Shiva Temple Festival

Friday was one of the WOW days you get every once in a while on a trip. Still hanging out in Ft Cochin and began the day with a bootlegger liquor run with some great Canadian folks we met, Hindu country – no booze - at least no obvious booze. We scored Laurie some wine so the world is once again spinning. We then jumped a tuk-tuk (a 3-wheeled golf cart cum taxi) and went to the spice market, the ginger drying house the Jewish Quarter (yea that’s right) and then to the old (very old) Dutch Palace – did you know Vasco de Gama was buried here (for a while). We then found a real treasure! We pushed aboard a chugging little water taxi and went over to the next town called Ernakulam – we heard there was to be a festival at the Shiva temple and Laurie can’t miss even one Temple festival. This one goes on for days, and is pretty large for this area. There were surprisingly very few tourists – GREAT. After coming in the back way and walking inches away from a 500 foot long stream of unexploded fireworks, we arrived at the back door to the temple. Always, no shoes allowed so we check them in like a coat – so far we’ve gotten them back each time. We walk in and see a major row of elephant butts all waiting for us in this large courtyard. We were just in time for the elephant procession which was probably one of the most wonderful cultural events we’ve seen to date. Seven elaborately decorated elephants standing in a row with several men on top of each doing ceremonial dances depending on the music. Then at least a hundred drum, bugle and horn players playing hours of rhythmic music almost like in a trance. It was mostly drum playing with occasional frantic horn playing. This went on for hours and every half hour or so the row of elephants would parade further down the courtyard. It was quite an amazing site. The elephants were kept entertained by their handlers with an endless supply of grass to eat – remember what goes in one end comes out the other! See elephant pooper scooper enclosed.

It was quite the site when darkness fell and hundreds of ghee lamps were lit all along the edges of the inside temple. As non Hindus, we are not allowed to enter the central inside sacred temple. The whole surrounding area was a party with live music, some traditional and some modern Indian fusion and it all sounded exotic and very good. All-in-all a real magical night that we will not soon forget.

Today we head out to Munnar land of tea and cardamom.

Steve and Laurie