A trip to Kasargode! (oct 2004)

My Husband had a small assignment at Kasargode…and I frowned as I’m wont to whenever he informs me abt an upcoming outstation trip …he asked me if I would accompany him..a moments hesitation when I thought about the kids…V’amma (my MIL) assured me that they would be fine and the decision was made…

27 oct-my birthday- we don’t celebrate b’days as such…( never much into celebrations/ rituals/ gift exchange on occasions- we give gifts when we feel like without waiting for a reason)

…somewhere around midnite, Vamshi (Husband) woke me up to wish me…and early morning he handed me a card…it was still dark, and he switched on his cell and I read the card in the blue glow of the cell……….

I was making coffee, and my puttars come to me in the kitchen, usually I have a tough time trying to wake them up …today they’re already awake- I’m surprised- they hand over a small package- and I open it – it is a small placard telling me what a wonderful mom I’m., and a diary milk bar- my favourite!. …a couple of dear friends call to wish me…and there were wishes in my mail box too… My day has begun wonderfully

Packed the puttars off to school with numerous directions- how to help their grandmother and be good boys…a pang as I wished them goodbye…

Boarded the train in the afternoon..the climate was pleasant..the train was practically empty…spent the daytime talking, reading, eating and sleeping…and just being together…
We eached kasargode early next morning…took an auto to aunt’s place…after the first news exchange- freshened up, slept some more…

After breakfast we went site seeing- cousin had arranged a taxi, and the driver was a known person…he doubled up as our guide too…First we went to a temple Madhur- the deity was Lord Ganesha…the temple was huge and imposing- but crowded too…The sun shone mercilessly and treading the precincts barefoot was tricky…

There was this huge batch of students sitting around the temple making sketches from various angles…possibly students of architecture- seemed to have come down from the North…there was a huge tank outside the temple…the scenery was beautiful.

Next we visited the temple in Ananthapuri… On the way, the driver pointed to a lonely mansion on a hillock, built in the traditional Kerala style. He informed us that the building had been uprooted from elsewhere and reconstructed stone by stone, brick by brick onto the present location by the owner. However, seemed the mansion was inhospitable due to inexplicable reasons and was now standing a barren witness watching over the hillock.

The landscape was mesmerizing- the place was serene .The Sahyadri ranges stretched endlessly to the horizon..The solitude was soothing…there were rocky terrains on one side..and a vast expanse of tall grass of variant shades of green- and as the blades swayed in the breeze- the undulations were such that it seemed like waves lashing in a verdant sea…

The temple was built in the center of a square lake…the idol was under renovation and was not made of any metal or stone but of specially medicated and consecrated herbs…”katusharkara yogam”

The place was so beautiful and serene…we sipped fresh lime juice sitting on the platform encircling a huge banyan tree…

It was noon by now and we returned to Aunt’s place, had a sumptuous lunch and chatted with our cousins…
Evening came and we left for Bekal fort…a site captured on celluloid several times…most memorable perhaps in Manirathnam’s “Bombay”- who would forget Manisha Koirala running as Arvind Swamy crooned “Uyire/ tu hi re”…I’ve heard that the screen shook and shuddered in synchronized harmony with Manisha…and the watching Nation heaved…all hearsay…I cannot comment because the small screen does not do justice to the picturisation, I understand…

We climbed the slope up the fort, the view was spectacular from the top…there were these small gaps in the walls which was left open and one could look aross the horizon…Along the path to the beach were this little peepholes on the fort walls which were dug out ina kind of downward angle, and one could see the waves lashing onto the rocky shores and bursting into foamy smithereens… the sea looked unruly that evening and the security weer closing access by 6.30 pm…the sun was going down into the sea…and while everybody was ecstatic about it, I remained untouched…the sea always depressed me- I prefer watching the sun sink into the greens…or cliffs..

Here again there were the students…talked to some of them- they were from Sophia College- Mumbai…their exuberant youth and cheer took me back to my college memories…

After a take home dinner of biriyani, porottas ( different from North Indian Paranthas) .. waving goodbyes to aunt and cousins, we boarded the train that nite…the train was yet again empty…we slept off soon enough…reached home next afternoon- the train journey was as enjoyable as the rest of the trip, and both of us were refreshed after the small break from routine…

Puttars were also refreshed after the tiny time off from Momma Hitler, and had a nice time with V’amma…

After lunch, tried to log in but the cable was down…after a few impatient hours was able to log in, and what do I see? B’day wishes in a blog and loads of wishes…and some more mails…ha…this b’day was beautiful…

I'm grateful...