Close to 10-12 hours of Jugalbandhi, rap singing, yapping, singing, shouting, yelling, antakshari, aimless dancing, corporate games and team building stuff got my vocal chords torn mischievously. I could hardly whisper now. Similar for most others who came alongwith to the Thenmala.
The trip to Thenmala in Kerala, was a magical experience. God’s own country was truly a god’s own country. Having small-time water falls on roadsides, Kerala boasts of more than enough water. A cribbing Chennaite like me would certainly be envious about the water running there. All I could do was to hope that I could carry a train compartment load of water back to Chennai. Some parts of Kerala are still unexplored. Completely wild and untamed. Thenmala is one such destination. One surprising thing, the chaaya you get in every other nair shop there is more or less similar. Great consistency.
The Paallaruvi falls is a nature’s miracle. The water plunging from 80 feet above falls straight on your head with all that speed it gathered on the run and runs down further to end up in the dam. A couple of hours under that could get back your senses. Any time more than that may result in vice-versa. And the steam boat ride with just hills around and water everywhere, transported us to a different world. Not to mention the romatic rain that caught us unaware in the middle of the ride. Imagine, a terrace of a steam boat, hills where clouds hang around upon their peaks, foggy weather in the evening and that rainfall. Shangri-la!.
Thousands of pictures clicked by the entire team. Some ten digital cameras. Couple of camcorders that recorded most of the travel and our silly dance programs. To share them would be difficult. So we finally decided to join all the pictures and the footage and provide a copy of the CD to everyone. Will post some of the good ones in the my photolog.
With two full days of no television, no newspapers, no internet, no blogging and no googling was a moral booster to me. Made me believe that we(especially me) could live even without these things. Something that I wasn’t ready to believe off-handedly. And today morning when I woke up lazily with a berth coffee and the dailies in Chengulpat railway station, it said, Indians had chance of winning against the Aussies. Twenty minutes from then when I landed in Tambaram, I knew we were to be blamed for getting the rain back from Kerala.
kirukkal.com 
11 responses to “Thenmala – Angel’s Shangri-la”
Hi Guru,
Its really nice to know that you had a great time in God’s Place and all that… and yes, you know, I really want to tell you that I feel good for you… I really want to… but …but… OK… here goes – couldn’t you have come back just ONE DAY later??? Ganguly would not have to spend the whole of the coming week crying in bed.
Jokes apart, its nice to be posting here after a long long time! 😉
PS: Did you read my post on The Terminal?
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Hey, making us envious, huh? Next long weekend it wud be Thenmala! waiting for the pics. Kept checking ur blog for this update. Nice to know u had good fun !
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Boss. Accounts settled? Per head how much is the cost. Any do and dont in the trip? And upload photos soon please
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Boss. Accounts settled? Per head how much is the cost. Any do and dont in the trip? And upload photos soon please
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Being a Malayali, I have never been there. Do post some pics.
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Prasanna, Welcome back, after that long break. Will read it and reply back there. as you were aware, wasn’t there for a couple of days.
Latha, Yep. Making you guys envious wasn’t the idea. but I wanted to say that such places are under-explored in Kerala. And you know the kind of wild forests I am talking about. Its as good as Wayanad. Wayanad is on karnatak border of Kerala. Know that place.
Prabhu – Not yet. Will let you know. It wasn’t costly. The ayurvedic resort room which I took was much bigger than my house ;-)Cheaper for that cost.
JK, Will do it for sure
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Hi People,
Has any of you heard “Swades” music?
Wow! I saw one video on TV – it had Sharukh Khan dancing in front of a village group, a “Tent Kottai” set up lighting him. And the music!
The song is “Yeh Tara Woh Tara”
After hearing that song… I felt so happy… its been a long wait for me… after such a long time, I get to hear Rahman’s MUSIC, and not just random SOUNDS.
Guys, get your ears and eyes on that song and video soon.
PS: Seeing the video/lyrics, I guess the story is abt some NRI material staying back in the villages to uplift them… aayth ezhuthu… but going by the look of the film, I am sure this film by Ashutosh Gowariler will definitely have a mature treatment of the theme.
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Prasanna, Looks like you hadn’t seen the Swades review written here. http://www.lazygeek.net/archives/
2004/10/07/swades_music_for_we_the_people.html
You are right. I loved Yeh Tara Wo Tara on the first hearing.
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Wow! I am listening to “Yeh Jo Des” – it borders on divine!
I guess I’ll have to listen to the whole album.
It will be well worth the long wait, I am sure. Rahman, keep up the good work – and yes, pl do stay in SWADES mode for ever….
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lg,
seems like great fun. how about some pics. btw, thanks for bringing rain. Chennai needs it. nevermind the match, now we can say “if not for the blasted rain, we’d have won!”
cheers!
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check this story(its actually blog) about a highly wired writer who spent 10 days in the big city living with the technology of 50 years ago
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/computers/article/0,20967,642505,00.html
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