[MorePower]

Originally Posted by Rover-IB

Its 3 pm and we have reached Aranyakam Home Stay where we have a tree house booked. And lo and behold the moment we enter the tree house it starts raining like crazy... The home stay has two tree houses and both face a deep gorge. It’s an amazing view and the calmness is mind numbing. I can’t wait for tomorrow morning to catch the sunrise.

Fabulous travelogue. Rated 5 stars.

The tree house pictures look stunning. How was your experience at the Aranyakam Home stay in Wayanad? The food, the tree house stay? Would you recommend the tree house for a family with kids?

[Rover-IB]

Originally Posted by Rakkum13

Worthy of five stars and more. Great narrative and snaps. I'm sure you would be looking forward to your next self drive experience! BTW, where in pondi are the statues located (photos posted with the caption "Around Pondicherry") and what is their background/history/significance? Thanks a ton.

Hey Rakkum13
Thank you for the appreciation. The statues are located just before Tantos in Auroville. It was a temple but I am afraid that is all I can tell you. There was no one inside to ask about it.

Originally Posted by MorePower

Fabulous travelogue. Rated 5 stars.

The tree house pictures look stunning. How was your experience at the Aranyakam Home stay in Wayanad? The food, the tree house stay? Would you recommend the tree house for a family with kids?

Our stay at Aranyakam although for a night was pretty good. The owners are excellent hosts and very helpful. As it rained the day we stayed there we had a few unwanted small guests (read insects around the light in the room and a small frog in the bathroom) around us in the tree house but nothing major to complain about and was actually fun. If you take your kids along they will have a gala time during the day in the bigger tree house which has a small play area at the top. The tree houses are right at the end of the property but there is a guard who patrols the area in the night. Rajesh, the owner of Aranyakam was an amazing person to talk to, had offered us a ride around the property in his Jeep but due to paucity of time I had to pass on the offer. If you get a chance dont miss that The only problem you may have with the tree houses are the random forest noises one can hear in the night which might scare the kids a bit.

P.S: Thank you for the 5*

[Rakkum13]

Originally Posted by Rover-IB

I am afraid that is all I can tell you. There was no one inside to ask about it.

Thanks anyway. I was curious because I visited Pondicherry and Auroville last year and missed out on Tantos and the statues!

[pillaian]

Rover-IB - Excellent Travelogue and photos, very well written .

Good thing to know that renting a car and driving around by yourself is much more easier in India now, the entire travelogue was fun to read, the fog part was bit scary, but the torch scene and the request to click picture was humorous.

Happy motoring and keep the Travelogues flowing.

[Karthik Mathur]

Hey! An excellent write-up and really good photography. Was a pleasure to read it

[oxyzen]

Is it the camera or post processing? Or is it just you?

Amazing, amazing work.

[anilagdr]

A Travelogue par excellence! I was so gripped by the photos, content and presentation that I read the entire thread at a stretch at this ungodly hour only to find myself rejuvenated in no small measure. Shall expect more such writings from you in future too.

[sunsetorange]

@Rakkum13 they are village guardian deities. The most common deities are usually seen with a horse and a couple of dogs, apart from the consorts. These temples are found just outside each village.

[roadlover]

Awesome Travelogue!! Hats off to you guys coming all the way from Delhi and making the 2k km southern drag a breeze! Wish you had not missed Dhanushkoti, the last point between india and srilanka! Believe those water wells are sacred and the place itself is amazing, Great job anyway!

[windiesel]

Nice writeup. One thing that strikes me is the comparatively lesser traffic on south indian highways, quite unlike Del-Jaipur, Del-Dehradun or Del-Chandigarh. Is it a fact?

[Rakkum13]

Originally Posted by sunsetorange

@Rakkum13 they are village guardian deities. The most common deities are usually seen with a horse and a couple of dogs, apart from the consorts. These temples are found just outside each village.

Thanks for the insight. Are such deities specific to the Pondicherry area or are they seen in other towns/cities as well?

[Rover-IB]

Originally Posted by roadlover

Awesome Travelogue!! Hats off to you guys coming all the way from Delhi and making the 2k km southern drag a breeze! Wish you had not missed Dhanushkoti, the last point between india and srilanka! Believe those water wells are sacred and the place itself is amazing, Great job anyway!

Thanks Roadlover. Gives us a reason to go again and visit more places including Dhanushkoti next time

Originally Posted by windiesel

Nice writeup. One thing that strikes me is the comparatively lesser traffic on south indian highways, quite unlike Del-Jaipur, Del-Dehradun or Del-Chandigarh. Is it a fact?

Yes absolutely. It was actually a breeze travelling on these highways and there were often stretches more on the hilly areas when there would be hardly any vehicles trailing/ crossing us. Even on the plains it was a smooth ride with minimal traffic.

[sunsetorange]

Originally Posted by Rakkum13

Thanks for the insight. Are such deities specific to the Pondicherry area or are they seen in other towns/cities as well?

Sorry for the delay. These deities are seen in nearly every village worth its name. They are very common along the village roads and state highways. It is only after the advent of the 4 lane highways that they are a rare sight.