tourism "Kudremukh National Park" ... http://ow.ly/8pxtF

The living bridges of Cherrapunji

In an remote corner of Northeast India lives an indigenous tribal people who have been mostly left alone until the past hundred years. Without the amenities of modern technology or engineering, the War-Khasi people have designed an absolutely ingenious way to cross rivers and gulches; manipulating living tree roots to form natural bridges.


The Ficus elastica is a type of rubber tree native to the region. In addition to their massive size and manipulability, the trees have a secondary root system that is essential to the construction of the bridges. They grow out from higher up in the trunk due to their tendency to live above water sources and dip far down into the rivers. Hundreds of years ago, the Khasi people realized the potential benefit of these roots and began to shape them to their advantage.


By taking the trunks of betel nut trees, hollowing them out and cutting in them in half, the tribespeople show the roots where they want them to grow. As the roots slowly grow in search of water, their path continues down the inside of the betel trunk, across the length of the river or ravine. One they arrive at their destination, they’re allowed to dig into the soil and grow strong, and do they ever grow strong.


After about 10-15 years of traveling across the river, the root bridges can eventually hold over 5,000 pounds of weight. Some of them are up to 100 feet in length and the oldest of the bunch is believed to have been constructed around the 16th century.


In recent years, the Khasis actually wanted to get with the times and tear down the bridges to make way for steel ones. It wasn’t until a local resort owner stepped in and realized the worth of these ancient marvels. He convinced them to keep them up and began to photograph them to show the bridges off to the world. Some of them are absolutely stunning, but most magnificent of them all is the Umshiang Double-Decker, shown below.


The Khasis even recently started to grow another bridge,

Source: www.thereifixedit.failblog.org
Courtesy: Atlas Obscura and Tree Hugger.

Monsoon snaps from Lonavala

All photos taken using Blackberry mobile ... so please bear with the resolution.
Shared by "Shakeel"

Foggy khandala in monsoons

Lonavla lake and the cool climate this monsoon. Far from sweaty humid mumbai 

Tiger point on way to amby valley at lonavala. The fog is so thick. Have a look

Awesome view from tiger point

Rain covers in Mahabaleshwar

This is how we cover our building with (Zadees) made from grass and bamboos for monsoon protection in Mahabaleshwar 

Posted by Shiraz

Tourism Weather :: Kerala in April - 2011

The climate in Kerala during April will be sunny. [ April is early Summer] The maximum temperature will be hovering around 35 Deg Celsius [+ or - 3 deg] & minimum will be around 26 Deg Celsius. Rainfall will be around 50.0 mm to 80.0 mm and there will be relatively more sun shine during April. However after noon thunder showers lasting for 30 min to 100 min is occasionally possible.

But this year temperature may be bit higher and more frequent thunder showers may be expected.

1. Weather in April is so condusive and recommended for travel in Kerala.
2. It may not be continuously raining for 9 days at a stretch.  But evening thunder showers due to convective activity may develop and thunder clouds may give rainfall for 30 minutes to one hours. This may happen for one or two days.  But will NOT be not continuous.
3. There will be more sun shine and temperature will be HOT & HUMID. So some time you may feel sultry even in beach.

When the sun is over head i.e from Local Noon to 1500 hrs stay in the beach under the scorching sun will not be a pleasant one.  However if sea breezes catches up you can enjoy stay at beach.


Compiled by "Kaneyen"

Did you know, In India, South West monsoon first first hits at Cape Comorin ?? ... http://ow.ly/1Utr3 .. monsoon travel tourism

More about Kanyakumari (cape comorin) >> S-W monsoon first first hits at Cape Comorin

In continuation to our previous post .. A brief history of Kanyakumari district

Not only that my dear friends, even time immemorial Kanyakumari has its glory. It witnessed TSUNAMI in ancient times. There is a reference in 'SILAPATHIKARAM' about it. That PANNMALAI YADUKATHU KUMARICODUM PAKRULIYARUM KODUNKADAL KOLLA'
[i.e the stretch of Mountains and river Pakruli was devastated by Tsunami.]


Naikkeren the chief poet of the Head Tamil Sangam was a fisherman and he was from that NEITHAL area only.
If one travels exactly 180 degree south then the nearest land is Antarctica, some 10,450 km down south.
The South West monsoon first hits at Cape Comorin and later only extends to Andaman or Kerala.


It is the place of confluence of three oceans [1] Bay of Bengal [2] Arabian sea and [3] Indian Ocean. It is ideal place to monitor SWM / NEM winds. But there is NO DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR to monitor the SWM / NEM winds. Land-Ocean-Atmosphere interaction is important in studying weather. Kanyakumari has more mysterious things. 


posted by Kaneyen

More about Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserver [KMTR]

Posted by Mr. Anonymous
[1] In Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserver [KMTR]there is one place called 'SENGALTHERI' which has to be reached from Kalakad. Only jeep track is available and it is UN declared bio reserve area. During South West monsoon period if you happen to go there you can experience the WIND blowing at tremendous speed.
[45-50 kmph guesting to 90-120 kmph]
The speed is capable enough to strip your dhoti and you can NOT stand errect without hold a mast or rock. I have advised the Forest Ranger there to install wind mills there for power production. But as this is an UN declared bio reserve TN Forest Department and TVS group which was having an idea of establishing wind mills there could NOT do so. This is the catchment area for Manimuthar river. There is a forest guest house there at SENGALTHERI built in 1909]
[2] Secondly near Manjoli estate there is a place known as Kuthiraivetti [this is one of the heavy rainfall regions in this area, apartment upper Kothaiyar which falls in Kanyakumari district where annual rainfall easily crosses 5000 mm] Here in Kuthireivetti, in November 1992, I think, one day annual rainfall of about 99 cm occurred on 11 Nov 1991. But this was NOT accounted properly . The Bombay Burma Trading Company is [Wadia Group] owning the Tea estates there. Perhaps they may be having rainfall records. Or the PWD, WRO, MANIMUTHAR DAM may be having records to this effect.

Manjolai - Kodayar

Mr.Robert Manjolai, a man I got acquainted through the web, made this trip happen. As I have stated in my previous post, I was determined to drive past Manimuthar dam for Upper Kodayar. While I was busy searching for details regarding Manjolai and Upper Kodayar ,which falls within Kalakkad – Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) , hit upon this man, who had made avail his contact no., on the net, offering all details regarding Manjolai. He was born and brought up at Manjolai and now a legal practitioner at Madurai. Rang him up and he offered every help that he could extent. Would you believe that, it even included a free stay at his relative’s residence, inside Manimuthar tea estate. For the required permission from the Forest dept., I directly contacted the Range Officer, Ambasamudram, and he turned down my request, stating possibility of forest fire, as a reason. Using other contacts, I had a forest dept. official from Trivandrum, ring him up again, and now he conceded. However, the request for a night’s stay in the guest house, within the reserve, was declined as it wasn’t available on the day of our travel. Contacted Robert again and he connected me with Mr. Moses, a social worker at Ambasamudram, who had roots at Nalumukku, within the Tiger reserve. Moses offered night stay in a line house close to that of his brother’s, who worked in Nalumukku Tea Estate. All these were done on the previous day, of our planned date of travel. And I and Manu started off, in his Paleo 1.3 multijet, by 7 in the morning, 8-03-09. Took the same route, I have explained in detail in my earlier post, and reached Kallidakurichi, near Ambasamudram, by 12 noon. Had to wait a little for Moses to arrive. Moses confirmed the place of stay and asked us to meet one Mr.Nehru, who runs an STD booth at Nalumukku. This booth, using a WLL phone, is the loan means of electronic communication for the workers within KMTR. We packed our lunch, bought some broiler for night, and went ahead for KMTR. We didn’t have much problem at the forest check post at Manimuthar dam, as the R.O. had informed them earlier, of our visit. Had a refreshing bath at Manimuthar falls and went on slowly, negotiating the pot holes and keeping a close watch on the wild beauty of KMTR. Had a small stop on the way, to have our packed lunch, taking utmost care not to leave a single piece of plastic around. After an hours climb, the dense woods slowly transformed to beautiful tea plantations.

For more visit .. http://sshinu.blogspot.com/2009/03/manjolai-kodayar-8-03-09-mr.html

Shark anglers still fish in traditional method

Though modern shark hunting techniques provide an edge over the traditional method, shark catchers in Thoothoor and Chinnathurai regions of Kanyakumari, known the world over for their forte in deep-sea shark hunting, continue to use traditional methods (manual hooks and line) successfully.Sharks may have brought new economic benefits and profits to thousands of anglers, who work along the lush stretch of coastline in these fishermen hamlets, but their problems remain unchanged. Gone are the days when the anglers approached the boat owners to get a job for deep sea fishing. Now, every angler here has a boat. So the owners now have to run from pillar to post to get the anglers for deep-sea fishing. One phenomenon that has changed their marketing methods is the advent of the mobile phone. Eppin of Thoothur said that before he got his first cell phone a few a years ago, he used to arrive at port with a load of fish and hope for the best. The wholesaler on the dock knew that Eppin's catch would not last long in the scorching sun. So he was forced to take whatever price was offered. Now he calls several ports while he is still at sea to find the best price, playing the dealers against one another to drive up the price. "They are forced to give us more money because there is stiff competition," said Benitto, who estimated that his income had tripled to an average of Rs 5,000 a trip. Addressing their plights, Human Rights activist Justine Antony of Thoothur said: "Shark anglers are constantly away from home. The duration per voyage is 25 to 30 days. This makes them sojourners and aliens in their homes," he added. There is no regular income for the family. The share from each voyage is generally settled at the time of going home from their fishing base, which often takes a few months. They have no practice of sending money by demands draft, money order or cheque for the daily requirements of the family. This lands the family often in debt. The fishermen have to pay higher than the market price for diesel as they are not the natives of the place and find it difficult to get supplies. Workers prefer to go for fishing in the boats that have tape recorder, GPS, fish finder, etc. The boat owners, without these facilities find it difficult to get required crew.

Ocean ride in "Chennai" from Sept

An ocean ride within the Chennai port limits is all set to be launched for the first time in the city in September. The ride, which will be on a 30-seater steel boat, is being organised by the Indian Institute of Logistics (IIL).At a press meet on Thursday, IIL founder-director Capt VJ Pushpa Kumar said this initiative was being planned for his love for the sea as a mariner. "We plan for the ride to span an hour costing Rs 300 per seat. The boat will come with trained professionals, apart from navigation equipment, weather forecast material and adequate safety measures. The ride is planned to end near the light house, though the exact tour details are yet to be finalised," he explained. A Goa-based Naval architect has been roped into the ocean ride project, to check stability of the boat to enhance its safety levels in sea. "We have already acquired permission from the Madras Mercantile Marine Department for this project and I hope this initiative not only helps to develop coastal tourism but also instills love for the sea among youngsters," Capt Kumar added. "This plan is only a precursor for our dreams to take coastal tourism to a bigger level in the east coast, which still hasn't been exploited as a tourism opportunity," henoted. The Indian Institute of Logistics, which has completed two years, has over 400 students in all, including its Chennai, Vijaywada and Kochi units. The institute offers diplomas, postgraduate diplomas and MBAs in various Logistic-related courses.

Get Cozy This Monsoon At Park Hyatt Goa

Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa presents 'Partner Month'-the perfect season for you and your partner to celebrate togetherness in a romantic monsoon getaway. Complete with activities for partners, wellness sections and an elaborate culinary experience, this is truly more than just a holiday-it is an intimate celebration for two!

The 'Partner Month' experience could be yours for a minimum stay of 3 nights on park deluxe room category and above which could be combined with any of the exclusive packages offered by the property.

Spend some significant time with your other, as you learn the finer nuances of putting together a menu or match steps at the fun Partner Dance sessions, learn the latest jhatkas and swing to jive, salsa, ballroom and other forms of dance.

Enjoy the beauty of nature with the complimentary partner yoga by the lawns and personalized consultations, a healthy way of exercising together with simple steps to follow at home.

Discover the perfect art of mixing the perfect cocktail at Praia de Luz-the lounge bar. Indulge in a romantic four course romantic meal for two, at Casa Sartia priced specially at Rs.1000. End the day by soaking in the pleasures of an aromatic petal bath, whilst sipping the goodness of the rich wine. So hurry and make this monsoon extraordinary for you and your partner.

Source:: http://living.oneindia.in/cosmopolitan/cosmo-life/2009/park-hyatt-goa-270709.html

Monsoon calling visitors to Kerala

So the Monsoon is knocking the door of India and refreshing shower is also received at many places across the country. Monsoon, oohhhhhhh, whenever we pronounce this word, it feels our mind and body with new energy and every time our urge increases to experience it ourselves. God’s own country Kerala, becomes more beautiful in during monsoon and attract honeymooners and common travellers from across the globe.

If the word Monsoon and its unique experience have lured you, then don’t wait, just pull out one or two weeks vacation from your busy schedule this monsoon and head straight towards Kerala. Blessed with natural beauty, Kerala beckons tourists in the monsoons for a fantastic vacation. Here in Kerala you can refresh yourself in the invigorating monsoon rain or luxuriate in the simplest of pleasures in exotic resorts or gaze at the spectacle of caparisoned elephants or even enjoy a joy ride atop one. Besides, tranquil backwaters, clean beaches, rich and varied wildlife and colourful festivals altogether make Kerala an unparalleled tourist destination.

Personally I suggest you to combine monsoon and Ayurveda, and you will return home with never before experience. Acccording to Ayurveda practitioners, the soothing monsoon season from June to October is the best time for Ayurveda. Experts say, during monsoon the body remains most receptive to the therapeutic and restorative powers of herbs and oil. Hence, an Ayurveda vacation to Kerala in the moonsoon is the best way to refresh, rejuvenate, replenish and renew your body and soul.

Kerala’s pleasant climate and natural abundance of forests make it a perfect destination for Ayurveda treatments. In fact, Kerala is the only place in the world, where the 5,000 year old healthcare system is practiced with absolute authenticity and dedication.

During monsoon Kerala Tourism organises several innovating programmes like ‘Rainwalks’ in Trivandrum and Fort Kochi. In Trivandrum, the tour takes you along the heritage area of East Fort dotted with old forts, palaces and temples. The monsoon showers will provide the perfect background to unveil the story of a unique town set around centuries-old temple having its own culture and distinct way of life. Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala lurer travellers to her shores. Here tree-lined avenues and quaint little lanes house the many treasures left behind by the Dutch, Portuguese, Chines and the British. Fort Kochi’s rich legacy can be best experienced with rainwalks.

Monsoon Holiday Packages for Kerala are offered by travel agents that covers almost all major and minor tourist destinations of the state. Most packages are aimed to suit both domestic and foreign tourists with a wide range of options to choose from. So, book a monsoon tour package, move to Kerala to rejoice in the rains with your dear ones.

Longest insect migration revealed

Every year, millions of dragonflies fly thousands of kilometres across the sea from southern India to Africa.

So says a biologist in the Maldives, who claims to have discovered the longest migration of any insect.

If confirmed, the mass exodus would be the first known insect migration across open ocean water.

It would also dwarf the famous trip taken each year by Monarch butterflies, which fly just half the distance across the Americas.

Biologist Charles Anderson has published details of the mass migration in the Journal of Tropical Ecology.

Each year, millions of dragonflies arrive on the Maldive Islands, an event which is well known to people living there.

"But no-one I have spoken to knew where they came from," says Anderson, an independent biologist who usually works with organisations such as the Maldivian Marine Research Centre to survey marine life around the islands.

Their appearance is especially peculiar because the 1200 islands that make up the Maldives lie 500 to 1000km from the mainland of southern India, and all are coral cays with almost no surface freshwater, which dragonflies need to complete their lifecycle.

Anderson noticed the dragonflies after he first arrived in the Maldives in 1983. He started keeping detailed records each year from 1996 and now collates data collected by local observers at other localities in the Maldives, in India and on vessels at sea.

When Anderson compared these observations with those made of dragonflies appearing in southern India, he found a clear progression of arrival dates from north to south, with dragonflies arriving first in southern India, then in the Republic of Maldives' capital Male, and then on more southern atolls.

Each year, dragonflies first appear in Male between 4 and 23 October, with a mean arrival date of 21 October. Dragonfly numbers peak in November and December, before the insects then disappear once more. The insects arrive in waves, with each staying for no more than a few days.

Over 98% of the dragonflies recorded on the islands are Globe skimmers (Pantala flavescens), but Pale-spotted emperors (Anax guttatus), Vagrant emperors (A. ephippiger), Twisters (Tholymis tillarga) and Blue perchers (Diplacodes trivialis) also appear in some numbers.

The dragonflies then reappear between April and June.

Longest journey

The dragonflies are clearly migrating from India across the open sea to the Maldives, says Anderson.

"That by itself is fairly amazing, as it involves a journey of 600 to 800km across the ocean," he says.

Quite how they do it was a bit of a mystery, as in October at least they appear to be flying against the prevailing winds.

However, in October, and continuing into November and December, a weather system called the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone moves southwards over the Maldives.

Ahead of the ITCZ the wind blows towards India, but above and behind it the winds blow from India. So it seems that the dragonflies are able to reach Maldives by flying on these winds at altitude above 1000m.

But that is not the end of the animals' epic adventure.

"As there is no freshwater in Maldives for dragonflies, what are they doing here?" asks Anderson.

"I have also deduced that they are flying all the way across the western Indian Ocean to East Africa."

Anderson has gathered a wealth of circumstantial evidence to back his claim.

Large numbers of dragonflies also start appearing in the northern Seychelles, some 2700km from India, in November, and then in Aldabra in the Seychelles, 3800km from India, in December.

That matches the slow southerly movement of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone weather system, behind which winds blow steadily from India to East Africa.

It is also known that Globe skimmers appear in large numbers through eastern and southern Africa.

In Uganda, they appear twice each year in March or April and again in September, while further south in Tanzania and Mozambique they appear in December and January.

Record breakers

That strongly suggest that the dragonflies take advantage of the moving weather systems and monsoon rains to complete an epic migration from southern India to east and southern Africa, and then likely back again, a round trip of 14,000 to 18,000km.

"The species involved breeds in temporary rainwater pools. So it is following the rains, taking sequential advantage of the monsoon rains of India, the short rains of East Africa, the summer rains of southern Africa, the long rains of East Africa, and then back to India for the next monsoon," says Anderson.

"It may seem remarkable that such a massive migration has gone unnoticed until now. But this just illustrates how little we still know about the natural world."

The monarch butterfly is often cited as having the longest migration of any insect, covering around 7000km in an annual round trip from Mexico to southern Canada.

On average, it takes four generations of butterflies to complete the journey.

Anderson believes that the dragonflies survive the ocean flights by gliding on the winds, feeding on other small insects.

They too, take four generations to make the full round trip each year.

He says the migratory paths of a number of insect-eating bird species, including cuckoos, nightjars, falcons and bee-eaters, follow that of the dragonfly migration, from southern India to their wintering grounds in Africa. That suggests the birds feed on the dragonflies as they travel.

"They [fly] at the same time and altitudes as the dragonflies. And what has not been realised before is that all are medium-sized birds that eat insects, insects the size of dragonflies," he says.

Extraordinary ability

"There are earlier records of swarms of Globe skimmers flying out to sea, and at sea," Anderson continues.

"But it was always assumed that those dragonflies were doomed. Which says rather more about our earth-bound lack of imagination than it does about the globe skimmers' extraordinary flying abilities."

Source:: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Monsoon lashes Karwar....

The 14 days of non-stop monsoon rains have lashed Karwar town, caused quite a bit of erosion, and water logging eveywere.... The Clouds had descended over Karwar to personally see to it that Karwar recieved its fair share of Monsoons... A hydro-powered dam about 200 kms from Karwar recorded 25 feet deep water in just 9 days !! And other dams near Karwar have gone from Empty to Near Full withinthis period.... And thats why I couldnt post pictures here on my Blog !! :-)

For more visit:: http://karwar-daily-pic.blogspot.com/

A brief history of Kanyakumari district

````````````Kanyakumari has a rich and ancient history. It also bears Christian, Jain and Muslim influence. It is believed that when St Thomas (one of the 12 apostles of Jesus) came to Indian subcontinent in 52 AD a church was established in Kanyakumari area.
````````````It is proved that great Greek philosophers like Erosthenes, Ptolemy and Pliny had been to Kanyakumari. It also finds mention in the Periplus written somewhere around 800 AD by Arrian a Greek man of letters. Similarly, Jainism and Islam have also left their imprints on this place and have considerably contributed to the architectural wealth and literary heritage of the region.
````````````The area of Kanyakumari had seen the rule of Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Kings, the Nayaks , Venad Kings to Dutch and then British interference.
Rise of Venad Chieftains
````````````Gradually the Chola Empire became weak with the rise of of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas. The Venad Chieftains descendants of Chera's seized opportunity and gradually established a firm grip on the areas now under modern Tamil Nadu. By 1115 AD the Venad Kings under Veera Kerala Varma and his successors achieved complete succession.
````````````In 1609 AD Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai captured Kanyakumari. Afterwards there was no real threat to Venad Kings. Kanyakumari thus became an integral part of the Venad Empire with the capital at Padmanabhapuram. King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma(1729-1758) of Venad dynasty formed Travancore ( Modern Kerala) by extending his domain further north up to Aluva. Kanyakumari thus came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, King Marthanda Varma another great king from the same dynasty overcame the Dutch East India Company forces at the fiercely fought "Battle of Colachel."
Kanyakumari under British Supremacy
````````````After Marthanda Varma, the subsequent rulers were very weak and as the British forces were gradually tightening their noose over all Indian Princely states Kanyakumari was also no exception. The British established complete control over Venad Kings and continued till India's independence in the year 1947. The Kings of Travencore state ruled over Kanyakumari under the overall sovereignty of the British.
Modern Kanyakumari
````````````Travancore became part of the independent Indian Union in 1947 thus the royal reign came to an end. From 1947 to 1956, His Highness Sree Chithira Thirunal, Maharaja of Travancore continued as Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union.
````````````In the year 1949, Kanyakumari became a part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin Union. The Tamil majority of Kanyakumari was not happy with this. Eventually in 1956 bowing to a mass agitation under the leadership of Thiru M.A. Nesamani Government of India amalgamated Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu(then Madras State).

Above history was compiled by UNKNOWN

Heavy rain lashes Kanyakumari district

Heavy rain lashed various parts of the district and the fishermen did not venture into sea for fishing for the second day on Friday.

According to sources as the sea was rough, seawater entered a few villages and residents were shifted to safer places.

Fishermen in Kanyakumari, Kovalam, Manakudi, Rajakkamangalam, Kadiyapattinam, Colachel, Kurumpanai, Vaniyakudi, Simon colony, Kottilpadu, Kodimunai, Mondaicadu, Muttom, Ramanthurai, Mullurthurai, Erayammanthurai, Thoothur, Vallavilai and Neerodi shifted their vallam and catamarans to safer places fearing that they could have been washed away.

It came to know that a few vallams were damaged by the giant waves. Electric poles and trees were also uprooted in many places, including Aralvoimozi, Kavalkinaru, Muppandal, Carmel Nager etc. Banana plantation was also damaged in Kanyakumari, Agastheeswaram, Anjugramam, Myladi, Thuckalay, Kulasekaram, Pechipparai, and Perunchani.

Traffic was affected for an hour when a tree was uprooted at water tank road in Nagercoil. Chittar I recorded 12.1 mm rainfall.

The water level in Pechipparai dam stood at 33 feet, 37 feet in Perunchani, 7.45 feet in Chittar I, 7.51 feet in Chittar II, 2.80 feet in Poigai and 4.90 feet in Mukkadal dam.

Original from:: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070452510300.htm

Odd activity at a beach in Kanyakumari district

Odd activity at a beach in Kanyakumari district

Good view of a Church near Kanyakumari

Athirapally Falls, Kerala