Tag: vadakara

My Noon Train at Kozhikode

Kozhikode Railway Station

Whenever I happen to have a train for my journies, first I would always board ”The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin bond.

Such a short story it is, but as enchanting as a Lilly flower under a shadowy bough.

Now my ‘Mid Day Train” Ernad Express travelled whole of the way from Nagercoil to pick me up from Kozhikode.
And now stopped for a while at ”Payyoli” .

USHA P T

The place is famous as the native village – town of the fastest woman of India Smt.P.T.Usha.

The train is not so crowded.
Yet all seats have occupants. Yesterday the atmosphere was filled with rain drops, now the noon is fled lit with the bright sun.

1.30 pm
Vatakara(PIN Code : 673101)
STD 0496, vehicle previously KL-18
A coastal Municipal town of Kozhikode District of Kerala, ”The God’s own Country”.

The long snake like train is now at Vadakara.
The erstwhile ‘Kadathanaadu’ of Madras Presidency during Britishraj, Vadakara is known as the birth place of Thacholi Othenan, the legendary hero of the Vadakkanpattu(ballads of North Malabar).

kalaripayattu

The martial art form Kalarippayattu has a lot of exponents in Vatakara with the memories of a rich tradtion.
kalaripayattu

In 1934 Mahatma Gandhi visited Vatakara as part of a fund raising trip to North Malabar.
Mahathma

These days those local vendors are not seen in the train who sold ”Arichakkara” a tasty snack prepared from coconut.

1.44 pm
Mahe
The linear compartments in linear trails passing through ”Mahe” – ”Mayyazhi”, which is the Canvas of Shri M.Mukundan, who never had leniency to linear ways of Life in his earliest and medieval literary works.

Journeys are always exciting and exhilarating, as the flair and fragrance of the environment in and around changes so fast.

1.55 pm.
Thalassery.
As ”ooru” in Tamil nadu, and petty in dakshin states, ”ssery” is a common suffix for the place names in Kerala.
The British established their presence in Kerala in 1682, when they obtained permission from the Vadakkilamkur Prince of Kolattunad to settle at Thalassery. In the following years, the British presence in the state of Kerala strengthened.
Centuries of water flooded under the ”Moidu Bridge” but Thalassery still keep its Aristocratic Status.

A marking difference within a span of ten years as a train traveler, I feel, is the interference of Mobile cell Phones.
A passenger has to be a passenger.
It is his duty to be in the role assigned. Instead of enjoying the the journey, just like me, who is now fast fingering on a qwerty key pad, each passenger except a very few are not here in the train, though their physical bodies move from station to station…
2.05 now reaching Kannur with a minute halt at Edakkad Railway station.
da means middle and kadu means forest.
Thus the malayalm derivative “Edakkad” is an
adaptation of its original Sanskrit name. Edakkad also
was historically referred to as Prashnamargapuram (town of Prashnamargam treatise in horary astrology) . This honorary name evolved due to the seminal horary astrological treatise called Prashna Margam being written by Panakkattu Namboodiri(1624-1694 AD) around 1649 A.D at the Lord Narasimha temple (Edakkadappan temple) in this panchayat.

temple

The author’s first disciple, according to tradition, was a poet known as Kukaniyal, his real name was Sankaran kaniyar who belonged to the Kaniyar community who lived in his family house(Kaniyan Kandiyil) also situated in Edakkad.

Writing about Edakkad and the geographical north east may test the patience of non interested..

Some time later, any how I may remember the place again in my web logs…

….and I feel a beaconing from nature(!) and a short stop for the pen.

Till I appear again from my home PC, bye, & take care….