First day VISIT TO PALGHAT BY SELF & SARAS


 A TRIP OF SEVEN DAYS BY SELF (RAMA) & SARASWATHI (VENKAT'S SISTER)

It was a sort of rediscovery in to the past and peep into our rich tradition of Temples and spirituality.

27th  July- The journey started from Bangalore . We left Bangalore by Island express and reached Palghat station at the wee hrs of the morning at 4.30 pm. Drive to Kalpathy from the station was just 10 minutes. The air which greeted us at Kerala was refreshing monsoons fully charged and it was an experience to meet the rains in the verdant Kerala.

We reached the Kalpathy Agraharam, parellel rows of well laid  houses bordered by active temples on either side, one Shiva temple well known for Kalpathy Theru and other known by the name of `Mandhakara Ganapathy, presently place of many marriages and functions.

In fact Kalpathy has been declared as Heritage village by UNESCO.to preserve its antiquity of a typical `Agraharam village.

Kalpathy house

Our house is a typical one in New Kalpathy with  `thinnai, Nezi,Murram,Kudam,Onam kattu with a well and rendam kattu with trees and plants.

 Took an Auto to reach Kalpathy which  is just 10 minutes ride from the station.  My  chitti Balamani stays there, thanks to her the house is preserved though presently she is old and ailing and finds the going tough.
This story is repeated in every other house where all prime members have left as there is  no subsistence in the village surfacing only for festivals while the old cling on . To preserve the agraharam in its old glory is a tide against time and it will require external support.


28th July- Our programmes for visiting the temples and neighbourhood was chalked right away. Mr.Gopalan running a travel agency and a good friend  agreed to be participatory with our travels in Kerala. Hence the going became easy.
Meenkolathy kovil

Meenkolathy amman
After a quick bath and breakfast we left to Meenkollathi kavu at Pallasena 20km off Palghat along with Balamani chitti. It was family kavu for both Saras and Balamani chitti.
It was my family kavu too before marriage and I was familiar with the Devi and the Kovil. Over the years the temple has grown in size from the rustic Kulam and Kovil , mega temple structures are erected with lot many people from Tamilnadu and other places coming to pray.

Going that far we wanted to include any nearby temples and Gopalan recommended `Masani Amman

Masani amman
Masani amman temple
temple at Annamalai in Pollachi.
We then visited the temple, the temple has a large following and is differently structured than other Bhagavathi keshtram. The Ammais a huge idol lying down and it is believed she is powerful in warding off unpleasant elements from our life like `evil eye/buri nazar etc.  

Visiting the temples we were in time for lunch at 2.30 pm . By then the dark clouds had gathered up for a heavy down pour. Later in the evening holding umbrellas we visited the village temples of Lord Shiva and Ganapathy.



         




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