Thalassery, drumbeats of another age

The coastline from Kannur to Thalassery to Mahe forms an exotic necklace of rivers and beaches, each with its own ambience in Kerala. A comfortable walk from the stadium brought me to the temple of the fisher folk near the maiden where cricket was first played in India many years ago. It stood on a beautiful stretch of beach, a symbol of gratitude to the Arabian sea for its bounty and its grace.

The Catholic Rosary church stood next to the English church and fort, south west of the cricket maiden. While the former pulses with the even tempo of daily prayer, the latter is closed. The Juma Masjid stands in friendly proximity and the three buildings stand together, wafting their prayers on the same elements.

Then comes the Wellesley’s bungalow which savour’s the peace and amble, the house is owned by Mr. Babar, a company man, played host to Lord Wellesley as Wellesley was the one who introduced cricket to Indians.

To get the birds eye view of this whole complex I climb to the ramparts of the Tellicherry Fort which is at the south west of the cricket maiden. Was built in 1700, I still saw the pepper cellars from which trade was conducted. Situated on a headland guarding the port, it provides a panoramic view of sea and land, picturesquely its invulnerability over the ages.

And then for relaxing I went to the lovely beach called a folly where I watched the glorious sunsets of Malabar.

Situated on the south bank of the Moolakadavu River and bisected by the Mahe River, Mahe south of Thalassery, is the area that the French East India Company negotiated as a trading post. It still remains a segment of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. A fascinating aspect of Mahe was the line of old families of the area has retained their joint family homes. The architectural style which has been used here is French giving the streets a distinction of its own. And there is a church which is famed for the efficacy of prayers said here St Theresa’s Church on the main road, draws people of all faith. At Cherukallu 1 km from Mahe, St George’s fort provides a spectacular view of Mahe and its environs. Not too distant are the ruins of the fort built by Thatcholli Othenan, a legendary hero of Malabar and a superb kalaripayattu exponent. Also on the River Mahe 1km from the centre is Mahe Boat House, which is delightful little boating pier.

A visit to the biggest cinnamon plantation in Asia, established by East India Company agent Murdich Brown in 1790’s should definitely on the agenda as it also has the distinction of being the first plantation registered in Kerala.

Thalassery is not generously equipped with fine hotels, barring one beautiful home stay at Ayisha Manzil where I stayed and it sits on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea.

Dharamshala, home to Dalai Lama

Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is surrounded by a stretch of the Dhauladhar Mountains, overlooking the Kangra Valley. I went to meet Dalai Lama because of whom Dharamshala was put on the world map. The famous Kotwali Bazaar is in Lower Dharamshala and the Upper Dharamshala is more residential with the elegant bungalows and the cantonment. Only a distance of 10kms separated these two communities. And a short walk away was the Mcleodganj.

Kotwali bazaar consisted of a number of shops selling woolens including the locally woven Kullu and Kinnauri shawls on both the sides of the roads, with little cafes where I had a cup of hot tea with my friends and went shopping. Then we went to see the Kangra Art Museum but our bad luck it is closed on Sundays and Mondays so we were not able to see its wonderful collection of miniatures. So we went to see the Yol Camp where Italian prisoners of war were lodged during World War II, and also the War Memorial nearby, which commemorates the sacrifice of Himachal war heroes. Next day we went to a walk in Upper Dharamshala which was the most amazing part of our journey. The road passes through the deeply wooded Forsytheganj with bungalows set back from the road. And just ahead was the St. John’s Church which was a pretty stone building that holds Viceroy Lord Elgin’s Memorial, who had died here in some 1860’s.

And a couple of turns brought us to the main chowk of Mcleodganj. The Dalai Lama’s Tibetan settlement was full of colour and life. I found everything from monks to feisty restaurants, shop owners and hippies. As I took the wooden trail the prayer wheels and carpet shops fade into the distance to Gelugpa Monastery, where Dalai Lama residence is. However the monastery to me was little disappointing at first as was built in a government building but inside it the great statue of Buddha, the thankas and other ritual and votive objects soon distract from its severe symmetry.

At sidhpur on the Yol road was Norbulingka which is a center devoted to the preservation of Tibetan arts and crafts and was set in a Japanese style garden, Norbulingka had a temple, shops, the Losel Dolls museum, thanka painting centre, tailoring section and a café. I enjoyed shopping at Mcleodganj more as there were Tibetan carpets, thankas, wooden masks, metal votive objects, paper drawings, beads and many interesting things. I stayed at Chonor House where the celebrity such as the Hollywood Star Richard Gere stays most often. And then there is Hotel Bhagsu and Clouds End Villa.

Manali Hotels

My stay at Hotel Sitara International was very good. The hotel has picturesque location, overlooking the lush green valley and snow clad mountains. The room was well decorated, spacious, and luxurious. I'll recommend trekking around the mountain side (which hotel can provide on request, better that you do it on your own); you can also try camping, trekking, water rafting, regular skiing and other adventure sports if you are keen. I recommend around September-October and December if you withstand the cold.

Well there are few other hotels which I liked while I was in Manali as I did little research before making a reservation were :

Manali Continental

http://www.hotelmanalicontinental.com/About_hotel.html

Sagar Resort

http://www.sagarresort.com/sagarmanali.htm

Royal Park

http://www.hotelroyalpark.in/

Quality Inn River Country

http://www.travelmasti.com/qualityinn_river_manali.htm

Highland Park

http://indoexpedition.com/highlandpark.html

Snowcrest Manor

http://www.nivalink.com/snowcrest/index.html

The Orchid Greens

http://www.access-india.com/himachal-manali-hotel-orchardgreen.htm