An Evening in Ernakulam

The first thing you notice immediately after leaving the Kochi airport is not the lush greenery but the massive billboards for gold jewellery. It is an extraordinarily long ride to the city centre and these monstrous hoardings block out everything else.Welcome to Gold's Own Country!

Among the many pleasant little things I did today, was a visit to Ernakulathappan Temple, the presiding deity of the town. I will let the following images speak for themselves.

 Western Gopuram (Doorway) in traditional Kerala style architecture

 The lamp-stand

 Base of the lamp-stand in close-up

 Eastern Gopuram from inside the temple

 The balance for Thulabaram ritual, with oil jars ready to be weighed in the background

 Explosive propitiation of the God

Almost all Kerala temples have a "No Shirt" rule that I forgot. It was embarrassing to be reminded by a devout lady. Another specialty of Kerala temples is the Vadi Vazhipadu - firecracker offering, costing Rs 10 per bang.

 

Ernakulam has a lovely promenade offering stunning views like these

I must not forget to mention two Kerala specialties - Elai Adai and Palada Prathaman - that were the icing to a perfect evening.

Today was just a prelude to the grand event tomorrow. Hope the weather stays kind.