Signs2: Kodaikanal

It's been three years since I visited one of my favorite places, the Princess of Hill Stations, Kodaikanal. COVID has prevented me from meeting my lovely princess. Even if I get a chance, which may be brighter immediately, my traveling wheelchair isn't helping me because it wasn't used regularly, and the joystick becomes more difficult to maneuver. 

Signboard of my uncle's wood house in Kodaikanal

My aunt has been calling me to come to stay at their woodhouse in Thandikudi, on the Kodaikanal half-mountain, where they are currently camping with my grandma. I couldn't accept their invitation as I am not yet ready to travel. Apart from the wheelchair, I don't have anyone to assist because both my brother and the cousin who often takes me out are busy with their jobs, so either one of them has to accommodate me or I need to look out for someone who could assist me on travel.

Before I go further off track, I come to the sign I posted above. There is a welcome sign to Kodaikanal by the highways department at the entrance of the town or before passing the tollgate.  If you've noticed, there's a small typo on the signboard: "Deportment" instead of "Department."

The word "deportment" refers to behavior, whereas "department" refers to an organization or division of government agencies. 

I wish the days weren't so far away from where I could take distance travel. Even though I only visited Yelagiri in February, and on that trip too, I couldn't experience any places owing to a faulty joystick. I may be able to travel in less than three months because I have ordered a new wheelchair, which may take a month to build as it was to be customized to my comfort and needs. 

I take this chance to organize a wheelchair to be driven into the car through the back door and parked in the empty passenger seat. Because the vertical height of our SUV and its entryway is insufficient for a regular wheelchair to enter or exit,  I've requested a wheelchair with a seat that can be raised down and up, so this facility will save me from having to modify the car. 

Sign2

 

A beautiful sign points the way to an identical bungalow in Ooty, the queen of hill stations. I found this sign outside the cottage we stayed in Ooty during a visit some years ago. 

The sign (fixed to the rear bumper of the car) is the emblem of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, and the temple in the center (of the emblem) was the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. The temple tower is one of the tallest among the temples of Tamil Nadu. The stamp on the cars means they belong to the state officials, and this one belongs to the collector of the CBE. I shot this during a visit to Valparai.

Jalagamparai Waterfall, Yelagiri

Trip to Yelagiri, Day 2, follows:

On the second day of our trip to Yelagiri in February, we decided to visit the Jalagamparai Waterfall in the foothills of Yelagiri, on the other side of the mountain. At the Albatross Luxury Suite—where we stayed in Yelagiri—they gave us a simple yet delicious breakfast (as a complimentary); thanks to the chef, Manikandan, I enjoyed his cooking. 

We left the cottage around 11 a.m. when everyone had finished getting ready. Traveling with a baby is not easy, and we cannot force anything or any plan to match our comfort rather than the needs of a baby. If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that we traveled to Yelagiri with my 4-month-old nephew, Kavin. 

The Jalagamparai waterfall is around 37 kilometers from Yelagiri, and we had to travel up to the district capital, Tirupattur, and turn left to get there. The road to the waterfall is very scenic and travels around one-third of Yelagiri's mountain; through farmlands and small villages, we reached the waterfall, and from the parking lot, the upper part of the falls is visible. 

Once we left Tirupattur, there was no restaurant or eatery on the way to the waterfall, so we bought our lunch ahead in Tirupattur and ate it after visiting the waterfall and getting out of the area; because there was a lot of monkey nuisance. 

The waterfall can be reached only by stairs, so I stayed in the car.  My father, who had heart disease, also avoided climbing the stairs; my mom and the others who climbed up were the ones who took these waterfall photos. The Jalagamparai Waterfall, which pours out of the River Attaaru and through the valleys of the Yelagiri Hills, cascades down from a height of 15 meters to form a beautiful waterfall. 

Adjacent to the waterfall is a beautifully constructed Murugan Temple in the form of Siva Linga. However, there is another way to get there, which includes a flight of stairs to climb, so they were just able to see the waterfall. The Linga-shaped temple was shot through a crevice in the rocks on the route to the waterfall.

Jalagamparai Falls does not always have water, and its water source is dependent on the rain that falls over the mountains. The monsoon is the best time to visit Jalagamparai, which occasionally faces floods and is quite dry during summers. While it was still winter when we arrived, the water level was low, but it was adequate for a few people to have a cool shower at a time. We weren't planning to bathe in the falls, so it didn't matter to us. 

There's a Vishnu temple at the foot of the hill from where the stairs begin to climb. And there are about 75 steps to reach the falls. We visited the falls on Monday and although it was a workday, there were so many people there that it made me wonder how packed it would be on Sundays.

We saw most of them leaving the place (after taking a bath in the falls) in mini trucks and vans. Some were cooking with big vessels as families in the woods adjoining the parking lot of the falls. It's a beautiful place to visit with family and friends, and it appears to be an amusement for residents of local villages and towns to unwind on weekends. 

We returned to the cottage by evening, and climbing the hill was pleasant; we made it a point to stop at a few viewpoints to capture the view of the plains. Because of the winter season, there was a haze beyond a point. We saw the sunset at the foothill park, where we had our evening tea.

Signs2: Little Folks

 For those who love coffee like me:

Cute Little Folks

Little Folks is an abandoned amusement park on ECR near the Nemmeli Seawater Desalination Plant, which provides an alternative water source for Chennai residents. I visited Little Folks nearly 25 years ago when I was 12 years old. I came here after watching the Sealions show at the Dolphine City opposite the same.

Our actual plan then (1998) was to see the dolphin show at Dolphin City, but due to an illness that affected the dolphins, the show has canceled, and we ended up watching the Sealions performance, which was quite amusing. The dolphin city was the first of its kind of fun-filled water park in the country. Unfortunately, the dolphin city and the little folk stopped their operation in the latter years after the dolphins died. 

Ponniyin Selvan and Kodikkarai

It's been ten years since I visited Kodikkarai (aka Point Calimere), yet the memories are still vivid in my mind. Furthermore, the novel I am currently reading, Ponniyin Selvan, has a lot of connection with the place in its second and third volume, which overlaps with the time of my visit, precisely ten years ago. 

Ponniyin Selvan is a renowned classic historical novel in Tamil written by Kalki, which needs no introduction if you come from Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. As captivating fiction, the novel tells the story of the greatest king, Raja Raja Chozan. I love reading this book, or more accurately, I enjoy traveling through it, and Kodikkarai is one of the key stops on this journey; that transports me through nostalgic memories and into a thousand-year-old fantasy. 

At the pristine shore of Kodikkarai

I envisage a dense forestation once in the already widespread scrub forest of Kodikkarai,  home to many blackbucks and chital deer, wild horses, boars, and foxes, where the courageous Vanthiya Devan follows the insane girl Poonkuzali, who tricks him and saves him from quicksand. 

Kodikkarai is a vast network of backwaters that includes the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the Cauvery Estuary; it opens up to dry evergreen forests, mangrove forests, and wetlands where quicksand is common. 

Based on their discussion in the book, I can imagine how wild it should be to have tigers and leopards in the Kodikkarai forest a thousand years ago. They used to say that where there are deer, there will be tigers, but now in Kodikkarai, the deer are safe from everything but the cunning foxes. 

The 9th Chola lighthouse ruin was surrounded by water during high tide.

While I sat along the pristine and powdered sand shore of Kodikkarai, besides a half-cylindrical ruin of the Chola's brick and mortar lighthouse, I had no idea that I was sitting at a historical landmark of the Chola dynasty. And that our Ponniyin Selvan (Raja Raja Cholan) arrived in Sri Lanka from here.

About a thousand years ago, the Chola lighthouse was a tower-like structure where firewood is lit atop the tower to indicate the ships and warn about the shallow seashore.

Ponniyin Selvan is a 5-volume novel, and I've finished the first two and am now reading the third, which seems to be more intense and all pointing towards Kodikkarai; my imagination is taking new sights and vistas of the shore. The Kadikkarai coastline is shallow for a few kilometers and has stripes of sandbanks to keep ships away, and only tiny boats can access. 

It was a magnificent sight to see hundreds of birds take off and land on a sandbank by the sea, as well as a herd of deer leap across a long stretch of ground and disappear into the bushes. It was a scene that struck my mind's vision like a flash of lightning forever. The forest department permitted safaris within the forest up to the Chola lighthouse to watch the wildlife.

Kodikkarai is a nearly right-angle turn in Tamil Nadu's coastline in the delta region of Nagapattinam. It houses wildlife, a bird sanctuary. Kodikkarai is a 10-kilometer drive from Vedaranyam and takes us past extensive salt pans on one side and woodland on the other. 

A white heron taking off

Every winter, millions of birds from all over the world visit Kodikkarai, and it is popularly known for the Greater flamingo. During our trip to Kodiyakkarai, we stayed at the forest guest house, close to the forest and the new lighthouse. And the suite allotted for us is named "Flamingo."

It was a beautiful experience to see deer and peacocks casually roaming around the guesthouse, and the rattle of peacocks was a rhythmic way to wake up in the morning. Since the guesthouse had a tile roof, we heard knocks at night, which was nothing but peacocks who enjoyed a stroll on the roof. 

Unfortunately, I could not share many photos from Kodikkarai, as I have saved the photos on DVDs, my new laptop doesn't have a DVD drive. Some of these photos are from my archiver, and those remained on the hard disk I have many photos of the wildlife, the beach, and the forest to share with you, but you'll have to wait till I buy an external DVD driver.

Signs from Theni

There was once a custom in Tamil Nadu (or perhaps it is a practice throughout India, I'm not sure) to number the trees along the highway to ensure their protection. We can still see those numbers on trees along state highways, and the tamarind trees were usually the ones with the marks on their trunks. 

Once we were driving towards Theni (a southern district in Tamil Nadu), we happened to come to a halt in front of a tamarind tree with the number 10 painted on its trunk. We stopped to buy palmyra jaggery at a roadside stall, and the jaggery (sold by a couple) was worth buying, so we bought from the same stall again the next time we passed. 

We have been using palmyra jaggery and palm sugar for the last few years in place of white sugar. So we couldn't pass them up when the palm jaggery sold by them was of such high quality and purity. 

Coming to number 10 - 

There is also a popular comedy in Tamil, where the comedian Vadivelu draws the number 10 on an old woman's forehead who complains of fever. In Tamil, the number 10 is spelled pattu, and the same word is used to refer to patches or medicine applied to wounds; the entire village would chase him to beat, and one in the crowd would say, "See, he had drawn 10 similar to the one on the tamarind trees on highways."

The doll you see is at the entrance of Meenakshi Bhavan, a restaurant where we generally eat when traveling through Theni. It is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Theni, though the taste of the food isn't as good as before. The doll serves as a welcome sign to the eatery, and it has idlis and dosa on the plate. 

Albatross Elaichi Luxury Suite, Yelagiri

Trip to Yelagiri, Day 1 Arrival, follows:

Although the check-in time was noon, we arrived at the Albatross Elaichi Luxury Suite in  Yelagiri at about 4 p.m. We ordered tea as soon as we arrived, and it was a welcome break from the journey and a way to digest the late meal we had eaten before climbing the hill. 

I love their trendy villa sign.

The Albatross is a beautiful and comfortable place to stay in Yelagiri. They offer luxury villa suites at a reasonable price! There are many accommodation options available at Yelagiri, and our preference was an individual cottage away from the center of tourist attractions as we wanted a calm stay. 

There were fewer cottages in Yelagiri that met our expectations (accessible in a wheelchair and elevated no more than a step or two) at a reasonable price. While there are resorts and hotels with easy access, our budget and expectations differ, so we choose the one that makes us feel the most at ease. 

From the front gate, a GoPro shot of the villa in super-wide mode. 

We saw the Albatross villa suites first on Airbnb and subsequently obtained their phone number from their website. The owner was kind enough to respond to our inquiries and send us images of the property, which we promptly reserved. The property has a modest lawn in front and backyard but is beautifully maintained; each suite has a flower bed outside, and I loved the hibiscus and roses that bloomed to add charm to the villa. 

The beautiful front yard and driveway, as well as me. 

I liked everything about this place that looks simple, clean, and welcoming. 

Each suite has a living room and a bedroom with an attached bathroom; both the rooms have a queen-size bed, plus a television, couch, and dining table in the hall. They also offer free wifi, which we didn't bother to check as we use our mobile data, and a/c in the bedroom. 

Bright winter sunset at Yelagiri

Being a late winter season, the weather in Yelagiri became cold after sunset, just as the day had begun for us in Chennai with fog. I can feel the cold, which is half the temperature of Kodaikanal or similar to Thandikudi, where we visit (and stay at my uncle's woodhouse) regularly until 2019. 

We had no plans for that day because I wasn't sure about other places (accessible by wheelchair) besides the lake and nature park that I had seen on my previous visit. I wasn't interested in seeing those places again, and I had no plans for the trip other than to see what unfolded along the way. 

Another specialty of staying at the villa is the delicious food cooked and served by their chef, Manikandan. They gave us complimentary breakfast for the two days we stayed there, and for the first-day dinner, we ordered dosa and uthappam. As a side dish, he gave chutney sambar and chicken gravy. Though it was very spicy, it treated the taste buds. 

Night, we slept in the living room bed while my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew slept in the bedroom. Although the night was quiet, we got to listen to various bird sounds at dawn and dusk because the property is just across from Yelagiri Bird Park. I couldn't get to the bird park even if I stayed directly across the street since the surface was not suitable for wheelchair access. 

Albatross is an excellent place to stay, especially for families. They don't allow bachelors, and you can't drink or smoke, so I recommend it. The rooms are simply decorated with wall stickers and painted frames to cheer us up during our stay. The gated villa offers car parking on the premises, and it feels secure with CCTV. The staff who are staying next door are on-call round the clock. 

Trip to Yelagiri, Day 1 Arrival

Last week we visited Yelagiri—my first trip in the last three years—a small hill station in the Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu. It was a three-day family trip with a two-night stay at a cottage in Yelagiri, which we booked in advance. It was planned as a short trip in a short time, and we weren't sure until we paid in advance for the cottage, as we had some health issues, but we are glad nothing popped up, and the trip went smoothly. 

Yelagiri is about 230 kilometers from Chennai, according to Google Maps. The travel duration on Google Maps is 5 hours; however, due to terrible roads, it took us nearly 7 hours, including breakfast and lunch stops. The construction of flyovers at several crossings caused frequent detours on the Chennai-Bangalore route up to Vellore.  

We haven’t driven on the highways much in the last two years, so we didn’t get stuck on the FASTag (an electronic toll collection system in India, administered by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). From Chennai to Vaniyambadi—where the road turns left to reach Yelagiri—there are three toll gates; we hadn't considered the FASTag until we were close to the first toll gate; those without a FASTag must pay double the fee. 

So right after crossing the first toll and paying double the amount, we got the FASTag from the same booth; it's open for recharging or instant installation of the FASTag. A FASTag sticker was paste to the top left corner of the car's windshield, and it functioned right away, so we didn't have to stop at the toll gates from then on, but rather slow down for the sensor to scan the tag.

FASTag is a system that works on recharge, similar to prepaid mobile phones, and if we fail to recharge or maintain a minimum balance amount, we had to pay twice the toll fee. So there is an additional charge for us to check the balance before picking up a trip on the highway. 

Highway with colorful shrubs 

Hills on highway nh48

The FASTag has a tie-up with Paytm to make recharging easier, and even if we fail to recharge but have a balance in Paytm, then the fee will be deducted from that.

We bought our lunch in Ambur, which is well-known for its biryani! So obviously, everyone's choice is the world-famous biryani, but I preferred vegetarian, to make sure the trip wasn't troublesome. While traveling, I try to avoid non-vegetarian dishes as much as possible, but on the way back, I like the same. 

Though I didn't eat biryani, I searched for the best biryani in Ambur, and Rahamaniya emerged as our top choice after reading positive reviews. I say the biryani was delicious and lived up to the promise (I admit that I took a few mouthfuls to get a taste), but the biryani that we ordered to take away was missing a piece of meat. For some, it was a significant letdown in addition to the flavor.

The restaurant should consider this to avoid negative feedback from customers who come in search of delicious biryani after reading positive reviews.

While looking for a nice place or shadow to have our lunch, we came close to the foothills of Yelagiri and decided to have our lunch outside Amma Park at the starting point of the ghat. We were a group of five adults traveling with my nephew Kavin, my brother's 4-month-old baby. It was also one of the factors that contributed to the delay. We arrived at our cottage at 4 p.m., and the journey from foothill to hilltop took only half an hour, even though the distance was 12 km. 

As if waiting for us, the staff of the cottage (Albatross Luxury Suite) welcomed us with a smile and helped unload the luggage. More of that later. 

Kumizhi - The ideal place for picnicking and camping near Chennai!

Last Sunday, I was able to go out for the first time in nearly 5 months. I chose to go to a place that hadn't been much explored by many. But when I got there and saw rows of cars parked in front of the lake, I realized I had guessed wrong. 

Among the row of cars, ours (a black Scorpio) is in the middle, and it was me sitting in the passenger seat.

I learned about Kumizhi from a vlog and knew I had to come as soon as possible, but it took me more than a year to visit. Kumizhi is a village about 50 km south of Chennai, on the Nellikuppam road between Kandigai and Othivakkam. Kumizhi features a beautiful lake and small hill forests at a distance of 700 meters in the western direction from the Kumizhi bus stop.

Being Sunday, I expected to see a lot of bikers in Kumizhi, as I had seen a lot of photos and videos of them on Instagram, but instead, I saw families and kids. The reason I noticed it was because the Kovalam Surf School had set up a camp there, and the students and their families had accompanied them and kept themselves occupied on the peaceful lake. 

Another surprise awaited me: the lake bank had been fenced off from vehicles entering, and a small gap was left for the public to enter. Though it kept me away from the water, as I thought of getting close by car (I haven't taken my wheelchair to get down there), it was a good decision to protect the lake and its environment from damage by vehicles since the bikers take their bikes deep into the woods beside the lake. 

We drove for a km and a half on the road alongside the lake and forest to enjoy the scenery, and the wind was cold since it was evening and the late winter season. It caressed. 

I have marked a couple of peacocks spotted in the forest. Because of the contrasting sunlight, we didn't get a clear picture. 

The forest seems to have many birds, and we observed some peacocks, one of which flew across the road, and I also noticed a mongoose on the road.  Although seeing a mongoose isn't surprising given the number of them in our neighborhood, I wish I could have spent more time there viewing additional birds and creatures. Avoid Sundays if you want to appreciate the peace of nature. 

In addition to swimming, the surf school (that was camped there) appeared to offer kayaking to students, and I also spotted a student balancing on a surfboard on the tranquil lake. During the rainy season, I saw images of the lake where the water level had risen to the road, but when I saw the water level had dropped, it seemed to be an advantage for practicing water sports.

My mom went close to the lake to capture these photos on my behalf. We left the place with a desire to come back, and I wish to come back in my wheelchair to explore the nature out there. I recommend this place as the best picnic spot for family and friends' gatherings and for those who want to spend time in peace and meditation. 

I'm guessing the lake is already a campsite, with small hikes and tent stays arranged in advance. The road is well tarred for less than a kilometer from the lake up to the Siva temple in the middle of the forest, and it continues to be a perfect off-road for riders alike. 

I went for a short ride on this road just for fun, and I believe that the road that is less traveled or offroad provides the best experience of nature, and I enjoyed it. And it wasn't difficult for us because we were in a high-ground SUV, but cars will suffer. 

Breezy Afternoon and Bird Watching at Kanyakumari

(a following of previous post)

The afternoon and sea breeze always move me, and how could I miss the pleasure when it blows from three sides of the sea; Kanyakumari bestows me the same when I stay back in the garden of the guest house after lunch; the wind was enough to send for a comfortable and lazy sleep. I never take a nap in the evening, so to beat time before we get ready to visit other places, I chilled under the shadows of trees, and in one corner of the guest house complex, cops were relaxing from their parked vehicle and on the park benches. 

Garden space of the guest house complex.

The place we stayed was very close to the center of the tourist destination. The junction from where the roads lead to the beach, boat deck, and other monuments line the shore. The paths further from there are congested by shops; all the buses and other vehicles parked near the junction create a roar. And besides that, the cops on the microphone occasionally blare, controlling the crowd and vehicle. 

Clock tower at the junction.

The rooms allotted for us were a little further from the noise except for the cop's alarm; it was quiet and peaceful to let everyone relax around. By later afternoon we moved out to explore other places, leaving mom and grandma, who were to board the cruise to the rocks of Vivekananda and Thiruvalluvar. 

I visited the Vattakotta fort, a beautiful square-shaped fort on the shore of the Bay of Bengal - 6km from Kanyakumari in the northeast direction. Vattakotta is a conjoined Tamil word of  Vatta and Kotta, meaning Circle Fort. But in my observation, the fort looked more square than a circle! I will make a detailed post on it later, now leave you with a couple of birds shots. I shot it along the driveway of the guest house.

The mynas and egret were foraging along the driveway of the guest house. I shot the birds before checking out the guest house the next day. I did not mind leaving that place; the majestic monuments along the coast and the grand view of the three seas fascinated me. I want to come back one day, but that day is still away.

December and My Trip to Kanyakumari (10-year completion)

December is a cold month in India, and post-monsoon, the earth is so wet, and the winter adds coldness to the season. December is my favorite month and season to take outdoor trips due to the coolness that prevails during this time and the following month of January is best to explore and experience places in light warm weather. 

Rather than saying December, it's the winter that makes things work for me and keeps me at a pace than lazily cuddled around, which many generally prefer during this time of cold.  The trips I had during this time were remarkable and memorable, and one such trip was my trip to Kanyakumari in 2011.  Ten years have passed, and December always reminds me of that travel, the longest one I ever had. 

We then fitted our SUV with new tires. We even serviced the vehicle - as we were going on a long trip - it started to wobble when we went for a 100 plus km and further driving up, we even decided to give up the trip or stay a night at Pondicherry and fix the problem, then continue the journey. Because the way the vehicle shook scared us. 

Our SUV, Mahindra black Scorpio, parked aside the guest house in Kanyakumari overlooking the sea. We bought the vehicle the same year as a 3-year-old then.

But we managed to drive to Trichy, slowly at 80kmph because the wobbling starts, only when we cross 100kmph. Our actual plan was to halt a night at Trichy before heading to Kanyakumari as we took our grandfather along with us - who could not sit long. We have already booked rooms at Trichy, so we decided the fix the vehicle while staying there.

But still, we couldn't fix the problem, and the mechanics did some work, and it felt better, but the wobbling happens occasionally. Finally, in Madurai, we checked the wheel alignment and solved the problem. It was about 9.30 or 10pm when we reached Kanyakumari - the southern tip of India - traveling about 700kms; my cousin arranged two rooms in the government tourism house there, overlooking the confluence of three seas, the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian sea. 

The guest house, and the elegant door of the same.

The morning was like never before, and waking up to see the sea was the first time in my life and was too special. Kanyakumari is renowned for its sunrise and sunset; since we traveled the previous day, we were too tired to get out to watch the sunrise. The next day, my mom and grandma went to the terrace of the building we stayed to watch the sunrise. But they were disappointed to see the cloud covering up the magnificent sight. 

Sunrise obstructed by the clouds. Mom captured the view from the terrace of the guesthouse overlooking the Thiruvalluvar statue and Vivekananda rock.

The guest house we stayed has located close to the beach - the convergence of three seas -  and despite the slope, since the landscape of Kanyakumari has slightly elevated from sea level, I easily accessed it in the wheelchair. Thankfully they had laid ramps till the pillared hall and the rocky shore that marks the southern edge of India.

At the convergent point of 3 seas along with dad, mom, and grandma.

I enjoyed watching the waves crashing the rocks - and some daring guys confronting the rushing waves against the forbid - and also the much-awaited view of the majestically standing Tiruvallurar statue on the rock offshore. At 133 feet height, the stone sculpture of the Tamil poet (the tallest statue of India, when erected on the millennium day of 1 January 2000) and author of the classic Tamil text Tirukkural stood facing the Indian subcontinent like a sentry of Tamil Nadu. 

On the rock beside the Vallurar statue is the Vivekananda Rock Memorial (the rock where Vivekananda meditated or have attained enlightenment). The monument has built (in 1970) in honor of Swami Vivekananda, who swam across the sea to reach rock against the threat of sharks to meditate for three days. 

We thought of trying the cruise ride to the Vivekananda Rock before getting down to the shore. But climbing the cruise boat doesn't seem a good idea for a wheelchair person; when it is a challenge to ordinary people. But my mom and grandmother took the boat ride to the rocks in the afternoon; while I went on exploring other places with my cousin, grandpa, and dad.

While being on the shore, I could not stop thinking of the 2004 Tsunami, a deep wave that wrapped the coast of South Asia, killing thousands of people, and the towering waves that rocked the Tiruvalluvar statue. The roaring of people (that time) echoed through the rocks with each crashing wave, and that being a December month - that tsunami shook the coast on Dec 26th - grief the heart further.

Sculpture built in memorial of victims of the tsunami, on the shore of Kanyakumari

That evening I visited another area in Kanyakumari that faced havoc with the tsunami, which I think of making another post along with other places in Kanyakumari. I like to stop here as the post grow bigger.