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JADAYUPARA

By Gokul Krishna V and Gokul Krishna G

A hillock located at Chadayamangalam, Kollam. Jadayaupara is noted for the giant rock sculpture of Jatayu, the mythical bird of the epic Ramayana. This place holds the record of the world’s largest bird sculpture. This sculpture of Jadayu was carved out by the famous sculpturer Rajiv Anchal. The main attractions of this place is the Jadayu museum,Adventure Park, and a Cave Resort. A Jadayu nature park is currently under construction.The statue is a beautiful creation. The statue symbolises protection of women. The museum speaks about the story of Jadayu. Cave resort tells about ayurvedic healing paired with tales of Jadayu. Jadayupara is known globally as Jadayu Earth Center.Park is located on a hill-top.Visitors are requested to use a cable car to reach to the top.A paid ticket should be taken,only cameras are allowed.The park is maintained by Jadayupara Tourism Pvt Limited. The park is 38kms from the city of Kollam,46 kms from the city of Trivandrum,52.3 kms Airport.

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Our Trip to Wayanad

By Balagopan and Adithya.M

Wayanad is a hill station in Kerala, which attracts a large number of local as well as foreign tourists. The chilling climate in Wayanad with its marvellous natural beauty makes it one of the best tourist attractions in God’s own Country and called as the green paradise of Kerala. Some of the major tourist attractions in Wayanad are Edakkal Caves, Chembra Peak, Lakkidi View Point, Kuruvadweep and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. We were on a budget trip and also wasn’t in a hurry to visit all the locations.

Our Trip to Wayanad

We reached Wayanad in the evening. It was already getting dark, much sooner than other parts of Kerala. We stopped at Lakkidi Viewpoint, which is the gateway of Wayanad. Nearly 300 people were relaxing and enjoying the beauty of nature. We parked our bike on the side of the road where several other cars and bikes were parked. There was no proper parking area, so it was a bit dangerous to park the bike on the side of the road without much lighting. So we parked our bikes with putting on the parking lights so that  the vehicles approaching can identify our bikes and thus make it safe We were amazed to see the scenery from there. It was pretty dark and the view of fog rising from the valleys to the top of the hills was an experience to remember forever. Everyone was busy clicking photos of the raising fog but I saw most people were complaining they couldn’t catch any proper pictures in the camera since the fog was covering all the views in the already dark valleys.

My friend didn’t want to leave the viewpoint but we had to move on. We didn’t have any reservation for the hotel, so we had to drive around and find a place to stay. The first hotel we noticed was Hotel Pepper Wayanad Gate, which is along the highway itself just 2 kilometres from the viewpoint. Even though we had seen good reviews of Pepper Wayanad Gate, we decided to skip it since it was beyond our budget. We reached Kalpetta, which is a small town but still active in the night. There were many hotels and we found one small hotel, which is close to the main junction and looked matching our budget. We walked into the reception and asked for a room. The guy in the reception stared at me as if I have come asking for a free room but showed me a few options. We took a double bed non-A/c room on the third floor. I was wondering who would need an A/c room in the chilling weather there. One good thing about such budget hotels is, they don’t charge anything extra for the rooms with good views. After all, most people coming into such hotels just need room to sleep at the best price and they don’t care for the views from the room. But we were lucky to get a room overlooking the hills. We opened the window and the view of mountains and valleys at far was really amazing.

We planned a trip of three days but later extended for one more day as we couldn’t cover all the places It was a fabulous trip and we enjoyed a lot. After several hours of driving, we both were tired and decided to sleep early after a quick dinner in the “thattukada” (country style restaurant) next to the hotel. Maybe because we were too hungry, the dosa and chutney tasted like the best food I have ever eaten! We had a chat with the hotel guy about the places to visit in Wayanad, other than the places we had already visited. He told about a list of activities to do in Wayanad including trekking, hiking, off road riding, camping and rafting. Also, gave the contact number of a company who arranges such activities for the tourists. We promised to come back to do all activities we missed doing this time and decided to try the bamboo rafting the next time which is a great experience as many told us about their rafting experience. We would definitely try rafting next time.

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EDAKKAL CAVES

By Akshara and Sree Lekshmi J

Places have always fascinated mankind. Travelling and exploring new realms of freedom has added beauty and tranquility to human experiences. From the  time of antiquity men loved jaunts and it was more-often a time for them to be free from their busy schedules of life. Different places have different stories to tell .The vibe and ambience provided by places vary from one to another .Travelling actually matures a man it is always exciting and fascinating to be around new set of completely different people ,custom and culture.

It was a very pleasant experience to be at the two Natural caves of Wayanad district-Edakkal Caves. The caves are situated 1200m above sea level on Ambukuttu Mala in the Western Ghats. The name ‘Edakkal’ literally means ‘a stone in between .Here one can actually witness a cave formed by a heavy boulder straddling a fissure in a rock. This cave is famous for its pictorial cave paintings. The guide told us that this place is believed to be the habitat of Neolithic men.

                                                        The very site of the place astonished me. These caves show us the nature’s skill in architecture. The place offers a combination of beauty, adventure and trecking. Edakkal caves is the only place in India with cravings dated back to stone age. There is a long way to walk to the cave from the parking area. We had to climb enormous no of steps to reach the top. First it seemed a bit challenging. The view from the top was worth enough for a life time joy. It was a stepping in to the bygone era. The monkeys at the hills were busy enjoying and posing at the tourists camera. On the way there were several bamboo benches to relax. The stairs were also carved out of stones. The cold wind blew away all the tiredness of the journey. There are many stories existing behind the formation of the caves. This place has drawn great attention for the tourists, archaeologists and historians. The inscriptions and drawings on the rock show cased the talents of the ancient people. It is a best place to get in touch with nature. There was an iron railing to protect the stone cravings. Even photography was prohibited due to some reason. The trip was both thrilling and informative. In a trip to wayanad edakkal caves is a place worth visiting.

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Explore Alleppey

By  Theerdha G pillai and Krishnaveni U.R

 

The place of honest and straightforward people whose regional language is Malayalam. The district Alappuzha of Kerala is known for its backwater. Today it’s known as  “Alleppey backwater” which attracts thousands of tourists. Lord Curzon named Alappuzha as “the Venice of the East”. The foodie world of karimeen and mutton biryani and many more spiciness opens in Alappuzha. Recently, the flood and droughts mainly affected in the district  as it is covered by backwater. Therefore, Alappuzha peoples are generally  hardworking and gone through many survival aspects. The district shows a moderately warm climate in general.

Let’s get into a little background before the exciting journey. The story behind the name “the Venice of the East” is interesting in the late 19th century when Lord Curzon the viceroy of the Indian empire made a visit to the state Alleppey (earlier). He is fascinated by the conjoined beauty of the coconut plains and the backwaters. He exclaimed:

“Here nature has spent upon the land richest bounties”

“Alleppey the Venice of the east!”

Alappuzha is well known for its trade relations during the middle ages with Greece and Rome.

The early Chiras, who had their home in Kuttanad  were called Kuttuans , named after this place. The district is also known for the archaeological antiquities such as stone inscripts, monument temples, churches, rock, cut caves etc. Religions and cultures flourished under the 2nd chera empire. And also played a role in the freedom struggle of the country “punnapara and vayalar”in 1946 against the Congress ministry thus gave a strong birth for the Communist party too!.

*A little background check is good for   enjoying the trip to its fullest.

 So, let’s start the next half of this Travelogue.

There are even new restaurant recently serving meals at Rs. 25 at Mannancherry by the state Government. An interesting fact is that Alappuzha now has more than five hotels including one serving free food four times daily. Talking about the places, the tourists review show’s the shops like Gafoor store which is a place for chilling snack time, the Cafe Catamaran- gives another impression of Alappuzha, the Pulickattil-the handicraft shop, the Ambalappuzha temple which is a great sight of Alappuzha tradition which are some examples of the people’s choices. It is a must to watch the boat racing or at least to get the ride of House boating of Alappuzha, if you are currently in the destination or seeking for Alappuzha as a visiting point.

 The story of Nehru escorted in a huge snake boat given a boost up for boat racing for the people hence on 1st July 1969 the trophy of boat racing is renamed as “Nehru trophy”. The race gives the spirit and refreshment of Alappuzha just like the Alleppey beach, which is our next important spot. The beach is not a place of swimming because the current is very strong and the water is very deeper. But still, don’t miss the sight. There are mainly two main Indian Coffee Houses, one in the centre (Mullackal Road) and another at Alleppey beach. They serves the cheap, tasty and intact the original south Indian food, ice-cream and their signature Coffee which can match up a perfect evening vibe.

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From the land of Cashews to the city of Nizam

By Sandra Vasanth and Safa Salim

Hyderabad-the pearl City of India has its own place in my heart since childhood. I don’t know the exact reason for that though. Maybe it is because of the mesmerizing movie scenes depicted from there ?

Somehow I happened to know about the Ramoji film city. So to me, Hyderabad was merely Ramoji. So with much hurdles and pleadings, Appa finally agreed to take us there.

There was a very good welcome in the Rajiv Gandhi airport. But the excitement soon had a dull phase. The place welcomed us with its unbearable heat and hot winds stabbing directly to our face. We waited there till our Uber arrived. The first thing I would appreciate in Hyderabad is it’s clean,smooth roads. Despite the roads that bursts at the seams in Kerala, Hyderabad roads deserved much appreciation. The Uber stopped before Amrita castle. After the security check,we were allotted our rooms. If there is a heaven on earth ,I would like to call the room no 503 of Amrita castle as one(The AC which was used rarely when guest arrived there in home was now pathetically recalled).The Stay was itself another wonder.The resort occupied room in tunnels and we called it “tunnel of fireflies”.


Wherever you go,you will find a Malayali there. We too found one-Johnson uncle,a name we used to hear ever since the trip was planned. Uncle took us to the heart of the coral city. The city took us back to a time when beauty and craftsmanship went hand in hand.Uncle just like a guide,was talking about Hyderabad continuously about its History and Geology. In fact there was a lot to talk about his 36 years of experience in the city. 

Numberless bangles,clothes, streetfood, colours, waved their palms at us. Various “akka,akka” resonated in our senses. We pretended to neglect all these considering our wallet and we gathered the courage to walk forward regardless of these attractions. Amma was thoroughly missed during all these times.     Whenever Hyderabad strikes in anyone’s mind,it would be Charminar! This is considered as the centre base of the city, built around 1591. Some people say there’s an underground tunnel connecting Golkonda fort to Charminar,possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutub shahi rulers.     

Golkonda fort-An outstanding example for brilliant engineering and magical architecture.

Infact the stunt scenes of “Aadhi” the malayalalm movie,are shot from here.     Salar-Jung museums:One of the three National Museums of India.Endowed to the nation after the death of Salar Jung.

HITEC city-Hyderabad information technology and engineering consultancy city abbreviated as HITEC CITY.     

Snow world- A paradise founded for the unbearable heat outside,this is how I would like to define the creation. Falling in white flakes,absolutely phenomenal dusting of snow,blanket of snow and music played in between takes everyone in euphoric feel.

Altogether,a Paisa-Wasul experience.     

RAMOJI FILM CITY-A magical realm filled with excitement and wonderful surprises at every turn.
As the world’s largest integrated film city and India’s only thematic holiday destination with magic of cinema.   
 It leaves all the visitors with some memorable experiences.To help u from sunburn,the medical team before kickstarting the journey provide you with pills to withstand the unbearable heat(Imagine the climate there!).     Overall a must visit place and should not be missed if one goes to Hyderabad. 


PS: Not spoiling the thrill by giving more details.Go enjoy the fantasy land all by yourself.   

 Birla Mandir,Qutub shahi tombs,Necklace road,Lumbini park are other attractions here.
Well,the place has everything which a person wants.

You have good place to chill,you have great places to explore,you have water parks,great restaurants,some lakes here and there.

Well,if you are a night owl,this place will cover you up.

You have good places to eat even if it is midnight.Some good stretches of roads to drive on.Then for the food lovers,the place is a heaven,you just need to know where to go.Some of the must eat things if you are going to Hyderabad are:the famous bawarchi biriyani,kurbani ka meetha,the haleem you could grab during ramzan,irani tea,famous icecream etc.   

 Gokul chat in koti,dhai puri and dhai pappdi are must try.

Another spot for foodjoints is sindhi colony near paradise.The dosa centres which opens between 2am and 5am to soothe your tastebuds.And if I continue more, I will run out of space telling about the place.   

 Despite the beauty the place offers,traffic and pollution are very bad here.Terrible autowalah baiiyas who honk,drivers who drive on wrong side-because of the median they argue,lack of civic sense in general,I might be stretching out on a limb here when I say this and even offend a few but it’s the bitter truth.   

 All these being said, I still believe Hyderabad as one of the most hospitable cities to live notbwithstanding the recent telungana agitations,where people from different   religions and states who speaks differet languages live in harmony.