(Photos will be uploaded at a later date, owing to technical difficulties)
We left Dehradun for our last adventure, heading for Delhi and then to the state of Kerala. The motivation for taking this long journey was to seek contrast. In a country as diverse as India, to spend all your time in one area won’t give you any hint of the differences that lie within.
From Delhi, we took a day trip to the city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. The preservation efforts at the Taj Mahal were evident in the bag searches for sharp objects, the booties one wears while walking around, and the careful scrutiny by many guards. The magnificence of this stunning building was overwhelming from the stunning setting of the gleaming white dome to the intricate latticework carved in marble. Inlays of semi-precious stones depicted graceful flowers and leaves along the base and front, giving it a more delicate appearance up close.
Our arrival in Kochi took us to the ancient town of Fort Kochi, at the mouth of the famed backwaters of Kerala. This beautiful enclave of European influence is being actively restored and clearly caters to the tourists. It was a pleasure to ride the commuter ferry across the straits and see the port and fishing boats, many of which are still built in the traditional manner, with high bows and sterns.
The backwaters of Kerala are a fascinating natural phenomenon – thousands of kilometers of connected freshwater streams, lakes, and sloughs, fed by several rivers that drain the Western Ghats into the Indian Ocean. Many communities along the backwaters are only accessible by boat, and make their living growing rice in paddies on reclaimed land that is 2 m below sea level.
But there are sociological features that set Kerala State apart as well. Boasting the highest literacy rate (98%) in all of India, historical culture in Kerala was one of the few examples of a matrilineal society. The evidence of Christian influence is very prominent, with many churches and biblical names in the population. There is also a more temperate pace to the traffic and a fastidious cleanliness to the streets. Cooking employs the use of the abundant coconut and banana trees, which grow wild and in cultivation. Even the rice is different!
After our short stay in Kochi, we traveled to the Periyar Tiger Reserve, investigating the spice plantations along the way.