Chithhapa and L who had forgotten to bring her chappal
  • In Akkaraipatti, I was visiting to have lunch with relatives who had prayed and sacrificed to Muniyappan in a Muniyappan Kovil by the bank of the Thirumanimuthhar (pronounced thiru-mani-muthh-aaru). My Chithhappa and his kid took us to show the river a bit more downstream from the Temple. I saw so many wells this side of Mallasamudram, that I’ve never noticed inside the Town. The Town is largely filled with weaving occupations, something I note with Paavadis in Weekly Note 15.
Flowing to the brim and to the brim it has flowed for the past few years. It carries the sewage of Salem City and joins the Kavery later above Karur
Another Muniyappan Kovil near the banks, I wonder how so many are there close to each other
A well near the river, full with the rains.
1. The Muniyappan temple. 2. Photograph of Chithhapa and L. M says that all across the region, Kelangu, Rice etc have been replaced by Coconut in the last 50 years. Notice the scale of the Orchard east of the river. The Kaveri has apparently had the same happen upstream as well

  • Driving back from Mallasamudram, I chose to forego and go visit Mettur. The initial plan was to enter Karnataka through Malai Mahadeshwara Betta, Kollegal and Kanakapura, but that would have made me very late, so I just chose to visit Mettur. I’ve never been there, but was surprised by how industrial the town is.

    From a small bette behind MALCO, I see the chimneys of MALCO
    The quarry-like betta that the dam seems to spillover into it
    Find the peacock
    How the dry Kaveri towards TN sees the Dam. My Mother tells me that I was just a few days away from when the Dam usually opens

  • I learnt of ‘Ganja Malai’ in Salem, which hosted the beginnings of the SAIL plant and later stumbled upon the huge Dalmia magnesite mines.

    SAIL, Ganja Malai and the Dalmia Mines (grey filled area on the North East)
    The huge Dalmia Mines
    MALCO in Mettur

  • We wondered what the definition of an Ideal week is, on a south bangalore balcony. We talked of cycles of aspirations and spent the night.

On a balcony
A huge well in Jayanagar park
Bangalore monsoons are filling up recharge wells in Jayanagar parks.