By Anjaly Rajendran

The recently concluded Rohini Mahotsavam festival of the Shri Devi Temple at Thekkady was held for ten days in Kumily from the 14th to 23rd April 2023 under the guidance and supervision of Thantri Brahmashri Vijayan Namboodiri Gokulam Thambalakkadu.

The festival commenced on 14^th April 2023 with Darshan and Ashtadravya Ganapathy Homam early in the morning. In the evening, the Temple flag was brought from the Bhadrakali Devi Temple of Kumily and was hoisted by Brahmashri Vijayan Namboodiri Gokulam Thambalakkadu at 7.15 p.m in the presence of Shrimati Shanti Saji Mon, President, Kumily Gram Panchayath.

The Shrimath Devi Bhagavatham was conducted during the first nine days by Yaknjacharyar Illathappankavu Shri Janardhanan Namboodhiri. On the first Day of the Devi Bhagavatham Dr. N.Sridhar MS, Jyothi Hospital welcomed the Namboodhri. Annadhanam or distribution of food for the pilgrims who visited the Temple was also organised everyday at noon.

 After performing the various poojas and rituals throughout the day a religious discourse by Brahmashri Vijayan Thirumeni and the temple Mel Shanthi Shri Amesh Kavalamkodu was organised during the evenings.

On the 20th April 2023 which marked the seventh day of the festival the Maha Chandika Homam was performed. The day ended on a bright note with the Drama performance of the team led by Angamaly Amrutha.

A Maha Prasadhamoottu (Annadhanam or feeding of the Community) was inaugurated on 21st April by Shri.Vazhoor Soman MLA of Peermade constituency. After performing the various poojas for the day, a Kala Mamangam by Mathru Yuvajana Samidhi was organised in the evening.

The ninth day of the festival witnessed customary rituals following which the Karagam Jodikkal proceeded after 6.00 p.m. with Thalapoli and Muthukuda from the Thekkady Shri Devi temple to the Shri Bhadrakali Temple situated in the Upper Camp across the border in Tamil Nadu. Later the Karagam Jodikkal moved towards the Shri Durga Ganapathy Bhadhrakali Temple, Kumily after which the procession returned to the Shri Devi temple Thekkady. Following this the Karagam Jodikkal proceeded to the Thekkady Lake where the ritualistic sacrifices were performed by the devotees who then returned to the Thekkady Shri Devi Temple.

 On the last day of the festival, Pongal was made by families after the Deepam was lit by Dr.M.Manikandan, consultant, ENT at Idukki Medical College. On the evening of the concluding day of the festival a procession which commenced with Fireworks display from the Thekkady Shri Devi temple with Mulapayar moved towards the Shri Bhadhrakali Temple in the Upper camp via the Kizhakkumedu road. The procession was accompanied by panchavadhyam, nadhaswaram, Chendamelam, Mulapayar, Kambu karakam, Pookarakam, Pimdikkavadi, Pookkavadi, Mayilattom, Theyyam and Gopura kavadi.

Devotees dressed as Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Lord Murugan, Saraswathy, Bhadhrakali, Raktha katteri, with Lord Shiva’s floats returned from The Bhadra Kali Temple in Upper Camp towards the Shri Devi Temple where the Karakam and Mulapayar were disposed in the Thekkady Lake.  The flag was then taken down with a Mangala Pooja. At the conclusion of the festival the Trivandrum Voice Orchestra along with Shridhu Mohan performed for the benefit of the devotees.

The festival was a huge success and was well managed by the Devasom elders with the involvement of the entire community which sincerely rejoiced and praised the Almighty.

The 15^th Annual Thekkady Flower Show is currently being held from 1^st April to 14^th May 2023 at the Kallarackal gardens in the town. The annual event is organised by the Kumily Grama Panchayat along with the Thekkady Agri-Horticulture Society, Mannaratharayil Gardens and Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES).

The Flower Show commenced with great festivities and is currently attracting huge crowds. The Flower Show consists of a wide variety of plants from both within and outside Idukki District. The plants include decorative garden varieties such as roses, orchids, crotons among others. The show also features plants suitable for both kitchen and herbal gardens.

The footfalls to the Show have been increasing with each passing day and the crowds reach a maximum during the evenings when the lights and sound on display make the event a memorable one.

In addition to the awesome display of flowers, stalls have also been set up with focus on sales of home needs and kitchen appliances as well as herbal medicines and the like. The Flower Show also has a collection of amusement rides which are a major attraction among the kids visiting the show.

The stage and seating space provided for entertainment also witnesses, debates, competitions and informative sessions suitable for all ages and all sections of visitors.

The Entry fee of Rupees sixty per adult is very reasonable given the time, effort and resources spent on setting up the event. Special discounts are also being provided for school / college groups.

While the show is attracting huge crowds from nearby towns and villages as well as visitors from other parts of India, the summer heat seems to be a deterrent in attracting overseas tourists.

I’m sure visitors and horticulture enthusiasts from other parts of the world who are reading this article will benefit from planning a visit to Kumily next summer to enjoy the next installment of the show.

By

Sachin Mathews Mani

On 22^nd of March 2023, which was celebrated as World Water day; the Kerala Government built a thousand ponds across the State. Of these, eighty three such ponds are located in Idukki district and three of them are in our very own Kumily Panchayath.

This project was announced by the Kerala Government, as part of a Hundred Day Plan to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Pinarayi Vijayan Government. A total of two thousand ponds have been fixed as the target. In the first phase of this project, a thousand ponds were inaugurated on the 22^nd of March 2023.

In Kumily Panchayath, the ponds were built in the 11th ward of Thekkady. Ms. Shanthi Shajimon, Honorable President of the Kumily Grama Panchayath, dedicated the ponds to the people of Mannan Kudi.

Pictures Courtesy of: The Kumily Panchayat President

The project which was completed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) benefits the people of this area both as a water source and an income generation activity.

The major innovation and highlight of these ponds are that they lined all around their sides using Coir Bhoovastra (Coir Geotextiles) which are permeable fabrics capable of controlling soil erosion. It protects the earth and promotes vegetation by retaining precious topsoil.

The Geo textile is made from coconut fiber which is extracted from coconut husk, and used to cover the slopes on the sides of the ponds or canals; thus protecting the soil from erosion due to heavy rainfall.

Coir Bhoovastra can retain the moisture of the soil and protects the roots of the plants around the ponds. It is also eco-friendly as it will disintegrate in 5 to 6 years, thereby enriching the soil.

While being an eco-friendly initiative for the protection of ponds and water sources this will also boost the traditional coir industry of Kerala.

This initiative is expected to overcome the dry spell in the coming months.

The History of Kumily is nothing but the story of Man’s struggle with nature. Major changes occurred in and around Kumily only after the arrival of the British colonists who obtained these regions from the local rulers and transformed the forestlands into cultivatable areas.

The 1920s saw the arrival of many Malayalis to this area. While there are many such versions of how the settlers came to Kumily, We at “Kumily Calling” had the good fortune to meet and discuss the early history of Kumily with Satheesh Dhamodar, Managing Partner of Ranger Wood Nature Castle who is a third generation settler of the Damodhar Family which came from Alleppy during the early part of the 20th Century. We were also curious to know more about the Ranger Wood connection to Kumily.

According to him during the World War there came about a great shortage of food and to overcome this scarcity the then Travancore Raja offered land to anyone who was willing to settle down in Kumily under the condition that they cultivate food crops in the jungle to overcome the famine.

Satheesh’s grandfather was one such settler who came to Kumily from Alleppy but found the going very hard. Agriculture in these parts during those times was a very difficult endeavour and had to find alternate livelihood including catching the fish in the dam during those days.

Satheesh’s Father, Shri Dhamodar was a skilled Varma Kalai (The Art of Manipulating the Nerves of the Body) Asan and Kalari expert who became a contractor carrying out repair work in the dam and building homes in the area. He had four children. It was during the sixties that he built the “Ambika Tourist Home” giving the place his wife’s name. Ambika Tourist Home was very popular during those days for the dam and the wildlife around it began to attract Tourists from all over the world.

Satheesh and his brothers were trained by their father in the Art of Varma. During those days Varma and the Kerala style of Massage was not very common in Kumily. When the brothers grew up they began to provide spa services to Tourists under a tree near their Tourist Home in the nineties. Shri Dhamodar passed away in 1996 and the brothers then took over the upkeep of the Home though they also found different careers in other places.

It was only in 2008 that the Ambika Tourist Home was transformed into the Ranger Wood Nature Castle by the brothers in memory of a famous Anglo Indian Ranger of the 20th Century who was called Ranger Wood. According to Satheesh it was Ranger Wood who served the cause of conservation and curbed the poaching of Tigers which was then widely prevalent. It was nice to hear that the brothers had decided to pay tribute to him by naming their resort after him.

Set in an incredible natural environment near the Periyar Tiger Reserve Forest, The Ranger Wood Nature Castle is now a preferred destination for all nature lovers. The Tree Houses and rooms here offer a perfect view of the forest from which wildlife including deer, monkeys, and bison as well as the occasional Tiger can be spotted.  

Ranger Wood’s Nature Castle also has a spa where many traditional rejuvenating therapies are offered for healing and pain relief. Guests can also enjoy a swim in the property’s swimming pool and taste the delicious continental and local Indian delicacies served at the in-house restaurant.

If you are in Kumily and looking for a perfect getaway “Ranger Wood Nature Castle” is a great place for you.

By Sachin Mathews Mani

In a previous article we had mentioned the potential of Ottakathalamedu to become a popular tourist destination and the lack of infrastructure hindering the same.

We are therefore happy to inform that Ottakathalamedu has been included in the Destination Challenge Project (DCP) of the Kerala Tourism Department. The Honorable Minister of Tourism P. A. Muhammad Riyas has recently announced the same on his Facebook Page.

The Department of Tourism has launched the DCP to develop tourism infrastructure in the state with the collaboration of local bodies. The scheme aims to tap the importance of indigenous tourism and to link tourism activities in the state with various schemes of the local bodies to enable the overall development of Kerala.

The Minister has also mentioned that the Kumily Grama Panchayat and the Tourism Department will jointly spend around one and a half crore rupees to implement the development project. This initiative will help to attract more tourists to Ottakathalamedu which currently has no infrastructure and no proper approach roads.

Kumily has many such lesser known locales and picnic spots which could attract tourists but until now the main focus of tourist initiatives has been around Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

It is hoped that the DCP will enable more such unique but lesser known destinations in and around Kumily to become popular. This will also result in a more equitable distribution of economic growth by enabling a share of revenue from the tourism initiatives to percolate to the people of such localities.