KERELA:
Kerela the coastal state of India is famous for its back waters , beaches and in the east of Kerela the hilly jungles and many places of greenery and peaceful existence of people and animals in the natural habitat.
MY FRIENDS WEDDING: THE TRAIN JOURNEY
After years of trying to find a good girl to marry my friend found someone from Kerela, his mothers hometown of Kayamkullam. We six friends among the many more were lucky to go to Kerela as most of us other friends were not able to come with family due to the long distance and their children’s school.
We boarded the train journey from Kurla Terminus, bags full of snacks, water, playing cards in the reserved sleeper coach - 2 tier. My friend whom I will call Mr. Groom & his brother confirmed that the journey will be over in 24 hours.
After an hour of traveling, lunch time a family of three, lady , husband and middle age son sitting in the chair section opened a plastic bag containing rice and spread it on the on the makeshift table, fish curry good quantity to last 3 days tied neatly in plastic bag next was opened spread on the rice and spicy fried fish packed in foil all was next and they ate their meal in 10 minutes
Looking at them made is scurry for our lunch as we had not carried with us any we heard the lunch vendors who were shouting Veg Biryani, Egg Biryani repeatedly without much hesitation we ordered 3 veg and 4 egg.
Well not surprisingly we found rice same color white, fried onions and small pieces of eggs and the very same for veg instead of egg , cauliflower for veg.
So train traveling all you get is what they sell and not what you wish. For four meals we had eaten the same thing right from Mumbai to Kayamkullam, the fourth meal is something I will share little later. In between vendors typical Kerealite accent shouting in hindi - bada bada bada, and after seeing what they had to sell realized it was Vada Pav (Potato Balls with Bread a famous poor mans burger in Mumbai) and some shouting - pallan puri, pallan puri. (Banana slice fried with chick pea flour) and some tea. We had some of it and continued our card game which by now was the only thing besides sleeping to do.
Through the journey were green fields, buffaloes, small villages and lots of lots of railway crossing as we passed by (this was the mostly due to the fact that as we entered the State of Karnataka, Kerela, lined along are all small towns and villages that have no bridges for crossing the railway tracks and so at each and every level crossing the train had to stop for 5 -10 minutes ). So the journey of 24 hours stretched to 33 hours by the time we reached our destination.
DESTINATION: KAYAMKULLAM
Not having traveled for such long time in train it was really tiring. Off we all huddled into the Tata sumo luggage and all and after stopping for five times for the ever present Communist party strikes and slogan shouting we reached home of Mr. Groom.
On the table were spread various dishes of sweets and snacks and after and hour of chatting with the family we were in our hotel, well a small one and quite really a lodge.
Dinner was fish, fish curry with chicken, rice, and idli. As Mr. Brother left bidding us good night requesting all of us to get up as early as possible as the marriage function was at 11 am and we had to travel long distance to the hall. So off we went to bed and were woken up by the lodge guy shouting to us to take bath fast as hot water was at a premium and would not be available after 9 am.
So bath, clothes and off we went to the van , huddled up once again, the journey was long winding roads between the green paddy fields. Seeing the greenery made we realize what we city guys really miss as used to seeing concrete jungles.
THE WEDDING
At the hall the Mr. Groom was really nervous with our comments of why he was plunging into matrimony so soon. Bridegroom was ready in the hall and after the rituals of entry into the hall the stage was set with simple decorations and LO AND BEHOLD THE BRIDGEGRROM COMES HOLDS HAND WITH THE GROOM, some prayers, some blessings, a zillions lemons being presented to both of them and bang its over.
Well Kerealite wedding gets done so fast that it hardly takes 5 minutes and you are married. So when you are invited to a Kerealite wedding please be on time or its over .
Lunch was the typical south Indian fare on banana leaf and lots of rice, 6 varieties of vegetable, lentils, sambhar, curd, snacks, and sweets.
Having had lunch we had lot of time and a friend who had come from Cochin (Kerela) mentioned that since it was our first visit we should take a trip to the backwaters and then jungles. So off we went to our hotel packed our bags and caught the next local bus to Allaphuzha.
This is something i would like to describe in detail; they say "Gods Own Country" Kerela. Well truly one has to see it.
ALLEPPY / ERNAKULAM, BEACH, BACKWATERS
Well Alleppy , Eranakulam and our journey North to Mangalore (Karnataka) all this and more next blog.
Kerela the coastal state of India is famous for its back waters , beaches and in the east of Kerela the hilly jungles and many places of greenery and peaceful existence of people and animals in the natural habitat.
MY FRIENDS WEDDING: THE TRAIN JOURNEY
After years of trying to find a good girl to marry my friend found someone from Kerela, his mothers hometown of Kayamkullam. We six friends among the many more were lucky to go to Kerela as most of us other friends were not able to come with family due to the long distance and their children’s school.
We boarded the train journey from Kurla Terminus, bags full of snacks, water, playing cards in the reserved sleeper coach - 2 tier. My friend whom I will call Mr. Groom & his brother confirmed that the journey will be over in 24 hours.
After an hour of traveling, lunch time a family of three, lady , husband and middle age son sitting in the chair section opened a plastic bag containing rice and spread it on the on the makeshift table, fish curry good quantity to last 3 days tied neatly in plastic bag next was opened spread on the rice and spicy fried fish packed in foil all was next and they ate their meal in 10 minutes
Looking at them made is scurry for our lunch as we had not carried with us any we heard the lunch vendors who were shouting Veg Biryani, Egg Biryani repeatedly without much hesitation we ordered 3 veg and 4 egg.
Well not surprisingly we found rice same color white, fried onions and small pieces of eggs and the very same for veg instead of egg , cauliflower for veg.
So train traveling all you get is what they sell and not what you wish. For four meals we had eaten the same thing right from Mumbai to Kayamkullam, the fourth meal is something I will share little later. In between vendors typical Kerealite accent shouting in hindi - bada bada bada, and after seeing what they had to sell realized it was Vada Pav (Potato Balls with Bread a famous poor mans burger in Mumbai) and some shouting - pallan puri, pallan puri. (Banana slice fried with chick pea flour) and some tea. We had some of it and continued our card game which by now was the only thing besides sleeping to do.
Through the journey were green fields, buffaloes, small villages and lots of lots of railway crossing as we passed by (this was the mostly due to the fact that as we entered the State of Karnataka, Kerela, lined along are all small towns and villages that have no bridges for crossing the railway tracks and so at each and every level crossing the train had to stop for 5 -10 minutes ). So the journey of 24 hours stretched to 33 hours by the time we reached our destination.
DESTINATION: KAYAMKULLAM
Not having traveled for such long time in train it was really tiring. Off we all huddled into the Tata sumo luggage and all and after stopping for five times for the ever present Communist party strikes and slogan shouting we reached home of Mr. Groom.
On the table were spread various dishes of sweets and snacks and after and hour of chatting with the family we were in our hotel, well a small one and quite really a lodge.
Dinner was fish, fish curry with chicken, rice, and idli. As Mr. Brother left bidding us good night requesting all of us to get up as early as possible as the marriage function was at 11 am and we had to travel long distance to the hall. So off we went to bed and were woken up by the lodge guy shouting to us to take bath fast as hot water was at a premium and would not be available after 9 am.
So bath, clothes and off we went to the van , huddled up once again, the journey was long winding roads between the green paddy fields. Seeing the greenery made we realize what we city guys really miss as used to seeing concrete jungles.
THE WEDDING
At the hall the Mr. Groom was really nervous with our comments of why he was plunging into matrimony so soon. Bridegroom was ready in the hall and after the rituals of entry into the hall the stage was set with simple decorations and LO AND BEHOLD THE BRIDGEGRROM COMES HOLDS HAND WITH THE GROOM, some prayers, some blessings, a zillions lemons being presented to both of them and bang its over.
Well Kerealite wedding gets done so fast that it hardly takes 5 minutes and you are married. So when you are invited to a Kerealite wedding please be on time or its over .
Lunch was the typical south Indian fare on banana leaf and lots of rice, 6 varieties of vegetable, lentils, sambhar, curd, snacks, and sweets.
Having had lunch we had lot of time and a friend who had come from Cochin (Kerela) mentioned that since it was our first visit we should take a trip to the backwaters and then jungles. So off we went to our hotel packed our bags and caught the next local bus to Allaphuzha.
This is something i would like to describe in detail; they say "Gods Own Country" Kerela. Well truly one has to see it.
ALLEPPY / ERNAKULAM, BEACH, BACKWATERS
Well Alleppy , Eranakulam and our journey North to Mangalore (Karnataka) all this and more next blog.
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