How I wish I could communicate the strange but pleasant sounds that the birds are making as I type this..but then it is not all romantic...the heat is searing... very difficult to get out of the house in the day time and it is only early March. I have been complaining about the heat in Bangalore..this is something else all together.
I am in Ottapalam, my native town. Ottapalam is in Palakkad district of Kerala state in India. It is situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river (also called the Nila). It used to be a major town of Nedunganad and later became part of Valluvanad Taluk during the reign of the Zamorins of Calicut.
The sleepy town is changing fast like any other part in our country. But then it still has entrapments of the fast disappearing rural country side of Kerala. The local Pulliara Vishnu Temple is currently having its pooram(festival). It is the biggest event of the year for the local community. The day sees prayers held and the evening has cultural programs such as Kathakalli, Paadagam, a form of stand-up comedy incorporating mythological stories.
I see the temple committee running around managing the whole show. It starts months before with pirive (fund raising). The local community contributes to the annual event. It is interesting to be a part of this event, and join some conversations with the village elders in the evening. Local politics still is the biggest draw, I was not surprised to hear discussions on the latest drubbing AC Milan got at the hands of Barcelona. There was no mention of the ongoing test match between India and Australia.,
Like I said earlier , I don't want to romanticize everything, it is not like they don't have problems and issues here. But, life goes by at a much slower pace, gives you time to sit and have conversations with people about nothing, enjoy the sounds and sights of the beautiful countryside.
I do look forward to coming here only on short breaks.It could be unsettling if one is used to the fast pace of the city, but it can also give you a chance to discover yourself as you stand in a place where life moves slowly giving you time and more importantly the world is not pushing you to run at its speed.
What would you want to do if you were not constantly pushed by pace the known world sets for you? Would you be a different person?? What frightens me is that I do not have answers to these questions.. that is when I pack my bags and leave back to Bangalore, to work, to traffic, to familiar but unknown faces, most importantly to "no time" to think....
I am in Ottapalam, my native town. Ottapalam is in Palakkad district of Kerala state in India. It is situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river (also called the Nila). It used to be a major town of Nedunganad and later became part of Valluvanad Taluk during the reign of the Zamorins of Calicut.
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| Pulliara Kshetram Lamp |
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| Kathakali in Progress |
I see the temple committee running around managing the whole show. It starts months before with pirive (fund raising). The local community contributes to the annual event. It is interesting to be a part of this event, and join some conversations with the village elders in the evening. Local politics still is the biggest draw, I was not surprised to hear discussions on the latest drubbing AC Milan got at the hands of Barcelona. There was no mention of the ongoing test match between India and Australia.,
Like I said earlier , I don't want to romanticize everything, it is not like they don't have problems and issues here. But, life goes by at a much slower pace, gives you time to sit and have conversations with people about nothing, enjoy the sounds and sights of the beautiful countryside.
I do look forward to coming here only on short breaks.It could be unsettling if one is used to the fast pace of the city, but it can also give you a chance to discover yourself as you stand in a place where life moves slowly giving you time and more importantly the world is not pushing you to run at its speed.
What would you want to do if you were not constantly pushed by pace the known world sets for you? Would you be a different person?? What frightens me is that I do not have answers to these questions.. that is when I pack my bags and leave back to Bangalore, to work, to traffic, to familiar but unknown faces, most importantly to "no time" to think....
