The pristine coral reefs and simple lives of Lakshadweep

It’s about 3 pm on a sticky summer afternoon in Kochi and Motor Vessel Kavaratti undocks from the wharf at Willington Island. Sameer, the caretaker of first class cabins reserved for tourists on board the vessel, is busy distributing water bottles.  

The vessel takes a slow U-turn, puffing out thick black clouds of smoke, and sets sail through the channel that splits Kochi. MV Kavaratti, the largest of ships owned by the Lakshadweep administration, can accommodate 700 passengers, including 150 tourists.

MV Kavaratti

That day, MV Kavaratti was headed southwest to Minicoy, the Lakshadweep island 125 kilometres north of Maldives. In no time, Kochi became a speckle where the ship trail met the horizon.

Sameer’s slender frame of average height ambles through the corridors with sleepy eyes and a walkie-talkie hangs from his shoulder on a white twine. His round sunburned face wears a persistent smile on his full lips. While socialising with tourists in his leisurely tone, he pauses to listen to the announcements from the loudspeaker. Sameer makes you feel the earth takes much more than 24 hours to complete a rotation in his part of the world.

Sameer is from Kavaratti and his journey home not every seventh day guarantees him a chance to meet his family. He often has to content himself with the panoramic view of home from the ship. At 23, his job with the sports department of the union territory does not offer him much pay. Saying that, he simply laughs away at his lacklustre school days.

Sunset from the deck

The deep blue sea was unexpectedly calm for a first time voyager like me. As the sun prepared to take a dip in the Arabian Sea, tourists and passengers gathered at the deck. Though this journey is a regular affair for the islanders, they seemed as enchanted by the golden rays and dusky sky as the vacationers.

In this five-day tour to the Lakshadweep archipelago, which is within some of the pristine marine ecosystems in the world, tourists can disembark at three islands. As non-islanders require a permit to spend a night ashore, they return to the ship in the evening. The cabins are comfortable and the quiver is negligible for the night’s stay. 

Lakshadweep is a group of 36 islands of which 10 are inhabited. The union territory has a population of 65,000 and 95% follows Islam.

Day 1

Around 7 am, the announcement to disembark at Minicoy echoes around the ship. At the disembarkation point, it looks like boarding a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere, especially with all the lifejacket-clad tourists around. The ship anchors far from the island as there are no facilities or the depth for a large vessel to dock there. Small boats ferry passengers to the atoll, which is 30 minutes away.

The Indian post travels to Minicoy

The blue sea turns turquoise as the boat enters the lagoon around the island. There are no waves beyond that point and the water is shallow for kilometres.

Minocy is the second largest among the islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago. Its proximity to Maldives makes Minicoy’s population of 10,000 culturally inclined towards the Indian Ocean neighbour and distinct from other islands of the archipelago. The local language Mahl is a dialect of Dhivehi spoken in Maldives.

MV Kavaratti seen as a white spot on the horizon from Minicoy

A lighthouse, established in 1885, is the only structure taller than the coconut trees in Minicoy. A little over 200 winding stairs to the top of the lighthouse gives a panoramic view of the island that resembles a coconut grove.

Minicoy from the 151-year-old lighthouse

The tropical beach is an amalgam of white sand and turquoise water. The tourists look possessed by kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving and the calm waters. They are ignoring the scorching sun for the pleasures of the knee-deep water of the lagoon.

The tropical beach is an amalgam of white sand and turquoise water

The tourists are a diverse lot. While school children on a summer camp dash around with youthful exuberance, septuagenarian couples demonstrate why age is no bar for some adventure. Families with members of even three generations travel together on this voyage.

A little away from the main beach, a group of men play a ball game between four sticks in water. Sinan watches from the shore as he took a knock. He calls this their version of rugby. “We are travelling to Androth. Most of us study in boarding schools in Kochi. The ship (MV Kavaratti) will 

reach there tomorrow,” says Sinan, who completed class 10.

That’s quite a journey home; taking a break to play water rugby in a picturesque lagoon on your way home after board exams. 

Sinan watches his friends from the shore 

Day 2

The ship anchors much closer to the shore at Kalpeni. The thatched houses, 5-metre-wide concrete roads that cut through coconut groves, and the local language transports you to a coastal Kerala of the old. Even the cuisines are similar. Kalpeni’s population of 5,000 speaks Jeseri, a dialect that they claim is a combination of Malayalam, Tamil and Arabic. Malayalam is the official language of the union territory.

The arrival of ‘development’, as many call it, is evinced by the sand and cement bags lining the compounds of several houses.

The ship anchors closer to the shore at Kalpeni

A narrow strip of unspoiled beach at the northern tip of Kalpeni is the preferred destination for water sports. “Lakshadweep has become popular after Anarkali (Malayalam movie filmed in Kavaratti) released. But there is no cinema hall on the islands,” says Shafi, an assistant diving instructor of the sports department. Shafi’s team assists tourists in scuba diving. The department also gives free diving lessons to school students as part of their curriculum. All divers are members of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).    

Passengers board small boats to reach MV Kavaratti

Day 3

It’s Sameer’s luck day. His manager has allowed him to disembark at Kavaratti, his home. The previous night, he had promised an exclusive tour of the Lakshadweep capital if he was allowed to get out.

While waiting for Sameer, the glass bottom boat tour was worth a ride. Shoals of surgeonfish and finger corals in the lagoon are the prime attractions. The trip can prove a bit nauseous if one’s eyes are glued to the wonders of the underwater. It’s good to take a break and look around to see black bread-eating fish on the surface. Well, bread is the trick. 

Some of Lakshadweep's population works in the coir industry

Similar to the other Lakshadweep islands, Kavaratti’s population of a little over 10,000 makes their living primarily from the ocean through fishing and water sports. Some others are in the coconut industry that involves products such as oil, powder and coir. Of late, there is a construction boom too. But, this generation of islanders is increasingly going across the sea in search of better education.

Sameer keeps his promise and has a Royal Enfield for company. He revs the vintage machine through the beach road to the Navy quarter and to the interiors. It’s already the other side of the island.

Pointing at some teenagers on the beach, Sameer says, “Once the school results are out, you’ll get to know who has passed by looking at the beach. The one’s who made it will be in the water and the rest will be on the shore.”

Sameer also shows a cargo ship that ran aground a coral reef in 2010. Six years hence, the rusted vessel lies as a threat to the reefs that guard the island, with no decision on breaking it up.

Six years on, the cargo ship still lies as a threat to the island

Nearby is the helipad for the air ambulance. In case of an emergency, the medical officer orders an 

evacuation and the patient is flown to Kochi. 

On the way back, Sameer stops at his house for some black tea and snack. Days in Lakshadweep have almost gone by. I came here looking for a Kerala away from God’s Own Country. But, what unfolded is a society living unhurriedly, embracing the simple pleasures of life.  

Tourist look on as a small boat approaches MV Kavaratti

Next day, when MV Kavaratti docks at Kochi, Sameer is on demand for photographs with tourists. I’m back among the mad rush of the mainland. The austere simplicity of the islands will be missed.

(Copyright Milan George Jacob)

Kausani: Back to nature where tranquillity rests

Orange fades away on the Himalayas

You don’t hop on a bus to Kausani if you are looking forward to a conventional colonial hill station. You take the trip, and do it the hard way, to explore the rustic charm of a small town in the pahads and for the panoramic view (300-kilometres-wide) of the Himalayas.

Like many Delhiites, who asked where it was, we (Sruthin and I) had the slightest idea how to reach Kausani, over 400 kilometres away from the national capital. Volvos don’t drop you there in the morning. Google said it was ahead of Almora -- the town closest to Kausani that I had heard of. And, I was aware that Haldwani, 273 kilometres from Delhi, was a major transit point in Uttarakhand from my previous trip to the pahads.

The Journey

We boarded an aging Uttarakhand Parivahan bus to Haldwani from Anand Vihar – an interstate bus terminus in east Delhi – an hour past midnight. Delhi-Haldwani buses are frequent and all seats were occupied even at that hour of the night. Given the quality of the bus, the ride was not as bumpy as I had anticipated.

Half past eight at Haldwani and the winter sun seemed in no mood to share some heat. The word from the bus depot was that all Parivahan buses to Almora had departed. But behind the depot, mini-buses lines up and the conductors solicited passengers crying out "Nainital, Almore, Bageswar... Kausani". These buses fill up in no time and there is always another one waiting.

About halfway through to Almora, the winding motorway starts to descend with the beautiful Kosi meandering along the road, carving a valley for itself. Kosi literally means river. The slope runs down to Garampani, a town in Nainital district from where the road routes through a valley. Kosi’s rocky riverbed follows you, cutting its way through hills, until it bids farewell at the beginning of the ascend to Almora – a cantonment town.

View of the Trishul Peaks from Kausani

Kausani was about 50 kilometres north of Almora. The sun had shifted sides to the west but the automobile moved past arid terrains and barren looking terraced farms rather unhurriedly, stopping to let in anyone who waved.

“Everyone is off to the mela at Bageshwar. Generally it’s not so crowded,” a co-passenger said. The mela is a 15-day annual event at Bageshwar temple in January.

“We’re off to Kasauli,” I heard Sruthin over the phone on the seat behind. He hadn’t figured out the destination almost 14 hours and 400 kilometres into this journey!

Nature trails and pine forests

Switzerland of India

‘Unblemished by modernity’ seemed a fitting first impression for this sparsely populated town at an elevation of 1,890 metres in Bageshwar district. The air there was fresh and the breeze carried the scent of pine trees.

The usual sights in every hill station — an old church, a summer palace or a 

governor’s bungalow — are not there in Kausani. Anasakti Ashram where Gandhi spent about two weeks in 1929, is the only monument in town. The rest of the spectacle is all ‘courtesy nature’.

Terraced cultivation at Kausani

The Mahatma is said to have described Kausani as the “Switzerland of India”. Wondering why, you could check into one of those hotels offering a room with the view of the Himalayas.

Waking up to this view is bliss

Gandhi was spot on! It is easy to lose yourself looking at the first rays falling on the snow-capped peaks while sipping hot tea from porcelain. You could sit back and gaze at the Himalayas until the sun decides to call it a day and then count the number of empty tea cups. As the orange hue fades away on the Himalayas at twilight, the Trisul peaks resemble the iconic Paramount Pictures logo. 

Trishul Peaks

A chirpy cab driver in his fifties, Arjun, was our guide around Kausani. “Folks come here for nature and the serenity. There’s nothing more to Kausani,” he said. In his car, Arjun had a playlist of lovely old Hindi songs – a perfect blend with Kausani’s ambience.

He was keen on getting behind my camera at every scenic spot. The pictures evinced that he had an eye for the art. “Tourists always ask me to click their photos and over the years I’ve also leaned a bit of photography,” Arjun said.

Kosi's riverbed runs through the valley

Arjun took us on a 2-kilometre trek through the woods, a little away from the town beyond the bright yellow mustard fields. The rocky trail led to a valley from where we explored our way, over hills, across Kosi’s riverbed and past women herding cattle in the mild sunshine to reach Rudrahari temple on the banks of the river. It is believed that a mystic meditated in the forest for years and later established this cave temple, which also now serves as his dwelling. Sit there, cherish the serenity, and figure out why the man prefers this seclusion.

Cattle herders bask in the mild sunshine

Sixteen kilometres north of the town, located on the banks of Gomti River in Garur valley, are the leaning stone temples of Baijnath. Legend says the temples were built overnight by the Katyuri kings, who ruled the area between 7 and 11^th centuries AD. 

Rudrahari temple

Kausani also has a handloom factory in which weavers knit shawls, woollen apparel and blankets. Besides handloom products, the factory sells other local artefacts and tea from Kausani tea estate.

Many of Kausani’s men serve in the army – a phenomenon common in the northern hill towns of the country. The rest of the population depends on agriculture and allied activities, tourism and other small businesses for their livelihood. They were a happy lot, uncorrupted by competition and gluttony. In retrospect, the warmth of the Kumaonis embellish the town that otherwise has little to boast.

Villagers use mules to carry pinewood from the hills to the valley in Kausani

Kausani was synonymous with peace or maybe I’m exaggerating because Delhi had erased my ability to perceive it. Well, they don’t honk needlessly, to say the least.

Kausani is a star gazer's paradise

(The piece was published in Hindustan Times website on March 11, 2016)