I peered out of the huge French windows, and my eyes beheld the great Arabian Sea. The murky green-blue waters lapped the coast lazily, and fishermen were busy with their boats and the day's catch. I could see as far as the horizon and this gave me the feeling of how small we actually are, in the order of Creation.

         By a stroke of good luck, I  was visiting   the port town of Cochin. Now a bustling an upcoming port town, it holds a position of pride in the the southern most Indian state of Kerala. Picturesque, green,( and I mean very green!!), coastal, lazy, laid-back, bustling, and fast-developing into a major city, this is the ideal place for a person who wants the best of both worlds: a whole lot of nature  combined with folk culture and 21st century urban amenities. Naturally, Cochin, with it's rich past of a Portugese trading stronghold, and modern-day persona, is number one on the tourist's priority list.

          Cochin, also known as Ernakulam, comprises a series of about 27 islands, and each island has something exquisite to offer. The only way to get around is by boat or ferry. For example, in the island of Matancheri, we saw the old Jewish town where the early Jewish traders settled way back in the 1600's. A small smattering of their descendants still continue here, and we had the good luck of visiting the synagogue, still maintaining it's old world charm.

           The limited time I spent in Cochin this time was spent in…..you guessed right! A boat! There is something enticing about this place, that makes one want to linger on here forever. The boat ride  in the backwaters  is something which every person in the world is sorely in need of. Try it once, and you'll know what I mean.  Imagine rowing out, on and on, passing huge ships (from faraway places like Acapulco, Mexico, or Dubai or Europe) and further on into the calming backwaters, where one has only the company of extremely dense coconut groves. Time actually stands still here! Fishermen are active, and with the help of the Chinese fishing nets, they go out into the deep sea in the early hours of dawn to earn their livelihood. For the rest, mending boats and doing small hauls in the backwaters earns them their daily bread. Wearing nothing but a loin-cloth about their waists, these hard working men show a side of Kerala which is actually what this city is all about: shipping and fishing.

            Numerous five star hotels as well as smaller hotels offer a wide range of activities for the tourist. There are several ayurvedic treatments on offer, which is a huge hit with Indian and foreign tourists alike. You may choose to stay in a house boat instead of a hotel, which is nothing but a luxury room in water!

   This picturesque and blessed state has earned it's epitaph as "God's Own Country". Kerala has numerous places to see and visit, which includes temples, churches and mosques.

Do visit Kerala in general and Cochin in particular….it's one of the 1000 places I'd love to visit time and again!

         Yesterday, on one of the sultriest of summer days, we drove down to Vellore. Our mission: to see the grand structure called the Sri Lakshmi Narayani GoldenTemple which today draws hordes of tourists from all parts of the country. From the city of Bangalore, this is exactly 180 kms away, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, and can be done as a one day trip. With the help of a local contact, we were able to locate the temple easily, and purchased our tickets from the ticket counters. For the elderly and disabled, there was a special facility of a wheel-chair, along with an attendant, which we quickly availed of for the senior citizen of the family.
         We left our shoes and our entire belongings, including cell-phone, handbags, and cameras in the car, for we had been told that there was a strict security system in the temple. Our experience started from here. Once out of the car, we literally hopped, skipped and jumped to the main temple gate, for the tar was burning hot and scalded the underside of our feet. To my relief, the entire pathway from the gate had mosaic flooring, and a damp jute carpeting had been provided for tourists to stand on. Luckily the queue wasn't too long, and I later learned that many people prefer seeing the temple by night for maximum effect.

           The entire path to the temple was star-shaped, following the traditional Hindu pattern. The Golden Temple is built right in the heart of this star-shaped pathway, which covers an entire distance of about 2 kms. The pathway is cool, built of marble, and has covered corridors. At each of the "points" of the star, a provision for drinking water and a resting place was given. People looked happy and cheerful with this arrangement, and so did we. It gives great solace to think that clean drinking water is close at hand on a hot summer's day, even though you're not desperate for a drink just then.
          Through the entire walk down this star shaped structure, a marvellous landscaped garden accompanies you. This comprises lush green grass, crotons, season flowers, sculptures, and even a man-made waterfall. We were told that the entire concept of such pleasant surroundings is that a person who is on a spiritual quest, should unburden all his worries and anxieties before approaching the Divine. The huge water body which ran alongside, filled with coins and bangles, was purportedly to rid oneself of negative emotions: water is said to be a great absorber of negative vibrations.
           We were so carried away by the beautiful surroundings, that the heat and hardship of the journey were quickly forgotten. All of a sudden, we reached a sloping plinth which led up our target: the wonderful, extraordinary, awesome and dazzling Golden Temple.
            The Golden Temple of Vellore is built with around 1,400 kgs of gold. Intricately carved, and maintained with amazing care, this temple is the stuff dreams are made of. The founder of this temple, Guru Sri Sakthi Amma, philosophises that a potential devotee will be drawn to God if there is something to attract him to a spiritual place, and hence the concept of this mega valuable temple.
             On reaching the idol of Sri Lakshmi Narayani, we were drawn like a magnet. Call it faith, devotion or sheer attraction, there is something startlingly attractive about the Goddess, an embodiment of Shakti (Durga, Saraswati and Maha Lakshmi). Any religious experience is a highly personal one, and so is this. I had once read a comment on the internet (before my visit) which said, " This must be what Heaven looks like."
             Unfortunately, due to the strict ban on cameras I was unable to click any personal snaps, but am attempting to download a few from the Net, so that my friends get a rough idea about this place.
Truly a marvellous sight, and one of the must-see spots for anyone travelling in South India!

PLEASE VISIT: http://www.trsiyengar.com/id123.shtml   (for pics and a slide show on this place).

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