Josegiri, a farmer’s purgatory turning right into a trekker’s paradise

Express News Service
Every yr on Good Friday, members of St Joseph Church in Josegiri carry the cross and trek 2 km to the highest of Thirunetti Kallu — 3,000 ft above sea stage. It is without doubt one of the steepest ‘Way of the Cross’ walks within the state. The path is dotted by 14 work, depicting the occasions from the Passion of Christ. It’s not simply the cross that devotees of Josegiri carry, but in addition meals.

“The ‘Way of the Cross’ walk is the last ritual of Good Friday. Once atop the hill, we picnic and disperse,” says John Koovapparayil, the younger vicar of the church.

For years, Thirunetti Kallu was climbed solely by the realm’s residents on Good Friday. Today, it is without doubt one of the well-liked trekking and tenting websites in Kannur. Visitors must trek solely the final kilometre as automobiles can attain as much as the eleventh Station of Cross, the place the portray of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross is erected.

Further up, Anthony ‘chettan’ runs a ‘thattukada’, shelling out something from kappa and meen curry to pork and beef fry, rooster curry and porotta and chapathi in a jiffy. “You have to inform me a day in advance,” he says. He additionally has 4 tents pitched on a cliff dealing with the inexperienced and gray mountains for vacationers to camp.

Those who select to remain again can be subjected to his rustic hospitality and nightlong gasconade, from him breaking bread with bandit Veerappan to him scaring away wild elephants via a stare. “Most wild elephants can be forced to retreat by just staring. I have done it many times,” he says. 

Lt Colonel Venkat, an avid trekker, atop Thirunetti Kallu — 3,000 ft above sea stage — at Cherupuzha gram panchayat in Kannur district. (Photo | George Poikayil)

One can escape the new air by climbing the Thirunetti Kallu, simply 200m up. Giant boulders jut into the moon-lit misty sky. It begins getting nippier. On prime of the most important boulder is an enormous white metallic cross of the church. With a 360-degree view, Thirunetti Kallu places Josegiri in context. The village is nested within the northeastern nook of Kannur district and is sandwiched between Alakode and Cherupuzha. On the japanese facet, are the rolling mountains of Kodagu. On the west, one can see shimmering lights from homes perched on the hills. “These are houses of people who relocated to Josegiri from Central Travancore,” says Anthony.

‘Agriculture has collapsed … people are leaving’The serenity of Josegiri superbly cloaks the simmering anger of individuals. Josegiri will not be a tourism-based financial system, at the very least not but. On common, the 1,200-odd households right here personal between 1 acre and 15 acres of farmland and agriculture is their main supply of revenue. 

“However, farming collapsed 14 years ago,” says Rajesh Orappuzhikkal, a second-generation farmer, whereas plucking mangoes at his home. The weekend trekkers and day-travellers see faraway mountains however miss the topless arecanut and coconut timber puncturing the skyline. 

With agriculture collapsing, many are leaving Josegiri. “At least 250 families have migrated from Josegiri in the past one decade,” stated Rajesh. Many younger males staying again have taken up jobs as drivers, masons and painters.

Glorious run ended soonFarmers of Josegiri had a wonderful run until 2012. “We were the biggest exporters of vanilla in Kerala. There were seasons when we exported 60 quintals of green vanilla beans,” says Kuriachan, who was the president of Vanilla Growers’ Association in Josegiri. Those days, farmers used to get Rs 4,200 per kg of vanilla.

“Vanilla came to Josegiri in 2004 and soon, almost all farmers grew an orchid. Josegiri suddenly became wealthy,” he stated.Rajesh’s dad and mom Joseph Orappuzhikkal and Rosamma grew to become the toast of the village due to their considerable harvest of vanilla each season. They additionally had different fruit crops, pepper, upland paddy, coconut, arecanut, plantains and bananas and cardamom and nutmegs. The seedlings of coconut and arecanuts from Josegiri had been a lot sought-after in Kasaragod and Kannur. So had been the younger males. Rich households from elsewhere most popular to marry their daughters to younger males of Josegiri. As the village grew wealthier, the residents determined to construct a church. 

For the early settlers – who had a troublesome begin clearing forest land for farming, defending farms from wild animals and making roads – a faculty was their precedence. They invested their meagre revenue to start out the St Joseph UP School in 1976. “The church was built only 24 years later in 2000 when the farmers became rich. Today, they will not be able to build such a big church,” stated John, the vicar. 

In 2012, a yellow illness hit Josegiri and destroyed virtually your complete arecanut and coconut timber in addition to vanilla. The village by no means recovered after this. Though scientists from CPCRI and Kerala Agricultural University visited the place, scientists couldn’t discover a answer to the illnesses that killed hundreds of coconut and areacanut timber. “We were left to fend for ourselves,” says Rajesh. It is unacceptable that folks had been pressured emigrate as a result of crops failed, says Kuriachan.

Many farmers tried dairy farming however the excessive value of cattle feed has made it non-viable, says Rajesh.In Palakkayam Thattu, one other hill station 20km away, the Tourism Department constructed an journey park, giving employment to residents.  Beji Thomas, who misplaced 1,000 acrecanut timber to the yellow illness, has a tree home and a homestay on the way in which to hill resort for vacationers. Many resorts are additionally developing there. Josegiri is but to choose up although.

No bride or loanBanks have blacklisted Josegiri, says Rajesh. “They have stopped giving loans to individual farmers. For families of young women, Josegiri became an anathema. Suddenly Josegiri has become too remote for other families to send their daughters. The village has at least 40 to 50 young men past marriageable age,” he says.

John, the vicar, says solely two individuals obtained married within the parish in 2017 and 2018. “In 2020-21, there were nine weddings which is a positive sign,” he says. “Still, we have around 30 bachelors aged between 30 and 40,” he says. 

After the day’s work as masons and quarry employees, the lads get collectively each night on the St Joseph UP School floor to play soccer. The youth are hopeful a few revival of fortune from nature and farm tourism.

“However, for that, agriculture should pick up again. And we will need support,” says a younger single man, who most popular to not be named.