Bamboo club, Polibetta

Chakke

When an unripe Jackfruit is cut, a lot of sticky latex oozes out. So before cutting this Jackfruit, Thayi coated the knife and cutting board with coconut oil.












Here in the pic our maid is struggling to cut a raw jackfruit which is full of sticky latex that no ordinary soap can get rid off…..

Therme Thoppu

Enchanting evening....

After a long walk along the banks of the river with our dog Tommy as our guide, we took a break. We sat on the rocks, dipped our feet in the river and ate 'Kaibu'.
Ahh…
What bliss…

Wilted

Papaya Parade!

Divine intervention??

I am a dog lover. I found this puppy in Polibetta.I fell in love with him instantly. While transporting him from Kodagu to B’lore, I used a cardboard box as play pen. Several times I found him climbing up the 2 ft box with ease and tumbling to the floor of the car. He was a real escape artist! He whimpered and squealed through out the journey. I felt guilty for separating him from his mother..

Gandhari malu!

All was well when I went for a walk with grandma’s maid. She offered me tiny red chili (Gandhari malu) which grandma uses in her chutney. She asked me to bite into it. Little did I know she had ulterior motives!! I naively ate it. That's when all hell broke loose!!

Soon I was prancing and dancing around the house. My mouth was on fire. I rubbed my eyes and my eyes began to sting. I drank 6 glasses water and ate 10 spoons of sugar. I rinsed my face with bucketful of water. Even then the tingling sensation remained for almost an hour.

I have developed chili phobia after the incident…

Fresh milk!

Grandma's maid milking the 'Payyu'.......
















I was walking past the cowshed and I saw a ‘chombu’ (pitcher) of fresh milk outside. My cousin put his finger in, to scoop out the thick froth that had settled on the top.I peeked into the cowshed to watch the maid milking the cow.
Cows here graze on natural grass and cow feed. The difference between the milk in Kodagu and dairy milk is not just the flavour. Mom says that naturally reared cow’s milk contain higher levels of vitamins and nutrients. There is no fear of harmful pesticides, artificial hormones and antibiotics when you drink milk from the ‘payyu’ in your ‘kotte’. But when you buy milk from a dairy, there is no guarantee that the milk is hormone free or antibiotic free!!

Chyale...

Contemporary Pathak...

Lotus pond...

Kaikeri



Lotus pond at the Jammada Garden...

Fishing in Coorg...

I went fishing in a creek near my cousin’s house. We found interesting aquatic life there. I felt like I was in a fish reflexology spa, When tiny fish started nibbling on my feet.

We used household items to catch fish. Obviously we returned home with exciting results. By using aunt’s colander we caught tiny fish, shrimp and toad!!!!

Erane

Erane is spotted all over Kodagu. They help us out by consuming pests we often overlook. They are mostly harmless.

Peechekatthi

Pambu in Virajpet!

This little snake was quite accommodating, allowing me to get right up close to him to take this photograph. It was slithering around in the dry yard near grandpa’s house. It had loops on its yellow belly. Thatha called it “Balemuriya pambu”. He killed it mercilessly with a long stick and threw it away!!

Where are the trees?

Everyday trees are recklessly hacked in the forests of Kodagu. This blue mountain in the picture is sparsely covered with small trees and shrubs. Thatha says it was once lush green with tall trees...

Thatha tells stories of people who felled, cut up and moved those tall trees. Since his childhood, he has roamed the forests, scavenged the sites where timber smugglers have stripped the mountain of its green mantle.God save the forests of Kodagu from the hungry timber traders.

A.T.Mansion

Saath khoon maaf was shot here!!














This pic was taken when we took a tour of the beautiful Greenhills property. Kindly contact the blog administrator if anyone has objection.

Breakdown!

Imagine being stranded alone on a dark stretch of country road after a breakdown. There is no breakdown recovery service offered in Kodagu.You have to rely on Good Samaritans and Guardian angels to offer you assistance!!

Jomale....

Kuppiya

Mande thuni(Turban)



Traditional Kodava attire..

Chaley

Chaley is an ornamental silk sash...

Evening sky..

Virajpet...

Yum

Kadumbutte

Parrot attraction!

Want to make friends with ‘Gini pakshi’? Grow ‘ Kayi’ in your ‘thota’!!

Madikeri

Quaint!

A gentle pace of life in a glorious, green setting.

Polibetta

Vista

View from my cousin's porch. Mercara

Seasons!

View from grandpa's house...


Monsoon- Wet, green and cloudy!













Summer- Sunny, golden & dry

A Kodava dwelling....

A house from the past.......




















Potted Anthuriums in colors you've never seen before!

Virajpet..aerial view

Click on the image above and tell us what's in the picture!!

Animals....

Kodavas thoroughly enjoy the companionship of animals.. Most common house pets are dogs and cats.


Granny’s cat is very affectionate. She snuggles up on my lap and likes to be scratched under the chin. She is very playful. She goes bonkers when she sees something dangling!



Thatha’s dog regularly participates in all the ball games. I enjoy playing with him.Unfortunately I am allergic to animal dander. Therefore momma doesn’t allow me to spend too much time with pets.




















Kodagu is highly unsafe for this pink pet...!! Kodagu is pork lovers paradise. After keeping them as something akin to pets, they are slaughtered for ‘Kail Muhurtham’.

Ooru koodo

Mangalakarthi and Mangalakara's attire on 'Ooru Kooduva' day.