Bharathapuzha - The legendary rail companion.
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BHARATHAPUZHA, THE LEGENDARY RAIL COMPANION
Anybody who had a voyage by rail across or in and out of Kerala will have something in familiar – enticing memories of ‘Bharathapuzha’ or ‘Nila’, the legendary river that adjoin the railway line, to the south side; from Parali (The Railway station next to Palakkad) to Tirunnavaya (the last station on the banks of the river on the route placed in history by virtue of ‘Maamaankam’ – a festival conducted every twelve years in olden times by ancient Kings). Any traveller gets a respite once he catches glimpse of the river; for it is relinquishing for anybody who has been put up with the monotony of remaining in the ‘iron box’ for day or night. When your ears get bespoke to the rack-tacks of the iron wheels, your eyes will take you to the green landscape extending beyond the shoreline of the river. Paddy fields, plantain cultivations, coconut palm trees and mango gardens run past your view while the distant hills accompany you for a while, as you enjoy the greenery, and natural coolness of the atmosphere, except if it is a dread summer. But you are to get disappointed if you expect to see water pervade down the river, for it has turned out to be rivulets in course of time, owing to changes in ecological patterns as well as various regional castings, such that river fill up to the banks only in monsoon, when rainwater gush down at its fullest swing. For a Keralite, or a ‘Malayalee’ as they prefer to be expressed, the river is everything. Just like in any other part of the world, this river too have vital role in the culture and history of the place. The river divides the state into two -- north-south which causes a rift not only in the land but slightly to the cultural milieu too. Unlike other parts of Kerala, the area present vast stretches of an open landscape adorned by the view of the distant horizon which is not so elsewhere in the region owing to generally dense vegetation and hilly terrain. (The sight in Kuttanad area of Kerala, festooned with paddy fields and backwaters though similar, but do not have the imagery of blue mountains in the distant as backdrop). The charm of the region has fascinated many a poets that you can see their lyrics cuddling the river and the shores in olden days as well of now. Contemporarily, most of the Malayalam film directors opt the scene of the river for their finest frames. As for the railways, while laying the railway track, the British Engineers chose to follow the path of the river east-west up to the plain land, as a more or less flat topography gesticulated them to build up the line while linking it to Malabar Coast of North Kerala for the onward continuation to south Canara(Karnataka). The river has helped in construction of the line to a great extent, as iron girders and other parts were brought from England and were taken in pontoons across the river to the sites. It continues to be one of the major sources for irrigation and water supply. Thus the river turn out to be everlasting companion to the railways and its users too.
The river ‘Bharatha-puzha’ got its name from the epics, where ‘puzha’ means just river and Bharatha though correlates to the word ‘Hindustan’, here refers to Bharathamba(Godess mother of Bharath – India). The river feeds the people like own mother – (the water is divine – be it for drinking, irrigation or other uses) that should be the allusion behind the name. The river has its geography spread over the districts of Palakkad and Malappuram in Kerala and has its origin from the Annamalai in western ghats near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu and traverse a distance of about some 100 km through forest area as brooks and streams; and swathes the mainland for 125 km by virtue of its tributaries supplementing it en-route before amalgamating into sea at Ponnani. Ponnani is the oldest port and one of the trade spots of Malabar, which await to be on the rail map on completion of the Guruvayur-Tirur link line project. The prominent Malampuzha Dam intercepts the river near Palakkad, gateway of Kerala where Southern Railway has one of its Divisional HQs (Palghat as the Britishers have named it as the place is bordered on the east by that part of Western Ghats). All along its path the river let you down offering a splendid scenery of the flora and fauna as it glide along and try to catch up with your train; and your trail of thoughts, of course. It beget you envisage the nature’s beauty through a drapery of mist when your eyes gape into the distance. The area remain virgin sans frills of tourism mania, save for the intruders indulged in trading of sand, being smuggled out day and night despite restrictions but which may lead to the vanishing of this river from the globe. Railway line have an inseparable association with the river, running parallel for most of the distance; a pleasant scene as far as railway journeys are concerned. Erstwhile engineers considered this river-terrace ideal for laying rail-line not only because it beholds a flat terrain but also owing to ecological reasons. The river serves scores of drinking water projects and lift irrigation schemes all along and nearby places, such that even Guruvayur Temple township lying some 30 km apart, fetch water from Bharathapuzha. Thus Rly Stations situated over this portion on the route sparingly face water scarcity.
When the train glides down the Walayar ghat and enter Palakkad; to the north you can see the huge rising walls of Malampuzha Dam, which serves a huge area of cultivation, and also attracts lot of tourists every time. All along its path the sight of the river takes you back into archives; if you are a lover of history, or nature even. Numerous dams constructed on its tributaries help to preserve water for irrigation, but make it dry except at the river mouth.
The river or ‘Nadhi’ as it is the word in Malayalam, spring up from the Western Ghats as any other river in Kerala and has its name as Amaravathipuzha but so many small rivers add on its course as tributaries. The first one is Kalpathipuzha, the continuation of Malampuzha where the dam is situated and the second one is Gayathripuzha, third is Thoothapuzha , the main tributary and last one is Tirur puzha which often happens to be a branch whenever water is splashed back during high tide owing to proximity to the sea. Of these Thoothapuzha which emanate from the unique ‘Silent Valley’ in Western Ghats, cross the rail track and joins the flow from the north side. Just as river catchment spreads to distance, it’s cultural basins spread across distance and time, as any river being a natural water resource, will be the cause for evolution. This river has a rich cultural heritage of its own as its basin has given birth to so many laureates in the field of fine arts, literature, poetry and also remain a plank stone in history of hordes of warriors too. Thus the area influenced by this river extends from and to about fifty kilometers north south. Kerala Kalamandalam renowned for the classical arts like ‘Kathakali’, ‘Koodiyaattam’, ‘Ottanthullal’ and other kerala arte-forms, awaiting to become a deemed university for cultural arts, is just on the banks at Shoranur, the major Rly junction and the nerve centre of Rail traffic on the route. Kottakkal which is also another famous place for entrepreneurs of ‘Kathakali’ and the crib of Ayurvedic medication lies at a nautical distance at a higher altitude from where you can see the gliding river afar. Tiruvilwamala the abode of Villwadrinathan, Avatar of Lord Vishnu is just stone’s throw away from Lakkiti Station which happens to be also the birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar, founder of “Ottan-Thullal” a unique dance-art form of Kerala.
Historians have drawn that a cultural migration had taken place across western ghats during the erstwhile rule of Pallava Dynasty. A part of the populace from Deccan plateau also migrated to this side and they settled for the fertile strip to become their domicile, giving rise to a culture-rich tradition. Thus the land-belt begot the title of birthplace to so many eminent personalities – from art aesthete Kunchan Nambiar to the eminent poet Vallathol NarayanaMenon who was the founder of ‘Kerala Kalamandalam’, the present day personality of the trait being Jnanapeethom honoured orator and cine-expert Shri M.T.Vasudevan Nair.
Each Railway station on the route too has an inseparable historical note connected with the river which you can explore if you are ardent enough but ignored here to consolidate the subject. To enjoy the ride one ought to have look out and view the river with perspective of its own, lest you may miss the charisma and will pester upon finishing another boring train journey.
Jj.
Anybody who had a voyage by rail across or in and out of Kerala will have something in familiar – enticing memories of ‘Bharathapuzha’ or ‘Nila’, the legendary river that adjoin the railway line, to the south side; from Parali (The Railway station next to Palakkad) to Tirunnavaya (the last station on the banks of the river on the route placed in history by virtue of ‘Maamaankam’ – a festival conducted every twelve years in olden times by ancient Kings). Any traveller gets a respite once he catches glimpse of the river; for it is relinquishing for anybody who has been put up with the monotony of remaining in the ‘iron box’ for day or night. When your ears get bespoke to the rack-tacks of the iron wheels, your eyes will take you to the green landscape extending beyond the shoreline of the river. Paddy fields, plantain cultivations, coconut palm trees and mango gardens run past your view while the distant hills accompany you for a while, as you enjoy the greenery, and natural coolness of the atmosphere, except if it is a dread summer. But you are to get disappointed if you expect to see water pervade down the river, for it has turned out to be rivulets in course of time, owing to changes in ecological patterns as well as various regional castings, such that river fill up to the banks only in monsoon, when rainwater gush down at its fullest swing. For a Keralite, or a ‘Malayalee’ as they prefer to be expressed, the river is everything. Just like in any other part of the world, this river too have vital role in the culture and history of the place. The river divides the state into two -- north-south which causes a rift not only in the land but slightly to the cultural milieu too. Unlike other parts of Kerala, the area present vast stretches of an open landscape adorned by the view of the distant horizon which is not so elsewhere in the region owing to generally dense vegetation and hilly terrain. (The sight in Kuttanad area of Kerala, festooned with paddy fields and backwaters though similar, but do not have the imagery of blue mountains in the distant as backdrop). The charm of the region has fascinated many a poets that you can see their lyrics cuddling the river and the shores in olden days as well of now. Contemporarily, most of the Malayalam film directors opt the scene of the river for their finest frames. As for the railways, while laying the railway track, the British Engineers chose to follow the path of the river east-west up to the plain land, as a more or less flat topography gesticulated them to build up the line while linking it to Malabar Coast of North Kerala for the onward continuation to south Canara(Karnataka). The river has helped in construction of the line to a great extent, as iron girders and other parts were brought from England and were taken in pontoons across the river to the sites. It continues to be one of the major sources for irrigation and water supply. Thus the river turn out to be everlasting companion to the railways and its users too.
The river ‘Bharatha-puzha’ got its name from the epics, where ‘puzha’ means just river and Bharatha though correlates to the word ‘Hindustan’, here refers to Bharathamba(Godess mother of Bharath – India). The river feeds the people like own mother – (the water is divine – be it for drinking, irrigation or other uses) that should be the allusion behind the name. The river has its geography spread over the districts of Palakkad and Malappuram in Kerala and has its origin from the Annamalai in western ghats near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu and traverse a distance of about some 100 km through forest area as brooks and streams; and swathes the mainland for 125 km by virtue of its tributaries supplementing it en-route before amalgamating into sea at Ponnani. Ponnani is the oldest port and one of the trade spots of Malabar, which await to be on the rail map on completion of the Guruvayur-Tirur link line project. The prominent Malampuzha Dam intercepts the river near Palakkad, gateway of Kerala where Southern Railway has one of its Divisional HQs (Palghat as the Britishers have named it as the place is bordered on the east by that part of Western Ghats). All along its path the river let you down offering a splendid scenery of the flora and fauna as it glide along and try to catch up with your train; and your trail of thoughts, of course. It beget you envisage the nature’s beauty through a drapery of mist when your eyes gape into the distance. The area remain virgin sans frills of tourism mania, save for the intruders indulged in trading of sand, being smuggled out day and night despite restrictions but which may lead to the vanishing of this river from the globe. Railway line have an inseparable association with the river, running parallel for most of the distance; a pleasant scene as far as railway journeys are concerned. Erstwhile engineers considered this river-terrace ideal for laying rail-line not only because it beholds a flat terrain but also owing to ecological reasons. The river serves scores of drinking water projects and lift irrigation schemes all along and nearby places, such that even Guruvayur Temple township lying some 30 km apart, fetch water from Bharathapuzha. Thus Rly Stations situated over this portion on the route sparingly face water scarcity.
When the train glides down the Walayar ghat and enter Palakkad; to the north you can see the huge rising walls of Malampuzha Dam, which serves a huge area of cultivation, and also attracts lot of tourists every time. All along its path the sight of the river takes you back into archives; if you are a lover of history, or nature even. Numerous dams constructed on its tributaries help to preserve water for irrigation, but make it dry except at the river mouth.
The river or ‘Nadhi’ as it is the word in Malayalam, spring up from the Western Ghats as any other river in Kerala and has its name as Amaravathipuzha but so many small rivers add on its course as tributaries. The first one is Kalpathipuzha, the continuation of Malampuzha where the dam is situated and the second one is Gayathripuzha, third is Thoothapuzha , the main tributary and last one is Tirur puzha which often happens to be a branch whenever water is splashed back during high tide owing to proximity to the sea. Of these Thoothapuzha which emanate from the unique ‘Silent Valley’ in Western Ghats, cross the rail track and joins the flow from the north side. Just as river catchment spreads to distance, it’s cultural basins spread across distance and time, as any river being a natural water resource, will be the cause for evolution. This river has a rich cultural heritage of its own as its basin has given birth to so many laureates in the field of fine arts, literature, poetry and also remain a plank stone in history of hordes of warriors too. Thus the area influenced by this river extends from and to about fifty kilometers north south. Kerala Kalamandalam renowned for the classical arts like ‘Kathakali’, ‘Koodiyaattam’, ‘Ottanthullal’ and other kerala arte-forms, awaiting to become a deemed university for cultural arts, is just on the banks at Shoranur, the major Rly junction and the nerve centre of Rail traffic on the route. Kottakkal which is also another famous place for entrepreneurs of ‘Kathakali’ and the crib of Ayurvedic medication lies at a nautical distance at a higher altitude from where you can see the gliding river afar. Tiruvilwamala the abode of Villwadrinathan, Avatar of Lord Vishnu is just stone’s throw away from Lakkiti Station which happens to be also the birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar, founder of “Ottan-Thullal” a unique dance-art form of Kerala.
Historians have drawn that a cultural migration had taken place across western ghats during the erstwhile rule of Pallava Dynasty. A part of the populace from Deccan plateau also migrated to this side and they settled for the fertile strip to become their domicile, giving rise to a culture-rich tradition. Thus the land-belt begot the title of birthplace to so many eminent personalities – from art aesthete Kunchan Nambiar to the eminent poet Vallathol NarayanaMenon who was the founder of ‘Kerala Kalamandalam’, the present day personality of the trait being Jnanapeethom honoured orator and cine-expert Shri M.T.Vasudevan Nair.
Each Railway station on the route too has an inseparable historical note connected with the river which you can explore if you are ardent enough but ignored here to consolidate the subject. To enjoy the ride one ought to have look out and view the river with perspective of its own, lest you may miss the charisma and will pester upon finishing another boring train journey.
Jj.
About the Author
J J Vellara Station Master, Palghat Divn. Southern Railway.
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Comments
Jun 14th 2008, by
Guest
grate work
grate work