Ayyappan Nair cycles the Kerala coast to visit and photograph lighthouses in the state
After cycling over a thousand kilometers, later covering the Kerala coastline, Ayyappan Nair is eager to pedal again.
Discussing how he photographed 20 of the 21 lighthouses in the state, Ayyappan says he was overwhelmed by the warmth of the strangers he met along the way. “The trip has inspired me to learn about the heritage and syncretic culture of the kingdom, which has attracted merchants from Egypt, ancient Arabia, China, and East Asia,” he says.
Cycling started in 2017 as an effort to reduce his carbon footprint and fitness routine. He returned to Kerala four years ago after working in California and New Jersey. Eventually, horse riding became a passion for this molecular and cellular biologist, as he realized that it enabled him to see people and places closer than any other form of transportation.
Gradually his five kilometer ride got longer, which spread to 25 kilometers or more. “Cycling gave me a relief from lockdown and a reason to get out to ride on almost empty roads.” He remembers. So when a friend and veteran traveler Priya Balakrishnan suggested she explore the beach and visit the lighthouses in the state, she jumped at the suggestion.
The lighthouse at Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram is one of the oldest in Kerala and was first built by the East India Company in 1696 to guide its ships. photo Credit: ayyappan nair
Mapping the route, they decided to do it in two phases – Vizhinjam to Vypen, about 250 km, which they call a V2V ride, and Kochi to Kasaragod, a ride of about 650 to 700 km.
travel planning
Ayyappan emphasizes that a journey like his involves careful planning to make the ride smooth and comfortable. It’s important to know your limits and stay hydrated and relaxed. It is equally important to plan where to stay and so is deciding what to eat and what to carry on a bicycle.
“Mine is an Indian made steel cycle with 24 gears which I have been using for three years. The type of bike doesn’t matter if you know your bicycle well. I had to keep my age in mind. So, the gears definitely helped,” said Ayyappan, who is in his fifty. He adds, “I had around 25 kg as luggage. Next time, I plan to travel lighter. But a spare bicycle chain, puncture kit and tool kit are mandatory. I also took electrolytes, glucose, banana and peanut candy.
He used to start his ride daily at 5.30 am and ensure that he reaches his place of stay by noon. “It gave me time to relax, write, explore the place and interact a lot with people. Every day, I used to ride around 65 to 70 kms.”
Starting his journey from Thiruvananthapuram, he covered a distance of around 250 km in the first leg. The 36-metre lighthouse at Anchuthengu, about 12 km from Varkala, was the first lighthouse he visited. Built by the British in 1684, the fort was the first permanent outpost of the East India Company on the Malabar Coast.
His next port of call was the lighthouse at Tangassery in Kollam district, which was built in 1902. “Kollam was considered one of the Four Entrepots for global trade in the 13th century, so the lighthouse was really a new addition,” he says. Ayyappan smiles and tells how the officer-in-charge of the lighthouse at Kovilthottam, about 18 km from Kollam, told him that there are 21, not 20 lighthouses in the state. “A new construction was done at Valiyazhikkal near Kayamkulam. The pentagonal 41.26 m structure is believed to be the first such lighthouse in the country.
Valiyazhikkal Lighthouse in Alappuzha district, inaugurated in 2021, is India’s first pentagon-shaped lighthouse. photo Credit: ayyappan nair
He says that every lighthouse he visited was located in picturesque places. His favorite is the one in Kannur, which is “well maintained. It has a walkway and the cliff, sea and lighthouse views are stunning.” Although he intended to cover every lighthouse in Kerala, he needed a Had to be abandoned: The Lighthouse at Mount Delhi is located inside the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala in Kannur and is off-limits to the public.
In Alappuzha, he discovered the oldest lighthouse in Kerala, which was first lit in 1862. This and the one in Kannur have museums attached, but Ayyappan was unable to meet them as they were closed to the public, probably because of the pandemic.
six of the best
- Lighthouses at Kannur, Thalassery, Vizhinjam, Valiyazhikkal, Kozhikode and Vypin.
From Alappuzha he boarded for Fort Kochi and took a ferry to Vepin to see the 46-metre lighthouse, the tallest in the state. Although it started functioning at Fort Kochi in 1839, it was shifted to its present location at Puthuvaip in 1979.
He returned to Thiruvananthapuram in a bus with his cycle and went to Vizhinjam, 16 km from the city, and clicked pictures of the magnificent lighthouse perched on the rocks. They had covered a distance of about 350 km in the first stage as they took the time to explore the places where they stayed.
second stage
After a month of rejuvenation, Ayyappan started the second leg of his journey from Ernakulam. Crossing Periyar in a ferry, he traveled a distance of about eight km through the historic town of Kodungallur to visit the Azikode Lighthouse. This was followed by lighthouses at Chettuva, Ponnani, Beypore, Kozhikode (now defunct), Kadalur, Thalassery, Azhikkal and Nellikunu.
It was on the Kappad beach of Kozhikode that Vasco da Gama landed in 1498. Legend has it that the Portuguese explorer knew the coast was near when he saw the light shining on a monolith in the Shri Narasimha Bhagwati temple.
Kadalur Point Lighthouse near Koyilandi in Kozhikode district started functioning in 1907. photo Credit: ayyappan nair
Explaining why he is fascinated by lighthouses, Ayyappan explains that he speaks of Kerala’s bustling maritime trade with traders from different parts of the world, mostly for pepper and spices. “We talk about the ‘old world’ and the ‘new world’. Kerala was quite a ‘new world’ in those days. There were immigrants from all over the world and the economy was booming.”
The lighthouse at Nellikkunnu in Kasaragod was the last port of call for Ayyappan Nair’s cycle ride along the Kerala coast to visit and photograph lighthouses in the state. , photo Credit: ayyappan nair
He says: “The ports on the coast of Kerala are among the historical ports of the world. Unfortunately, not enough is written on them… Not many people outside Kerala know that the Malabar Coast was once one of the major centers of international trade.
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