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I’m now in the Paris Airport, having left our hotel 24 hours ago on our journey home. Still we have a few legs left. Our last stop in India was the capitol city of Kerala, Trivandrum. The British shortened the real name Thiruvananthapuram so they could say it. The city sits on the West coast almost to the tip of the country amid low lying hills. The guide books suggest it as a city to give a pass but after being on the the tourist conveyor belt of Kochi and Alleppey it is a great release to be in a place where everyone is not sizing you up to see how much money they can get out of you. The place seems genuine, a living city with real history. It is not all that equipped with tourist trappings but has lovely Hindu temples, museums and interesting neighborhoods.
We are here for a series of Indian musical concerts I read about online while developing our travel itinerary. I was intrigued about the venue and its open ended earthen pots facing down from the ceiling creating incredible acoustics:
“The ambience at the concert venue is something to be experienced to be believed. Perfectly balanced acoustics, lighting by oil lamps, the divine grace of the Goddess in whose honor the concerts are conducted, utterly disciplined and informed audience, the feeling of having travelled back in time by around two centuries…..the list is endless.
There are some restrictions though. 1) Only Hindus are allowed inside since it is a temple. 2) Men have to wear a mundu/veshti/dhothi and take off their shirts. 3) Everybody has to be seated by 6:00 pm at the latest. 4) Nobody can leave before the concerts finish. 5) The concerts start at 6:00 pm Sharp and finish at 9:00 pm Sharp this year, except on the last two days. (Please check out the timing for each day) 6) Since the concerts are done as offerings to the Devi and not as “Performances” there is no applause. 7) Mobile phones are STRICTLY Forbidden inside. 8) The main krithi for each day is fixed. A speaker will be kept outside the steps of the Shree Padmanabhaswami Temple (Which is adjacent to the Navarathri Mandapam)”
The organizer of the concert series is Prince Rama Varma of the royal family. I learned he is also a noted classical Indian singer. I wrote him a couple emails asking him if I could interview him for one of our radio series, “What’s in a Song.” I never got a reply.
Upon arriving in Trivandrum we made our way to the Palace where somehow, I finagled my way past the guards saying I had to meet the Prince. They pointed me in the direction of an inner courtyard. Another guard tried to turn me around but again I invoked the name of Rama Varma.
Driving here from north Kerala we were passed several times by speeding entourage of Government officials in fancy cars with police escorts. Having this image in mind of pomp and circumstance, I was startled when the guard pointed me to a tiny van backing into a parking place across a lawn. Sure enough, getting out of the drivers seat was a casually dressed middle aged man with a kind face. As it turns out the royal family was deposed when India achieved independence in 1947 so Rama Varma is a Prince by birthright but his life is totally dedicated to music so he acts like a musician with few regal airs. As I approached him I met someone with whom I immediately felt simpatico. He had kind playful eyes, was well spoken, and curious to hear of my repeated requests for an interview. Unfortunately my attempts to contact him were never received and though this was an incredibly busy time he happily agreed to give me 40 minutes the next day for an interview. I breathed a sigh of relief. I will not get into the details of our delightful interview, or the concerts but will leave the story to conclude with, hopefully, a segment you can hear on NPR. I do want to give you a preview of the Rama Varma and the song that he talked about in our interview. CLICK HERE.
These last couple days in India I’ve been trying to figure out what is so intoxicating about this Country. I know travel to India is not for everyone. One must be willing to let go of any impression that you are in control. I see travelers who are constantly gritting their teeth. I feel for them but also think they are missing the rewards of surprise and delight of each outcome. Increasingly, my photographs have become an attempt to capture the mood or feeling of the place rather than to document. Therefore, here are some of my last images from our final days in southern India. Thanks for tuning into my musings.
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Hal and Teresa, At Large 
Thank you for taking us along on this journey with you. Marvelous blogs and photos.