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My friend Shankar: Techie turned farmer

Posted on November 1, 2015April 11, 2022 by SamTram

I was meeting Shankar (Shankar Kotian M) after a long gap of 16 years. Shankar is no longer a techie; He had ended his decade-and-a-half-year-old tech career in 2012 to become a full-time farmer. Time had taken away a lot of his hair, but nothing else about him had changed. This is his story, distilled from a two-hour conversation I had with him. I think what he is doing is different and inspirational; hence this feature on him.

“There was this reporter who had come to the santhe (market), and spotting a new species among the farmers there, spent some time chatting up with me”, said Shankar, smiling and pointing at himself when he mentioned ‘new species’. Shankar was telling me how the article in ‘The Hindu’ had come about. (Here’s the report: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/once-a-software-engineer-now-a-farmer/article7804873.ece). Shankar is indeed part of a rare, but an emerging crop of techie turned farmers who are returning to nature in search of their true calling.

Shankar - turning over a new leaf — Shankar – turning over a new leaf

A bit of history

Shankar and I were among the 15 odd software engineers who were drafted in as the ‘3^rd batch’ of Infosys, Mangalore branch back in 1996. While I was one of those uninitiated engineers taking my baby steps in the world of programming, Shankar was already creating rotating patterns and graphics (using C). He was one of those true techies, born to program. Our first project, code-named BKB2DB2, was insane – it had about ten of us working 16-18 hour days for close to 6 months straight. Shankar, with his saintly demeanour and soft, firm voice was the only calm presence amidst all the madness. After that project, we had drifted apart and lost touch with each other.

The newspaper report

It was a Whatsapp message a few days ago from a common friend of ours that reminded me of Shankar again. The message had the link to the newspaper report I mentioned earlier. The report had a picture of a goatee sporting Shankar, selling yam in a market in Mangalore.

What?! The programming ace was now after bugs of a different kind? The guy who used to give us ‘knowledge dumps’ was now dipping his hands in the real dump? I had to find out first-hand; so I tracked down his phone number and got myself invited to his farm.

The meeting

The 'ferocious' little pup! — The ferocious little pup!

Following the precise directions he had given, I drove up to his farm in Moodbidre, about 35 km from Mangalore. There he was, sporting the same cap I’d seen him wear in the report. He had built his house in the centre of his farm. I parked my car and settled comfortably on a couch on his veranda. Over a cup of coffee, we went back in time to our BKB2DB2 days, exchanged notes on hair loss and played with his 3-month-old puppy (which he hoped would grow into an aggressive watchdog. Seeing how friendly it was with me, I have my doubts).

“I always thought I was more of a research person; so after college, I wanted to get into Texas Instruments – which in the 90s was the Mecca for systems programmers”, he said, “but as fate would have it, I got selected to create business software at Infosys. Looking back, I think that was the best thing that happened to me because it exposed me to people and places and broadened my horizons”. His stint at Infosys had taken him to places like Australia, Switzerland and Japan which came in handy later when he decided to get into farming.

I asked him what made him quit his well-paying job, and why he chose to get back to nature.

“After the first 7-8 years, I started feeling a lack of challenge, … a lack of purpose. The excessive travel was also taking a toll on my health – I had a slipped disc and had to slow myself down. It was during that time that I decided I would take up farming. I started buying farmland here”.

A peacock I encountered en route to S's farm — A peacock I encountered en route to S’s farm

His journey as a farmer

He started researching more on crops, and farming methods and started talking to other farmers. He realized that most farmers just tended to follow what others were doing, and some of the natural farming practices our ancestors had developed had gotten lost in the last 30-40 years after the introduction of chemical farming. He is developing his land in stages, in a much-planned manner – typical of an engineer. He currently has rubber (his main bet), areca, paddy and maize. He is also growing vegetables on a small scale for his own consumption, and to sell in the local market.

He, like many of the young farmers today, is moving away from using chemicals and is using organic techniques. But his aim is to move up to ‘Natural farming’, since the effort to output ratio is much better there. Natural farming, as I learned from him, is about being in harmony with nature, and making nature do most of the work that a farmer otherwise expedites using machines. Natural farming observes the law of nature and respects the rights of crops and livestock. This technique, interestingly also called ‘Do-nothing farming’ (now that sounds like something I could do) heals the soil slashed by chemicals, herbicides and machines, and is considered a natural next step after organic farming.

Snapshots from Shankar Kotian's farm land — Snapshots from his farmland

The core principles around which he is designing the rest of his life are:

Leave the land better than you found it (for future generations): Natural farming techniques will make the land better. Additionally, he is also leaving some portions of his forest land as-is, for what he calls ‘lung space’
Cut out middlemen, and sell directly to the consumers: As per Shankar, middlemen mostly do not add any value and don’t help farmers in any way. He wants to create a clientele initially through friends, engage with them and then expand the network
Go the cooperative way: Instead of trying to bring about a change single-handedly, work with other farmers in the region for the betterment of all
Pass on his knowledge through agri-tourism: He plans to build a few cottages and tree houses where his clients could come over, stay, try their hand at farming and experience the lifestyle. He wants to share knowledge that he has gained with people who are contemplating getting into farming. (I have already buttered him up to be the first customer in his treehouse. You can try the other cottages)

Shankar Kotians farm - Forest left as-is for lung space — Forest left as-is for lung space

Shankar Kotians farm - He mentioned Russel vipers, so I was observing the ground closely as I walked, and noticed these colourful mushrooms — He mentioned Russel vipers, so I was observing the ground closely as I walked, and noticed these colourful mushrooms

On his Cows

Shankar is also a proud owner of 40 cows, of which 15 are yielding close to 150 litres of milk per day. He makes a slurry out of cow dung for use as manure, and also uses gobar gas for cooking.

Now here’s an interesting tidbit I got from Shankar, which could be of use if you ever went cow shopping: The buying price of a cow can roughly be calculated as the number of litres it gives per day times Rs 3,000. So if it gives 30 litres a day, you will have to pay a whopping Rs 90,000 to buy the cow. (and I thought cows went for Rs 8 – 10 thousand).

Cowshed — This cow is Shankar’s personal favourite. No wonder. She’s got the looks!

His experiments, best practices and challenges

He does a lot of farming and dairy experiments, some of which are being emulated by other farmers. Here are some he showed me:

He is trying to grow paddy without flooding the area (flooding is usually done to keep the weeds and pests out)
He has created a pipe system that pumps cow dung slurry to nearby fields, for which other farmers pay him
In his cowshed, he has designed cubicles for his cows (the partitions developed in an ‘S’ shape to help the cows sit and get up with ease), and has rubber flooring for their comfort
He has installed a car-wash pump to bathe his cows. He adjusts the pressure settings for different cleaning purposes
He is also in the process of setting up mechanized milking stations, using machinery from Sweden. Once the system is in place, cows can stroll in, connect a pump to their udders (with some human help, of course), get milked and stroll off for another round of grazing. Seeing the wonderful life his cows were leading, I wished I were a cow on his farm.
By June, he plans to build a smokehouse for getting the best quality rubber

Cowshed at Shankar Kotians farm - — ‘Car wash’ for the cows

In the process of setting up an automated milking station

He also faces challenges on a day-to-day basis, for which he develops ingenious solutions, some of them below (Reminded me of that line from the movie ‘The Martian’: “You solve one problem and you solve the next one, and then the next. And If you solve enough problems, you get to come home”. Shankar hasn’t got to potatoes yet though).

Monkeys were eating his maize saplings. He placed a life-sized tiger doll in the centre of the field. The monkeys apparently surveyed the tiger from a distance, screamed, made faces at it and tried their best to drive the tiger away. The tiger stayed put, and the monkeys were never seen again
When he first bought a few cows, he was conned – the cows weren’t giving anywhere near the amount of milk the seller said they would give. So he started breeding his own cows using the best quality insemination. So most of the cows he has now were bred on his farm

In parting

So what are some learning that he could share (with anyone who wants to get into farming)? Here are a few:

You need to plan for at least 3-to 4 yrs of sustenance money before you can hope to start living off farming alone.
Don’t just go by the trends, and what other traditional farmers are doing. Experiment with the techniques.
Read up/ research. There’s a lot of material on the internet.
Expect delays in schedule. If you estimate something to take 6 months, it usually takes double that. So be prepared for that.
Getting into farming is really a change in lifestyle.

“Isn’t is a bit lonely here? Don’t you ever miss your old life?”, I asked him. He said: “I am so far away from my old life that a return is no longer possible. I do not want to return to that. This is what I want to do in life”.

Shankar seemed content and happy. He has his plans well laid out and is moving ahead one milestone at a time. I have no doubts that he will soon be very successful as a farmer, and as an agri-tourism entrepreneur.

He saw me off with a 2.5 kg yam; so I know what I will be eating for lunch and dinner for the whole of this week.

Postscript

Further reading on Natural farming can be found here (based on Shankar’s inputs):

If you or someone you know have switched careers (from a tech job) to do something different and interesting please do connect with me. I would love to chat up and feature the story on this blog so it could inspire all of us.

Best places to visit in North Kerala

Posted on October 27, 2015April 2, 2022 by SamTram

If you are looking for unique places to visit in Kerala, you will find a few in North Kerala. If you compare north Kerala vs south Kerala, you will find that places in North Kerala are less crowded and not as frequented by tourists. This blog post covers the best places to visit in North Kerala.

Mangalore to Kochi road trip

As I set out for the 450 km drive in my Scorp from my adopted city of Mangalore to my birth city of Cochin, excitement and joy filled my heart. For this trip was going to finally let me experience the magic of North Kerala, something I had been looking forward to for a long time.

I had been doing these Mangalore to Kochi road trips at least once every year for the past few years. Every time I pass through the small towns and villages of North Kerala, I think I should stop to soak in the beauty of these places. But never have I done so for want of getting to Kochi before nightfall.

The drive to the centre of Kerala usually takes me 10-12 hours (with food breaks), depending on the condition of the roads and the number of times I got lost.

Despite driving through this route 10-12 times before, I still get lost and ‘discover’ newer, long ways to get to Kochi from Mangalore. Though I don’t mind the extra time it adds to our trips, my co-passengers (my wife and son) usually grumble about this as they tumble out of the car in Kochi.

I understand – a geographically challenged person who loves to drive, in charge of the wheel can be pretty frustrating to co-passengers.

A rope making facility along the route in North Kerala — A rope-making facility along the route

Challenges with Kerala road trip

The drive across Kerala could be frustrating to many, also because of the following:

A narrow highway that, at times, take you through densely populated residential areas or markets, where the speed of traffic could be determined by a slow, gyrating stroll of a cow or a cyclist leading the traffic.
Privately run buses (a.k.a private buses) that suddenly appear behind your car with a loud, irritating honk that makes you jump out of your skin, causing you to swerve off-road (Remember that introduction scene of the shark in ‘Finding Nemo’ movie? These buses remind me of the shark).
Protest rallies blocking the way. Yes, we Keralites are very revolting.
Ever-continuing road repairs and over bridge constructions causing diversions.

Read a funny take on how to handle all your Kerala traffic frustrations here: http://www.platform7.in/2010/01/road-rules-tips-for-driving-in-kerala.html

But, for me, this drive is always a pleasure, partly because of the anticipation of meeting my family in Cochin and partly because I love to drive.

Food and Culture: North Kerala

The backwaters, the blue tarps over anything that needs to be protected from rains, the bridges, and the buzz of people engaged in their daily lives are all characteristic sights you will get to see along the way.

The heavy influence of Arabic cuisine in Kerala of late can also be felt by the number of restaurants serving Arabic delicacies.

The other significant change that can be felt just by visiting restaurants is the increase in the immigrant population from Orissa, Bengal and some northern/northeastern parts of India. Most of them work in restaurants as waiters and cooks, cooking and selling true blue Malayalee dishes.

My favourite stretch along this route is the short one from Mahe (a Union territory part of Pondicherry/ an erstwhile French colony) to Thalassery. Mahe is lined with liquor shops and petrol pumps (gas stations), and people stop here to refuel their cars and bodies.

Kerala is a state of tea drinkers, which is very evident when you drive down the highway. You will find a tea shop (sometimes a cart or makeshift building) every 400 meters along the way with an apparatus unique to Kerala for making tea.

When it comes to food, North Kerala is famous for its snacks, shellfish preparations, Biriyani, and… for anything and everything they cook.

North Kerala also drips in history and culture, like ghee dripping out of Sri Krishna Sweets’ Mysurpas. I have grown up listening to stories about the heroes of Kadathanad and Thacholi – the gladiators of Kerala. (If you are a history buff, look up Vadakkanpattu – the ballads that celebrate the bravery and skills of the renowned characters).

So I had to include Lokanar Kavu (legendary hero Thacholi Othenan was a devotee of this Goddess) in my trip to feel it firsthand.

I had already visited a few must-see places in North Kerala – like Bekal Fort and Ananthapura lake temple, and had also been to a couple of resorts – Oyster opera and Nalanda resorts. So I did not want to include them in this trip. I also did not want to do beaches since Mangalore has tons of them unless it was unique. So I created a route plan based on my preferences and the time I had on hand.

Read these articles about Ananthapura Lake Temple and Oyster Opera resorts below:

https://sampathmk.com/ananthapura-lake-temple

https://sampathmk.com/oyster-opera-great-settings-good-food

Best places to visit in North Kerala

Kavvayi (Payyanur)

Laze around in Kavvayi island — Laze around on Kavvayi island

Island hopping in motorized thonis in Kavvayi island — Island hopping in motorized thonis

My first stop was Kavvayi in Payyanur. You will not find Payyanur listed anywhere as a tourist spot, but there was one article I found which convinced me that I should check it out. Here’s the article: http://wanderingtastebuds.com/2013/01/18/payyanur-kerala/.

Inside Payyanur, when I stopped and asked a local guy for directions to Kavvayi, he seemed amused.

“What is there to see in Kavvayi” he said, “If you want to see a good place, visit Ettikulam beach“.

Assuring him that we would consider his recommendation, we moved on. After a while, the road ended in Kavvayi backwaters.

Kavvayi is surrounded by small islands (Valiyaparamba being the biggest) that directly face the Arabian Sea. Kavvayi and the cluster of islands around are worth a visit to chill out.

State-run boats can take you across the islands, but while we were waiting there, I saw some of the local fishermen ferrying passengers across in motor attached thonis.

At a distance, I could see a hanging bridge (a skinnier version of the Golden Gate Bridge) and asked the local boatman if he could take us there.

He said the bridge was damaged and not usable. Disappointed, I hung around for more time listening to the waves hitting the shores and got back into the car.

Where to eat: Bamboo Fresh Restaurant (Payyanur)

It was lunchtime, and since I had read about Bamboo Fresh in the article I mentioned earlier, I decided to give it a try. It was indeed a great choice. We ordered Karimeen pollichathu, squid fry and meals. The food was fresh and yummy. Satisfied, we continued our drive to Kannur.

Drive-in beach: Muzhappilangad Beach (Kannur)

Touted as Kerala’s only drive-in beach, I wanted to see whether Muzhappilangad beach lives up to this claim. After paying an entry fee, I drove straight onto the beach.

I could hear the sound of seashells snapping under my Scorp’s tyres. My initial fears of getting stuck in loose sand soon disappeared as I saw how firm the beach surface was, and I drove the four odd km stretch of the beach, making giant splashes as waves met my car’s tyres.

It was an exhilarating experience. I hung around till the Sun went down, and this provided me with another great spectacle of silhouettes of jagged black rocks sticking out of the water, with an orange sky in the background.

This is one of the gems in North Kerala: Places to visit.

Kerala's only 'Drive in' beach - Muzhuppilangad beach — **Muzhappilangad beach:** Kerala’s only ‘Drive in’ beach.

Muzhuppilangad beach — After a hard day’s work

Parassinikkadavu (Kannur)

Our next stop was the famous Parassinikkadavu Muthappan temple, situated on the banks of the Valapatnam River.

Sree Muthappan is the personification of two divine figures – Thiruvappana (Lord Vishnu) and Vellatom (Lord Shiva). Here dogs are considered sacred and can be seen in large numbers around the temple.

I had heard that, unlike other temples, this temple gave fish and chicken as prasadam – and this is what I wanted to see.

I got to know from locals that every evening (6.30 pm – 9 pm) and morning, they perform Theyyam (an artist who assumes ‘divinity’ by representing God – with men adorning masks and costumes with a riot of colours). Unfortunately, the day we visited the temple, this was not on because death had taken place in the family maintaining the temple.

All devotees were offered boiled beans and tea, and I could also see people queuing up for dinner provided by the temple. Outside the temple was a line of shops selling knick-knacks.

Parassinikkadavu Temple entrance — Parassinikadavu Temple entrance

Line of shops in front of Parassinikkadavu temple

Parassinkkadavu Snake Park

On the way to the temple, we’d noticed Parassinkkadavu Snake Park and had gone in to kill some time. The park houses a variety of snakes and other small animals, and there was a very neatly done snacks bar from where we had some great boosters.

The drink I ordered – cucumber/nannari/lime/honey – did pep up my spirits.

Where to stay: Hotel Mascot (Kannur)

Cleartrip had got me a great deal for my room reservation at the famous Mascot hotel in Kannur. That was a last-minute booking I did, thanks to the recommendation from a friend of mine, and boy was I glad I did that. This beautiful resort is located near the Kannur Cantonment on a cliff facing the Great Arabian Sea.

For dinner, I thought we would try out a restaurant that my friend had recommended – Odhens (also called Ondens?). I located the place with help from Google maps, but on reaching there, I learned that Odhens only serves lunch.

Update: I did manage to visit Odhens during one of my later trips to Kannur. You can read about it here:

https://sampathmk.com/dog-cafe-dosas-more

So we went back to Mascot and had a candlelight dinner, which was fun. Later that night, we slept to the sounds of waves crashing against rocks all night. After a morning swim (in a pool overlooking the sea), we were treated to a sumptuous complimentary breakfast. With our stomachs full, we dragged ourselves into the car again.

Hotel Mascot kannur — Hotel Mascot, Kannur

The shore line of Hotel Mascot kannur — The shoreline of Hotel Mascot, Kannur

Lokanarkavu Temple (Vadakara)

Lokanarkavu temple is renowned for its historical significance because Thacholi Othenan, the renowned martial hero of Kerala, used to come to the temple every day and worship its presiding deity, i.e. Goddess Durga.

The temple gave me a very positive vibe, and I felt at peace as soon as I entered it. I was a bit disappointed that there weren’t any write-ups or displays/ museums detailing the history of this place.

The temple looked its age, and the ceilings had carvings depicting (I presume) the lives of people of that day and age.

Lokanarkavu - the upper temple — Lokanarkavu – the upper temple

Lokanarkavu temple- the lamps — Lokanarkavu – the lamps

Lokanarkavu - the lower temple — Lokanarkavu – the lower temple

Located in Iringal (a pretty little village near Vadakara, renowned resistance of Kunjali Marakkar), Sargaalaya, the Kerala Arts and Crafts village, is an initiative of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. Since they asked for a whopping Rs 100 for taking my camera in, I decided not to. Call me a scrooge, but I didn’t think it was worth it. Plus, as I later found out, they had a ‘No photography’ board put up in most of the stalls. So, paying Rs 100 to take in your camera and not being able to click any pictures would have been plain stupid, don’t you think? That apart, this is a place you must visit to see the traditional artisans in action and pick up some great quality souvenirs. Most of my love went to bamboo crafts and murals.

Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village (Iringal)

Mahe Riverside Walkway

After this stop, we drove through my favourite stretch of Mahe and Thalassery, stopping for a stroll through the Mahe riverside walkway.

I know I haven’t even skimmed the surface of what could be experienced in North Kerala. To really get drenched in the culture, food and history of these renowned places, one would need to spend days slow-travelling, probably on a bicycle. Maybe I will do this someday. But for now, it was time to double up to Cochin, where my family would be waiting.

I hope you enjoyed this post on North Kerala: Places to visit. Please leave your comments below.

Mangalore to Dharmasthala

Posted on October 12, 2015April 2, 2022 by SamTram

This is a brief account of my bus ride from Mangalore to Dharmasthala. Dharmasthala is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, India. The town is known for its Dharmasthala Temple, which houses the shrine of Lord Shiva.

Planning my Dharmasthala temple trip

So there’s this uncle of mine – all of 75 years, single and retired – who spends most of his waking time visiting places. Every morning, he wakes up, gets dressed (he wears only whites – a bit like Obama there – no decision fatigue, you see), takes the first bus that comes his way, and sets off to wherever that bus would take him. No, I exaggerate. He occasionally chooses the second bus too.

While he doesn’t care much for the potential dangers that his adventures may expose him to, his sisters (my aunts and my mother) are a worried bunch until he gets back.

They can put the CIA to shame when it comes to keeping the tab of the man in whites – their use of informers and the latest communication gadgets at their disposal (Nokia 105/ iBall Aasaan 2 White or equivalent) are worth a chapter in ‘Clandestine Service Trainee’ training manual.

Though my mother keeps nagging him about his journeys and advises him to spend the rest of his retired life safely planted in an easy chair (so she could gulp down her heart that had found its way to her mouth, thanks to my uncle’s excursions), I secretly admire the way he lives his life, travelling and meeting people.

How to reach Dharmasthala from Mangalore

Having been softened up by years of a comfortable life, I longed to do a very earthy, basic, ‘rugged’ (and possibly dirty) trip using only my two feet and basic public transport.

In other words, I wanted to be my uncle for a day. So I decided to kick off a series of such rugged trips on a religious note, with one to Dharmasthala.

Dharmasthala, located about 75 km (about 2.5 – 3 hours) away from Mangalore (where I live), is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangadi taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka (That line, courtesy Wikipedia).

If you are into temples and ever come to this part of the world, Dharmasthala is a must-visit temple; the others are Kukke Subramanya, Udupi, Murudeshwar, Kollur, etc. Sringeri and Hornadu.

Bus from Mangalore to Dharmasthala — My ride

Going from Mangalore to Dharmasthala turned out to be a breeze – I just had to take one of the frequent KSRTC Express buses.

So I set out early last Friday, and crossed the fish market to get to the KSRTC bus stand. I got a bus almost immediately, and it was mostly empty, with only about 6 – 7 bored looking fellow passengers on board.

So I got a window seat (which actually gave me a high – the child in me is still alive – yay!) and settled down with a content smile.

The ticket to Dharmasthala cost me Rs 64, and the ride was uneventful, except for some fun provided by a fidgety Malayalee guy who kept asking, ‘Are we at Dharmasthala? Yet?’ every time the bus pulled into a town bus stand.

Dharmasthala Temple

I dozed off for a while and woke up when we were nearly there. I looked back, and that fidgety guy was nowhere to be seen. Finally, the bus conductor informed me that he had got down at Ujjire, about 10-12 km from Dharmasthala. ‘Well, he sure’s going to miss lunch at Dharmasthala temple’ – I thought to myself.

Guest houses for devotees Dharmasthala — Guesthouses for devotees

An old (working) weighing machine in front of a shop in Dharmasthala

The KSRTC buses stop right in front of the temple premises – and are very convenient for devotees.

As soon as I got down, I got into one of the small, clean-looking tea stalls for tea to shake off my lethargy. The walkway to the temple has old, long, multistoried rest houses built for the pilgrims on the right and a line of shops to the left.

Since the instructions said I couldn’t carry my camera inside the temple, I left my camera and bag in the luggage room nearby and entered the temple.

Dharmasthala temple timings: Since the inner sanctum was closed from 11 – 12 pm due to pujas, I had to wait in a Q. After a while, we were let in, and I had enough time to see the deity and say my prayers.

The prasad (for which I had paid Rs 100) was a bag of goodies that included sweetened puffed rice, a sweet powder, raisins, and some appams. So I munched on the appam and made my way to the dining hall. Dharmasthala offers free food and subsidized shelter for pilgrims.

Lunch at Dharmasthala temple

The dining area, named Annapoorna, is huge and generally filled with pilgrims. One has to sit on the floor for lunch, but they have also set aside tables for people who cannot squat.

The meal consisted of rice, rasam, sambar and a side dish – all served hot, topped off with a sweet for dessert. I found the food extremely delicious and wiped my plate clean before walking out a satisfied person. As some of my friends would say – ‘Brahmin khush hua’ (translating to ‘Brahmin is happy!’) – a phrase we say after a satisfying meal.

It is commendable that most big temples (in Karnataka?) provide free food to millions of people.

Things to do in Dharmasthala

Once outside, I collected my bag (no charge for storing the bag, but Rs 2 for keeping my worn-out flip flops safe) and went over to a shaded area where people crowded around the temple elephant.

Give her (the elephant. It’s a she) coins, and she would bless you by placing her trunk on your head. Some devotes offered bananas and got extra blessings while I stayed a trunk’s length away from her.

Dharmasthala temple elephant — I stayed a trunk’s length away from her

Next to the temple is a park, which is well maintained. I clicked a few pictures there and walked over to the Manjusha museum. The way it looked from the outside (too small/ dingy), I did not have high expectations. The entry charge was Rs 5, and to my surprise, the narrow entranceway opens into a large hall, at least 75 – 100 meters in length, filled with exciting old stuff.

There’s enough material in there to spend an hour if you are a history buff. From paintings, idols, cameras, coins, and weapons to personal items used by kings – like ivory brushes, hairdryers, monocles, pens – the museum takes you back in time and is worth every rupee (and more) you paid to enter.

Unfortunately, the building itself looked very old and dangerously damp in places, and I wonder if many of these articles would last for much longer.

Dharmasthala museum — No, not a museum piece. He’s a visitor.

Dharmasthala rathas — Carvings on a chariot

Right opposite the museum is some old chariots (typically used in temple festivals) with intricate carvings. From there, I moved on to the vintage car museum.

On the way, my eyes fell upon a couple of discarded aeroplanes protected by fences. The car museum is worth a visit too, and again, I wasn’t allowed to take my camera inside. Along the way were more guest houses built for devotees.

The road to nowhere. So I didn’t take that.

Dharmasthala car museum — Cabin baggage up to 20 kgs allowed.

I wound up my day trip with another coffee and boarded a bus back to Mangalore.

Thus, the first of my ‘rugged travels’ was done, and I’d become a fan of such trips. I am now planning a ‘Goa on a shoestring budget trip around the end of October, early November. More on that later.

I hope you enjoyed my Mangalore to Dharmasthala blog.

Read all about my budget trip to Goa here:

https://sampathmk.com/an-offbeat-goa-trip

That trip to Murudeshwar

Posted on December 2, 2014October 26, 2021 by SamTram

It was noon by the time we (wifey, sonny and I) pulled into the parking lot of Naveen Beach resort in Murudeshwar. The 150 km drive from Mangalore had taken us along the coast, offering breathtaking views of clean, white sand beaches (like Marvanthe) and backwaters. The ride, though bumpy in patches due to the (never ending) road construction, was enjoyable and had helped me work up a good appetite (not that it requires a lot of working up).

Scenes en route Murudeshwar — Scene en route Murudeshwar

Inside the restaurant, I settled into a chair near the window overlooking the beach and collected my thoughts – specifically the ones pertaining to what I should be having for lunch. While I was doing this, wifey had started doing her thing – reviewing and re-reviewing the menu hoping to find something that matched her current ‘mood’. After a detailed study that lasted 15 minutes, she seemed to have arrived at a decision. She looked at me and said: “OK, I will go with whatever you order”.

The waiters were all huddled in a corner looking rather grumpy, which I suspect could’ve been because we, the only customers at that time, had disturbed their ‘standing-around-idly-staring-out-of-the-window’ time. A fellow appeared shortly, and took my order of rice and fish.

A quick, uneventful lunch later, we stepped onto the beach. As soon as we did that, a bunch of boys encircled us and started selling us boat rides to the tiny, uninhabited Netrani Island nearby. I’d heard and read about Netrani being a great place for scuba diving and snorkeling, but I wasn’t in the mood for that kind of an adventure right now. All I wanted to do was visit the temple, chill on the beach for some time, watch the Sun go down and then head back home. The only way to drive off the salesmen was to agree to buy something, and so I settled for a quick speed boat trip costing Rs 100 per head.

They geared us up with life jackets, put us on a speed boat and revved up the engine. 2 minutes later we were back on firm land – that was the fastest 300 rupee loss I had suffered in entire my life. But on the bright side, the sales guys stopped stalking us, and we roamed around in total freedom under the hot afternoon sun. The beach had indeed become very active and commercialized since the last time I had come here a few years ago.

I wanna run to you... — I wanna run to you…

When the Sun got unbearable, we decided to head to the temple. We took the elevator to the top of the 20 storeyed Raja Gopura. The views from atop the Raja Gopura were amazing, but since the windows were pretty small we had to wait patiently for our turn. The giant statue of Lord Shiva (second highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world) could be seen very well from up there. After going around the temple, we headed back to the beach. We spent some more time in the water, and then started our journey back to Mangalore.

Next time I visit Murudeshwar, I want to try snorkeling and scuba diving at Netrani. Have you been there? How was it / how much was it?

An evening in Fort Kochi

Posted on November 15, 2014April 3, 2022 by SamTram

“I’ve never been to Fort Kochi“, she mumbled, as she sat staring out of the car window, absorbing the scenes whizzing past. My mother spends most of her time indoors nowadays, and I was taking her out on a drive, that I hoped, would be a welcome change for her.

Now aged 72, she had lived all her life 15 kilometres away from Fort Kochi – in the ‘other’ Kochi; the mainland part (referred to also as Kochi or Ernakulam). Yet, this will be the first time that she sets foot in Fort Kochi! It may sound incredible, but I suspect this would be the case with many people living in Ernakulam.

This route we were taking would cover the regular route she used to take to get to her college when she was working. I could see her eagerly soaking up the scenes and the changes time and development had brought about. Occasionally she would recount an old story about a place we just passed. This trip, I could see, was turning out to be a journey down memory lane for both of us!

Down the memory lane

As we drove past Thevara junction, and on to the new Mattancherry bridge, we could see the iconic old Mattancherry bridge, now semi-retired, running alongside us. As a child growing up in the mid 70s and 80s in Kochi, the Mattancherry bridge was a bigger wonder than the 7 wonders for me – for this was one of those bridges that would open up to let ships go across! I faintly remember having seen this in action too – though I can’t be sure. Was it active in the 80? I would need to check on that. I remember us having to wait on the bridge for vehicles from the opposite direction to pass, and when they did, we could feel the bridge (and our car) rock up and down.

Another iconic structure we passed was the huge red beam crane – known to me as the ‘150 tonne crane’. I heard this name for the first time from my father, who used to work in Cochin Shipyard. The introduction of this crane to Kochi skyline was big news, and I remember watching it wide-eyed every time we passed through the bridge.

Another memory that comes gushing up when I think of Cochin Shipyard is that of the lost ship ‘Kairali’. Kairali was docked in Cochin Shipyard, and my father had taken us aboard to visit a friend who was part of the cruise. I remember dangling helplessly on a white rope ladder trying to get aboard (I wonder why they didn’t use the solid detachable staircase). Later we would hear the disturbing news about the disappearance of this ship.

Ooh, ooh – there’s another important one; one related to food. There used to be a restaurant called Tima located in Ravipuram, opposite Deepa Theater. Wait, I got that wrong, didn’t I? Deepa Theater is no longer known by that name – I don’t know what it’s called now. Anyways, Tima was opposite this theater. It is here that the locals got the first sight (and taste) of grilled chicken. That weird machine in which red colored chicken rotated and got slow cooked was a wondrous sight indeed! A crowd used to gather around in the evenings just to see those chicks getting roasted. If they’d sold tickets to let people watch the machine, I’m sure they would’ve collected a decent sum. I don’t see the restaurant there now – guess they’ve demolished it.

Fort Kochi

As my mother and I were navigating through our past mentally, my physical self was steering our car on autopilot mode to Fort Kochi. Fort Kochi feels different from the mainland part, and is a great place to just walk around. Fort Kochi is a haven for creative minds; you can find art everywhere – on trees, walls, cafes, anywhere and everywhere! (Also read: my experience at Kochi Muziris Biannale that was held in Fort Kochi recently).

Creative juices flow through the art-tree!

I parked our car in front of Burgher street, and since my mother finds it difficult to walk for long, I helped her onto a concrete structure (with a ship’s anchor stuck in) overlooking the Vembanad lake. The area was buzzing with tourists (local and foreign), fishermen and street hawkers. I strolled along the concrete walkway that ran along the shore.

Along the walkway, you can find a number of Chinese fishing nets, all of them reinforced with steel rods. Apart from being used for fishing, these nets now also serve as a tourist attraction. I saw the operators letting tourists climb onboard, operate the nets, and get photographed. They were also selling the fresh catch right from there – crabs, lobsters, and fish.

Chinese nets — Now that’s a big catch: Operators let tourists experience the nets

Netted: A family poses for a photograph aboard a Chinese fishing net

When you are in Fort Kochi, you have to make it a point to visit the cafes – Kashi’s art cafe located on Burgher Street is lovely. The line of roadside shacks right next to it is also good to sit around, but I wouldn’t recommend eating anything from those shops – for, even my strong, abused-with-any-kind-of-food tummy revolted after eating a sandwich from there once. But don’t hold that against them – try them too and decide for yourself. Walking around the narrow streets, you will also come across big old bungalows (now converted to offices or hotels), colorful little shops that sell curios, clothes and other touristy stuff.

Kashi's Art Cafe: A popular cafe around here — Kashi’s Art Cafe: A popular cafe around here

Old Harbour Hotel: More than 300 years old!

The Sun was coming down, and so I walked back to where my mother was sitting. The concrete structure where she was sitting was now filled with people; people who looked like they met here every evening. One of the guys had old Hindi songs playing from his mobile, and was discussing the day’s happenings with his gang of friends.

A tourist making sketches as the Sun goes down

As I helped my mother into our car and prepared to drive back, I caught a glimpse of the dark silhouettes of the Chinese nets against an orange-ish sky. Another day had come to an end – a memorable one that had me time-traveling back to my growing up days.

Have you visited Fort Kochi during the Biennale? I got an opportunity to do so a few years ago. Check out the details here:

https://sampathmk.com/kochi-muziris-biennale

Also, check out my Fort Kochi vlog here:

https://sampathmk.com/fort-kochi-cycling

Unique resorts in Kerala: Oyster Opera resort

Posted on August 15, 2011April 8, 2022 by SamTram

Oyster Opera resort is one of the unique resorts in Kerala. Located 100 kilometres south of Mangalore, in a place called Padanna in Kerala, is this beautiful little nature-themed resort called Oyster Opera.

Visit this theme village bathed in natural beauty to get a spectacular view of palm-fringed islands and coastal stretches surrounded by backwaters.

Oyster Opera owner

The resort started a few years back and is still being worked upon, but it is already a popular destination for people looking to get back to nature.

Run by Mr Mohd. Gul and his trained hospitable staff, it is one of the best resorts in North Kerala for a relaxing, peaceful holiday. You can also understand about mussel farming here.

The resort currently boasts around 10 cottages, including a treehouse, a double-storey cottage, and a boathouse. It is also a private island retreat one could escape to, far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Drive from Mangalore to Oyster Opera

I was looking for a resort close to Mangalore to spend a lazy weekend and get some decent food. I figured Oyster Opera would be a great option.

So I drove thru a pothole-filled (some of them wide enough to be called a pond), treacherous 100 kilometres of road from Mangalore (the road signs insisted that it was NH17!) to reach my destination in time for lunch.

Mr Mohammad Gul, the resort owner, greeted me with a warm smile and some refreshments.

Having made short work of the refreshments, I checked into my cottage (named ‘Clam’).

Resort’s Cottages

The rooms in my cottage had a rustic look, the bathroom being fascinating – it did not have a roof!

It reminded me of my engineering college days when we had similar roofless bathrooms. But this one at least had latches for the doors : ).

The cottage had all the amenities for a lazy holiday – a couple of easy chairs, a hammock, backwater views, and a nice comfortable bed (with mosquito nets).

After shaking up all the bones in my body (thanks to the rough drive), it was a welcome relief to settle into the body-hugging, rocking hammock.

I had almost fallen asleep when I got a poke (not the Facebook kind, but a hard one from Manoj, the customer service guy) informing me that lunch was ready.

The food

The lunch was served in the common dining room. The tables were set according to the group sizes, which meant I had no choice in selecting my seat.

The lunch would be served on plantain (banana) leaves – as is done traditionally in Kerala. Mr Mohammad and his crew served us lunch (a welcome relief from buffets, thank God. they Saved me multiple trips to gather food and resultant embarrassment).

It was indeed a ‘wholesome’ meal. To give you an idea of the wholesomeness involved, let me list the cast: Eggs, chicken, quail, a couple of varieties of fish, mussels and lamb.

Half an hour of extreme, perspiration filled flesh-eating later, my stomach gave me the stop signal. So I decided to end the carnage by downing a plate of green, guilt removing salad.

I was stuffed and needed to lay myself horizontally somewhere. So I trudged back to my cottage, with my now football like tummy bouncing ahead and leading the way.

Activities in the Resort

After another hour of hammocking with some digestion-related snorts and grumbles later, I was ready to move around. Manoj suggested that I do some fishing, and under the circumstances, I thought that was the most active effort I could undertake.

He handed me a crude fishing rod and some prawn baits. I spent the next hour fishing. Just when I was about to give up, I felt a good tug.

I reeled the line back in to find this rather slender, small fish attached to my cute, pink prawn bait. I hadn’t hoped to catch any fish and hence didn’t have a plan for the fish I’d caught. I threw it back into the water.

Next up was a group boat ride to a nearby beach. There were around 20 visitors at the resort, and all of us climbed into a boat that took us to the beach.

Tea and snacks were served at the beach. Nothing eventful here (other than the snacks, I mean). It was dusk by the time we returned. Now I had to spend my time somehow till the dinner was ready.

The rooms didn’t have TV, so that wasn’t an option. I hadn’t carried any books either. I was forced to relax in the hammock again. The starry sky above and the noise of water splashing against the rocks transported me to a different zone of mental peace. Bliss!

Needless to say, dinner was wholesomely meat-filled too. The only thing vegetarian I saw was the plantain leaf on which the food was served. Thank God I was not a vegetarian. I retired for the day after dinner. I woke up early the next day to find fishermen on their job already. Some were collecting oysters, while some spreading their nets for fish.

The resort has 2 canoes: a single-seater and a two-seater. I did some canoeing in the morning, and after a while, it was time for me to check out. I’d just had one of the most refreshing short holidays possible.

I did my Oyster Opera booking by calling Mr Gul directly. But you can visit their website or any of the travel booking sites to check out the currently running Oyster Opera resort price.

My Oyster Opera resort experience

So here’s my verdict: Visit Oyster Opera resort in North Kerala if you would like to laze around, have some great food and get close to nature.
What works Great food for non-vegetarians (Seafood and meat), Good recreational activities (canoeing, fishing, swimming, and beach).
What doesn’t: Service is slow, mainly because they are understaffed. Slightly over-priced.

I hope you enjoyed this article about Oyster Opera resort. Please read my other articles about unique places in North Kerala:

https://sampathmk.com/best-places-to-visit-in-north-kerala

https://sampathmk.com/ananthapura-lake-temple

Hong Kong and Macau in 6 days.

Posted on May 18, 2011October 26, 2021 by SamTram

This is a Hong Kong and Macau travel tale

In the mid-90s, I got my first glimpses of Hong Kong – thru the Van Damme movies that were shot there. Till last week, my opinions and perceptions about this place were totally based on these movies. The vivid images of Hong Kong that I had in my head mostly contained drug racketeers, poker-faced underworld kingpins, crime-infested downtowns, narrow crowded streets and lots of seafood. Hong Kong is the last place I would’ve chosen for a vacation with my family.

Planning the trip

Yet I decided to go there this time. It was only because I wanted to take my 7-year-old to a Disney Land, and the closest one for us was located in Hong Kong.

The travel agent worked out a great 6-day itinerary for me – one that included the must-see places in Hong Kong and a day at Macau. (He is an old friend who knows my love for gambling, and Macau is a mini Las Vegas. Before you form opinions about my character, I should clarify that I am not a big-time gambler. Mostly, I do slot machines. When I am at my wildest best, I throw caution to the wind and bet on red or black at the roulette.)

Getting there

Armed with a Lonely Planet guide on Hong Kong and Macau, I took the late-night Dragon Air flight to Hong Kong. Decent late-night dinner and an early breakfast later, I touched down at Hong Kong airport. The plan was to get to Macau directly without doing immigration clearance in Hong Kong, and this meant that I had to wait another 2 hours to take the Turbojet Ferry. Thanks to Wi-Fi at the airport, I surfed the net a bit and tweeted out some wisecracks. Another half-hour was spent stuffing myself with some expensive airport coffee and doughnuts. It was now time to board the ferry. In an hour, the monster boat took us to Las Vegas of the East.

Turbojet Ferry — Inside the Turbojet ferry

Day 1:

My reservation was at the Grand Waldo hotel located on Taipa island. By the time I got there, it was early evening. My first impression of Macau was that it was a tranquil city – not much traffic and not many people around. (Later, I would realize that it was so because most of the people were inside the packed casinos!). A power nap and soda helped me shake away my exhaustion from travel. That evening I explored Macau on foot.

Grand Waldo is located 10 minutes (by foot) from the most famous casinos in Macau – the Venetian. Then there was this huge new casino being inaugurated the next day called Galaxy. I circled Galaxy and got into Venetian. After doing some shopping, I had dinner (fried noodles and baked mushrooms. I forget the dish’s name) at the food court in Venetian. I walked back to Grand Waldo and tried my luck at the slot machines and roulettes. I realized yet again that gambling doesn’t pay. I retired for the day, poorer by around $ 200.

Inside Venetian, Macau — The shopping centre floor at Venetian

Galaxy casino, macau — The brand new Galaxy casino/hotel

Day 2:

Took a tour of the city. I visited Ama temple (the temple with many spiral incense sticks) and the ruins of St. Pauls church. My guide also showed me some old houses that remind me of the Portuguese colony that Macau once was. My next stop was Macau Tower. The view from the top of Macau tower was amazing. Interestingly, they have these sections of glass flooring, thru which one can see the land below. It takes some courage to step on that glass pane. Needless to say, I chickened out. (I wasn’t sure if they’d strength tested the glass for 220+ pounds of pure body fat). One can also do bungee jumping from the top of the tower. Did not try that. Short of time. Ahem.

St Pauls Church, Macau — Ruins of St Pauls Church

Glass Floors at the top of Macau Tower. Scary.

View from Macau tower. It was a foggy day.

The same evening, I took the Turbojet back to Hong Kong. After passing thru a huge line for immigration check (and having got ‘randomly selected’ for additional security check), I got out and hailed a taxi that would take me to Park Hotel. The evening traffic was heavy, and I dozed off a bit. I woke up to the hustle and bustle of Tsim Sha Tsui (TST, Tsimsy as people call it). Now, this was more like the Hong Kong that I had imagined – streets filled with people, neon lights all over. At the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui is an exciting and ideal place to stop when you visit Hong Kong. Getting around is easy, and there’s also an MTR (subway) station nearby. I checked in, had dinner at the Charlie Brown café right opposite to the Park Hotel, and retired for the day.

Day 3:

I explored the city a bit. I also learned to say ‘Good Morning’ in local lingo (sounds somewhat like ‘Jo Son’). Though my travel agent had warned me that locals would not be very friendly towards Indians (and I can understand why, given that we are not a well-mannered lot while travelling), I found them very helpful. There was an instance where one of the locals patiently explained the best route to Avenue of Stars to me, even though he was visibly in a hurry to rush off somewhere. Thanks to me, he missed his bus and probably had to wait another half hour to catch the next bus. By the way, I think every single person in Hong Kong has an iPhone – I got to make some apps in Mandarin/ Cantonese. I visited the Golden Bauhinia Square, the Peak (Peak is where Madame Tussaud’s Wax museum is), and the Avenue of Stars. Later I went to Night Market, did some Indian style bargaining and bought a few souvenirs and gifts. I found Hong Kong very expensive for shopping. That night I saw the Harmony of lights show from Avenue of Stars.

The street across Night Market, Hong Kong

A Local food joint, Hong Kong — A local food joint. Brisk sales.

Golden Bauhinia. In memory of China taking over Hong Kong

Madam Tussauds — Captain Sparrow at Madame Tussauds. As popular as the real one.

Bronze statue at Avenue of Stars. Near Tsim Sha Tsui harbour.

Crowd watching Harmony of lights show from Avenue of stars.

Day 4:

A whole day at Ocean Park. A great place for fun. I got a key chain as a token of appreciation for taking part in a survey. The cable car ride was amazing. So was the burger lunch. Do not miss the ‘Raging River ride.

cable cars, ocean park — Cable cars at Ocean Park. Breathtaking!

Giant Panda: Tired after a hard day’s work? (Read the sign.)

Day 5:

Checked out from the Park hotel. Took a taxi to Disney Hollywood hotel. Checked in. Went straight to Disneyland. Spent the whole day there. A stormy day. Watched the ‘Rainy day parade’ instead of the regular parade. O must not miss the ‘Space Mountain’ roller coaster ride. Back to the hotel after covering Tomorrow land and Fantasy land. Adventure land will have to wait—partial disaster. I went back to see the fireworks. Came back. Slept partially hungry.

Disney Land, Hongkong — Entrance of Disney Land, Hong Kong

Lady in a carousel. How’s that for the panning technique, shutterbugs?

Disney's Rainy Day Parade — Disney’s Rainy Day Parade

Day 6:

Another day at Disney Land. Covered Adventure Land. Back to the hotel. I checked out and took the shuttle to the airport. Night flight back home.

Tarzan's tree house — Tarzan’s treehouse. Adventure land.

Disney's Parade — Another shot of the parade.

It was indeed an enjoyable trip – one that shattered all the false perceptions I had about Hong Kong. Hong Kong is now a place I would love to go back to. What was your experience visiting Hong Kong?