A moon replaces the sun at blue hour after sunset as we end our trip to Thekkady, Kerala and move on …..

A Moon in the Sunset Sky
A moon replaces the sun at blue hour after sunset as we end our trip to Thekkady, Kerala and move on …..
A Moon in the Sunset Sky
Lovely cloud formations accentuate the tree-filled ridge-line over the hills of Thekkady, Kerala
Kerala Cloud Formations
A sunset with a layer of low-level clouds over the hills of Thekkady, Kerala, India
A Sunset Over the Hills
The fierce invisible sun lights up the clouds over Thekkady, Kerala, India
Brilliant Sunset Clouds
Instead of the moon playing hide and seek, it is the sun doing so over the hills of Thekkady, Kerala
A Sun Hiding in the Clouds
The blazing sun surrounded by lighted clouds at sunset from the hills around Thekkady, Kerala
A Blazing Sun at Sunset
The sun seems to be hiding behind the clouds over the hills around Thekkady, Kerala
A Sun Hiding in the Clouds
A lonely tree against threatening clouds on the hills around Thekkady, Kerala
A Lonely Tree Against the Clouds
The trees in Kerala offer a home to many species of birds. Here is a juvenile red whiskered Bulbul captured in Thekkady.
A Juvenile Red Whiskered Bulbul
A road that leads to the varied mountain landscape of Kerala captured from the hills around Thekkady
A Kerala Mountain Landscape
The hills around Thekkady, Kerala provide spectacular views of the landscape and sunsets. Will be posting views from these hills in the next few weeks.
Here is an image of a lonely tree at the crest of the brown mountain with greenery in the foreground and white clouds against a blue sky in the background.
A Lonely Tree at the Crest
Brilliant colors are characteristic of sights in India and Thekkady, Kerala is no exception. A shopkeeper inside his colorful shop ….
A Colorful Shop in Thekkady
Spotted various bamboo plantations around Thekkady, Kerala. It was interesting to see the various shades of bamboo in the same cluster.
Shades of Bamboo
A portrait of an Indian elephant captured in Thekkady, Kerala
An Indian Elephant Portrait
The mountains around Thekkady offer amazing vistas to capture the greenery and beauty of Kerala
A Kerala Postcard Scene
Jack fruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world — one fruit can weigh between 10 and 100 pounds and contain hundreds of seeds that are rich in protein, potassium, calcium, and iron — all of which are important for bodily growth.
Jack fruit tree is mostly seen in Kerala. This fruit is large and fleshy and covered with thorny tubercles. Unripe fruit can be cooked. The seeds may be boiled or baked. There are a number of varieties of Jack fruits the honey-jack is considered the sweetest and the best in its family. The flesh is starchy and fibrous and provides energy. Jack fruit tree is used in the treatment of various diseases such as diarrhea, and skin disease, urinary retention and general weakness. The timber of the tree is used for making furniture as it is termite-proof.
Jack fruit
A cardamom plant normally starts bearing fruit from the third year of planting. The harvested fruits are rubbed on wire mesh and polished before they are graded and stored in polythene gunny bags to retain the green color and to avoid exposure to moisture. There are numerous cardamom plantations around Thekkady, Kerala.
Cardamom Plant
Cardamom Pods at Bottom of Plant
Kerala history is closely linked with its commerce, which in turn was wholly dependent until recent times on its spice trade. Kerala was known for its spices and traders traveled here to trade and to gain control over this rich land. It is believed that the spice trade dates back three thousand years. Pepper still remains the king of Kerala’s spices, but the state also has a very rich produce in cardamom, cinnamon , nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. The state is the spice capital of the world. Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is cultivated in Thekkady and its neighboring villages.
The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate. Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sun drying the mature pepper berries for 3 – 5 days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing, and white pepper by wetting mature berries in clean water for 5 – 7 days, removing the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing.
Peppercorns
Due to its tropical climate, Kerala is home to numerous and some exotic fruits.
Here is an image shot in Thekkady, Kerala of a lady clad in a colorful costume shopping for fruits of diverse colors.
Shopping for Fruits
Colorful shops in Thekkady, Kerala…..
Colorful Shops