Every once in a while, you set out on a journey. Then again, every once in a while, you set out on a pilgrimage. But ever so rarely, you set out on a voyage that is much more than a journey and much deeper than a pilgrimage.
The last week of December 2015 will always be remembered for the greatest voyage of my life. The stormy seas and high waves collided both inside and outside. I had a wonderful time at Thrikaripuram, about 45 km from Kannur. This small town/village is an undiscovered tropical paradise. Virgin beaches and backwaters beckon you from every direction... They seek your mindspace and make you wish you had never landed there in the first place because you really don't want to leave from here ever!
Picture this: A full blue moon night with the moon high on the sky... A million stars come out from wherever they were hiding... You're on a bridge across a river and you hear a temple song echoing in the backwaters... Just when you feel that this is as picturesque as it can get, you hear chenda vadiyams in rhythm that makes the atmosphere sacred and esoteric at the same time...Time stands still for a long time till a water snake makes its way across the full moon's reflection in the river... The ripples continue their journey till they disturb the reflections of few coconut trees along the river's banks! A lone boatman ferries across the horizon where the temple song emanates from.
At that very moment, I told one of the people who were on the bridge with me: "If you ever fall in love and you know that she's the love of your life, get her here. On such a magical night, she'll never say no!"
I stayed at a beloved friend's place and his family welcomed me like I was their own prodigal son. They made me feel at home and I felt at home. Loved meeting and interacting with all his people and especially, his elder sister. Some connections happen just like that; without any rhyme or reason.
The first theyyam experience of my life: At a powerful Devi temple, in full moonlit night, I saw a temple lit with oil lamps... And then, I saw a man, adorned with heavy brass attire, who among the crowd, looked me in the eye. That moment was otherworldly. Eerie, silent, dark, and brooding.
He shook the sword with his right hand and with the left, flung an arrow... The sound of his anklets still ring in my ears. He danced and walked just like how the gods would've walked the Earth.
The last week of December 2015 will always be remembered for the greatest voyage of my life. The stormy seas and high waves collided both inside and outside. I had a wonderful time at Thrikaripuram, about 45 km from Kannur. This small town/village is an undiscovered tropical paradise. Virgin beaches and backwaters beckon you from every direction... They seek your mindspace and make you wish you had never landed there in the first place because you really don't want to leave from here ever!
Picture this: A full blue moon night with the moon high on the sky... A million stars come out from wherever they were hiding... You're on a bridge across a river and you hear a temple song echoing in the backwaters... Just when you feel that this is as picturesque as it can get, you hear chenda vadiyams in rhythm that makes the atmosphere sacred and esoteric at the same time...Time stands still for a long time till a water snake makes its way across the full moon's reflection in the river... The ripples continue their journey till they disturb the reflections of few coconut trees along the river's banks! A lone boatman ferries across the horizon where the temple song emanates from.
At that very moment, I told one of the people who were on the bridge with me: "If you ever fall in love and you know that she's the love of your life, get her here. On such a magical night, she'll never say no!"
I stayed at a beloved friend's place and his family welcomed me like I was their own prodigal son. They made me feel at home and I felt at home. Loved meeting and interacting with all his people and especially, his elder sister. Some connections happen just like that; without any rhyme or reason.
The first theyyam experience of my life: At a powerful Devi temple, in full moonlit night, I saw a temple lit with oil lamps... And then, I saw a man, adorned with heavy brass attire, who among the crowd, looked me in the eye. That moment was otherworldly. Eerie, silent, dark, and brooding.
He shook the sword with his right hand and with the left, flung an arrow... The sound of his anklets still ring in my ears. He danced and walked just like how the gods would've walked the Earth.
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