Climbing up to Jattayu Earth Center, Chadayamangalam : )

I first saw Jatayu Earth Center on social media and always wanted to be there in person, so here I arrived in Chadayamangalam to witness our very own marvel of architecture. As I began this journey of 800 steps in the sweltering noon heat, I kept reminding myself of the real essence of this holy structure built in this place, as the story of Ramayan goes...Despite his old age, Jattayu fought Ravana valiantly, but Ravana severed his wings, causing him to fall to earth. Before passing, he informed Ram of Sita’s abduction by Ravana!

The journey for us to reach the actual Jatayu is not nearly as tumultuous, and I promise it's worth it for the excellent views of nature and the satisfaction of completing the climb. At many locations, we see people resting in the shade and gathering at cold water points, so you never feel worn out by the sun. At the summit itself, one thing I was not expecting was the speed of the wind, which managed to steal my cap and toss it up towards the sky, so you better hang on to everything you care about! Another unexpected discovery is the excellent lemonade that one can get at the canteen at the top—this might just be a motivating factor for me to return again! The whole place reverberates with soothing music as you walk around it.

A few steps towards the left wing of Jatayu and we find the Ram Mandir. This is built with the most serene backdrop of Kerala, and there are actually multiple statues of saints and sadhus surrounding the main temple. Inside, we see two statues, one of Ram and another of Hanumanji. The fact that this mandir preserves such valuable rock-carved gods from Ramayan and pays respect to the sacrifice of Jatayu makes it a memorable visit for anyone and everyone.

Comments

Climbing the tallest church of our savior in Copenhagen, Denmark : )

Every road I took or boat I ferried on, I was just not able to escape the sight of this magnificent building in Copenhagen. Out of a lingering, unreconciled curiosity, I stepped into the Church of Our Saviour, which describes itself as Lutheran-Protestant. Since the actual interior was under construction at the time, I took a ticket to climb up the 400 steps and catch a bird's-eye view of the city. To be honest, I knew nothing about this 17th-century marvel, so all my next discoveries were as much overwhelming as serendipitous. The Baroque design inside was accentuated by actual pieces of the construction, including previously mended façade portions and statues, which oddly added to the spiritual effect of the climb. As I ascended over some creaking and thin wooden steps, I began realizing that the tower is really, really tall. I mean, the 90 m height totally creeps up on you with the full effect of a cardio workout as you carefully squeeze past woodwork and other descending peopl...

The Parakeet Problem, Belgium : )

I think parrots are the orange cats among birds, because what else can explain how captivating their nonchalance can be, especially amidst the litany of crows, pigeons, and ducks that patrol each city. Sometimes I am able to get a response from a few of them, but these green citizens of Belgium are rather smug and settled with their complicated history of invasiveness. As one story goes, tropical ring-necked parakeets were first released into the city by an amusement park in Brussels wishing to contribute to developing birdlife, and over the last five decades, their population increased by 250-fold. This is no surprise of course—parrots are basically green pigeons, and they are smart in surviving urban environments. Now it does become a concern for Belgium's native bird species like the wood nuthatch, who cannot successfully compete against these big parakeets to find burrows in trees for nesting. From a Darwinian context, it is only a matter of time that parakeets dominate the b...

Staycation in Gingelom, Belgium!

Look, I started this trip with a rainy morning, so I will make sure you relive it again with me. Sure, I had a couple of cakes and coffee to pump up my spirits when the joyful cloud of grey decided to accompany me on this vacation. And where else would I be headed to, but Gingelom, the most eventful of all municipalities in Belgium. I am being slightly sarcastic, but I actually had a great time—so why was I there in the first place? Let me take you back one month, talking with my friends about how nice it would be to enjoy the summer of Belgium in a relaxing BnB somewhere we have never visited before. And in that research, we discovered Gingelom. The official webpage for Gingelom describes it as a landscape of sunken lanes, orchards, rolling fields, authentic monuments, and much tranquility. That was the bait, and we were hooked. Right, back to the bus we come—fortunately rather empty and peaceful towards this side of town in Limburg—and to be at complete liberty switching seats ...

Young

Search This Blog