Sullia Pictures - D.K, Karnataka

Sullia is a taluk in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka,India. It is a small town, surrounded with evergreen wooded mountains in the Western Ghats range in South India. Sullia has plantations of rubber, areca nut, coconut, cashew nut, black pepper and banana. Education centers in Sullia offer a variety of education to students from around the world. The road connecting the two major cities of Karnataka – Mysore and Mangalore – runs through Sullia.

History - An historical revolution took place during 1837 when a majority of the Gowdas, and other castes from Amara Sullia, Madikeri and Bhagamandala went and fought for freedom against British. Coat of arms of Kodagu Gowdas during the freedom struggle against British,1837 They could hoist their flag in Mangalore and on their way back they were caught by the British due to the leakage of their hideouts by Kodavas. Due to the threat from Tippu Sultan, Kodava Rajas had become more loyal to the British and he then asked Coorgis/Kodavas to supress the Kodagu Gowdas from rising against British in 1837. It was hence named after it as Amara Sullya Dhange.


Culture - The culture of Sullia is a blend of Tuluva culture with a tinge of Kodagu culture. People speak Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, Beary and Kodava languages. Economy / Agriculture - The economy of Sullia is mainly based on agriculture and horticulture. The region has fertile land and rich water resources. The main crops are rubber trees, areca nut, cashew nut, rice, banana, vanilla and jackfruit.

Talacauvery Pictures - Karnataka

This picture is of Talacauvery which is in Karnataka, India.

Ooty Natural pics - Tamilnadu

This picture is from Ooty which is in Tamilnadu. Ootacamund, Udagamandalam in Tamil or Ooty is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Originally occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of the East India Company at the end of the 18th century. Today the town's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists.

Toddy (Kallu) - Kerala

This picture is of toddy with eatables. Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" in Malayalam and Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the Palmyra, and coconut palms. This drink is common in various parts of Asia and Africa, and goes by various names, such as emu and oguro in Nigeria, Nsamba in Democratic Republic of the Congo, nsafufuo in Ghana, kallu in South India, tuak in North Sumatra, Indonesia, goribon (Rungus) in Sabah, Borneo, and tuba in the Philippines, Borneo and Mexico. In the Philippines, tubâ refers both to the freshly harvested sweetish sap and the one with the red lauan-tree tan bark colorant.
In Leyte, the red tuba is aged for up to one to two years to get that echoing ring when the glass gallon container is tapped; this type of tubâ is called bahalina. Toddy is also consumed in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Production of palm wine has contributed to the endangered status of some palm species such as the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis).

Korigad Fort Pictures - Pune, Maharashtra

Korigad (also called Koraigad, Koarigad or Kumwarigad) is a fort located about 20 km away from Lonavla in Pune district, Maharashtra, India. Its date of construction is not known but likely predates 1500. It is about 929 m above sea level. The closest village is Peth Shahpur.
This fort was incorporated into his kingdom by Shivaji along with the forts of Lohagad, Visapur, Tung and Tikona in 1657. On March 11, 1818, Col. Prother tried to take over this fort but even after a prolonged siege could not make any headway. Finally on 14 March, by igniting the stored ammunition by means of a loose cannon ball he succeeded and this fort went to the British.
Now because of the Mulshi dam, a lake has formed close to the base of the hill on which Korigad stands. There are two lakes on the top of the fort. A temple to its patron goddess Koraidevi also exists along with several smaller temples to dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. The former has been recently renovated and has a 3 foot high Deepmala(tower of lamps).The interesting part of the fort is that its wall is completely intact and one can walk along its entire perimeter(about 2 km). Its massive gate is also intact. Several ruins of older structures within the fort still exist. It has six cannons - the largest of which called the Laxmi Toph is located near the Korai devi temple.

Vazhani Dam - Thrissur, Kerala

This picture is of Vazhani Dam which is in Thrissur, Kerala. Vazhani Dam is made up of clay which is one of the biggest clay dams in Kerala. It is situated 23 km away from Thrissur. It has a length of 792.48 metres. Water from this vazhani dam is mainly used for irrigation and drinking purposes. Vazhani dam and its garden is a splendid spectacular view. It is one of the tourist attraction of Thrissur district. This project in Thrissur district envisages construction of an earth dam built across the Vadakkancherry puzha, The project was completed during the year 1962.

Ooty Natural Photos - Tamilnadu

This picture is from Ooty. Ooty is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Originally occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of the East India Company at the end of the 18th century. Today the town's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists. Ooty, which is deep within the Nilgiri hills, is also known as The Blue Mountains. It is unknown whether this name comes from the blue smoky haze given off by the eucalyptus trees that cover the area, or because of the kurunji flower, which blooms every twelve years giving the slopes a bluish tinge. Unlike any other region in the country, no historical proof is found to state that Ooty was a part of any kingdoms or empires. Tippu Sultan was the first to extend his border by constructing a hideout cave like structure. It was originally a tribal land and was occupied by the Todas along with other tribes who coexisted through specialisation and trade. Frederick price in his book Ootacamund, A History states that the area which is now called as the 'Old Ooty' was originally occupied by the Todas. The Todas then handed over that part of the town to John Sullivan, the then Governor of Coimbatore. He later developed the town, and encouraged the establishment of tea, chinchona, and teak trees. Like many of the settlers, Sullivan was highly impressed by the way the tribes cooperated, and sought to maintain this balance. He later campaigned tirelessly to ensure land rights and cultural recognition for these tribes and was financially and socially punished for this by the British Government. The Nilgiri territory came into possession of East India Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest, was the first European who visited Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place and the people of Nilgiris. In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the top of the plateau. In 1818, Wish and Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report to the Collector of Coimbatore John Sullivan. John Sullivan with his party proceeded to Nilgiri Mountain and camped at Dimbhatti, just north of Kotagiri in January 1819. Again in May 1819 he came to the Hill of Ooty and began the construction of his bungalow at Dimbhatti (near Kotagiri), the first European dwelling on the hills. John Sullivan laid the path from Sirumugai (near-Mattupalayam) to Dimbhatti in 1829 and the work was completed in May 1823. The route up to Coonoor was laid in 1830-32. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and other small kingdoms, much visited by British during the colonial days, and as today, a popular summer and weekend resort. Soldiers were also sent here and to nearby Wellington (The home of the Madras regiment to this day) to recuperate. Its stunning beauty and splendid green deep valleys inspired the British to name it Queen of Hill Stations. It is reached via winding hill roads or a complicated rack railway system, known as the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, built in 1908 by impassioned and enterprising British citizens with venture capital from the Madras government. Ooty is visited by many tourists from around the world and was once seen on television for 'Indian Hill Railways'.