"Some journeys we choose to go on, some journeys choose us"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So my big trip to Kerala finally happened! This was to be another brief visit to my native town after two years. I found out for the first time that train rides can be really amazing, that is you don't mind the wisps of sweat sticking on to you or the journey's sheer length - all of 84 hours!! Also with the railway add-ons introduced by Laloo Yadav the brand new compartments, cleaner loos, newfangled berths, better quality of food et al, you would have hardly anything to whine about. Our train the Kanyakumari express took a long route covering parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. A gourmet that I am, I tasted all kinds of food enroute be it the Paav bhaaji of Sholapur, the sapad of Kerala/TN or the spicy sambar-rice of Andhra, I relished them all.

Ah well, it was the wrong time to tap the Kerala terrain with the azure sky alighting with the blazing sun and dollops of scorched fluffy clouds. The terra-firma bathed in the summer glory and the temparature rolled and pirouetted in the air. So we decided to beat the heat with cool waters of the Shang Mugham beach located near the capital town, Trivandrum. Here we descried the amazing hues shining through the summer sands - ivory, beige, honey and brown.

We watched the golden sun bobbing down the beach waters the view seemed heavenly enough and yes this did live up to the Kerala hype of Gods Own Country. Another trump card of Kerala is its incredible cuisine. Unfortunately, being a vegetarian I couldnt quite enjoy all of its delicacies for the menu was strictly fishiterian. Fragrance of roasting spices and summer fruits filled the air. The exotic fruits and spice conserve like nongu (palm fruit), Kasuvandi (cashew nuts), Kapapazham (red banana), Maracheeni (tapioca) all made for a savory experience. I also realized that there is a slight difference in the way we construe the menu and what is being actually served here. To give an example, my order for a tomato omelet produced a heapful of tomato slices thrown into an omelete. While a north Indian thali was a south Indian thali in disguise with only additional supplies of rotis and a bleak dal. So if you want to try a different cuisine, make sure you go with someone who has lived in the city for long to understand its cuisine lingo.

We went to see Eklavya and I was stunned to see the natives enjoying a Hindi movie and whistling cheerily on the entry of their fave Bollywood stars. So, Hindi films clearly make good moolah at the Kerala turnstiles as well. One of the things that strikes you in Kerala is that it is unbelievably spick and span the beaches, the railway stations, the roads, all of it. I was told that one has to cough up a fine if found sneezing or spitting in public places. Amazing stuff this is!

It is also the season of marriage in Kerala. You can figure this out seeing the crowd outside the matrimony bureaus or the jewelry shops. I would like to add here that my visit centered around the same business getting hitched. Here I experienced for the first time, what you feel when you have your prospective in-laws examining you or asking you questions you wouldnt like to answer. I learnt that even a middle-class family here has to spend a royal amount to wed off their daughters. Apparently a traditional Kerala Hindu marriage can be complete only if the bride's trousseau is gilded in jewelry worth crores. Marriage is some kind of a celebration here for sure.

We met our relatives living in the distant suburbs and learnt how their lives are really different from ours. No health clubs, shopping malls, gyms outta here but life is still beautiful. A stride down the country side led me to thinking that if I ever decide to settle here, my life would take a 360 degree turn. My cousin brother regaled us with the farmland stories of how the plants are budded and how rubber is grown in homestead gardens. Also, how lucky you could be if you sell off the entire plantation only for 3 lakhs!!!

Another cousin of mine who is a lawyer told us how the divorce rates has risen now with a case for divorce being registered every 30 minutesalarming isnt it? I also witnessed some of the fiercest fisti-cuffs and drunken brawls during my stay and it saddened me to think that along with the goodness also comes a modicum of grief and the gravitas. As I treaded back homesome realizations dawned on meall simple but at the same time, utterly profound. Of all the journeys, this was truly a memorable one.