Mattancherry

I chose Mattancherry this time. Have read and heard a lot about this place, but never got a chance to see it. Spent a whole day there with my friends, it was really worth a visit. So different and unique from the rest of my part of the world, I enjoyed each and everything I saw there. Adding a few snapshots here, along with a small description of the place adopted from wikipedia. The pictures are those of the Synagogue built in 16th century, the glimpses from the Jew Town, and the jewellery and antique shops on the way to Synagogue. Couldn’t take any pictures inside the Synagogue, since photography is prohibited there. But I add a picture of the beautiful interior of synagogue adopted from elsewhere..

Mattancherry is the western part of Kochi corporarion in Ernakulam district of Kerala, south India. It is about 10 km from Ernakulam town. It is a tourist destination, surrounded by the backwaters of Arabian Sea. Mattancherry was the first trade hub of the present district. Mattancherry is populated by people from various walks of life and various parts of India & Abroad. Earlier Mattancherry was the trade link to Ernakulam. Main Trade was on spices such as pepper and turmeric. Tea is also traded. Mattancherry deteriorated mainly since the porters working at various firms had some unaccounted trouble with the Merchants. Slowly the traders moved to Ernakulam as Mattancherry proved to be costly. Mattancherry has a Jewish Synagogue, Mattancherry Palace Museum, Jain's Temple (known as MahajanWadi to localites) and Mosques. There is also Bazaar (Market) where we get to buy different spices and articles used for interior decorations.

DAM

Another example of man’s intrusion into the free flow of nature... a Dam, constructed in a beautiful river amidst the hills... the long shot gives the view of the serene valley covered in misty, dreamy bluish green, clouds kissing the hill tops and the line of dam breaking the flow of the river...
And the next two shots are of either sides of the dam.

Striped

loved the patterns on the leaf, painted by the shadows of the other leaves in the faint moonlight..

Nikki Rose

Seen this beautiful tiny flower peeping out of stones at the roadside.. when shown this picture to a plant expert, she said it is called "Nikki Rose" and grown as an ornamental plant..

Din Dhal Jaaye...

Wildlife in these days...!!!

See, animals too have turned to fastfood culture..!

Parallel

Can you see the aircraft moving in the sky, parallel to the boat in the sea?

Tiny Sunshines

When the sky gets cleared after the heavy rains, I see these beautiful crystal beads on the leaves, each one enclosing a little sun within it...

The Loner

Mirrors of Nature

Another series captured while travelling... A sunny fresh day... As our train passed along the lake sides, could see the clear sky and the greenery reflecting beautifully in the still waters...

Innocence Imprisoned

It's Raining..!

Rain at the Lake

Captured this while I was travelling, as the train crossed a lake... It was pouring heavily so I couldn’t get a well focussed picture... Loved the patterns on the water surface, made by the raindrops and the wind that swept over the lake...

After the rain...

final flare

"Busy Bee"