A walk through paddy fields

It was two days off from my work. I drove to Chelakkara to spend the weekend with my family. Our house is situated at Pangarappally which  is a small and picturesque village just 1 km from Chelakkara town. Paddy fields, vegetable cultivation and abundant greenery surrounded by hills makes the village very beautiful.

It was refreshing to see blankets of rice paddies stretching across the landscape behind our home. I wore the traditional mundu and T shirt and walked through the muddy path covered by grass. That  kindled memories that flashed through my mind.  Born and broughtup in Paruthipra village in Shoranur,  our house is also surrounded by paddy fields and a pond in the midst. I used to walk with Ammamma through the muddy path in the morning. It was there where I learnt swimming in the pond.  It was there where I joined  school  for the  1st standard in the near by LP school. It was there where  I grew up writing alphabets on the slate and sung the national anthem.   I turned nostalgic.

I spent most of the time outdoor with my camera.The house was surrounded by trees. I am happy simply to be in the  midst of trees, grateful for the clean air, birdsong and all the green.  

We spotted  a Giant Malabar squirrel sitting on a branch of a coconut tree.

In the evening, we visited nearby temples. Anthimahakalan Kavu, a famous Siva temple is at a walkable distance from our house. Lord Siva in the form of 'Anthimahakalan' is the main deity .

Thus, two days passed. It was time to go back to Kochi. In just two days, the eye strain, the result of hours spent in front of a computer, was all gone.

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Ambling Through Peechi, Kerala

I am sitting alone, a few feet away from the waterfalls. A gentle wind makes the splash of water so beautiful. I inhale deeply the fresh air without mask. And I spend some more time there to soak in this exquisite silence - a great relief during the pandemic age.

Hidden gems have always fascinated me. And a flavor of road trip and adventure are my favorite travel choice .  Fortunately an opportunity came in the form of a fun event organized by Mr.Anoop, who is working in Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.  Our meeting point was Peechi Dam car parking area at 10.00 am.

On a sunny Sunday, I started my drive at around 8.30 am from Kochi. After Pattikkad,  I deviated my route from  the National Highway.  I opened the window of the car to let the cool breeze blow right into the car. When I reached the place, other participants had already reached there. After taking an entry ticket for Rs.20/-  and completing thermal testing, we  started to explore the Dam and its surrounding area. 

And we walked along the Dam to the other side of the reservoir. The view of  the garden from the top of the Dam is amazing.

To the other end, there is a refreshment shop and we had tea and snacks. There is a kids playing area as well. We further climbed up to pavilion . The view of  the Dam, reservoir and forest area from the pavilion was amazing.

We further walked down to the garden. There is a mini power station beside the garden and the water flowing from the project is diverted for irrigation purpose. It was actually a long walk with few halts. Long walks and fresh air is my medicine to beat tension and worries.

We came out of the garden and climbed to the start of the Dam through the steep steps. After a few minutes rest, we came out of the Dam premises. There is a guest house near  the area. The building is built in colonial style and is surrounded by trees and garden. One of our team members had stayed there with his friends and he shared an interesting ghost story that he experienced during their stay.

It was already 2 pm and we headed for lunch in a local restaurant near  the Dam gate. We further drove our car to Kerala Forest Research Institute quarters where Mr.Anoop is staying. We parked our car in the play ground. There was a surprise in store for us - a hidden water fall inside the quarters. We walked through thick forest to reach the falls.

It was a great feeling to sit on the rocks and enjoy the falls.  We further walked towards Orappankettu waterfalls which is a few minutes walk from the main road.

There is no doubt that the Orappankettu, which stretches from rocks and waterfalls offers great opportunity to visitors to enjoy and  for photoshoots.  I found few groups with different age groups engaged in photo shoots. It was nice to see kids wearing red color dresses posing for clicks.

There was a dam like construction to block water for agriculture purpose. Visitors used to bath and enjoy in this pool which is 4-5 feet height. Water from this area  further flows through rocks and I could  see the gushing water falling powerfully in the distance.

We could have very well enjoyed in the pool. As the evening descended upon us, we decided to leave the place and headed back  home.

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