The Noor of Tavanoor

Visit to Tavanoor, March 25 2016

Knowledge and Nature have been historically interweaved into the human gene. When former plays the coal, the latter results as fire. They are cloud and rain to one another. And when a pinch of Faith is added, the recipe is nothing short of mouth-watering.

Tavanoor is a village of wisdom and beauty in the Malappuram district of south Indian state of Kerala. With the Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, the only Agricultural Engineering college in the state one end and the Brahma temple, among the very few in the country, are situated in a luscious green and serene ambience, the onlooker may not have much reasons not to be amazed. One becomes as playful as a child as he or she walks carried by the winds flowing from the Bharathappuzha River.

Tavanoor, believed to be described as the village of the saintly, may not be well placed on the tourism map of the land with state of the art hotels. Nor would any travel companies add this tiny village to their itinerary schedules.

Nevertheless this town has much history in its making. Many antiques have been periodically discovered form the river, said a resident as he walked me through the bank.

The Kelappaji College, named after the freedom fighter and leader of Nair caste, is affiliated to the faculty of Agricultural Engineering of Kerala Agricultural University.

Hindus and Muslims live in perfect harmony just as the water and land. Incredibly fertile, the locality is full of fruit-yielding trees. Tall Mango trees were heavy with the fruit and some of the rare kinds are found here.

The Brahma temple, named after the Hindu deity of Creation, attracts many childless couples for offerings to have an offspring. There are also numerous colorful pooram (festival) to celebrate different religious occasions. This temple faces two other temples dedicated to two other deities.

It is amazing to note that despite this center of Hindu pilgrimage is located at the Muslim heartland district of Malappuram, it has attracted zero communal harmony in the recent past.

It was almost sunset as I concluded the brief visit to this paradise of heritage and natural beauty. The muezzin from the nearby local masjid once again reminded of the Lord. There was a faint light in the horizon ready to fade any moment. I prayed that Tavanoor continue to be blessed with the light of peace & beauty, love & serenity.