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

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

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

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

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

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.

(email jubhai@aol.com....website www.jayantdoshi.yolasite.com)