THE PYROTECHNIC EXPERIENCE.
Vibrant India is an epic cocktail of many cultures which span the entire length and breadth of the country. Though the idea of India abroad is holy cows and elephants and mystic shamans in crowded streets and thin alleys, there are places to go, sights to see and cultures and traditions to experience in our very own country that will surprise us way beyond belief (sometimes putting other cultures to shame).
For some souls, India is every traveler's dream destination because of the age old tradition living and breathing in the fast changing world and for those who seek to assimilate different cultures and traditions that build India, there are numerous festivals and fairs happening all across the country which has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime to understand that incredible India is unbelievably more than just cows and elephants.
This journey is one such experience.
1386 kilometers - 7 Destinations - 4 Days - 1 Unforgettable Ride.
Day 0 - 28th of February 2015.
4 am. Rohith (a.k.a Dope Boy) calls me from Kerala stating that the Biggest Fireworks Festival in all of Ernakulam has started in Maradu region of Kochi; and that was it, I couldn't sleep. The excitement started kicking in. I rolled like a dog, but still couldn't sleep. After having hopelessly glared at the photos from our previous ride looking for inspiration for a solid half an hour, I started sketching out a rough itinerary for our ride.
4.30 pm. After having heard stories of the festival; me, Isaac (a.k.a Icy) and Anand (a.k.a The dog lover) were the first ones to exit the office. 7 pm. Pruthvi Raj (a.k.a Crazy cousin) joins in and the four of us started riding towards God's own country by bidding adieu to our dear friend Mithun (a.k.a Malabari) who wanted to ride with us so badly but couldn't make it due to some complicated unexplainable stuff (I think he was smuggling illegal marijuana into Netherlands).
We were to reach somewhere near Pollachi and reaching there was an effortless cruise due to the NHAI paving an international grade road for the entire stretch. We landed at a local tea shop at 1 am the next day, filled our half rotten bellies with human food and invigorated our senses with a whiff of our favorite beverage - A hot cup of tea. 2 am. The shop owner was kind enough to let us sleep on the terrace of the house. He even provided us with two king size bed sheets. No words for the guy, just RESPECT. And we crashed.
Day 1 - 1st of March 2015.
We were all pumped up as those professional wwe wrestlers because the next stretch of the road was "PURE RIDER'S HEAVEN" - The Pollachi - Valparai - Chalakudy highway. This route is possibly the ultimate monsoon ride in whole of the country. This exotic boulevard is covered with some of the best cloud forests, tropical rainforests and evergreen forests in the nation. No wonder it is rated among the "Top ten best motor biking routes in India".
Caution : If you are afraid of animal confrontations, do not take this route. Wild animals ranging from simple grass eaters to terrifying predators roam free throughout the forest.
We started entering this turnpike which has innumerable stunning waterfalls, dams and reservoirs as early as possible after providing the required credentials at the reserve forest check post (to pass on the information just in case if we became animal food). We cruised along those untouched virgin forests until there were a few minutes in rapt silence with nothing but the sound of the gurgling water on the rocks and the mini waterfall. Monkey falls awaited us. Sitting under the pouring waterfalls was nothing more than relaxing and refreshing. After spending around a couple of instances at the falls, we kicked off to wander about those unforgiving forests again.
Running along the river chalakudy at times, at times between tea gardens and along those "40" (yes!!! 40) hairpin bends, this route is one among the most beautiful and picturesque down south. The famous Athirapally and Vazachal waterfalls can be spotted along the route. It's like riding in heaven considering the vistas and those dazzling aesthetic locale. The only things that were missing were those dancing beauties and angels playing harps, otherwise, it was pure heaven.
I almost forgot, we did have a few animal confrontations.
Note : Reach Vazhachal division central circle check post before 5 pm (entry is prohibited after 6 pm). The stretch until the next check post is 70 kilometers and the time permitted is 2 hours. If you want to enjoy the unexplainable beauty of the forest, you may take an hour more. If asked, say that your vehicle broke down. Beware of animals.
10 pm. We were in Chalakudy before we called it a day.
Day 2 - 2nd of March 2015.
8 am. We had to leave Thrissur early because of the curfew (it's a common thing there). Reached Maradu by 10:30 am to get greeted by the infamous dope boy himself. It's nice to have some good friends all over the country. You get to stay and dine for free (everything tastes awesome when its free).
We still had time until the skies filled with a visual treat, so we planned on tickling our taste buds with some authentic Kerala food and gimmicked to chug a beer like a boss. The option of indulging in beer was completely ruled out by seeing 6.5 million people at the local bar. The queue was longer than the metro train. It was like half of Kerala's population had come down to drink beer (literally). The moment we thought nothing good was going to happen, "Malabari" sends us a location. It was a setting fit for the Gods. The backwaters, the local boats, the view of the speeding train on a bridge, the birds chirping, spiciest Kerala cuisine and "TODDY" (the local moonshine). What else could have we asked for??.
6 pm. We were back at Maradu.
As many cultures draw dying rasps of breath, it becomes extremely important to appreciate the concerted efforts made by certain communities aimed at reviving and preserving them. "Thalappoli Maholsavam" is one such festival. Otherwise known as "Maradu Vedikkettu" or "Marattil Kottaram Baghavathy Kshethram", it gives the panoramic visual of Kerala's skies to appear all in its colorful glory.
The festival is visually dynamic and especially appealing considering the colorful extravaganza which is displayed in the night skies. The estoric dance of the fireworks was more mystical in reality than the pictures promised or the stories heard. It was a fascinating, ecstatic and enchanting experience which willfully missing would be a crime. Just being there was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Aptly, it was "100℅ pure unadulterated kickassness taken to the level 17000". Enough said, see for yourself.
Day 3 - 3rd of March 2015.
1 am. We went on to do some research about the festival and found out they had spent around a cool "15 whooping crores" of sweet sweet money for it. What looked like a war zone filled with landmines, was actually the place where the earth was dug up to place large firework casings . We had never seen anything close to this before. Each and every casing looked like a canister with a cannon sized opening. It was scary and exciting at the same time. It was humongous. This is how it looked.
2 am. The power-packed musical performances started revealing the art and culture of Kerala. I don't know what it is called, but I do know that it was just EPIC. It displayed a military style procession, but the fire torch and glaring red fireworks held by the rebel look-a-like upped the coolness ante. We just stood there for 2 hours with the broadest smiles on our faces thinking "all the other kinds of music can go take a hike".
4 am. The fireworks started again. Witnessing it for an other half an hour, we crashed to get our beauty sleep.
10 am. Bid goodbye to dope boy and we found ourselves on the national highways yet again. This time it was towards the largest backwaters that India could offer - Alapuzzha a.k.a Alleppey a.k.a Venice of the east. Alleppey connected with other places has this 250 odd kilometers of backwaters snaking around with unbelievably picturesque canals, beaches and lagoons.
12 pm. We hired a private boat and set sailed to witness the breathtaking scenery, pristineness and the serenity of the backwaters that Kerala had to offer. The land of Ayurveda is the perfect getaway from the maddening crowd. Be it the tranquility of the Vembanad lake (longest lake in India), the magnificence of the lush greenery, or the leaning coconut trees, nothing beats the stress like sailing in a private boat in Alleppey. I don't know whether we were high on the surreal landscape or the local dhaaru (Toddy), it was like trance redefined. Guzzling moonshine in the comfort of the houseboat in the middle of the backwaters, it was pure paradise. Take a look.
5 pm. Remember "vinnai thaandi varuvaya"??, remember the church ??. Getting to this place is not an easy task. It took us around 45 minutes from Alleppey to reach this place. It's called as the "Big Church". The architecture and the way it looked, took our breadth away. Entering the church was reviving and soul cleansing. With a several instances of peace of mind, it was time we left for Guruvayur.
Day 4 - 4th of March 2015.
This day actually was a bummer. Not because of the places we went, but because those places were not the same as I had seen them before. 4 am. We were the first ones in and out of the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple ((we riders are not bakth material, but we never miss a chance to go to places of worship (temple, church, mosque, gurudwara - doesn't matter) that happens to be enroute)). Referred to as the "Holy Adobe of Vishnu on Earth", this place was magical and blissful. The sight of Lord Krishna still fills my eyes even today.
We wanted to take the route which crossed 3 states - Kerala - Tamilnadu and Karnataka. The route plan was Guruvayur - Gundlupet - Masinagudi Tiger Reserve - Bandipur Tiger Reserve - Bangalore. This avenue was no less greener compared to the Pollachi - Valparai - Chalakudy highway (the last time I went 3 years ago). I thought I would be riding along the same good old route again, but we were thoroughly disappointed because "Dry as a Desert" was the name of the game.
They say no road is bad when you have good company; it came true in this case. Bone dry forests were no good. Yeah we did have a few animal encounters but the joy of riding with the craziest bikers kept us going. Nothing interesting happened until we hit Kollegala. Ever seen a kid's eye go wide with amazement when they see something cool, new or shiny?. That's what happened to us. Life threw a sparkle of delight for our eyes. No it was not the beautiful girls but the act of ferrying our vintage rides across the river Cauvery due to a bridge construction along the Kanakapura highway. We had two options of either riding around Kollegala for a 40 kilometers radius or ferry our bikes across. We chose to cross the river. I have to tell you, it was pretty damn awesome.
9 pm. We were back at our homes. Having learnt something new, having bonded more with our bikes, having become better riders, we had another great experience for our list.
Next ride very soon. Until then, ride hard ride safe !!!!!.
You may like my other posts as well. Check it out at ridesntreks.blogspot.com
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