The prelude...

The moment I pronounce the name Kerala, a lush greenery, vast blue ocean , waves dancing on the Malabar coast ..a mixed visual comes in my eyes. Some credit goes to Indigo airlines people, after a short nap suddenly when I opened up my eyes after hearing the landing announcement, my eyes stuck on the window! OMG! only trails of coconut tree, and a white bordered blue ocean, the border is dynamic, moving in its own rhythm..its Arabian Sea!! And yes, at that moment I felt happy with my decision of shifting to kerala from Hyderabad.

Its the third city I changed after leaving kolkata around five years ago. In the mean time I made myself accustomed with the fastlife of Delhi, then a bit slower pace of hyderabad and now its Thiruvananthapuram! A land of Anantha, almighty!

it was a movie Dashavatar, I have seen the “shayita Vishnu” Idol of Narayana. Don't know why I googled whether really an Idol of VIshnu like this is here i India , and I found the reference of Padmanavaswami temple,The Deity of Trivandrum. A few days after I received an interview call from here. Don't know why, I was sure I am going to come there. What would you tell this? A divine conspiracy? I don't know really! But somehow, I loved the temple. When I was approaching through the long corridors, with thousands of enlightened pillar by millions of Deepam, I felt like I am leaving one after another..my grievances, anger , sorrow..am gonna meet him, as if he is waiting here for me for thousands of years! As if I was here before, watching the spectacular sight of this palace hundreds of times before!

I watched, I was thrilled after seeing him, how long he is sleeping here with this sheer peace and joy? And why every time I see him, I drenched in tears inside. As if he knows every small bit of myself. I don't know what I feel about him , like father, like lover? like ..just an old friend? I am not a God fearing human. For me a temple is an epitome of thousands of years old Indian culture. But he made me feel heavy inside.

So , I have started my journey telling you about him.

Lets come back to this mortal world! Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum is unlike other capitals , greener and peaceful. Roads are clean, people are humble and mind their own business mostly. The best thing is I can roam here alone , till late night, although the city sleeps much earlier around 9.30 p.m.,even if you are late, don’t worry, autowalas will charge double the meter, and take you safely to your destination. So for a self-contented loner , this city is good to live. Actually, in a word, i found it a healing place, a place to let you introduce with yourself.

I haven’t got the chance to visit much of its most visited 177 tourist places, except, Kovalam beach. I am planning to roam as much as possible, as much as your budget allows you in a month..

Will keep you telling on and on..what I loved here, why loved and what not..I am quite an accommodating person, you see, so new food wont be a problem.

It was absolutely wrong!

The first day I entered the canteen of my new institute, a strong smell of coconut oil surrounded me, followed me till my room in hostel and I started feeling like my hairs are absorbed in coconut oil, and like i am in an infinite ancient hair spa!! I just hated it!

They give me food, the traditional kerala thali, which looks like this

My Lunch at Canteen

It looks tasty, but don't know why first day that curry “Avial” , where I got some smell of ripen banana, was failed to impress me! But considering that this is a 25 Rs Thali, sambar containing different vegetables and rest of them told to be very healthy, I am now OK with it! (The extra Dahi is because I don't take “paparam”!!).

Now eventually I get to know, the curry, keep changing, but rest is same..and oh ! yes!! this fat rice, its at least four times thick of normal one. Gone are my days of luxury when I used to cook Basmati, that too with some special brand of long grain and rick aroma type!

Well, life is how you make it. Changes are always thrilling for me , good or bad whatever it may be! And if I get some story stuffs there , its good, how bad it might seems on that moment!

Well I have written a long five page memoir on my first day night at new apartment, I am going to post that a separate article, and , yes, it is written in bengali, so for some friends , I am really sorry!! Sometimes I become too passionate to my mother tongue that words showers like kerala rain on page!