The ride from Kanniyakumari to Guruvayur; going past Kochi Airport
Mr Bose of Sangam Hotel and Mr P Thungaswami of Ranade Communication were two gentlemen whom i could not meet on Tuesday the day i am supposed to leave for Guruvayur. On reaching Kanniyakumari railway station which has three neat platforms i came across three boys hailing from Delhi who had come for a vacation to the temple city. Dressed in t-shirts and shorts they were comfortable in their outfit given no dengue or chikungunya scare in the temple city. One could least find spots of pile-up garbage or drains getting clogged. The three boys were not in agreement with me when i stated the temple city had less vehicle triggered pollution vis-a-vis New Delhi, the National Capital. The spate of flyovers that have come up in the city of Delhi between 1998 and 2010 have by no means lessened the traffic chaos. Mind you, there are no flyovers across the length and breadth of temple city as roads are few and most of them have the traffic clue.
The temple city had fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In Kanniyakumari, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet, Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples oulet and Janki at the railway reservation counter. A gentleman hailing from Uttaranchal whom i had spotted at Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda Ashram was expected to take the same train. He was of the opinion that each city had its advantages and shortcomings and Kanniyakumari was renowned for tourist rush round the year. As i approached the train there were three men pulling down the cement slab board which had Kanniyakumari station written on it . The porter who went by the name Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.
Southern Railway Coach Care Centre; Woman TTE
The train leaves at 10.34. Stops and starts again. Coaches of Tirupati Rameswaram Kanniyakumari could be seen stationed. The train gains speed at 10.40 going past residential colony followed by hills and large coconut and large banana plantation. The train slows down at 10.48. A minute later a young boy waves at me. At 10.50 we spot Southern Railway Coach Care Centre. At 10.51 we reach Nagercoil Junction which is fairly clean. From here the train leaves at 11.13. Coaches of Kochuveli Kottayam Ernakulam train could be seen. From here the train gains speed going past rich paddy field and a series of dwellings. There is a young TTE followed by a Woman TTE. At 11.35 Eraniel station comes which has a lake in the vicinity. The halt here is for 15 minutes.
Paravur lake
At 12.35 we reach Neyyatiakara station. At 12.45 the passage of the train through a tunnel lasts for 45 seconds. Nemam is reached at 12.50 and Thiruvanthapuram Central at 1pm. In Thiruvanthapuram Central on offer is vegetarian biriyani which is enough to fill the stomach. At 1.26 a Woman guard could be seen holding the flag. The train goes past Kaniyapuram 1.29, Murukumpuzha 1.31, Perungzh 1.35, Chiranyikil 1.37, Kadakavur 1.45, Akathumuri 1.48, Varkala Sivagiri 1.55, Edavai 2.03, Kappil 2.05, Killimukkam lake (big lake) 2.07, Paravur 2.08, gang restroom in Paravur could be seen, Paravur lake (mammoth in size) 2.12, Mayanad 2.15, Sree Narayana College Kollam 2.18 and Kollam 2.25. Here in Kollam station one can easily spot non veg refreshment room and veg refreshment room. Between 12 and 1 pm three women passengers board the coach and took seat opposite mine. In a frame of discipline they conducted themselves. On occasions they were peering through window or speaking on their cell. Probably they were headed towards Bangalore.
Woman guard at work
At 3.05 comes Karunagapalli and five minutes later a woman guard in a blue outfit could be seen followed by another woman guard a little later. At 3.17 we go past a woman guard holding a green flag and from here the train is in full flow. At 3.22 Kayankulam Junction comes which is neat and clean. Here one can spot a hoarding of Pulimoottil silks. A man holding a bamboo umbrella goes past the coach. At 3.30 a majestic white colour building can be spotted. At 3.35 Mavelikara station comes and in the vicinity is a FCI(Food Corporation of India) godown. There is a Milima stall here.
Landscape dotted by concrete structures
At 3.50 we reach Chengannur station which is a picture of perfection as far as cleanliness goes. Making an enquiry about curd, the Milma milk stall has none of it. From here the tea made from tea bags is enough to get you the requisite monmentum. Here Naraspur-Hyderabad- Trivandrum Central train comes in Chengannur while we are waiting for our train to depart. At 4.13 Ellimala river comes. Here in the train i meet Tony Kozhimannil, a priest associated with Shreyas organisation for sustainable development and justice. Mr Tony Kozhimannil observes my act of taking notes every time a new station comes and declares i am a journalist. Mr Tony has been to North part of India including Chandigarh and the rice that was not offer in different parts as wheat most residents went after. Mind you, between 2 and 3.40p.m there are fewer paddy fields and most of the landscape dotted by concrete structures. At 4.14 we go past Pampa river. At 4.15 paddy fields amidst trees could be spotted. At 4.23 we are in Thiruvalli village, Pathanimthitta. At 4.26 a fairly clean Thiruvallin station comes as Mangalore Central to Nagercoil train passes by.
Reaching Kottayam; thick greenery
Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. The halt in Kottayam is a little over seven minutes and no sooner the train leaves the station we come across thick greenery. At 5.20 we are in Kuruppantara. I begin interaction with Ragith hailing from Palakkad. He has done his schooling from Palakkad and college education from Coimbatore. At present, working in a firm dealing with industrial printing.
Ernakulam comes at 6.25
We spot Vaikam Road at 5.27, Hindustan Newsprint Limited at 5.34, Piravam Road at 5.35, Kanjiramittam at 5.45, a fairly clean Mulanturutti station at 5.48, Chottankkad road at 5.50, Jesus Christ Fellowship New Jerusalem mention at 5.52. At 5.54 Venad Express train goes past us. Tripunittura comes at 5.56. Some minutes later spotting of a red, white and green structure looks great. At 6.05 Kaniyampuzha river comes and at 6.10 a woman guard could be seen. Ernakulam comes at 6.25, Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56. At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival. At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport. From the runway one can make out the Kochi Airport to be Grand and Great. I am told besides domestic there are international flights to different destinations and some major flights are towards Gulf region given the comfort level of state people to work there.
At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur. Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur station i go to Platform 1 and make enquiry about the train going to Guruvayur. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayur. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal. The interaction at the station ranges from employment opportunities that have come up or dried up across the length and breadth of the country to the milestones that have been set as far as providing clean and neat governance is concerned. Most were of the opinion that the Govt at Centre was trying its best to deliver and had achievements to talk about, most notably the Clean India campaign, smart city and fight against corruption. Most of them were eager to know the destination i am headed towards and the duration of stay.
In Thrissur on Platform 1 one can spot
- Vegetarian refreshment room
- Bakery Sassya vegetarian
- Book stall
- Information centre
A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayur. There is no porter in sight in Guruvayoor station. From Platform No 2 i have to walk all the way to the exit gate. A little after 11 i am in Brahmaputra Tourist Home East Nada Guruvayur. The lodge i took and the employee at the reception desk i came across suggested i won't be able to stay for a longer duration in the temple town. Against all odds i manage to stay longer. I got an opportunity to visit Chavakkad Beach and Elephant Sanctuary, both different from what was experienced in 2012.
Mr Bose of Sangam Hotel and Mr P Thungaswami of Ranade Communication were two gentlemen whom i could not meet on Tuesday the day i am supposed to leave for Guruvayur. On reaching Kanniyakumari railway station which has three neat platforms i came across three boys hailing from Delhi who had come for a vacation to the temple city. Dressed in t-shirts and shorts they were comfortable in their outfit given no dengue or chikungunya scare in the temple city. One could least find spots of pile-up garbage or drains getting clogged. The three boys were not in agreement with me when i stated the temple city had less vehicle triggered pollution vis-a-vis New Delhi, the National Capital. The spate of flyovers that have come up in the city of Delhi between 1998 and 2010 have by no means lessened the traffic chaos. Mind you, there are no flyovers across the length and breadth of temple city as roads are few and most of them have the traffic clue.
The temple city had fewer vehicles and fewer newspapers promoting sale of vehicles through full page ads. In Kanniyakumari, the people took comfort in public transport though the speed at which they ran was questionable. Here in the station i came across Mr Sukumar of Jan Aahar outlet, Kavita of HPMC Pure Apples oulet and Janki at the railway reservation counter. A gentleman hailing from Uttaranchal whom i had spotted at Mahaganapati temple in Vivekananda Ashram was expected to take the same train. He was of the opinion that each city had its advantages and shortcomings and Kanniyakumari was renowned for tourist rush round the year. As i approached the train there were three men pulling down the cement slab board which had Kanniyakumari station written on it . The porter who went by the name Vardajan was kind enough to take the bag to the train coach.
Southern Railway Coach Care Centre; Woman TTE
The train leaves at 10.34. Stops and starts again. Coaches of Tirupati Rameswaram Kanniyakumari could be seen stationed. The train gains speed at 10.40 going past residential colony followed by hills and large coconut and large banana plantation. The train slows down at 10.48. A minute later a young boy waves at me. At 10.50 we spot Southern Railway Coach Care Centre. At 10.51 we reach Nagercoil Junction which is fairly clean. From here the train leaves at 11.13. Coaches of Kochuveli Kottayam Ernakulam train could be seen. From here the train gains speed going past rich paddy field and a series of dwellings. There is a young TTE followed by a Woman TTE. At 11.35 Eraniel station comes which has a lake in the vicinity. The halt here is for 15 minutes.
Paravur lake
At 12.35 we reach Neyyatiakara station. At 12.45 the passage of the train through a tunnel lasts for 45 seconds. Nemam is reached at 12.50 and Thiruvanthapuram Central at 1pm. In Thiruvanthapuram Central on offer is vegetarian biriyani which is enough to fill the stomach. At 1.26 a Woman guard could be seen holding the flag. The train goes past Kaniyapuram 1.29, Murukumpuzha 1.31, Perungzh 1.35, Chiranyikil 1.37, Kadakavur 1.45, Akathumuri 1.48, Varkala Sivagiri 1.55, Edavai 2.03, Kappil 2.05, Killimukkam lake (big lake) 2.07, Paravur 2.08, gang restroom in Paravur could be seen, Paravur lake (mammoth in size) 2.12, Mayanad 2.15, Sree Narayana College Kollam 2.18 and Kollam 2.25. Here in Kollam station one can easily spot non veg refreshment room and veg refreshment room. Between 12 and 1 pm three women passengers board the coach and took seat opposite mine. In a frame of discipline they conducted themselves. On occasions they were peering through window or speaking on their cell. Probably they were headed towards Bangalore.
Woman guard at work
At 3.05 comes Karunagapalli and five minutes later a woman guard in a blue outfit could be seen followed by another woman guard a little later. At 3.17 we go past a woman guard holding a green flag and from here the train is in full flow. At 3.22 Kayankulam Junction comes which is neat and clean. Here one can spot a hoarding of Pulimoottil silks. A man holding a bamboo umbrella goes past the coach. At 3.30 a majestic white colour building can be spotted. At 3.35 Mavelikara station comes and in the vicinity is a FCI(Food Corporation of India) godown. There is a Milima stall here.
Landscape dotted by concrete structures
At 3.50 we reach Chengannur station which is a picture of perfection as far as cleanliness goes. Making an enquiry about curd, the Milma milk stall has none of it. From here the tea made from tea bags is enough to get you the requisite monmentum. Here Naraspur-Hyderabad- Trivandrum Central train comes in Chengannur while we are waiting for our train to depart. At 4.13 Ellimala river comes. Here in the train i meet Tony Kozhimannil, a priest associated with Shreyas organisation for sustainable development and justice. Mr Tony Kozhimannil observes my act of taking notes every time a new station comes and declares i am a journalist. Mr Tony has been to North part of India including Chandigarh and the rice that was not offer in different parts as wheat most residents went after. Mind you, between 2 and 3.40p.m there are fewer paddy fields and most of the landscape dotted by concrete structures. At 4.14 we go past Pampa river. At 4.15 paddy fields amidst trees could be spotted. At 4.23 we are in Thiruvalli village, Pathanimthitta. At 4.26 a fairly clean Thiruvallin station comes as Mangalore Central to Nagercoil train passes by.
Reaching Kottayam; thick greenery
Changanaseri comes at 4.37. A fully alert woman guard is seen at 4.55. At 5 pm we are in Kottayam station and i reach out for tea made with tea bags. The halt in Kottayam is a little over seven minutes and no sooner the train leaves the station we come across thick greenery. At 5.20 we are in Kuruppantara. I begin interaction with Ragith hailing from Palakkad. He has done his schooling from Palakkad and college education from Coimbatore. At present, working in a firm dealing with industrial printing.
Ernakulam comes at 6.25
We spot Vaikam Road at 5.27, Hindustan Newsprint Limited at 5.34, Piravam Road at 5.35, Kanjiramittam at 5.45, a fairly clean Mulanturutti station at 5.48, Chottankkad road at 5.50, Jesus Christ Fellowship New Jerusalem mention at 5.52. At 5.54 Venad Express train goes past us. Tripunittura comes at 5.56. Some minutes later spotting of a red, white and green structure looks great. At 6.05 Kaniyampuzha river comes and at 6.10 a woman guard could be seen. Ernakulam comes at 6.25, Idappali at 6.45, Kalamasseri at 6.50, Aluva at 6.56. At 7.02 we spot Periyar Lake famous for Shivratri festival. At 7.05 we spot the all lit up runway of Kochi Airport. From the runway one can make out the Kochi Airport to be Grand and Great. I am told besides domestic there are international flights to different destinations and some major flights are towards Gulf region given the comfort level of state people to work there.
At 7.09 a fairly clean Angamali station comes. At 7.55 we are in Pudukad and at 8.25 we are in Thrissur. Here i deboard. The ride from Kanniyakumari to Thrissur took a little under nine hours. In Thrissur station i go to Platform 1 and make enquiry about the train going to Guruvayur. In Thrissur i come across a guy studying in SRM College/University Chennai and another guy doing business in Bangalore. The SRM guy has come with an elderly gentleman who time and again reminds me about the train to Guruvayur. He is calm and composed. There is a family that hails from Nepal. The interaction at the station ranges from employment opportunities that have come up or dried up across the length and breadth of the country to the milestones that have been set as far as providing clean and neat governance is concerned. Most were of the opinion that the Govt at Centre was trying its best to deliver and had achievements to talk about, most notably the Clean India campaign, smart city and fight against corruption. Most of them were eager to know the destination i am headed towards and the duration of stay.
In Thrissur on Platform 1 one can spot
- Vegetarian refreshment room
- Bakery Sassya vegetarian
- Book stall
- Information centre
A little after 9.30 a local train comes that goes all the way to Guruvayur. There is no porter in sight in Guruvayoor station. From Platform No 2 i have to walk all the way to the exit gate. A little after 11 i am in Brahmaputra Tourist Home East Nada Guruvayur. The lodge i took and the employee at the reception desk i came across suggested i won't be able to stay for a longer duration in the temple town. Against all odds i manage to stay longer. I got an opportunity to visit Chavakkad Beach and Elephant Sanctuary, both different from what was experienced in 2012.
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