Together with Leena, her sister, aunt, and a couple of the volunteers we walked the two kilometres of small dirt paths and roads eventually joining the masses heading the same way forming a snake of people crossing the temporary hanging bridge just before the festival place.
The region is famous for the Thiruvathira Maholsavam festival that honours the vehicle of Deity Shiva. Crowds are drawn from far away. It was a coincidence we were here at this time, - a lucky coincidence.
The energy of the place was high, the crowds happy, many bearing the white/red stripe on their forehead as a respect to Lord Shiva. Basically the festival is centred around a competition. Different Shiva temples prepare an image of Lord Shiva's vehicle - the red and white twin bull. The image is decorated with gold ornaments and flower garlands, drawn by young men through the street at a fiercely high speed, back and forth, accumulating in a high energy drum finale at the temple grounds.
The drummers were very skilled, banging with an intensity and rhythm that made us all estatic.
The attention drawn to us was well... noticeably. A gauging stare from any person wouldn’t change if we smiled back. No reaction at all. But if we wagged our heads from side to side, they would return it with a big smile.
We had so much fun there absorbing it all, and afterwards we had a Sharja Shake (banana shake) in Pandalam with our new friends:
We finished our last evening in Kulanada with auntie’s amazing food. This time a delicious fish curry and chapatti. It was served with a daunting invitation: "Please come back whenever you like and stay as long as you like! You could even learn Malayam and stay here for ever..."
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