Anikalpatti

When I arrived in Marayoor the toddy bar was closed as its permit had expired and it would have to remain closed until a new permit was obtained.  However, a few days later Santosh who works in the toddy bar told me that the toddy tapper who supplies the bar has a few litres available at his house in Anikalpatti afe wkilometres from Marayoor.  Santosh took me to meet Mr Murugan the tapper at his house and we became good friends.

Murugan below with his tapping kit, and his house above.

Murugan's colleagues Balmurugan (above left) and Kumar (above right) decanting two litres of toddy for me.

It didn't take long for word to get around Anikalpatti that a foreigner was visiting, and I got to know most of the people in the village.

This is Naraj, the coconut picker.  Check him out as he fearlessly climbs a tree to pluck coconuts with his sickle.

Naraj kindly opened a coconut for me to drink the water and eat the flesh from inside it.

Joseph and Maria and their children (below) gathered the coconuts after Naraj plucked them.

Kumar asked me "like to see a temple?" and I couldn't refuse, so off we went.  This temple in Anikalpatti was very different to previous temples, as it was an old termite mound being worshipped that had a house built around it.  Another first experience for One Masala Dosa, but I must get to see some more (normal) temples soon.

This is along the main road from Marayoor to Anikalpatti, with a great view around midday.

Here are some spotted deer that I saw one morning on the way from Maryoor to Anikalpatti in the Sandal forest.

This is the river Pambar as it flows through Anikalpatti on its way to Tamil Nadu.

One day on the way to see Murugan I was captured by these three boys who wouldn't release me until they had taken photos of each of them with me.  I've got a promise to give prints of these pictures to the boys, wait and see...

On my last visit to Anikalpatti I went a different way to the main road from Marayoor, and I found a beautiful little village called Nachiyal on the way to Anikalpatti.  There wasn't much there other than several houses, a couple of shops and a great little temple with one of those trees with white flowers.

After leaving Murugan and walking along the road back to Marayoor from Anikalpatti, I found the items below for sale in Ramesh's shop.  Crushed meat with LR sounds like a super taste combination as Allahuddin might say.