters on a study tour, were singing film songs till mid-night. I cannot forget that boy who sang "Mustaffa..Mustaffa...don't worry Mustaffa..." It was so melodious and became my favorite for a long time to come.

Next day morning, we were already in Kalpeni island and the boats came to ferry us. This place lies in an extensive and shallow lagoon. The lagoon is world famous for its rich coral and marine life.  We visited the local houses, the Marine museum, Lighthouse and a few local industries viz., Coconut fiber extraction and production of fiber products which is Lakshadweep's main industry. It was quite a small island and drinking water is scarce. They tap water  through bore wells and it is a bit hard. Rainwater harvested during the rainy season is the major source of drinking water.  Non availability of drinking water accounts for a number of islands being uninhabited. Consumption of alcoholic drinks is prohibited in all islands   We went for sight seeing coral reef in a glass bottom boat and found the corals, bewitching. Picking up corals is a punishable crime.  I went for swimming in this island also and found it very exhilarating.

 We returned to TIPPU SULTAN for the night voyage and reached Minicoy Island in the morning. It was again a wonderful and unique experience to sail in small boats to Minocoy. It was another paradise on earth, especially for tourists like us. Calm, quite, peaceful and without the least noise, characteristic of city life, the island was a
heavenly experience.  The shallow and still waters of the Lagoons around the island, the rich and diverse flora and fauna , offering breathtaking colors and landscapes and beautiful underwater world including corals gave us an unforgettable life-time experience.

These islands form the smallest Union Territory of India, their total surface area being just 35 square kilometres. Most of the population speaks Malayalam.  It is one of the coral reef regions in India.The corals are a major attraction for the tourist. There are a few coir fibre factories to boast apart from coconut trees. Tourist packages are mainly sea based so as to ensure that land resources are not over taxed. Therefore the tourists go for sight-seeing the islands, after a heavy breakfast and return to the ship by evening for dinner due to shortage of essential items including drinking water. This ship travels weekly to the islands carrying tourists and locals.

 The  SEE SEA  five days and nights were  golden moments in my life. There was nothing to do except watch the blue sky above and blue waters below. It was a timeless experience. We enjoyed the time wasting; it was not a waste of time either. Our aim was to enjoy it and that was real happiness.

   CHOTTANIKKARA  BHAGAWATI  TEMPLE

We landed in KOCHI and returned to our Hotel. We visited the famous Chottanikkara Temple of the Hindu mother goddess Bhagawati, which was near by. It is a reputed place where mentally disturbed patients are brought for divine treatment. She is worshiped as Goddess Saraswathi in the morning, as Bhadra kali at noon and Durga in the night. This temple opens its doors every day at 4 AM. People believe that Goddess Mookambika of Kollur attends the first worship here before going to her temple. Another peculiarity of this temple is that the Goddess is not installed  but rests on a bed of sand

The legend goes that AdiSankara was blessed with the 'darshan' of Goddess Saraswathy after doing tapas in the Himalayas, whom he prayed to accompany back to Kerala. The Goddess agreed subject to the condition that Sankara was not to look back while she followed him. After a long travel, Sankara looked back as he was not able to hear the tinkle of the Goddess's anklets. The Goddess had turned into a golden statue since he had broken the condition. This incident took place in Kollur, near Mangalore, Karnataka where the famous Mookambiga temple was built and Sankara consecrated the idol. Sankara was saddened by the turn of events and begged the forgiveness of Saraswathy who promised that she would present herself at Chottanikkara in the mornings and he could have her "darshan" there.

There are several true cases or examples that goddess here protects her devotees from all evil spirit and prayogas. It is to Keezhe Kavu Bhagawathi that all the mentally disturbed persons turn to for cure. They are brought and are tied to special posts inside the temple. They begin to feel the presence of the goddess, especially during the "Guruthi ritual"  and they go into trance. It is widely felt that if a mentally disturbed person participates and witnesses this Guruthi daily, the evil spirit which has affected
them would abandon them and run away. There is also a huge 'pala' tree, in which these people as part of a traditional ritual, drive huge nails by knocking them with their foreheads. This ancient 'Pala' tree is covered with long iron nails hammered on by haunted victims with their foreheads.  It presents a grotesque spectacle. The timid-hearted are advised to keep away from the  Bhagawathi temple lest they are scared for
life.Those who witness the "guruthy" ritual which itself is dreadful ceremony, find it a queer experience. Being present here permanently cures women suffering from mental abnormalities like schizophrenia.  Large number of devotees comes to Bhagavathi to get rid of evil spirit.

["Guruthy" ritual is smearing with a liquid made of lime and turmeric which turns into a blood red color. Guruthi from many huge vessels are poured over the Goddess, during a ritual in the night.] 

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 SRI KRISHNA TEMPLE at Guruvayur

                                                     

Our next visit was to SRI KRISHNA TEMPLE at Guruvayur, about two hours drive from Cochin towards Thrissur city. This temple is widely known as "Bhuloka Vaikunta", also known as "Dwaraka of South India". This temple is one of the five famous Vishnu temples in India, the others are  Balaji at Tirupathi,Jagannath Puri in Orissa,  Nathdwara in Rajasthan and Dwaraka in Gujarat. The hallmark of the Guruvayur temple lies in its spiritual ambiance, traditional outfits of priests and devotees and perfect adherence to Vedic traditions. Everyone is dressed in traditional attires.. No words can describe the sanctity of this temple. According to the legends, the idol worshiped here is more than 5000 years old. It is worth watching the elephant performing rituals inside the temple. Almost 90 elephants owned by temple and Kesavan was the most famous and celebrated one. The devout, jumbo elephant died on the auspicious Ekadasi day, facing the direction of the temple with his trunk raised as a mark of prostration. The anniversary of his death is still celebrated. The nearby Punnathur Kotta is the Elephant sanctuary of guruvayoor temple elephants. A visit to this temple will remain in memory for a life time.