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Kadamakkudy: A touch of natural beauty is a joy forever!

ByWebindia123 Editor 6.4.2017         Mail Now X   Post Comments

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The hunger for travel spoiled my sleep. My team and I had planned a trip to an enchanting Island Kadamakkudy, in the suburbs of Kochi city, located at a distance of about 21 kms.

We started off our journey from Ernakulam at 7 in the morning. We took a taxi to reach Chittoor boat jetty. Crossing the backwaters is the best modem of travel to reach Kadamakkudy. 

Unfortunately we missed the boat, which we planned to go by. So we had to wait for the next boat. There we saw people travelling in ferryboat through the backwaters. Waiting for almost an hour, a boat came in and we started off our journey.  

Wow!! The journey offered mind-blowing scenery throughout our trip. We saw people fishing, on the banks of the backwaters. Coconut palms swaying along the sides of the lake added to the scenic beauty. Silhouetted against the sunset, was the mesmerizing view of the Chinese fishing nets. People living in these islands have access to a Mobile boat hospital, which was a novelty for us. A palliative care unit is very active and visits the houses in the islands, once a week.

The boat staff were friendly enough to give us information about Kadamakkudy. They said Kadamakkudy Island is actually a cluster of fourteen islands: Valiya Kadamakudy (the main island), Murikkal, Palyam Thuruth, Pizhala, Pulikkapuram, Moolambilly, Puthussery, Chariyam Thuruth, Chennur, Kothad, Korambadam, Kandanad, Karikkad Thuruthu and Cheriya Kadamakudy.  

They were kind enough to enquire if we needed any vehicle to travel around Kadamakkudy villages. But we had decided to explore the place by walking around. They suggested a guide Mr. Biju, who was an ex Panchayat member of Kadamakkudy village.

 Forty minutes after our wonderful journey through the backwaters, we reached Valiya Kadamakkudy. We could see soft golden sands on the banks. We started walking through the beautiful village and our guide joined us. He explained every minute detail about the place.  

First we went to see fish and prawn/shrimp cultivation, which is the main stay of the people living in the area, besides paddy. Locally known as chemmeen kettu, these prawn/fish enclosures are run by both private owners as well as the public sector.

Our guide gave us details about how fish farms operate. The paddy fields, mainly water fields harvested once a year, are auctioned for fish farming for six months before the monsoons. People, who lease the farms, grow fish/shrimps in the area for sale. This continues till the month of May, when the fields are readied for paddy (pokkali) cultivation. When the auction period is over, and after maximum catch, the fields are opened for the general public for fishing, and that is known as kettu kalakkal, meaning breaking the enclosures of the farm.  

Locals of Kadamakkudy showed us the crabs they caught, and the special nets, ‘kotta vala’ with which they catch the crab. They told us about the beauty of the sunrise here. We were disappointed that we missed it.

We moved on and saw people drying fish by the roadside. We saw many beautiful birds as we strolled, and our guide informed that about 100 species of birds exist in the area and many among them were rare. 

Christian churches and Hindu temples co-exist in harmony in these islands. I was amazed to see the green paddy fields, more so as they were maintained by the students of the government school here, to inculcate farming sense among the children. No words can explain the joy of experiencing the appeal of the green fields and the blue sky. The environment has been kept natural and earthy. Varieties of butterflies and flowers abound. By foot and in scooter, we covered the whole of Kadamakkudy!  

The sun was ready to set; its rays fell on the paddy fields, the grains danced with ecstasy… Really I was awestruck…just watching the astounding scenery… After having yummy food from the local toddy shop, we said goodbye to the place.

 If you want an earthy village experience close to Mother Nature, head to this small yet cute village Kadamakkudy. Trust me, the exoticism has not been manipulated in any way. 

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