The voyage of a 106 Wheeler

I saw all the kids in my village along the roadside today twittering and running around, and waiting for something to come. I thought there is a procession approaching, but I was wrong.


It was the 106 wheeler truck and trailer carrying a huge transformer from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited's factory in Gujarat to an electrical substation in our district Malappuram. The voyage which started two months back carrying a real heavy and tall transformer along the narrow roads was a sight worth watching.


The Volvo truck had 10 wheels and the trailer had 96 wheels. There was another truck carrying a full load of tires accompanying this party. There were many workers carrying long sticks and tools to lift the electric cables up, and to let the vehicle pass. Some tree branches needed a trimming too. It was not just kids, but even the passing travelers stopped by, at its sight.

IdentityMine Town Hall Meeting

Today my company had our first town hall meeting at Hotel Renaissance, Kochi. It was an official get together for all the employees here with a short meeting and a long dinner time. :)


Souvenirs were awarded to the employees who completed more than one year. There was gift distribution for the cubicle dressing up competition as well. All together, it was a fun filled and memorable night.

IdentityMine Cubicle Decoration

Today was the final day of the cubicle decoration competition at our office and I spent some time to make my cubicle look less clumsy.


Some of my colleagues did well in dressing up their workspace. See the snaps below:

Riding the Coastal Highway

I prefer the coastal highway for my weekend home trips these days, as the construction work for making the Kochi - Thrissur highway four lane is at its peak.

I go through Edappally- Paravur- Kodungallur- Chavakad- Ponnani- Kottakkal- Malappuram route. This route is devoid of trucks and offers good sights and experiences in between. Chavakad has a nice beach where fishermen lands in their boats with fresh lots of fish which are then put on display on the shores for bidding. The route get more scenic at Ponnani and the jangar ride across the estuary is an interesting experience. It costs just Rs.25 for a car and its travelers to get a place in the jangar. I usually spend some time at the roadside shops for tea breaks and chit chats with the local people.

Below are some photos I took during one such drive along the coastal highway:

Bhoothathankettu

I and my four friends from office enjoyed a nice weekend trip to Bhoothathankettu today. Bhoothathankettu is a dam and tourist site in Kerala, India. It is situated in the village of Pindimana, about 10 km away from the town of Kothamangalam and 50 km away from the main city of Ernakulam.





Bhoothathankettu is a scenic dam site with boating facilities and is situated in a vast virgin forest. It is connected to the Salim Ali/Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, where visitors can see different varieties of birds and animals. The Idamalayar reservoir is about 12 km distance from the site.





A myth connected with the origin of this place says that this natural fortification of forests and hills was built by Bhoothams (spirit/ghosts) overnight. Hence the name Bhoothathankettu (fort of the spirits). Later, this natural topography helped in building a dam here.