I should
have posted this before the Munroe Island blog, as I drove along this coastal
route from Varkala (my hometown) to Quilon and then to Munroe island. As it was
a cloudy day, I didn’t stop to shoot pictures before reaching Pozhikara. But I plan
to walk along the coast from Varkala to Kappil estuary (and beyond if possible)
next time and will give a detailed account of the route.
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An old picture of the Kappil Estury.
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Pozhikkara is
a beautiful coastal village, located at the south-western
tip of Quilon (Kollam) district. There is some geological significance to this
place also, as Quilon formation is best exposed at the Pozhikkara cliffs . Paravur lake meets the Arabian sea
here, along an approximately 500m long narrow channel or canal.
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| Pozhikkara behind the temple, where the canal meets the Sea |
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A view of the narrow canal and the bridge with shutters at the far end
The bridge that is built to cross the chanel also has shutters to control the probable lake water-seawater mixing. I don’t know whether they still work.
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| The bridge with shutters, the seawater inflow is also visible. |
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| Amazing view of the Paravur Lake |
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Amazing view of the Paravur Lake and the coconut trees on the land.
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Sand deposits can be
seen above the water level at the lake side of the canal, deposited through the
seawater-lake water interaction. The deltaic
shape of this sand deposit is distinct even on the google maps.
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| Fishermen on Paravur Lake, sandbars on the foreground |
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| Fishermen on Paravur Lake, sandbars on the foreground |
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Fishermen on Paravur Lake
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As you drive along
coastal road, you will see a narrow strip of land separating the Paravur lake
and the Arabian sea. Shade of the tall coconut trees on one side of this road
and the beautiful sandy Mayyanad beach on the other side. The beach along the
coast approximately 2.5 km long and is protected by many sea walls.
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| Mayyanad beach, protected by sea walls |
There are a lot
small huts along the beach for fishermen, to store their nets and other gears. A
lot of catamarans are resting on the beach, probably stretching their legs
before the next sail. There are a few
fishermen repairing the nets, some getting gears ready for the sail, some selling
the last catch on the road. Probably not a good day for
them as not many fishes were there for sale, or the bigger portion has already
gone to the market before my arrival.
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| Fishermen getting the gears ready |
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| Fishermen getting the gears ready |
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| Fishermen repairing the nets |
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| Huts for the fishing fears and that catamarans |
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| A lonely wooden boat, appears to be resting for a while. |
Then the road slowly
moves away from the beach and follow the canal connecting the Paravur lake and
Ashtamudi lake. This canal runs parallel to the coast and is not navigable at
the present moment due to sand deposits at many places.
At Eravipuram beach
area, road comes back close to the shore, however; there are many settlements
(fishermen) separating the road from the beach.
A grounded vessel can
be seen close to the Kollam beach, probably abandoned. It says a name “Hansita.
V”, however; the old name “Hang Fa Jun” is still clearly visible. A lot of
people gathered around the ship watching it.
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| Grounded ship Hansita. V, a view from Eravipuram beach |
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| Grounded ship Hansita. V, a view from Eravipuram beach |
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| Grounded ship Hansita. V |
