Candid Shots From Champakulam, Alappuzha

In an older post I gave you wonderful people a tour of Champakulam in Alappuzha. It's interior Kuttanad that was once only remotely accessible and solely by water. But, today, the place has made significant progress and is well connected to nearby towns, especially Alappuzha, by bus and water. 

In this post today, I take you on  a tour of the 'other side' of the village.

This part of Champakulam is easily accessed by bus from either Alappuzha bus depot or nearby Changanacherry bus-stand. It has extensive rice cultivation and a famous college run by CMI fathers. Much networked by criss-crossing channels, big and small this cosy place is where one can still enjoy the raw flavor of erstwhile Kuttanad. The people are simple and most of them still prefer to lead an agrarian life. This should not be confused with illiterate farmer community as most of the youngsters here are either engineers, teachers or into software development. The women folk are educated too, if not beyond, at least up to graduate/college level. Yet, they prefer to blend into their simple ways and are adept at  all household chores and farming practices including milking cattle and preparing the best Kuttannad delicacies especially seafood. They catch their own lunch from the canals! You can be sure to smell some heavenly aroma of seafood cooking while you pass a house in this locality.

Here, I have some candid shots of green and watery Champakulam for you !

Somebody's little ride parked under a shady coconut tree

One of the many channels criss-crossing the village- this one is behind the Porukara B.Ed College, Champakulam

Alappuzha by sunset

As the sun sets over neat plots of green paddy fields along the AC road that connects Changanacherry town to Alappuzha backwater district, I captured a few shots of just how glorious sunset can be in a suburban landscape.

Houseboats of Alappuzha come home after a day cruising through the lively waters now fallen silent.

Houses set against a setting sun, deep canal on one side and backwaters running into paddy fields for acres on the other side. Coconut trees stand mere spectators to the everyday beauty.

Come evening local vendors take to selling the day's catch on the roadside.

Hidden, but illuminating.

Autos take to the stand like flocks of birds returning to the nest. Not that their day is done yet, but a little evening gossip never did anyone any harm, did it?

Beautiful, isn't it?

The Vemabanad canal

A fish seller sets up camp for the evening.

Little shops dotting the sideways come to life with laborers taking a tea break before heading home after the day's work. 

The whole panorama echoes a serenity that serenades a wooing to the coming calm silent night that will soon envelope the watery landscape.

“If you stay here, you become lost. And no one can find you.
I like lost.” -Ally Condie

And that's exactly how I feel standing here watching the sun set.