Indian Columbus

In South India, it is a common sight. All the vehicles would stop at a border temple before entering or leaving the town. Similarly, before entering the Wayanad hills or after completing the breathtaking nine hair bin bends, all drivers stop their vehicles at a particular shrine. However, the uniqueness lies in the deity. Here, the deity is not the typical well-known Hindu God or Goddess. Instead, a tribal head is worshiped as a deity. Come! Let us explore the exciting story behind this. In the second half of the 1700s, the Britishers found transporting spices from Mysore to Kerala challenging. The path was through a thick forest that wild animals inhabited. There came our hero to help them. Karinthandan, the Chief of the Paniya tribe, knew every nook and corner of the forest region. The Britishers successfully constructed the road from Calicut to Wayanad with his guidance.  The Viceroy announced a reward for this accomplishment. The British Engineer, who did not want to share fame...

George Town or the Original Madras, is crowded, congested, and challenging to traverse or even breathe! However, for heritage enthusiasts, it is like a heaven full of historic buildings. One such landmark structure is the impressive Jaina Jaipuri-style YMCA building on NSC Bose Road opposite the High Court Complex.  The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was founded by George Williams and ten young Christians in London on 6th June 1844. The association's objective was to improve the spiritual condition of young men through Bible classes and prayer meetings. India got its first YMCA within thirteen years in Kolkata. In 1890, David McConaughy, a young American from the International Committee of the American YMCAs, arrived in Madras and founded the first YMCA in South India. The construction of the building started in 1895. GST Harris, the government architect, was assigned as the designer. Namperumal Chetti, the famous building contractor of Madras, was given this contract...

Nestled between the evergreen forests, the mesmerizing freshwater lake Pookode Lake near Kalpetta is an important tourist spot in Wayanad. Surrounded by the Western Ghats, this spectacular waterbody allures every traveler of Wayanad. It is a perfect picnic spot with varieties of attractions. Bird watching, aquarium, children's park, boating, and merely walking around the lake and enjoying the mountain views have endless opportunities to enthrall the visitors.  Happy travelling.

Shaw Wallace Building is one of a few 100+ years old heritage structures that still survive with active engagements, in George Town, the original Madras. It is a small but elegant building designed in Indo Saracenic style. It is located in Thambu Chetty Street.  Happy travelling. 

With about a one km long mud structure, the Banasura Sagar Dam in Wayanad is considered the second-largest earthen dam in Asia and the largest in India. It impounds the water of Karamanathodu, a tributary of the Kabini river. One of the salient features is it is a homogeneous rolled earth fill. The reservoir looks stunningly beautiful. It is dotted with many tiny islands full of greenery. The Banasura hill in the background enhances the beauty of the site. For adventure lovers, there are options such as Zip-lines and speed boats. No doubt why it has become an important picnic spot and tourist destination. Happy travelling. 

We all from Chennai definitely know the Central Railway Station very well. Some of us may know that it was built on the original site of a garden named Jamla Thottam. And none of us may know about a small beautiful chapel on the same site that predates the railway station. Interesting, right? Let's read... A wealthy Portuguese trader, John Pereira, by name, owned a house in Fort St. George. He had leased a vast garden measuring 36,000 square feet in 1671 CE. The garden was called Pereira Thottam (garden). Later, the name was diluted as Jamla Thottam. The vast garden full of coconut trees became a congested residential area when people were forced to relocate here from the old Black Town in the 1740s.  The Central Railway Station was constructed in the 1890s, where Jamla Thottam stood. Sixty years ago, in 1831 CE, a chapel named the Trinity Chapel was built on this site when no such prominent landmarks existed. Due to the efforts of Rev. Risdale, this chapel was opened, aiming to ca...

Whether just watching the magnificent waterfall during the monsoon or trekking amidst the thick forest to reach its top during the other seasons, both give us a boundlessly delightful experience. Meenmutty waterfalls, the three-tiered spectacular waterfalls with a height of about 1000 feet, is the second largest in Kerala. It is said that the fish cannot withstand this majestic waterfall's force and hence cannot survive there. Therefore it is named "Meenmutty" in Malayalam, meaning blocking the fish.  Happy travelling.