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The third day of Pongal is dedicated to cattle and is called Mattu Pongal. People offer prayers to the bulls, cows and other farm animals. Cows and bulls have always held a special place in India. Cows give nourishing milk while bulls and oxen help plough the fields. Thus, Maatu Pongal is a day when cattle are given a well deserved day of rest and are given pride of place. Therefore the farmers honor their cattle friends by celebrating it as a day of thanks-giving to them.

The second day of the month of Thai is “Maattu Pongal”

Cows are especially worshipped on “Maattu Pongal” day

Hindus believe the tail side of the cows are more prosperous than the face. Because cow dung is used to make “Thiruneeru” (holy ash which Hindus wear on their foreheads)

Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar Devasthanam

A Hindu devotee worships a cow

The milk boils over and bubbles towards the “Kizhakku Thisai” out of the vessel

The chief Hindu priest of Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple Bala Kurukkal puts the first rice to boil to make “Sakkarai Pongal” (sweet rice)

The cows are decorated with garlands, silk, saffron and “Kumkumam”

The chief Hindu priest of Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple Bala Kurukkal offers “Panchcharaththi” to the temple cow “Sunthari”

A devotee is feeding “Sakkarai Pongal” (sweet rice) to a cow

The Hindu devotees at Sri Ponnambalawaneswarar temple watching the cows

A train trip this week to Tenkasi brought one’s memories back to the good old days- the days of the first train in Tamil Nadu that ran from Madras (Egmore) through Tenkasi to Trivandrum.

One of the earliest trains that ran in Tamil Nadu was the Madras Trivandrum Express via Trichy, Madurai, Virudhanagar, the cracker town of Sivakasi, the temple town of Srivilliputhur, business center Rajapalyam, Tenkasi (which houses the famous Courtallam) and Quilon (now Kollam). Those were the days of meter gauge trains.

Those days a couple of coaches used to be attached in Virudhanagar for the benefit of passengers from Tirunelveli and down South.

Tada falls or Ubbalamdugu Falls is in Tada mandal of Nellore district in India. It is situated on the border of Tamil Nadu and Andra Pradesh. It is situated around 95 km from Chennai.

The ideal time to visit Tada is between August – December when the sun is a little less intense. The worst time is March – June – you’d probably melt before you make it back Chennai.

Ratnagiri district is located in the southwestern part of Maharashtra State on the Arabian Sea coast. It is a part of the greater tract known as Konkan. Ratnagiri is noted for the delicious Alphonso mangos…

Ladakh is a land like no other. Bounded by two of the world’s mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, it lies athwart two other, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range.

Change is the law of nature. Change also means variety. Man wants change from routine life. It provides refreshment, joy and entertainment. An escape from monotonous life is a must. A picnic provides all these. It is a good opportunity to go out of doors in the open amidst nature. A picnic is an occasion to go away from the boring and familiar surroundings.

Last sunday we decided to go on a picnic. We chose Victoria Park as our picnic destination. It is a very attractive and convenient place. There are vast lawns, open spaces, green surroundings and many tree-groves. The artificial water channels and waterfalls add more to its attraction. For a family picnic it is the best place. We often come here as it is in the city, and is one of the important historical buildings of Kolkata.

My mother had made all the preparations with the help of my elder sister meenakshi. I too did my bit to help them. We hired a taxi and reached there is the morning at about 10. My father joined us later at 11.30 A.M. as he had some urgent work somewhere in the city.

We spread a big bed-sheet and sat there enjoying the natural surrounding. It was very pleasant day of early March. There was fragrance in the air and many types of flowers had begun to blossom. They presented a colourful feast to eyes. Birds were chirping on the trees and in the bushes. These were the moments of sheer delight.

We took a stroll while my mother stretched herself for some rest. While strolling my sister and myself enjoyed chocolates and talking on various subjects. There were busy with their merry-making and pleasure activities. By the time we returned, father had come and so we enjoyed hot coffee and some snacks. Then we played cards. In between I took a number of photographs with an automatic camera.

At about 2.30 in the afternoon we took our lunch to our heart?s content. Mother had prepared a number of special and tasty dishes. In dessert we enjoyed some sweets and ice-creams. Then we had some rest amidst the pleasant and quiet surroundings.

After the rest we played badminton. My father told some interesting anecdotes and my sister sand a couple of film songs. I told a number of latest jokes. My mother was requested to say something about her childhood days. She obliged us and we all listened it with rapt attention and great delight.

In the evening, when the sun began to set in the west we packed our belongings and boarded our father?s car. We reaches home quire refreshed through my mother felt somewhat tired as she had been keeping delicate health.

It was a delightful picnic full of enjoyment and recreation. Such occasions and activities further strengthen family bonds. My father is ever awfully busy. It is on such occasions that he has much needed relaxation and enjoyment. A family picnic like this is like a magic web and a soothing balm in the modern like full of tensions and worries.

Life is a mixed affair. It is full of pains and pleasures. They are like shades and sun-shines. Sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are sad and unhappy. Life often swings between these two opposites. But on the whole there are more pains, sadness and sufferings. The moments of happiness are few. Pleasures come but not so often. Suffering has its own value. It prepares a man to face the challenges of life. It also increases our sense of enjoyment of pleasures.

During my short life of 15 years I have experienced many occasions of happiness and sadness. However, the number of sad occasions far outnumber those of pleasure and enjoyment. My birthday is a happy occasion. And so are the days of festivals. Winning prizes in the school also provide a source of great pleasure. My elder sister was married last winter. This was an occasion of great happiness for all of us. But the happiness day of my life came when my father took us to visit the Taj Mahal at Agra. We went by our own car. It took us a little over 3 hours to reach the Taj. The journey was very comfortable interesting and enjoyable.

I had heard much about the Taj. I had also read about it a lot. I often saw its pictures printed in the books, covers of the magazines and in tourist literature. All this had set my imagination on the fire. I was very much excited and looked forward to the golden opportunity to see this wonder of the wonders. I went through it delightfully and prepared myself well for the occasion.

Agra remained the royal seat of the Mughals for a long time. Emperor Shah Jahan built this masterpiece in the memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal. She had died in 1603. Her dead body now rests here under a tomb. This is the best monument of love in marble. It took about 17 years to complete. Situated on the banks of river Yamuna, it is matchless in beauty and grandeur.

We entered through a majestic gateway of the red sandstone. The path which led to the Taj was divided into two by a long water-course. The remany fountains were playing beautifully. A flight of steps led us to the Taj Mahal built on a high platform. There are four high marble towers or minars in the four corners of the Taj. The Taj proper looks like a white flame arrested in marble. The echo in the central chamber of the Taj is a marvel. The inlay work on the walls and ceiling is superb. The Taj looks different seen at different times and at different angles. But it is always very fascinating.

It was really a wonderful experience. I shall never forget this happiest day of my life. It is really worth more than a single visit. I hope to revisit the Taj sometime next year. I took many photographs of the Taj with my family in the foreground. My father was really astonished with my such a good knowledge of the Taj.

Kottakkunnu – Malappuram

One of the Recently developed Area near to My homeland (Kondotty). This beautiful place is just 18 Kms from Kondotty & situated @ the head quarters of our District – Malappuram !! Those who had been to this place before 4-5 years, will really get surprized by the change,.

Kottakkunnu is situated @ the heart of the Malappuram Town, which is on top of a hill (Kotta = Fort & Kunnu = Hill).

A View from down

Entrance – Walkway

On Top – Nice views on 2 sides

The Centre Spot @ The Top

Another View of Kottakkunnu
Another View of Kottakkunnu

Walkway @ the top

From Top – A look @ the walkway (You can see the entrance Below)

Hope u enjoyed this Beautiful Place…..