A day out in the Summer rains
Published May 14, 2010 | I love summer showers, so do many others but there could be some who prefer to turn a nelson’s eye to nature and its bounties. At least that is what I could find on the highways of Kerala on a day out in the rain, a few days back!
The sensuous smell of fresh rain soaking up the parched lands, the brilliance of the fresh sprouts of grass blades, the bright flowers and leaves around- the sights associated with rains are truly enchanting. 
I can spend hours together watching the rain beating down the Kerala landscape, turning it into a pretty portrait in no time. The progression of the rain is simply marvelous and for me it is like a perfectly orchestrated symphony ! The rain clouds gather with amazing swiftness, the rumbling of the clouds draws near and the streaks of lightning lit up the dark skies. Soon droplets of rain will start dropping down on the roof tops, on the puddle on the roads and on the passers by. The momentum of the rain picks up to a crescendo after which it gradually descends to a drizzle and a trickle. The dripping rain drops from the trees remain for some more time before the sun peeps in. On a bright day, you would see the marvel of a rainbow too .
I find it really exciting to drive in the rain with the windows rolled down and the droplets lashing against my face. But on any rainy day, you can see many cars on the highway, with their tinted glasses rolled up and people scurrying to reach home before the big burst; I pity those people who are badly missing out the smell, the sights and the sensuousness that only a spell of rain can bestow. Why would anyone need the air conditioner on when it is raining heavily outside? They are only adding up to the global warming unnecessarily 
Let’s admit it; The neo- rich and the city dwellers have long shunned nature and its bliss. They live in air conditioned abodes that shut out natural air and light and travel in vehicles armored with tinted glasses that insulate them from the spectacles, the mood changes and seasonal shifts of nature. They live in a mechanized world and their life is nothing less than that of a robot , powered and controlled by GPRS and blackberries. They have long lost the power of perception and human traits and I wonder how they will survive if all these modern comforts were snatched off from them one fine morning!
Our irresponsible behavior has pushed this world into chaos and mayhem. With the green house effect on an all time high,the climate and its rhythm is badly upset and it is only a matter of time before we will be robbed off all these natural bliss. With the risk of acid rains looming high in the air,there might not be even a second chance. So, never miss out a chance to soak up the fun and get drenched in the rains.:)
Hot …hotter…hottest!!
Published March 15, 2010 | 
This blog is not about the sizzling ramp shows and glamour girls of Hollywood as the title might imply;).It is about the scorching summers and soaring mercury at Kerala, which is somewhat uncharacteristic to this region. Sun burn and sun stroke has become the order the day with more people reporting sun burn related incidents by the day. At 42 degree, Palakkad has been the hottest of the lot and the city administration has revised working hours for daily wagers who will be toiling out in the open, to reduce the risks of exposure. People are trying to cope up with this phenomenon by keeping themselves well hydrated and keeping off the open spaces between 1-3 PM when the sun rays fall vertically on the ground. Apart from eating fresh fruits and drinking lots of water, people are advised to wear hats and goggles to protect the sensitive parts of the body.
As they say, in every crisis there is cash and traders have come up with novel ideas to beat the heat. Umbrella makers who have been sending lots of white umbrella exclusively to the gulf to beat the desert heat has found a thriving market at their door step. There are many takers for these albino versions of their black cousins, which have been reigning this state for eons of years. Made from specially made imported cloth, these umbrellas can shield you from the harmful rays of the sun and the blistering heat around. The wayside vendors too have set up stalls selling watermelon, lemonade, buttermilk, sugar cane juice and more and are doing brisk business.
With the summer showers still keeping off the scene, the situation continues to be alarming. The power situation is bleak and a power cut is the last thing that Keralites would like to happen at this juncture. Till the monsoon breaks loose at June, which is still two full months away, we are all destined to sweat and fret at the scorching heat outside. The irony is that , every time you switch on your air conditioner, you are only adding up to the global warming, which will further push up the earth temperature. So, try to put a stop somewhere so that there is a way out from this vicious circle. Let there be more trees on the avenues, more cycles on the road and let us try to reduce, recycle and use the natural resources sensibly- that is the only way to ensure a better tomorrow for all living beings!
Tiger tales- A follow up
Published March 3, 2010 | 
This is a run through of the earlier tiger blogs posted a few days back by our team at Karmakerala to express the anguish , concern and the frustration at the way things were shaping up in the Tiger conservation front. India has been the home of this majestic animal since time immemorial when these animals always coexisted with the humans, where neither the man or the tiger felt threatened. In those days, a strong respect and fear existed between the man and the beast, which prevented man from venturing into the tiger territory in the wild and vice versa.
However, as man became more ‘progressive’, he got access to some of the most lethal weapons, which unfortunately were put to use for poaching- Killing animals for sheer pleasure.:( The kings and the nobles had a passion to deck up the walls with trophies of the slain animals and their palace floors with tiger skin carpets! As time passed by, things got only worse and now these hapless creatures are being slaughtered for their body parts including claw, nails and teeth, which are widely used in Chinese medicine and are thought to have aphrodisiac properties ( No scientific proof is available to back this claim, which could be pointers to the fact that these are nothing but SCAMS!!) Ironically the Chinese calender is observing the year of the tiger in 2010!
Tiger is basically a very shy and reclusive animal, which prefer solitude and they will NEVER attack humans unless it is threatened. ‘The man eaters of Sunderbans’ is a misnomer considering the fact that they do not eat and kill humans. Nonetheless, if their regular source of food including the herbivores down the food chain like the wild buffalo, deer and boar are in short supply and their natural habitat gets smaller by the day due to the greed of man, it is quite natural for them to turn their gaze to the domestic animals and even man. Tigers normally have only 1-2 cubs in a litter and the infant mortality is very high, making the survival chances really bleak. The new born tiger cubs face threats from even smaller predators like hyena and only a fraction of them make it to their adulthood. So, as responsible citizens of India, it becomes our duty to ensure the safety and survival of these majestic animals, which has graced the glossy pages of Indian tourist brochures for eons of years!
Sarpakkavu – Nature groves in Kerala homes
Published January 31, 2010 | 
I miss the Kerala where Sarpakkavu or sacred groves were present in most houses with land. My grandparents’ house, I am told, had one where the lamp was lit every evening and where sacred rituals were done. There was a general fear of the little piece of jungle in the grounds and people kept away.
These sacred groves usually were next to a pond as green as can be with lots of medicinal plants and trees of great value. They not only prevented soil erosion but also gave shelter to snakes, squirrels, birds and other small creatures and the soil was pure with no chemicals or sewage polluting it. In those olden days of joint families these Sarpakkavus (abode of the snake Gods) had not only religious significance but were also a treasure trove of medicinal plants for Ayurveda. M.S. Swaminathan, Agricultural Scientist, once said:
Unlike, a botanical garden where a wide range of trees and plants are collected and cultivated for the purpose of education and enjoyment, the sacred groves are one method of expressing the gratitude of human families to the trees which sustain and support life under a given agro-ecological condition.
Now that fear and superstition is behind us and even as we go behind antique architecture and curios why can’t we rebuild a sacred grove for nature? Why can’t every Keralite with land leave a little portion of his or her land to nature and plant trees and encourage wild grass and traditional flora to thrive?
The blockbuster Avatar has tried to convey what we as a nation in India have for years been practicing – being frugal and being one with nature. However most of city dwellers in Kochi including yours truly have been buying into the consumerism of the West. I admit I am a supermarket shopper purely out of convenience and lack of awareness about the impact of my small actions in the larger picture of man’s impact on nature.
The more I learn about what environmentalists are saying I understand more and have now promised to give my money more to the roadside vendor selling fruits, vegetables and fish than a big supermarket.
And one day I hope to have a piece of land with no manicured lawns but a garden with a spirit of its own, wild and free to ramble, where frogs croak, crickets chirp, birds and animals nest without fear.
For more details on Sarpakkavu visit the Kerala Forest website.
Pics: Source Wiki.
A project to save wetlands- the lifelines of Kerala
Published May 13, 2008 | 
Kochi: Gone are the days when almost every Kerala home used to have a pond to bathe and separate, well maintained wells for both drinking and irrigation purposes. With the advent of urbanization and the much hyped flat boom, every inch of land including precious water bodies like ponds, paddy fields and wetlands were unscientifically leveled to construct concrete buildings that do not complement with the milieu of Kerala.
Destruction of water bodies not just drastically reduces the ground water level thereby pushing up the atmospheric temperature but also would lead to the extinction of an array of exotic water birds and plants. Now, light seems to be at the end of the tunnel as the Government has finally decided to digitally map all water bodies that are at least 1 metre deep to derive a comprehensive data base of wetlands.
The mapping is being carried out by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSSB) in association with the scientists from the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History and the Kerala Forest Research Institute. The mapping process is time consuming and is expected to span over a period of 10 months. The initial mapping that is being carried out by geographical information system would also be physically verified. The data derived from these surveys will help in the scientific management and conservation of wetlands of Kerala.
This project assumes greater importance as the wetlands in the State are under grave threat. With the completion of this project, we can hope Kerala would regain its lost glory as the land of pristine lakes and water bodies, the priceless gifts of nature, which not many places on earth can boast.