A Walk Along the Nile of Kuttanaad

In my last post I gave you a peek into one of the the ancient churches of the region. This time I take you along on my walk out of the church & into the lifeline of the region, particularly Champakulam. The images which this walk offers has always mesmerized me in spite of being a native. And I am never surprised when visitors to the region exclaim with zeal that the feeling the place evokes, they cannot ever forget.


Though a lot has changed over the past decade most of the backwater regions are still inaccessible. This area in the photograph below is under siege by a relatively recent rural development program of the state. 

The waters extend for many kilometers and this picture below shows the sheer expanse of it. In the foreground, is an indispensable part of the lives around the region.

Another view of the flyover.

The place is a heaven to photographers. It's a 'frame in a frame' experience to the lover of outdoor photography. It makes you want to capture every little chunk of what the eyes feast upon. I turn back and click. What is I see looks like a beautiful painting.

I found a boat docked under an old shelter. Like most others,  it too had succumbed to time and look desperate for a makeover. Nevertheless, the respite it might have once offered is hard forgot.

The 'kadatthu' boats link to the two banks at a mere Rs.2 per head. They make frequent trips to and fro and carrying cargo, school kids and workers to the other bank.One of them here is making one of its many trips to the opposite bank.

Another reminder of the sheer expanse of the waters.

People have taken to growing plantains along the banks. in addition to some shade on the long walk it now offers me a spectacularly view of the waters.

A journey by a 'kadatthu' boat is a memorable one to many. And to some unlucky others it can become their last unless they are very careful. these boats become unstable when faster or larger ones cut through the waters. The incoming water violently rocks the 'kadatthu' boats and if one isn't careful enough to hold on they may as well get a taste of the waters along with a good view.

Small paths line the banks and connect the people disembarking from the ferries and 'kadatthu' boats to the interior areas.

At the end of this particular one is another boat shelter. Behind it is one of many small leg breaking bridges that dote the smaller channels. I say leg breaking because the many steps to the top of these bridges are steep and should account for the high frequency of leg-related disorders of the locals.  

This is our last glimpse of the path as we brace up for a journey into the heart of the place. :)