14 Kovalam - Feb 19

Tuesday 2/19 - Today most of the group decided to have a quiet day. Most of the group spent the day lounging around the pool. However, some of us took a long-ish bus ride through the local towns out to the country to an elephant rehabilitation center. Travel through local towns was always interesting – mostly to see the shopping and colorful regional clothing. At the rehab center, we got to see the elephants as they were bathed, fed and otherwise card for by the caretakers. Elephants ranged in age from 3 months to 78 years.

Back at the resort, today was the day of the wedding which was taking place on the beach of the hotel. There were many guests and the ‘stage’ which was established on the beach was used for the ceremony. Western and Indian music was played.

At 6 p.m. we boarded a bus to take us into Kovalem for dinner. The festival of Attukal Pongala was getting under way and the roads were crowded with buses which had taken the estimated 1.5 million women to the city to celebrate and worship. As we got closer to the city, colored lights were everywhere and more and more throngs of women filled the streets. Piles of bricks, used to make the hearths for the fires that will cook the Pongala offerings were everywhere. Pots in which to cook the rice dish were also in plentiful supply. Once prepared the offerings of Pongala are made to the god at the Attukal Devi Temple. The streets were very crowded and this made progress to the restaurant called Maya, one of the 50 best in India, rather slow as our driver deliberately took us through the city center so we could witness the Pongala crowds and sights. Women in groups, dressed in colorful saris were everywhere and waved at us as we passed. There was quite an air of excitement in the city.