7 September 2008

WHERE IS THE CHURCH NINA ??

Photobucket



i could barely walk, the wind was pushing me back.
And it was raining, though not very hard. Very early in the morning and the light started fading
it was kind of getting dark and chilly and i had no warm clothing on, i was shivering, barely able to stand. The wind was making loud noise, it was blowing so hard, made no effort to protect myself.
No it is not a defeat. i was just unwilling to fight the forces of nature
i just longed to be dissolved and consumed. i stood there, dripping wet and taking pictures.
i looked up, receiving the first drops of rain on my body, on my face,
A big drop of rain splashed on my spects suddenly waking me up.
i had to look for a Church




Photobucket





My friend Sherjee walked ahead, i am such an irritating company, i stop everywhere to take pictures. He was nowhere to be seen,

i was alone. Sherjee too did not know where the Church was. Perhaps he went ahead to look for it. No one in sight, this was not a total wilderness, we had crossed a tribal settlement a while ago.



Photobucket



Surprise surprise !
i was invited to attend a Sunday mass at this Church
i was decently dressed, not in my usual rags. Thanks to my sister,
new pair of shoes too, all wet now,

i stopped three ladies, perhaps tribals, not sure, each had an umbrella and they all were struggling to hold it upright.
if you take a video of these girls managing their umbrellas it would make a good break dance video. The wind was playing a havoc on them,

EEEEEE Palli yavde' ?? ... i asked ( Where is the Church ? )
Palli is Church in Malayalam, a mosque also is called Palli.

Palli yavde' ? (Where is the Church ?) i asked again, had to shout through the umbrella, her umbrella was going everywhere but she was managing it well, i would have let the umbrella fly. i have done it.

One girl pointed somewhere up in the sky 'atho' she said lifting her umbrella a bit, i could see her face now.

They were not wearing any warm clothes,
where ? yavde' i asked


'atho' she pointed again in the same direction

i don't see a thing, all i could see was white all around, just mist everywhere.


'onnum kanaanilla' i said ( i can't see a thing )

one girl was blushing the other two were giggling. These girls don't need a reason to laugh.
me standing there in rain all wet without an umbrella was a funny sight for them

they spoke in fast malayalam which i couldn't understand
all three of them broke into a loud giggle
ah haaa ! giggling to glory, ok laugh at me. At least i provided some entertainment to these poor ladies.

One chap crossed us, i think he said ' follow me'
i did not follow him, i wanted to take his picture, he too was struggling with his umbrella.



Photobucket





i started walking in that direction, it wasn't very steep but i was panting for breath
have to cut down my smoking.
i wanted to sit somewhere have kattan kaapee and smoke, but not in a Church.
But where is the Church ?
The man who said follow me disappeared in the mist.

oh dear ! its so beautiful. i saw a beauty emerging out of the mist.
i stood there stunned.



Photobucket



Photobucket



Photobucket



Photobucket




i could see the whole Church now as i went closer, still covered in mist, white Church white mist, invisible from a distance.

This was a beauty. Not the greatest, but it was majestic. Small Church. It may not look the same if i go in a different season.

i saw my friend Sherjee coming down looking for me.

This is not the way to enter a Church, dripping wet, i was the only lunatic there, without an umbrella





Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket


Photobucket




Photobucket




i was hoping brother Jijo would be inside. This is Brother Jijo, one of the sweetest priests i know, Very simple, very unlike other priests. Look at the innocence on his face. Out of respect, i never call him by his name, though he is years younger to me. i call him Chemmaccha. Chemmacchan is half Acchan ? Acchan is a father in Malayalam, no he can't be half father.
soon to be a father ? no, that is ridiculous. a Deacon perhaps. Junior priest.

The mass had already begun,
There he is, Chemmacchan, Brother Jijo, on the mic. Singing the hymns.




Photobucket




The mass, the rituals are full of drama, i don't know why they need such a dramatic display of rituals. i nearly dropped my camera in a Buddhist temple when the gong went off DHOiiiiNNNNGGGGG !
That completely rattled all my nuts and bolts. i think they do it to keep people awake ???
i couldn't afford to doze off, they were all looking at me including the Tirmeni, the Bishop.




Photobucket




Photobucket



It was misty inside as well, but i was not shivering with cold any more. You can see they all sitting on the floor, most of them tribals, In all the Kerala Churches men and women are segregated. The whole thing, the mass, takes two hours. stand up, sit down, stand up sit down, i was following what others were doing. But i was not singing along.



Photobucket


Listen to the sermon boys, don't look at me.
i already knew the Tirmeni, He had come from Kozhikode. Today was a special mass, i forgot what it was. A Bishop is called Tirmeni in Malayalam. He had invited me the previous day. No arguements nothing, i behaved well, i kept my mouth shut. Everything went off well.
i never kick up the dirt. Others poke me and i react.


Photobucket


Women always cover their heads


This happened to me in a Church a couple of times.

' this is my friend rauf and he tussant beeleev in Goad'
sub titles : this is my friend rauf and he doesn't believe in God'

i get furious, why bring it up in an introduction ? Its the tone which i don't like
its like saying This is my friend rauf and he is mentally retarded. There is an immediate look of sympathy and pity, and i drop my jaw and look like a certified looney, gaping at them.
i don't have to act, i look like a retard.


Photobucket

If he doesn't believe in God, what is he doing in a Church ?
kick him out
No one, no one says that. They never get angry, They just pull me and give me a bear hug, cracking my ribs
yes they eat very well. i receive their warmth.
They treat me with respect, and i avoid arguing, The priest puts his arm on my shoulder, very clever actually, bikkaas i have a reputation for asking some very nasty questions.
We will pray for you raufji, You are lost now and Goad will show you the way.
i look up and down, try my best to look completely lost
i smile and say thank you

Photobucket

Photobucket

This is Tirmeni the Bishop.
Why do you have to dress up like Michel Jackson ? , i asked my friend Mathew Acchan, another very sweet loving caring priest, he is in Bangalore Church, always smiling, my best friend Cherian's brother.
He just smiles. They all wear and i have to follow them.
The white cassok they wear is called a kuppayam.
Badly wanted to have kattan kaapee
this is kattan kaapee i talk about always


Photobucket


Photobucket

sat here with the tribals and smoked, they all sit around me and watch me smoke.

This is on our way back and here is my friend Sherjee, my clothes were still wet. i was in no hurry to change, the rain never makes me sick.

Photobucket


Photobucket

72 comments:

Claudia said...

Such a beautiful post! Stay well, Rauf.

rauf said...

Hello CLAUDIA, welcome back. How was the holiday ? How are mom and Dad ? Waiting for an update and pictures Claudia, please give my love to Ana and Clara. Please take rest.

Ruth said...

Ahh, to see the charming church emerge from the mist makes my heart skip. The photos are splendid, is that why they asked you to come, rauf? How striking Michael Jackson looks in all that white misty smoke.

This was very funny too, I laughed out loud, loudest at the mental retard part.

And the DHOIING. Dee Dee went to a Buddhist retreat center with her husband Joe. She was trying to be polite and understand what this is all about. She couldn't sit long like Joe. Not only did they DHOING the gong, they also smacked them on the back with a stick to stay focused! Joe said, 'it's helpful actually.' When Dee Dee got to that part at the cottage one night I was laughing so hard it reminded me of when we were teenagers laughing and gabbing until all hours of the night.

Hahaha! I'm not making fun. But it's nice to look at these things from an outsider's perspective and laugh, because even the most serious things should be laughed at, especially what we hold most dearly ourselves. It makes me happy that Brother Jijo is a good, sincere, simple priest. I can see it in your picture of him, an earnest openness.

Wonderful post, rauf.

Ruth said...

Oh, and I'm wondering how you managed to protect the camera without an umbrella (I hate having an umbrella with a camera)? I'm also curious how 'cold' it got - maybe all the day down to 21C?? Hehehe. I'm teasing you.

Vishesh said...

smoking is bad,bad real bad! :P ha nice ,you showed us all the things which went inside the church :)

rauf said...

RUTH, This is a Syrian Christian Church. The bible is the same but in Syriac, goes from right to left like Hebrew and Arabic. Their religious centre is Damascus Syria, not Vatican. There is a dispute about their figure head. Small, prosperous community, but they have more than a dozen factions who don't agree with each other. i am familiar with most of them as i have friends in different Churches. Sujith belongs to Jacobite Church. i was with him for the entire funeral when his mom passed away few days ago. It is not very different from a Muslim funeral. i have been to their seminary many times, they have to study other holy scriptures like Khurr'aan. And they have to learn Greek and Arabic. Wonderful atmosphere there. Whether it is holy communion or wedding or funeral, it is very elaborate full of drama. i love lighting candles in Churches specially in Cheria palli in Kothamangalam. i just go there and light a candle for no reason. That church also is very beautiful inside. i got to know many priests. They come home, talk, argue, but always pleasant. When my friend Mathew was ordained i advised him to include environmental issues in his inaugural sermon. i believe the priests can bring about a radical change of attitude. Some other priests also promised me to deal with such issues like energy conservation, which are ignored by other Churches and religions.

yes yes an outsider's view would always be funny Ruth, They make a lot of noise during the mass but still i find people sleeping.
When ever i am introduced as a non believer, there's sympathy always. And they get very friendly. i don't have any unpleasant memory of them. i gladly participate in all the rituals, taking pictures and ending with a good meal always.

i normally carry a camera bag Ruth, when it rains while taking a picture i cover the camera with my t shirt. while taking Punalur journey pictures the camera got completely wet and started misbehaving. It was ok after it dried up. i keep the camera upside down. But it is not advisable.

rauf said...

VISHESH, i would like to quote Mr. Micheal Jackson.
' i'm bad .. i'm bad ... i'm bad... 'i'm baaad.

You are absolutely right, no debate. but when you walk in Madras its like smoking a packet of cigarettes a day, in Bangalore its 2 packs a day. no escape.
but this not in defence of smoking. This doesn't make smoking any good.

Yes i like going to different places of worship, Been to Tirupathi many times, i nearly shook hands with Lord Venkateshwara. There are a few Churches in Kerala who follow Hindu Rituals. Collective chanting of mantras and singing of hymns makes it more dramatic. You'll find rock music gospels too in churches. i love the choir. i go there out of curiosity' to know more about different faiths. Its kinda nice. they all preach non violence, they all preach peace. But what happens outside is a different story.

rauf said...

oh sorry RUTH, my shivering with cold is your summer temprature. i was shivering but i found kids playing wearing no shirts. i am getting too old Ruth.

monsoon dreams said...

raufeee,
nina doesnt know where this church is!but would definitely love to go there.
enjoyed reading ur post.beautiful snaps,the church barely visible thru the mist,the swaying trees and grass in the wind and rain,oh!i felt the cold.but ok,snap of choodu kattan kappee made me warm again and i didnt feel the cold once i saw the snaps of the mass in the church.been travelling along with ur narration,so funny,so flowing!and i couldnt control my laugh reading abt the break dance video and michael jackson dress up:-).
ps:smoking is very very injurious to health,y'know.

regards,raufEEE
nina

Shades said...

Monsoon Dreams took me here... Loved this place a lot, and will be back, soon, and whenever i get time..!!
:)

The Preacherman said...

Terrific post old bean. And I thought it rained heavily over here!!

You do have some great adventures. One day I'll join you on one. That's a promise.

freefalling said...

It is nice to know there are retarded people like you in the world.

Anonymous said...

les photos de paysages dans la brume sont extraordinaires.
Superbe série, qui me fait voyager !

kenju said...

Beautiful photos, Rauf! I love the misty rain and the foliages beaten down by it.

Aarti said...

Aiyayayayayyyy...
now what is this you been upto!!!! feeling alright i see, up and about galvanting around wilderness looking for a church in the mist... tsk tsk...

zee pics of the church emerging out of nowhere thru the mist is just wowwieee... me likes churches.. going to one wherever we go... :D
even in chennai, me n friend go to one in tayulors road and the velankanni.. also been to main velankanni.. den, last time in trichy went to lady lourdes(absolutely gorgeous places eet ees)...

:)
btw, dont camera get wet in rain????

Sewmouse said...

That is a very attractive church. I know exactly what you mean about the extra friendliness and hugging when you mention you aren't a True Believer®

Ruth said...

Is that Sherjee by the church, taking your picture?

Happy Onam, rauf!

Priya said...

Awesome pictures each and every one of them.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Stunning photos, Rauf! Love seeing your great pictures and history! It's always a pleasure visiting your blog!

Anonymous said...

its been awhile ..I have not wrote or asked about you ..I can see is pouring at your side ...blow some to our side of the world

Nasra

tulipspeaks said...

I dont know why but somehow I feel 'mysterious' when I look at the church..May be its the misty effect, may be its the people.. I dont know for sure.


ammu.

My Unfinished Life said...

lovely pics and quite an effort u made to click them...
about church....you have to be baptised to believe in god...that's their motto..and its one of the greatest business ideas they have got to cnvert innocent tribals to their establishment...in the business of religion...the church is one of the shrewdest corporations around

The Crusty Crone said...

"No intelligence required to post comments."

hahahahaha... oh thank you! hahahaha

Your photography, as always, is wonderful. I even had to go dry off from the mist... I do believe some of it went down my collar.

(And thank you for not holding our "president" against us lowly citizens.)

sandy said...

i ADORE this post, your photos, writing, sense of humor. All good Rauf... Loved it.

I remembered to put you on my blogroll so I can see when you update. I'm always happy to see new updates here.

s

rauf said...

Hi MONSOON DREAMS, i'll take Nina and show her where the Church is. It may not look the same in a different season though.
i think i went there just as the monsoon set in, it was misty all over Attapadi range. You have to take Mannarkad-Anakatti road, its a beautiful journey. Just after Mukkhali Silent Valley forest check post there's a dirt road to the right. It's some 20 KMs inside
i am not sure as the place was getting more and more romantic and i was lost in the beauty.

yenda Ammay! Doctor Ammey, thank you for the warning.

rauf said...

MONSOON DREAMS i will take Nina and show her the Church if she is willing to travel like
THIS

rauf said...

Thank you SHADES, welcome to Daylight Again

rauf said...

Ah ! we'll paint India red PREACHER, but we'll leave the forest green. You are quite familiar with Indian food, so, absolutely no problems. Any time my friend, any time.

rauf said...

So good to see you LAETITIA, but i see you are on a MOUNA VRATHAM. Please google and see what it is.

i look like a gorilla Laetitia, so my friends feel that i need to be moulded and trained. i am constantly under repair and i have many mothers doing just that, some mothers are as young as 13. And i receive most sympathy from the priests who don't seem to get angry with my arrogance. It is expected of a wild gorilla and they feel that i deserve the pity and attention given to a retard.
i am treated with utmost kindness. And to make them happy i behave like a motherless child completely lost.

rauf said...

Vous avez une compréhension extraordinaire de la couleur MARIE, je voudrais bien voir les couleurs de l'Inde par le biais de vos yeux. Espérons que vous Voyage en Inde et capture les couleurs de votre style unique.

rauf said...

i never get sick walking in the rain JUDY, its all in the head. But i get sick walking in the rain in the city. There is another place in Kerala called Peermade which always covered in mist. Hope you are doing fine Judy.

rauf said...

AYEEEE ARTEEE Howsee you ??
The local couriers keep calling me saying they can't locate my house.
After giving directions 5 times one guy reached my house. i told him, please see this gentleman, he has come all the way from Israel. He reached here without any directions. The thing is, if i want to find i WILL find Aarti, if i don't want to find i will never find it. One WIPRO chap knocks my door reaches here without making calls, but his colleague makes ten calls and i had to go out and bring him here like a blind man. Difference in approach.

Howsee Plaappy Aarti ? give him a hug from me.

rauf said...

HOYO ARTEE, the Camera is just a thing for me. You know what a begger i am. still i don bodder if the ting gets wet. Yes the camera malfunctions sometimes. What i do is i remove the battery and keep it upside down for a while. Sameting with mobiles toos. when it gets wet never never never check if it is working. that is when it gets damaged. remove the battery immediately, keep it uppee sidee downee for a day. my mobile had the luxury of drinking kaapee tea water, i think i have a shamless mobile

rauf said...

The kind of questions i ask will make any one angry SEWMOUSE, but not them. They are very clever. A successful and a popular priest is a good politician as well. They know the art of diplomacy, only idiots like me lose their temper and make very offensive statements.

i am not a sinner. i read the bible. i pray everyday, then why am i so miserable and all the evil people are having fun and enjoying life ?

the priest smiles and says God is testing you my child.

God has been testing and testing and testing for thousands of years. We don't have his test report as yet. What is he doing with all this testing ?

Be patient my child, you will be rewarded for your virtues in heaven.
so i have to die first for that ?

No answer, just a smile

Well, can i smoke in heaven father ?
hehehehehe.

rauf said...

owee RUTH, you have an exceptional power of observation. i never noticed it. Even after reading your comment i had to look hard at the picture, yes it is sherjee taking my picture. i said wow, i had given him the smaller Nikon, i checked yes it has my picture there.

rauf said...

Thank you PRIYA

rauf said...

India has a wide variety of terrains SONIA, just 50 kilometers away it is very hot and dry.

rauf said...

its long time NASRA, my blog was in cold storage for nearly 6 months. We have desert in Rajasthan. But the people living there are so colourful and know how to entertain themselves with lots of festivals.
before sending you some wet weather i would have some for myself first Nasra, my city of Chennai is always short of water, being over populated and growing out of proportions. wish we could spend water like money. Still people have not woken up. Fights break out in the streets for a pot of water.

rauf said...

How you bees AMMU ?
oh yes yes yes
Temples mosques and churches can't be simple buildings. they have to be massive wierd or spooky. the rituals have to be long elaborate and complicaed or very very dramatic. They have to impress you. Thats their job. its business eventually. its money.

rauf said...

Religion has always favoured the rich SHOOTING STAR, God dare not go against the rich. God never said slavery is a crime against humanity, or slavery is a sin. It is the rich who had slaves. so God could not go against them or their comforts.
Money rules afterall. The poor are just given dreams of heaven after life. Promises promises.

i have seen two different Churches competing to allure the tribals. Is it out of kindness or compassion that we thrust our values down their throats ? Kindness comes with a brand name. We take advantage of their poverty and impose what we think is good on them, its sad.

This is to make you smile Shooting Star

A drunk stumbles along a baptismal service on Sunday afternoon down by
the river. He proceeds to walk into the water and stand next to the preacher.

The minister notices the old drunk and says, "Mister, are you ready to
find Jesus?"

The drunk looks back and says, "Yes, preacher, I sure am."

The minister dunks the fellow under the water and pulls him right back up.

"Have you found Jesus?" the preacher asks.

"Nooo, I didn't!" said the drunk.

The preacher then dunks him under for quite a bit longer, brings him
up, and says, "Now, brother, have you found Jesus?"

"Noooo, I have not, reverend."

The preacher, in disgust, holds the man under for at least 30 seconds this time, brings him out of the water, and says in a harsh tone, "My God, man, have you found Jesus yet?"

The old drunk wipes his eyes and says to the preacher, "Are you sure
this is where he fell in?"

rauf said...

Actually CRUSTY CRONE no intelligence is most welcome. i am allergic to intelligence and wisdom, which has brought misery to our world. We were fine without it.

I am told that its a bit warm when it is misty, and gets cold when the mist disappears. i am not sure how far it is true.

There is no democracy when the voice of lowly citizens fall on deaf ears. Our democracy here gets raped every day. But people take to the streets when things go seriously wrong. The government is forced to listen to the lowly citizens, this is something that has not happened in the US. i have often heard that "You Can't Fool All the People All the Time" but it is happening in the US from the past 50 years.

Hope you are doing fine Crusty Crone.

Ruth said...

Not all, rauf, not all. You should not make such broad generalizations, you know. We have a long way to go to make this democratic republic (not a democracy) work. I don't know if it can ever be fixed again. And it does seem that screaming does little. But at least some of us are not fooled. But of course you have a right to your opinion, rauf, that 100% all of us are fooled.

I wish more people here would get out into the streets. We can learn from India, that's for sure.

Sharon said...

Oh what a beautiful storm... I could actually imagine how it felt through your photos!

Nautankey said...

Wow.awesome snaps and a matching write up.. I used to hate rains in chennai probly due to the water stagnation on roads and other messy things that happen..but once was in wayanad and the heavy showers made me fall in love with rains..and maan in RAINS in kerala unlike the so-called rains which leak out in chennai...o'er there we cant see the person standing 10 feet away and the normal/modern umbrellas are a joke in front of that fury... those kerala umbrellas (made of wood?) r the only things whch can stand it..

Guess it a syrian church had visited one in chetpet and the priest had the same kind of glitzy costume :)...great travelogue rauf

rauf said...

Thank you SANDY, Humour is an escape route. The impact of misery is less. Life has no meaning, no real purpose. People are doing their best to give it a meaning but unfortunately the meaning or the so called truth comes in different brand names. Even Athiests are branded, i don't want to belong anywhere. i am just a monkey on the tree. You can't call a monkey an athiest can you ?

rauf said...

RUTH, as an outsider i have already explained my reasons for generalisation. An alien child in an earth biology class will be taught that humans are carniverous animals which is not entirely true.

As an outsider following the US history from past 50 years, i can broadly classify the US citizens unter two categories

1. those who are not aware or don't want to be aware that they are being fooled by the government. This includes citizens who are aware but don't accept the facts. They form a big majority and on the strength of these citizens the government is formed.

2. And those citizens who are aware that they are being fooled by the government but can't do anything about it. They wait for four years in the hope for some change. History tells us that there is hardly any change.

Strictly speaking these two categories are pretty much the same unfortunately. The citizens cannot bring about any change.
There are changes in names but not in the system.

Ruth, i am not following what is happening with the nuclear deal with the US. i think it is still not through. Though the government won the vote of confidence on this issue in the parliament. They are still afraid of the backlash. It will be through eventually with some political arm twisting and perhaps we are the most corrupt nation in the world. Politicians can be easily bought in India

rauf said...

It was not very severe SHARON, i was not prepared for it. i realised how weak we are when confronted with the forces of nature.

Ruth said...

Oh I'm sorry, rauf, for not remembering the reasons you have already explained, please forgive me.

I agree with your 2 categories, in general. Some of us hold out hope that change will happen gradually. Maybe we'll all relinquish hope eventually as things get worse. I have a ray of hope that what has come to light since 9/11 will push us toward change more quickly. But that is an insider's view, which I can't do anything about, because I am an insider. Maybe I can't live without hope also. It is a bleak situation, however you look at it - insider or outsider. I am trying to live with being an American and understand what that means every day. It is an exhausting treadmill, and often I just want to get off.

rauf said...

Ah NAUTANKI, Good to see you here, its like you are sitting right here next to me.
What Nautanki and why nautanki ? Are you in theatre ? We had nautankis here in oll thottam some 40 years ago. They have all disappeared. the TV killed them. The local term is Theru Koothu, or street theatre.

Yes, Nautanki, i agree with you, the city gets pretty messy during the rains. Perhaps you were in Thousand lights during water scarcity days. Chennai has been growing out of proportions with hardly any improvement in the drainage system. There were only a couple of two storied houses in Oll thottam, rest including mine were tiled houses, less people. Now every house is reconstructed including mine, and more people in the same area. you can understand the water and drainage problem.

i am from Coorg actually but lived in Chennai all my life. i hop across the border and find myself in Wynad to receive the first drops of rain on my body. Both Coorg and Wynad rains are very romantic. i love it
Welcome to Daylight Again Nautanki.
We'll meet sometime.

rauf said...

oh sorry NAUTANKI, yes it is a Syrian Jacobite Church. i am so familiar with the rituals that i can sing along with them. a few priests are good friends of mine, like brothers. You know its not a big community, yet there are more than a dozen factions who don't seem to agree with each other. they follow the same Jesus Christ same syriac Bible but, but, they can't stand united. Faith is not the main reason for the divide, they fight over Church property and money.

Nautankey said...

Yes Rauf..into english theatre not big time but staging shows once in 4-5months. Was in thousand lites in late 80s and the worst part was the sewage water used to mix up with the stagnated rain water...so rain was equated to total mess :) until my visits to kerala. And yeah have gone to coorg once during college days -industrial visit :P. It rained like there was no tomorrow and yet we ventured out and had some pretty adventurous time in the slippery terrain.Wish wayanad n coorg were closer to chennai

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Heeeh Dear RAUF,
I am able to type again afetre my shoulderopereation, it took a while to surf on the internet, we went on holiday to France and are bck now for a while, itwas good the 9sweet)dog went with us..

your photo's are looking like a cloudforest, but its made in India. Very nice also the portrait of the man with the beard...
I like your blog, come see mine nd my face:0 haha

Hppy day and enjoy life:)
JoAnn's D Eyes /Holland

Sewmouse said...

Oh Rauf
I have tagged you.

Please feel free to ignore it.

Paresh Palicha said...

Wonderful! Felt like I was with you on this trip :)

Your narration and the pics brought back the memories of my pilgrimages to Sabarimala (9 times) as a child on papa's & a helper's shoulders by turn :) Thanks

monsoon dreams said...

raufeedee,
sure dee,i'm willing to travel like that.

Anamika said...

kerala kerala kerala....thank you for showing me home again :)

sonia a. mascaro said...

Hi Rauf,
Thank you very much for your nice and kind words on my Third Blog Anniversary. I am so glad you like the collage!
I LOVE your blog and I can see your beautiful and fantastic country through your eyes! Thank you so much for sharing those gorgeous photos.
Cheers!

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH

WE HAVE LOTS OF EXCITEMENT IN OUR TOWN BUT I WISH I WAS IN INDIA, AND I REALLY LIKE THOSE PICTURES. THEY LOOK GREAT, IT MUST BE BETTER THAN THOSE PICTURES.

:)

rauf said...

NAUTANKI, oh yes we had that problem too. Since we are surrounded by a couple of big schools with playground, we get good ground water and we never depended on the metro water supply which is lethal.
i had friends in 'Madras Players' and 'Koothu Pattarai' i went on stage once in my friend Rudhran's play, played a role of a chor swamiji. Hilarious experience that was. i used to work backstage
please hop over Nautanki, you know where i live
98407 68067 and 2858 6985

rauf said...

oh Thank you JOANN, glad that you have recovered from your shoulder surgery. i have shoulder problems too. Largely mouse related, i keep dragging the mouse a lot for my graphic designs.

rauf said...

i have never done a tag before SEWMOUSE, as i never knew what a tag was. Since i post once a month, i kept forgetting those tags. Only my laziness can stop me from doing yours, i'll do it after my next post. You know what my next post is about.

rauf said...

Welcome to Daylight Again PARESH, I would love to meet you, perhaps next month. if its okkay with you. I keep going to Pallurty quite often, have a friend there, Sathyaraj, right on the Alleppy highway. I'll write you Paresh.

rauf said...

MONSOON, Whattoo ? All your nuts and bolts would fall apart. did you read that post or just saw the picture ?? It was awakening for me. Now you don't have to worry, good roads and regular buses on that road which is a tragedy, silent valley is no longer silent. We'll meet our Vaithiyar there, you have to meet his mother in law, she is the guru of tribal remedies, a tribal, sweet sweet lady. She bees in Attpadi. somewhere close to this Church.

rauf said...

Thank you VRINDA

rauf said...

Your blog anniversary is a joy to all your readers SONIA, you took lot of pains to make your readers feel important. i haven't seen any one doing that. You did it in style. Your own unique presentation. Thank you so much Sonia.

rauf said...

Hi POWER RANGER, You are very intelligent. That is a terrific observation. Yes quite true. The pictures can show only half the beauty of nature, may be less. Artists add more colour to make their paintings beautiful. But still they don't capture the splendour. What we see with our eys is always the best. Only true artists like Van Gogh present nature as it is. Even his sketches of ordinary people like coal miners, potato eaters are very powerful. Please tell Mom to show you his sketches. You will become a great artist Power Ranger.

Anonymous said...

Dear Uncle Rauf,

Why am I intelligent? I am only 7.

mystic rose said...

What a beautiful country!! Its wonderful too see India again through the images you capture. Im reminded of my school days, most of the schools I attended were private, St Josephs and St Frances de Sales.

I think some of them had no choice, they were pledged to the church when born, and sent to live there when they were still children. I remember how osme of the older teenage girls who were to become nuns would look longingly at jewelry and talk of engagements and marriages.

rauf said...

Hi POWER RANGER, you are intelligent because you made a very intelligent observation. You are 7 and very intelligent where as i am 61 and not intelligent. One day when you grow up you will find that intelligence is quite useless. But you need intelligence to grow up. Otherwise people will take adavantage of you. You need intelligence to defend yourself and your loving family. You are intelligent so you are well equipped to defend your family.

rauf said...

MYSTIC ROSE, Once in Sikkim it was raining, getting dark in bitter cold, similar situation. Some monks gave me shelter in a monastry. There were many small boy monks, wearing those brown robes. Next morning those boy monks led me to the village and stopped to watch other boys playing cricket. i could see the desire in their innocent eyes to play with other children. i asked one of them to go and play, he just shook his head and smiled.

As a rule i never argue with Nuns. i join the prayers with them. i panic when i hear them praying for me, when my name is mentioned. In Wynad Kerala one Nun yes i remember her name Sister Rose insisted on giving me a tour of their activities. Sister Fidelis was all joy. this was in Bangalore. i trained some young Nuns how to send and receive emails. But they refused to have individual IDs when i suggested. they said their computer was donated by some cuhrch member. i really don't know how i land up in such situations. i don't know how the news of my not believing in God reaches them before i do. Sister Fidelis made a pose, one hand on her waist and a finger on her chin tilted her head and said oh ! you don't believe in God ?
come have some cake then. She is very funny. They have their own way of having fun Mystic Rose. i was eating like a monkey and all the nuns were standing around me and watching me with wonder. The young nuns were pretty excited about internet. It was very slow then.

Anonymous said...

Wow! now I know why Aaarti says you are an awesome photographer :) Beautiful!! I am lost for words! Beautiful!!

D@r$hi said...

u r just fabulous...
awesome photographer and persona as well i m damn sure of that.. u actually remind me of my professor KAUshik he is like u ...damn goos comapany...
love u sir u r amazing with d photographs !!
hats off!!