Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sweetest place in India-- Kanthaloor

Kanthaloor -- a village in Idukki district.

It is 7,000 feet above sea level.


Like any other village, it is green and lush.

A two hour bus journey will take you to Kanthaloor.
I call it the sweetest place in the country-- They make the best Jaggery here.

Jaggery is made out of sugar cane.

Which grows in abundance in Kanthaloor.
Kanthaloor also has a beautiful climate.





Sugar cane juice made first.


And it is boiled.



The residue is used as fuel in to boil the juice.




It is poured into this giant tava.

Where it is boiled for hours.

And hours...


And Hours...
More fuel is added to the boiler at times...




The Chimmeny lets out black smoke...

And more smoke...



The molten sugar cane juice coagulates after a while..


It is then poured into another container..


And poured..

And poured...

When it becomes a solid, the people make jaggery balls out of them...




More balls...


It is then weighed and packed in bags..

And weighed...


And packed...
Balls...