Wetlands, Windmills, and Waves: A Perfect Getaway

 Well, Hii,

Tell me, what happens when a travel freak accompanies the team to a workshop?

A short hop-hop trip from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari, a visit to an aqueduct, a few wetlands,  and the sea of course.

With this background, let's dive into the story!

January 9-10

METT Workshop: running around and meeting participants (multiverse of my life- past, present and future)!

Plate 1: Energiser during METT workshop

January 11

After breakfast, we headed towards our first stop- the original version of Padmanaswamy temple- 'Adi Kesava Perumal Temple' in Thiruvattar, Tamil Nadu. After waiting in a long queue, we finally got a glimpse of the idol placed in a reclining position. The series of small shrines within the temple and the murals adorning the wall were captivating, each telling its own unique story.

We then headed to our second stop. With a little detour here and there, we reached Mathur Aqueduct- the tallest and longest trough bridge in Asia. Interestingly, the aqueduct, also known as a hanging bridge was built to mitigate drought. The aqueduct built over the Parazhiyar River transports water for irrigation and mitigates drought conditions.

Plate 2: View from Mathur Aqueduct

Our third stop, Vembanoor Wetland, was surrounded by paddy fields. The wetland with a scenic view of mountains, aquatic and terrestrial vegetation (and not to mention our very own water hyacinth), is Ramsar Site. 

Plate 3: Scenic view of Vembanoor Wetland

By this time, we were hungry and headed straight to Aarya Bhawan. Along with a hearty meal, we packed some bananas for later before setting off to our fourth stop- Suchindram Theroor wetland complex. Driving through dense thorny vegetation and uneven roads, we wondered—would we reach, or would we be stranded in the middle of nowhere? But guess what? we finally made it to the wetland with cemeteries and pelicans!

Plate 4: Pelicanary in Sunchindram Theroor Wetland

Our last stop of the day- Triveni Sangam and Kanyakumari temple- offered a perfect ending to an eventful day.

Plate 5: Panaromic view of Triveni Sangam

Post this began our recci survey- half the team moved left and the other half moved right, all in search of a hotel. After some effort, we finally managed to find one place to rest for the night.

January 12

Next morning, with those same bananas from Aarya Bhawan in hand, we restarted our journey. Our first stop was Koonthakulam Bird Sanctuary with roads lined by giant windmills. The sanctuary is a Ramsar Site.

Plate 6: Blues of Koonthakulam Bird Sanctuary

We then headed towards our final stop, Suchindram Theroor wetland once again, this time accompanied by a visit to the Suchindram Temple.

Plate 7: Tank near Suchindram Theroor wetland

And just like that, our little getaway after the workshop came to an end—a perfect way to start the new year. It was also my last trip with the team before I embark on a new journey.

With this, I sign off. Hope to see you soon with a new story!

Sakshi