Monday, January 21, 2008

A trip to God's own country: a photo essay

Kerala is marketed to tourists as "God's own country", and rightly so. I happened to spend a week on the backwaters of Kochi and Alleppey, and am sharing a selected few photographs that I took. My weapon - Nikon D40x (with the kit lens).

Kochi had a historical importance in ancient India's ties with the west. Here are a series of photographs from around Kochi - mainly Fort Kochi which has the original burial place of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Jew Town was the other historically important place - it is one of the oldest Jewish establishment in this part of the world, though only 13 Jews live in this town today.


The fine yet strong Chinese fishing nets have been serving the local fishermen for years at Fort Kochi.



A fishing boat lies abandoned at Fort Kochi.



An antique shop in Jew town.



The colourful street market of Jew Town.


Here are a few photographs from Alleppey. It is no wonder that the backwaters here are amongst the top tourist destinations of the world. This place gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "lose yourself".


The sun rising over the placid waters of Alleppey.



Visitors do not seem to bother these birds inhabiting a secluded island.



The sun peeking from behind coconut trees at dawn.



A boat "parked" on the canal, exaggerating the calmness of the scene.



Coconut trees stand tall on a thin strip of land separating two channels.



Just another day in the life of the fishing folks in Alleppey.



A fisherman at his job.

The beach at Alleppey was a surprise hit - we never knew it was so good! Here are some shots to prove it.


A traveller leaves his footprints in the spotless sand at the beach in Alleppey.



Sea, sky and sand in perfect harmony.



Men and birds alike soak themselves in the breath-taking scene.