After the first two days of the Arabian Sea awash districts, it was the turn of the hilly district of Pathanamthitta that we'd our tryst with. Our setting off from Kollam had got delayed due to unavoidable circumstances and then Kannan, our 'saarthi', had put in boosters - in the literal sense - to traverse the traffic packed Kollam - Kottarakkara stretch!
We're at the venue with almost five minutes to 11 and quickly let the 'pilot' team set up the hall, packed with about eighty odd people by then. The guests reached the dais on the dot and the proceedings began without much ado. The eagerness to try their luck in attaining hundred percent e-literacy was evinced by the seven panchayats that come under the first phase of our efforts!
After lunch and another question and answer session of about an hour, we'd wound up and set off for Alappuzha. The drive from Changanasserry to Alappuzha was full of nostalgia with Maman and I remembering our numerous trips with the family, up and down the waterway between the two towns, eons ago. Incidents came flitting from the family 'archives' within our minds!
The drive was undertaken to avoid the mad(?) rush in the morning to keep up the timeline even though we'd our reservations in the government guest house at Pathanamthitta and it was worth every moment that we'd shared during the trip. In the evening, after a quick wash and change at the government guest house, we'd gone to pay our obeisance to the Mullakkal devi kshetram - the deity is the powerful, 'vana durga' under an open roof, subjecting the goddess to the vagaries of the weather, giving her tremendous powers, as perceived by her faithful followers!
Maman, also did tell me that this temple used to be frequented by my grandmother when the family used to stay at Ambalapuzha before shifting to Thiruvananthapuram.
And to me, it was like following her footsteps yet again!
Tailpiece.
We walked through the old main road of the town of Alappuzha just for old times sake, before supper. It was a comparatively early night this time!
We're at the venue with almost five minutes to 11 and quickly let the 'pilot' team set up the hall, packed with about eighty odd people by then. The guests reached the dais on the dot and the proceedings began without much ado. The eagerness to try their luck in attaining hundred percent e-literacy was evinced by the seven panchayats that come under the first phase of our efforts!
After lunch and another question and answer session of about an hour, we'd wound up and set off for Alappuzha. The drive from Changanasserry to Alappuzha was full of nostalgia with Maman and I remembering our numerous trips with the family, up and down the waterway between the two towns, eons ago. Incidents came flitting from the family 'archives' within our minds!
The drive was undertaken to avoid the mad(?) rush in the morning to keep up the timeline even though we'd our reservations in the government guest house at Pathanamthitta and it was worth every moment that we'd shared during the trip. In the evening, after a quick wash and change at the government guest house, we'd gone to pay our obeisance to the Mullakkal devi kshetram - the deity is the powerful, 'vana durga' under an open roof, subjecting the goddess to the vagaries of the weather, giving her tremendous powers, as perceived by her faithful followers!
Maman, also did tell me that this temple used to be frequented by my grandmother when the family used to stay at Ambalapuzha before shifting to Thiruvananthapuram.
And to me, it was like following her footsteps yet again!
Tailpiece.
We walked through the old main road of the town of Alappuzha just for old times sake, before supper. It was a comparatively early night this time!
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