Yours Consciously Sneha

Category: Travel

Pursuit of Happiness

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life – Omar Khayyam

Some of us live our life by doing what we love and some of us live our life by doing what we are trained to do. The way we live is chosen by ourselves; there may be many reasons on why we chose a specific lifestyle but it all calms down to “Happiness”. All of us strive for excellence at work, eventually, it is for “Happiness”. The things we buy, it is for “Happiness”. The course of events that occurs to us or the planned events-we wish that it leads to “Happiness”. Happiness does not have one definite definition; it is a way of life.

One such way of life I found was in Meemure in Sri Lanka, the first few hours I spent I noticed that everyone looked very happy; their eyes were filled with contentment. As the day passed and Crickets broke the silence, I took a sip of coconut arrack; I asked my host Navaratna Aiyya. I sense a great feeling around here; I have been beaming since the minute I reached. Everyone looks happy, he said we have everything that we need here; we don’t need more than this and hence we are all happy. The next day is a new day again he said, sips his drink and laughs.

Also, read Experiencing the richness of life in Meemure

A murmur of happiness in the air was getting on to me, drowning myself in every breath I was gulping. I could slowly feel the change in myself; I was engulfed in that moment forgetting my existence. I was happy; that is all I can say. I could articulate the way of life they live here, I was part of their meaning for happiness.

Also, read People of Sri Lanka

Most of us tend to forget that happiness is always around us, we are blindfolded by the materialistic desires that we assume gives happiness. In this process, we get into a race chasing happiness and end up in a vicious circle. Instead, pause for a second; live in that moment, enjoy the little colorful life, experience the catharsis.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

February 13, 2018
Areca Nut Farms and their stories in Sirsi

Travelling: It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller-Ibn Battuta

Raindrops are dripping from the concaved mud tiled roof, sky touched palm trees sway along the wind, everyone’s working hard in the fields wearing a unique cap. This is a scene from a Kannada movie called “Nammoora Mandaara Hoove” and this is where I was introduced to Uttara Karnataka for the very first time when I was a kid. The scenes from the movie stamped on my memory and never faded, I had to visit these memories and experience them.

I stayed in a village called Hostota, 36 kilometers away from Sirsi Town at Vihar Home Stay. In a sedate ambiance where silence has its own meaning, paddy fields, and Areca Nut trees encircling the house; in my own solitude, I was embracing the feeling of the stills from the movie that was carved in my brain.

Niranjan Bhat who runs the homestay is an Ayurvedic doctor by profession but he was always passionate towards farming, he left his medical career to pursue his interest in farming. He says he is happier now working on the farm as this is what he grew up with and gives a sense of satisfaction to live the life with trees and birds. The homestay is an alternative income, once in a while I get to meet some interesting people but my priority is towards farming, he says.

He has a great collection of vintage coins and ancient manuscripts made out of palm leaves; he also sculpts Ganesha idol for Ganesha festival in his house, he says it’s a family tradition. His grandfather and father have done this, he is doing it and says his son will carry it forward too.

The food is served to guests exactly the way they eat at home on a banana leaf; the one in the picture here was my first breakfast-Dose, Kai (coconut) Chutney, Chutney Pudi with shengai yenne (peanut oil) and Joni Bella (Liquid Jaggery). Food served to guests here is all vegetarian (Havyaka food as they call it) and vegetables are grown in their organic garden by their house.

I was served chutney made with garlic leaves and cucumber skin, one of the most creative heads with food I have ever met. Nothing goes waste; everything is converted to a splendid dish.

All across Uttara Karnataka, Multi-Crop farming is followed. As the name says, more than one crop is grown in the same field. Areca Nut, Pepper, Cardamom, Cocoa are all grown in the same field; this saves water, land space and also more yield at one go. Although each crop has their own season of harvesting, they work best in terms of preserving resources.

We went for a walk in the twilight to their Areca Nut farm; it was the season for Areca Nut harvesting. The first step is to climb the tree with a rope tied around the waist to hang the Machete and also to pull the other tree to jump on it. Once he is done with one tree, he jumps to another tree. This is the riskiest job in the whole process and there is usually just one person who does this job in about 2-3 villages around. Once the Areca Nut is fallen to the ground, it will be picked up manually and taken for the next process.

After picking up, the orange and green ones are separated. Green ones are peeled as soon as they are plucked, orange ones are sun-dried and then peeled. The Areca nuts are peeled using a specific knife; the outer cover of the nut is removed.

The ladies come from a neighboring village and are paid daily wages along with tea and snacks. They were concerned about me traveling alone and asked me to bring my family the next time, as I took my phone out to take their photo they started to laugh. After a while got comfortable and suggested few places for me to visit around Sirsi.

Peeled Areca Nuts are immediately added to boiling water and is boiled approximately for about 45 minutes. All these steps are completed within 24 hours once the initial process of peeling starts. If there is too much gap after peeling, the quality of the final product goes low. Areca Nuts gets softer once boiled and should be constantly watched and removed at the right time, if not removed at the right time, this can harm the quality too. Once removed, they are dried and sold to market.

The peeled skin of the Areca Nuts are used for mulching around the trees, this helps the soil to hold the moisture and also helps the roots during heavy rains. If not as mulch, they are mixed with cow dung and used as gobar. Yet again, nothing goes waste here!

Niranjan Bhat stirs the boiling pot to make sure the Areca Nuts are boiled at the right temperature and shares the tension about labor not being available off late as they are more attracted towards moving to the city. This has been the same in every village I have visited so far, it continues here too in Sirsi. He tells, how difficult it is to get them to work and how prompt they are with their timings, who would not want to stretch even for a minute if there is some extra work. He mentioned, I guess in few years we will need robots or it’s impossible to carry on with farming.

Most of the houses here have a story weaved in them; Niranjan Bhat’s ancestral house is one of them too. A 200 years old house, it takes 2 people to push the door wide open. The light passes through with high beam and spreads across the house; the strong pillars are holding the roof tighter creating an eternal love story. They moved out from this house as it was difficult to maintain, he took me around the house sharing his childhood memories. I was spellbound looking at the vastness the house offered, the light and fragrance of the wood etch a desire to build a house that shares stories like these.

I lived my childhood dream of visiting Uttara Karnataka in Hostota. I re-lived my dream.

February 6, 2018
Wandering Memories in 2017!

Parties and loud music have never been my favorite thing to do, at least not during New Years. I prefer a quieter one, rather read a book or count stars. When 2017 arrived, I had to avoid invites and hide in a jungle where no one can find me. Instinctive decision told me to go to Sirsi, after a long search I found a place to stay and headed towards my first travel to Uttara Karnataka.

Sirsi

I was introduced to Uttara Karnataka through Kannada movies-misty mountains, tiled roof houses, a unique dialect of Kannada, areca nut trees, mind-boggling caves. These pictures that I had only seen in a movie came live in front of my eyes as the bus window started to cover with white curtains of mist. I stayed in a homestay 40 km away from Sirsi town, welcomed 2017 by counting stars, woke up on January 1^st to birds chirping and went around Areca nut farms to know more about Areca Nut processing. Hiked to a waterfall in the morning and watched the sunset by evening, a calm New Year start.

I then moved to another place close to Banavasi, stayed in an eco-friendly cottage, traveled through those caves that I had seen in movies, relished on Havyaka cuisine. I fell in love so much with Sirsi; I was here thrice in 2017.

Also read: Areca Nut farms and their stories in Sirsi

Highlights: Areca Nut processing, lip-smacking food.

Coorg

Scotland of Karnataka as commonly known, I have traveled lengths and breaths to Coorg multiple times even before I turned to a full-time traveler. It is a commercialized tourist joint now, but a friend and I needed a break and we booked a homestay far off from the town. We hiked around a small forest looking for a water stream, enjoyed the food and rested all our worries in that small forest.

Highlights: Hike to the water stream.

Nepal

The first stamp on my new passport had to be from somewhere new, somewhere I had no expectations from, somewhere I had not really had any dreams set to. All of this was fulfilled when I planned my travels with my father to Nepal, it started dramatically with the flight cancelation. More than 24 hours delay and we were in Nepal, we stepped into this land without any expectations. The warmth of the people warmed our heart, the architecture of the palaces is incredibly beautiful, the stone carvings on the walls are breathtaking, scenic surroundings with river and paddy fields and the food at any corner of Nepal is to die for.

Highlights: People, food, and architecture.

Bhutan

One of the happiest countries in the world, this little paradise has to be on everyone’s list to visit. With their beautiful landscapes covering about 80% of forest, the happiness lies everywhere-in the air, in the leaves, in the river. Pine trees and rivers followed us everywhere, prayer flags swayed with the wind worshipping for prosperity. This country is surely one of the greatest gifts we have.

Highlights: Scenic landscapes, organic food.

Gokarna

Gokarna is one of those places that I can call home, for all those beautiful memories I have spent here; I decided to take my friend who had come to visit me for my birthday. I have always stayed at Om beach, this time I decided to change and enjoy the waves of Kudle beach. We stayed in a place with the view of the beach, few steps hike and there was a private view of the beach. The viewpoints are usually crowded but this one was just for the waves, sun and us. We enjoyed sipping the beer, reading the book and saying goodbye to the sun.

I visited Gokarna twice this year, the second time I did not miss to spend time at my home-Om Beach.

Highlights: Sunset viewpoint.

Dandeli

Whoever is familiar with the word Dandeli, the first thing comes to their mind is rafting. And for me, it’s a different story, we took a bus from Gokarna to Dandeli; the drive through the tiger reserve and the paddy fields was something that I was not aware of in Dandeli. The step paddy field reminded me of the very famous Ubud paddy fields, Dandeli can surely give a tough competition to Ubud. We stayed in a homestay closer to a small town called Joida, amidst the paddy fields and flowering plants that our host had planted for butterflies. My birthday travels for this year, did really end colorfully.

Highlights: Scenic paddy fields, lush green forest, and food.

Kerala

Kerala always happens with a calling from the heart, something that kept me pushing to go to Kerala after my birthday travels. Last year, I had found out about an NGO called Kabani who are working towards Sustainable tourism; I couldn’t go then so decided to go now. Packed my bags and left for Kozhikode in the last week of October to volunteer with Kabani, traveled with Kabani to a village in Wayanad and learned the history of Kozhikode. Stayed for 44 days and all I can talk about is food, this is exactly the calling from the heart and that’s only because of food; food and my heart sync well and that’s where all the calling begins.

Highlights: Offbeat travel with sustainable practices, food.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

December 22, 2017
Experiencing the richness of life in Meemure

My richness is life, forever – Bob Marley

A road that has seen more animals than vehicles, the fragrance of freshly brewed tea brushes my face, a river gushing deep in the woods is so clear like its right next to me, drizzles play hide & seek with sun rays, butterflies are hovering around, there is a creaky noise and the vehicle stops. It was not a dream, I was in a place where dreams got its life, I was in a place where breeze got its wings, and I was in a place where drizzles got its rhythm. I take a deep breath, open my eyes & ears wide open; the driver says, it’s a tea break. I stepped out smelling petrichor and turned to a beautiful view surrounded by wildflowers, I ordered a Tea or Te as they call it and Vade.

Everyone in the van was excited to know I am from India, I spoke to them in Tamil so the kids assumed that I am good friends with Tamil Cinema (Kolywood) actors. They started to pass on their message which they requested me to share with their heroes. They shared their favorite movies, had a little fight amongst themselves supporting their own hero, invited me to their homes, insisted that I should never forget them and made sure that I will pass on their message to their heroes.

Also, read People of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and India are very closely knit as we connect in the stories of Ramayana, when I was at Rumasalla I was told Sita was kept here after Ravana kidnapped her. In the van I met a teacher who showed me the cone-shaped mountain called Lakegala, telling that Ravana designed his airplane on that mountain and flew from there many times to India and one of the times was to kidnap Sita. It is said that he chose that mountain due to its shape which was easier for the plane to take off.

Also, read Sacred Hill in Ramayana

It was 5 in the evening when I entered my host’s house where I was welcomed with pepper creepers and areca nut; I sat in the verandah watching a leech slowly moving and there comes the man in his tuk-tuk. A long grey beard, thick mustache that he maneuvered as he approached me; we greeted with Namaste, he said let’s go for a walk in the village. I was exhausted and asked if we can go tomorrow, he said why tomorrow, let’s go now. I grinned and we started walking on the thick concrete road along the roof tiled evenly built houses, I was introduced to everyone whom we met on the way as India, and they asked if I have come alone. He says yes, he smiles, I smile, they smile and we move on.

This tree is 400 years old, as old as the village he said; also considered as a sacred tree of the village. The villagers gather here for a chit-chat or for any discussions related to the village. Thinking of the number of stories and gossips this tree must have stored in his trunk, I sat under its shade listening to the eerie air that passed by each leaf of paddy. I asked him how many families live here and he said about 120 families with around 600 people. With the rich paddy fields everywhere, it was very evident that paddy is their major source of income but they also have additional crops like beans and pepper. They also generate income from Kitul Honey, honey extracted from a palm tree called Kitul and from Jaggery; some of them generate income through tuk-tuk as well. For the past few years, this village has fallen in the eyes of travelers which are turning out to be a good source of income too.

Mr. Navaratna, 52 years young man, my host proudly says he is the only man who can speak English in the village, in the year 2000 he started to host travelers in his house. His house is a mini-museum with some unique wooden handicrafts and the traditional tools used for farming and cooking; all displayed in his verandah. The food, my favorite episode of this life where I get alive again came to me on the dining table; this was the best Sri Lankan food my taste buds have relished. The spices were glowing in the food; the result of organic farming showed up in every bite I savored.

After our dinner, few boys from the village joined us who shared some of their adventurous stories around the village. They were talking about the hikes and group of people who come to hike on Lakegala, there are also many trails they have discovered through Meemure that connects to another side of Lakegala which lasts for few days. Just a thought of it gets me Goosebumps; that’s how dense and beautiful the forest is. I dropped off my excitement to do this the next time and started to savor the freshly brewed coconut arrack.

A new day begun, I came out of my room to see him sharpening his machete, why do we need this, I asked. We are entering a forest, this is for our safety. I took a gulp of my saliva, rubbed my palms with fear and followed him into the forest. Do you have such forest in India? I said yeah, we do have such forests. Do you have anything like Meemure? Ah, well India is too big and yes we do have such beautiful and remote villages in India too I said. We laughed, it echoed and then a perfect silence. Echoes continued for a while and he stopped to pick up some plastic covers, look how tourism is slowly spoiling the nature. I always tell my travelers not to litter anywhere but there are few locals who come to spoil the place, whined for a while and moved with our echoes again.

We stopped by a waterfall, he says let’s rest here for a bit; I lie down on the rock staring at the sky, thanking the universe for letting me see this wonderful gift given by nature itself. Ah, then there comes my friends’ leeches to play around on my feet, I panicked for a bit initially and then started to ignore and initiated conversations with the trees.

After a while, we stopped at another waterfall, I will have to say; it was straight out of a magical land. I felt like I was in one of those fairytale books where I could smell the fragrance of flowers, butterflies all around me fluttering around, water ripples formed by the waterfall was so inviting to take a dip. I turned around and saw Navaratna Aiyya in a deep sleep; I was in my sleep too with my eyes open. He woke up and says; it’s so peaceful here; I always fall asleep as soon as I reach this place. He also told me that this fall was named after him as he discovered it, but there were few other people who claimed that’s not true. What’s there in a name? I chose to just leave it as is and call it as my “Fairytale dream”.

Our excited Navaratna Aiyya took me to another waterfall where he made me slide and jump, although I am water phobic; he insisted that I get rid of my fears and I did. As we walked back, I saw one of the most amazing sunsets behind the Lakegala Mountain. The colors the sun had left been reflecting on the paddy fields like a mirror, the houses were lit up and I saw farmers still working in the field. We also met a blind man who was working on the road, I was so inspired by his dedication; no one in this village sits idle. If they are idle, that’s only to have a laugh together over a drink.

I was told earlier about zero network coverage in Meemure, except for few landlines in the house. They have electricity that is generated by hydroelectric power only in the night funded by United Nations. There is only one van that operates once a day to and fro from the nearby town called Hunnasgiriya, it’s a 15+1 seater van and about 50 people manage to sit, stand, sit on others lap, hang on the door! Oh, it’s not just people, even their crops are sent by only this van to the town market! Police have never stepped in the village; if there are any problems they solve by themselves. There is one post office that operates from this village and one school that teaches until 5^th grade, they need to go to the nearby village to study till 10^th and then to town to continue further.

I had to pinch myself many times to know if this is a reality; it is hard to believe that a life like this exists. I was wrapped in a magical and imaginary world; there is life in every grain of mud to dew on the leaf. It’s not a village. It’s a LIFE.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

November 24, 2017
A day on a Mysterious Village – Mandaram Nuwara

A mystery is solved with a story-Daniel Handler

Rough roads are always memorable, be it the ride or the destination; they are beautiful. Mandaram Nuwara is one such place that took tremendous efforts to be reached, efforts in the form of research and also to find the commute. A friend mentioned about this village, he said its called a Misty City as it is always covered by Mist. I would like to call it as a Mysterious Village-here is why. I started my research and was mesmerized with the pictures of this Mysterious village, but there were hardly any details on how to reach there. I figured out its closer to Kandy, so decided to reach Kandy first & then flow towards this eye candy. I asked few locals, there was no soul aware of this village. The more it was hard to find out, the more I wanted to go. Finally with some help, I found a blog post that had few details of locals who had visited this village couple of years ago. I couldn’t find any details about the commute so I shut my laptop to hit the road. Perhaps, there are answers on the road!

A traveler friend joined along, we began our hunt towards this mysterious village. We went to Kandy bus stand and figured out the direct bus will leave only in the noon. We did not have much time so decided to go to a nearby town to the village called Padiyapelalla, conductor in the bus was trying to build a conversation, I told him we need to go to Mandaram Nuwara, asking him if there is a bus from Padiyapelalla. He said this bus goes to Mandaram Nuwara, I was literally on Cloud 9; never imagined that road can fulfill your wish so easily. Apparently that was the last bus leaving to Mandaram Nuwara from Padiyapelalla.

The houses were placed like cubes amidst the paddy fields, we were closer to Mandaram Nuwara. This was the first sight we had when we entered the village, the house in the corner was the perfect eye candy. Every house here opens up to a view like this. We were welcomed with loud music, huge speakers were placed on the road, people chilling & playing carom, old men having a chat by the verandah, kids had just finished their school, women shared a startled look at us with a graceful smile. Smile-seems like a common jewelry worn by everyone in this village.

We started to walk around the village listening to Sinhalese music, every few steps we take; we stop to see the view staring at the never ending horizon with a huge floor of paddy fields. I kept thinking how lucky these people are to wake up to such a blissful view. The mountains surrounding the village is called Pidurutalagala (Mount Pedro) which is also the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. We kept walking and stopped over a house for water, a girl came out & asked where was I from, I said India. She immediately said, “Kohli batting, very good; I like it”. I laughed and said yes, he is good!

The Kohli Girl 😉

By the stream in the village 🙂

The kids were all around us, we had a small “body language chat” with them. Like every journey should have an end, this short journey came closer to an end as well. The bus driver & conductor was waiting for almost an hour for us to return to drop us to the town as there were no bus leaving that evening. Both the driver & conductor took us in their Tuk Tuk and showed us a beautiful waterfall, a secret water fall they said! They later dropped us to a nearby town and made sure we got into the right bus to reach Kandy!

Somewhere on the road!

So, the rough roads journey turned out to be one of the most beautiful & memorable events in my life!

Blooming…

Wild Flower

September 12, 2017
Wandering Memories in 2016!

2016 started with full zoom as I knew it is going to be one of my biggest years so far. I had decided to leave my job by then & was very excited to write my resignation email. The excitement was also towards my footsteps on getting into full time traveling & writing. Just like luck can have it, I started my travels in January on Western Ghats-my home.

Into the soul of a Forest: Hulivana

Nested deep in the rain forest, Hulivana is situated on the lap of mountains. Roller coaster Jeep ride through the forest, trek on all the mountains around, view of thick forest, eco-friendly environment, learning about birds & insects, friendly host & not to forget the yummy food. Everything together constitutes this place to be one of its kinds.

Highlights: Only place located in the forest, eco-friendly environment.

Tea & some conversations in Chikmagalur: Megur Homestay

Chikmagalur is always about coffee, that’s not true is what I realized during this visit to Chikmagalur & my stay in Megur Homestay. Situated around acres of tea plantations, coffee surrounded by it, view of Kudremukha/Kemmanagundi, stay in ancestral property which was owned by the locals of Malnad region. Not to forget to mention, of course a visit to Chikmagalur was mandatory when the year starts J

Highlights: Located on acres of tea plantations, local food.

Peekaboo with Nature: Bird of Paradise

A Garden full of Bird of Paradise flowers, Cauvery River passing by, beautifully built tree house, paddy fields view from the window, birds knocking on the door of the tree house, an old house with red oxide & stories to tell, local food. Bird of Paradise named after the flower, located in Coorg; is a place to get a break from city’s hustle & bustle & spot lots of birds while you are watching bird of paradise flowers.

Highlights: Tree House, Local Food.

Sri Lanka

Realization to achieve my dreams happened during my visit to Sri Lanka in 2015 & to commemorate this I decided to go to Sri Lanka for a longer time-a month. I traveled around the Galle Fort to mountains in Deniyaya & Haputale, misty village Mandaram Nuwara to a 400 years old village called Meemure, from a busy town Kandy to a sandy beach in Mirissa. Sri Lanka is one of those places that remain closer to heart, always!

Highlights: First trip for a long duration after quitting the job, visiting 400 years old village.

Sadhana Forest

Volunteering is one of the ways to travel if you are on a low budget, but this concept seemed nicer when you are volunteering to an organization that is giving back everything they do to nature. Sadhana Forest is the first place I volunteered in for 10 days, 70 acres of dry land is converted to a dry evergreen forest which is now home for many animals & birds. There is no one person I haven’t mentioned about Sadhana Forest, it is an experience to stay & volunteer in there. Everyone should visit this place at least once or more 🙂

Highlights: First time volunteering, Vegan environment.

Pondicherry

Our little own France is Pondicherry, stayed in an ancient house in Pondicherry & slow traveled the 3 days wandering around the cobbled streets, watching people cycling like old times, Vespa scooters adding some color on the road, bougainvillea flowers lit up on the streets, colorful row houses, shopping on the streets.

Highlights: French Colony, colorful houses, beach

Karuna Farm in Kodaikanal

While I was looking for a place to stay in Kodaikanal, I happened to stumble upon Karuna Farm & was happy to know that there was a job opening. I was super excited that I could work here & enjoy the freedom of being with mountains; I worked here for 2 months & 8 days watching the same mountains every day that looked different each & every moment when I looked at them.

Highlights: Eco-friendly environment, Community living.

Maharashtra

Stayed in Mumbai for a while to catch up with few friends & then headed towards Matheran as I heard so many good things about this place. Matheran is the only eco-friendly hill station in Asia; commute is only by horse or by walk. Words wouldn’t give justice to describe Matheran, everywhere you look you can see lush green mountains & waterfalls running through.

Panchgani, another hill station around the Western Ghats is another beautiful sight where it has table land & Asia’s second largest plateau.

Highlights: Western Ghats tour, an Eco-friendly hill station.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad was my dream place to visit since the day I saw a scene in a Telugu movie. Finally, I could visit as a friend was getting married; it is pretty much like any other city but carries a very nice vibe. The food was mind blowing; I sipped coffee at Minerva, glittered in the colorful streets of Char Minar & loitered in Golconda Fort.

Highlights: Food, Historical monuments.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

April 8, 2017
Things to do in Haputale, Sri Lanka

Never despair, keep pushing on – Sir Thomas Lipton

I got down from the bus reminiscing incredible views of the forest I had through the journey, I was waiting for a Tuk Tuk & it was drizzling. I got into the Tuk Tuk covered by plastic sheets both the ends blocking the view; I asked him if he can fold it up. He said yes & I am so glad he did, the trees were shining with the dew on them & clouds just clearing up were a treat to watch. That was a ride from Beragala to Haputale, there are lots of abandoned coffee estates too, and coffee was a major crop here until blight made them switch to tea.

Lipton’s Seat

Sir Thomas J. Lipton acquired Dambatenne Tea estate as he was mesmerized by the view & also with the quality of the tea at the estate. He was an entertainer & would serve tea to the tourists when they visit the estate & enjoy the view; later the place was named as Lipton’s Seat. The view opens up to 4 districts: Galle, Udawalawe, Nuwara Eliya & Uva Province. You can either chose to walk through the tea plantations or hire a Tuk Tuk to reach Lipton’s Seat, both ways it’s a treat to eyes.

Also, read Cloud kissed mountains, Evergreen Forest & some creative energy @ Artist Cottage

Colorful rows of houses can be seen after every few meters & there is a temple in each colony amidst the plantations, these are called line rooms built by British for the workers they brought from India. It was enchanting to see the mist covered plantations early morning, tea workers getting ready to start their daily routine with their colorful attire; that almost looks like cherries on the plantation & most importantly ever smiling people that I met on the way.

I met these 3 ladies, Papati, Aarayi & Valarmarai who were preparing tea in a huge pot. I went to them and said I can speak Tamil too, I am from India. They were just so happy to see me and my bangles, haha yes my bangles & my anklets too. They said they feel really nice to see a girl in bangles and anklets. They asked me to wait as they wanted me to taste the tea they were preparing; it was a huge pot that was getting prepared for all their co-workers/friends. They were also kind enough to show how the tea leaves are cut made me wear their hat & taught me how the whole process works. They were saying India is way too developed, you may not be having people working to cut tea leaves; I laughed & said we are as good as siblings who are running at the same pace.

Bambarakanda Falls

That’s the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, Bambarakanda Falls at the height of 263 meters surrounded by pine forest. Vehicles are allowed only till a certain point; in just a few meters of walk through the pine trees, you can hear the water roaring high up from 263 meters.

Lanka Falls

Hike to this fall was a super short one & still scary through the slippery pine tree leaves. Leaches sucking blood on you, the roots you try to hold to climb up breaks & we finally still made it. As we walked closer to the falls, this pretty much looked like a dream I was walking in. Once you are out of the Pine forest, you will enter into an engraved path through lush green mountains & at a distance, you will see the fall. It is called Lanka falls because of the shape of the pond where the water hits the ground, that is naturally formed through rocks looks like a map of Sri Lanka.

Train from Haputale to Kandy

I keep mentioning this very often, train journeys in Sri Lanka are definitely not worth missing. The most popular one is from Ella to Kandy; I covered this on my first visit to Sri Lanka last year. This time I took a train from Haputale to Kandy; this has been so far the best journeys I have been in. The train passes through Horton plains National park, the dense forest & waterfalls that looks like milk has been poured from the sky, Heaven is all I could say!

Another famous thing to do in Haputale is to go on Tea Tours, I didn’t go on this as I come from a place who is one of the largest producers in itself & have attended many such tours 🙂 Mr. MBC Premalal can take you around, he is a retired postmaster who is now riding a Tuk Tuk to fund his children’s education, he can be reached at 0710594189.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

December 23, 2016
Cloud kissed mountains, Evergreen Forest & some Creative energy @ Artist Cottage

What you seek is seeking you-Rumi

I crossed from one mountain to another mountain, from rain forest to evergreen forest, from one form of solitude to another. At the elevation of 3000 ft as I took my first step on the ground where rain had just danced & the clouds were slowly clearing up, I was welcomed to Artist Cottage. Vipula Perera, a textile engineer by profession & drawing has always been his hobby since he was a kid. After spending years in Japan & USA, he returned to Sri Lanka to spend time in his home country after retirement. Also got influenced by the art form both in Japan & USA, Vipula continued his passion towards drawing & now has developed his niche in line drawings.

While looking for a place to build a studio & practice his drawings somewhere close to nature, he found this beautiful piece of land in Beragala Mountains, Haputale. Landscape architecture has also been his hobby where he has created some brilliant places in Sri Lanka & California. This place seemed like an ideal place to build a studio & a getaway retreat; he also came up with an idea to invite artists from all across the world to work or even conduct workshops that would benefit each other as artists. That’s how the two beautiful cottages came up with the view of mountains & the weather here stays cold all through the year 🙂

It rained most of the days that I stayed here, I tried to be indoors which is unlikely me but the cottages & the view from those French windows were just more than beautiful to just let them go. The view from the cottage kept kindling me to continue with drawing that I had stopped long ago, cannot even remember when! Oh yes, I did start drawing again.

Yet another place that served delicious Srilankan food cooked by a local family entangled me to stay even more in one place; eat & stare at the mountains.

One of the days, when the clouds cleared up I decided to walk up the hill & ended up near a Tamil school. We call it Champa & the English name is Plumeria, the place was filled with the fragrance of this flower, on the ground, on the tree & decorated everywhere. This definitely looked like a kid’s art; they were peeping from their classroom & finally came out to talk to me. I conversed with them in Tamil & also with their teacher and then they posed for a picture. I tried to visit those kids until I was there, shared some giggles, spoke to their parents & also shared some laughter with their grandparents.

Those mountains, that cloud, this tree, hey butterfly, hello bird, they were all to myself; this is how I would converse with them. After some extensive traveling & socializing, I had to rejuvenate myself being in solitude around these beautiful creatures. Chugging up in the blanket, sometimes I would draw, read & write, sometimes sit still & let my brain fight with all the thoughts that’s been bothering me, if I don’t find a solution then I would start staring at the window on how clouds come together to let the rain dance, feeling the soft sway of breeze through my hair, looking at few birds screech while flying through the rain, and when the rain stops dancing the clouds slowly clear up to show how beautiful the sky is.

Do read about Things to do in Haputale

What if all these beautiful creatures are having a conversation to create this beautiful pattern, What if the mountains & trees send these clouds to pass messages on to the flip side, What if the rain & beautiful sky were just to celebrate once the messages have been reached 🙂

*I was hosted by Artist Cottage, would you like to have a conversation with nature too? Then pop in soon!

Blooming…

Wild Flower

November 22, 2016
A Guide to Galle & Unawatuna, Sri Lanka

Traveling: It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller-Ibn Battuta

This pretty city Galle situated by the shores of Indian Ocean at the southern most part of Sri Lanka still holds the charm of European styled buildings, cobbled stoned roads, red tiled roofs, flowered pots in the veranda & a fort built by Dutch takes you back to centuries of years when Portuguese & Dutch had stepped to Sri Lanka in 16^th & 17^th century.

Things to do in Galle

Although there isn’t anything specific or a huge list to be covered, a walk in the fort in itself is on the topmost things to do. Galle has been so far the quietest city I have been to in Sri Lanka, most of the old buildings have now been converted to either cafes or restaurants or a fancy tourist shop. There are high chances to be lost while walking around the fort as most of the buildings look similar, but getting lost will always take you to something better 🙂

I got lost once & this is where I ended up with the colorful Tuk Tuk’s lined up & colorful flowers hanging from the pots looked like they were made for each other.

The Old Dutch Hospital which was built by Dutch as a hospital back then is now used for dining & shopping. Totally worth a visit if you are a foodie & a shopaholic like me 😉

There is a spectacular view of the cricket stadium from the fort, suppose to be one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world.

I also relished walking at the edge of the fort, watching the couples romancing under the umbrellas & hearing the silent waves kiss the shore. Water was as clear as the crystal & as blue as the sky, I sat here staring at the ocean for quite a while listening to all the life lessons they have been teaching.

Waves roar towards the shore,
saying be wild & free.
Wind whispers in my ears,
saying be wild & free.
Sun shines over my spine,
saying be wild & free.

Things to do in Unawatuna

Unawatuna is in the suburbs of Galle, a major tourist spot for its well known beach. I first landed at this sacred hill Rumasalla in Unawatuna where every plant/tree has some medicinal value. Tales of Ramayana flies around every part of this hill as this was one of the broken part fallen when Lord Hanumantha was carrying the Sanjeevani hill from India.

Japanese Peace Pagoda is located at a beautiful spot which has the views of the ocean, it is meant to shred Peace & the oceans across pours more shine to stay peaceful! At the entrance, there is also a statue of Lord Hanumantha as the tale in Rumasalla runs around him.

Jungle beach, this beach reminded me of Leonardo’s movie “The Beach”, from the walk to the beach till I reached the shore; the stills of the movie kept running in my head. It was my first time ever to walk alone in a secluded place & it was totally worth it. I witnessed one of the best sunsets as I was walking back from the beach.

Unawatuna beach is a little too crowded for me, although there are many restaurants if you would like to just go grab a beer & watch the ocean. That’s what I did 😉

Where to stay

Kikili House

Located in Galle & few minutes’ walk away from the fort; It’s a painting by itself, every step you take is filled with colors that tickles all over your body from head to toe, their quirky kitchen and the food served is a treat to your eyes and the stomach. Read the full post here, to stay at Kikili House they can be contacted through their website.

Silva Tree House

Located between Galle & Unawatuna on the sacred hill Rumasalla, a glass house with the view of forest and my favorite is their bathroom with the view of ocean & forest J 15 minutes Tuk Tuk ride from Galle & a few minutes’ walk to Japanese Peace Pagoda, Jungle beach and Unawatuna beach. Read the full post here, to stay at Silva Tree House they can be contacted through Airbnb.

Where to eat

There are plenty of options to eat in the Galle Fort & Dutch Hospital; I ate this yummy brinjal meal served on a leaf at “A minute by Tuk Tuk” & a drink at the “Hammock Café & Pub”. Hammock Café & Pub as the name says, where you swing on a hammock & chill with a drink.

Otherwise, for a cheaper option, there are lots of street foods available at every corner of the road with yummy rolls, vade’s & kothu parathas.

How to reach

Sri Lankan railways are very well connected to all the major cities/towns; there are trains from Negombo/Colombo to Galle. This whole journey is on the coastal route, it feels like train literally is floating on the ocean. Check this link to track the schedule of the trains in Sri Lanka.

If you do not wish to wait for a train, there are plenty of buses as well from Negombo/Colombo to Galle.

Bikes for rent are available too in most of the areas if you would like to travel around by yourself.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

September 24, 2016
Devrai Art Village – Where Art blends with Nature

The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke – Jerzy Kosinski

Dating back to thousands of years, India holds rich heritage in many art forms. One of them is Dhokra, which is being practiced for more than 4,000 years originated in West Bengal and now is practiced in most of the regions in India.

As much as most of our art forms are still practiced but hasn’t been recognized & rewarded as they deserve to be, they are slowly becoming extinct. Dhokra which is also widely practiced in Gadchiroli faced a major threat of naxalites that affected the adivasi craftsmen’s work to pursue it effectively.

Under an old Ficus tree an idea was seeded in 2008, which has now grown up to be Devrai Art Village an NGO in Panchgani that has created a platform for these craftsmen by nurturing their art work. Ms. Mandakini Mathur, founder of Devrai Art Village partnered with Mr. Suresh Pangati who is a craftsman by himself forming a creative set of team of adivasi craftsmen from Gadchiroli & Chhattisgarh.

Panchgani in Satara District in Maharashtra which is located on the Sahyadri mountain ranges is very well known for table land which is also the second longest mountain plateau in Asia and their strawberry farms. Stunning views of small hamlets in the alley, lush green paddy fields, Karvi flowers just starting to bloom and the still green mountains surrounding the whole town adds like glitters to the beauty of Panchgani.

Speaking about Dhokra, it is an art form that uses lost wax casting where a metal (Brass, Silver, Gold, etc) sculpture is formed using a mould which either can be made of wax or clay. I spent most of my time in Devrai by interacting with artists watching them manoeuvre their hands to form beautiful sculptures under the old Ficus tree.

Once in 15/20 days casting process takes place and I was lucky to see this as it was in progress on the day I reached. Shankar Nag, one of the artists explains how casting takes place. Every sculpture is shielded by mud that forms a mould and heated up for about 3-4 hours, at the same time brass is boiled for about 3-4 hours. Once the mould is heated, brass is poured and allowed to cool for a while before it’s broken & taken to the next process. As the process in itself was such a beauty to watch, I was also drawn to just stare at the fire & the boiling brass.

Once the mould is broken, the next step involves cleaning & providing the final touch.

The sculpture is heated again to dip in Potassium Permanganate & the last step is Buffing! Entire process would at least take about 2 weeks to get the final product.

Rock Dhokra is a new feather added to the traditional Dhokra art, one of its kinds which were invented at Devrai. I spent some time with Suresh to understand the process of Rock Dhokra. Stones are picked by the river, based on the shape of the stone artists decide on what sculpture can be formed. Artists design the shape around the stone using bee wax; it is then moulded with mud (brought from Gadchiroli) and heated. Suresh says, there were many challenges when they started Rock Dhokra as the brass needs to be heated at the right temperature. A slight variation in the temperature can also cause damage to the sculpture which adds to more work on the next process.

This piece was made using a wooden bark!

Devrai Art Village also offers workshops for who is interested in learning the art form, internships for the art & design students, they also have apprentice from the adivasi community who learn the art form to make their living.

Let Devrai grow as mighty as a tree along with many other art forming branches leading to fruitful artists! If you would like to buy their art or contribute to Devrai please visit their Facebook page or check out their website.

Devrai Art Gallery!

2 years ago Mathur’s family extended their house with an intention to form a likeminded community by hosting creative set of people like artists, writers, designers, etc. Different species of trees, ponds filled with lilies, birds singing all day, beautifully built house with the view of valley, gallery displaying their art work, super friendly dogs & a warm family with creative minds makes your visit more peaceful & comfortable. If you would like to stay at Devrai, you can find them at Airbnb.

That was my view, reading & writing spot for 2 days at Devrai Art Village.

If you are in Panchgani in September, make sure to be part of Karvi Festival which is an Art festival in harmony with Music & Nature. They have live bands performing in a cave & nature trails organized witnessing Karvi flowers that bloom once in 8 years.

*I was hosted by Devrai Art Village.

Blooming…

Wild Flower

September 13, 2016