Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Extinct Punalur-Sengottai Meter Gauge

The Punalur-Sengottai Meter Gauge ghat section was one of Indian Railway’s most beautiful routes. This meter gauge section became extinct on 20th of September 2010. I got a chance to travel in this route on the last day of its journey. This was the last meter gauge railway line in Kerala. Now it has became part of history.

This railway line runs very close to the nature. You can enjoy the scenic beauty to its maximum. It took almost two and a half hours for a 49 km journey. But you never feel that you’ve travelled for this much time. The Punalur-Sengottai passenger has seven stops in between.

Punalur-Edamann-Ottakkal-Thenmala-Kathuruthy-Edappalayam-Aryankavu-Bhagavathipuram-Sengottai

The Kollam-Sengottai Meter gauge line was conceived and implemented by Great Maharajah Balarama Varma I (Uthradam Tirunal) of Travancore. The inaugural run was on 1 July 1904. The meter gauge line from Kollam-Punalur became extinct on 30th April 2007. And now the line from Punalur-Sengottai has also became extinct leaving behind no meter gauge lines in Kerala.

It’s difficult to take pictures during such an awesome journey. It’ll ruin the enjoyment. Moreover it is difficult to shoot on a running train. But I managed to take some photos and videos for those who missed this opportunity. Here are a few of them:

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Thursday, September 2, 2010

കായംകുളം ജലോത്സവം (Kayamkulam Jalolsavam) 2010

A boat race was conducted in Kayamkulam lake on 28th of August 2010 as part of initiatives to bring Kayamkulam to the world tourism map. Kayamkulam was once the commercial hub of Kerala. Kayamkulam Jalolsavam was conducted to bring back its lost glory. There are two versions as to how Kayamkulam got its name. Some say that Kayamkulam got its name from a portmanteau of two Malayalam words - kayam (sap of a spice tree) and kulam (pond) while a more reliable version is that Kayamkulam got its name from "kayal" (lake) and "kulam" (pond),since the Kayamkulam lake (Kayamkulam kayal) is as shallow as a pond (a bit exaggerated). Kayamkulam is well known for its coir, fishing and tourism industries. One of the largest power plants in Kerala, run by the NTPC, is located in Kayamkulam. Kayamkulam is closely associated with the legend of Kayamkulam Kochunni. He was a famed highwayman, active in the area known as Central Thiruvithamkoor, in the early part of the 19th century. He is said to have stolen from the rich and given to the poor (like Robin Hood). Legends about his exploits are part of the local folklore.

Thousands of people witnessed the Kayamkulam Jalolsavam 2010 on the banks of Kayamkulam lake. All the races had a very close finish. People had to wait till the official declaration of results to know who had won the race. The event was a huge success in terms of participation and spirit. A total of nine snake boats and several small boats participated in the events. 'Paipad Chundam' turned out to be the winners of Kayamkulam Jalolsavam 2010. You can have a look at the boat race and the associated events by visiting the below links:

Kayamkulam Jalolsavam 2010 - Anxiously waiting for the final result


As part of the boat race, several cultural competitions were organized in different categories. Also a Mimics Mega Show lead by Tini Tom and Guinness Pakru and a musical extravaganza lead by Rimi Tomy were organized. You can watch part of these events by visiting the below links:



You can also see some of the photos below:
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