Ukuhamba Ngesikebhe Echwebeni LaseKerala

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENDIYA

AKE ucabange untweza kamnandi ngesikebhe esihle esiyindlu esinefenisha esingakuyisa ezizalweni zemifula engu-44. Lokho kungenzeka echwebeni elingamakhilomitha angu-900 elisesifundazweni saseKerala, eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeNdiya. Kuyinto ejabulisayo, eyingqayizivele. Njengoba isikebhe senu sihamba kancane, uhlatshwa umxhwele ichweba elinezihlahla zikakhukhunathi, amasimu erayisi aluhlaza, amachibi emvelo nemisele eyenziwe abantu. Yebo, ngenxa yaleli chweba, i-National Geographic Traveler yabala iKerala “njengenye yezindawo ezingu-50 eziphambili ‘okumelwe umuntu azibone ekuphileni.’”

Okunye umuntu akubonayo abantu abahlala ngasosebeni lwale misele eminingi. Bakhumbula isikhathi lapho zazingekho izivakashi noma amahhotela aphambili endaweni yakubo. Kodwa ukuphila kwabo akushintshanga kangako. Nakuba abanye babo sebesebenza emahhotela asanda kwakhiwa noma kwezinye izikhungo ezinakekela izivakashi, ngokuyinhloko isiko nendlela yabo yokuphila kwansuku zonke akukashintshi. Banakekela amasimu abo erayisi nezihlahla zikakhukhunathi, bethasisela ekudleni kwabo kwansuku zonke nasemholweni wabo ngokudoba izinhlanzi bese bezidayisa.

Ukudoba Emachwebeni

Ukudoba kuyingxenye yokuphila lapha. Into ongeke uyibone kwenye indawo ngaphandle kwalapha kuphela abesifazane ababamba izinhlanzi okuthiwa ama-pearl spot, noma ama-karimeen, ngezandla. Le nhlanzi i-karimeen etholakala emachwebeni aseKerala kuphela, iyisibiliboco emaNdiyeni nakubantu abavakashile. Lapho befuna lezi zinhlanzi, abesifazane bangena emanzini bedonsa izimbiza zabo ezintanta emanzini. Lapho zibona laba besifazane besondela, lezi zinhlanzi zingena ngaphansi zifihle amakhanda odakeni. Njengoba bezifuna, baqhwanda odakeni ngezinyawo bathole lezi zinhlanzi. Khona-ke, bavele bashone ngaphansi kwamanzi ngokushesha, bazibambe zingalindele ngezandla bazifake ezimbizeni zabo ezintantayo zilokhu ziphiqilika. Uma sebebambe ezanele, baphindela osebeni, lapho abathengi abamagange sebelinde khona ukuze bathenge. Izinhlanzi ezinkulu ezibizayo zithunyelwa emahhotela aphambili, lapho zijatshulelwa khona abacebile, kanti ezincane ziba ukudla okumnandi kwabampofu.

Amanetha Okudoba AmaShayina

Izinto ezivame ukubonakala njalo osebeni lwaleli chweba amanetha amahle okudoba aklanywe amaShayina. Nawo adonsa izivakashi eziningi.

Kukholelwa ukuthi abahwebi baseChina basesigodlweni sikaKublai Khan baqala ukufika nala manetha eCochin (manje eyiKochi) ngaphambi konyaka ka-1400. La manetha adonswa ngezandla aqale asetshenziswa amaShayina futhi kamuva asetshenziswa yizifiki ezingamaPutukezi. Namuhla amaNdiya amaningi angabadobi aziphilisa ngawo, futhi asetshenziselwa nokudoba izinhlanzi ezidliwa abantu abaningi, njengoba kwakunjalo eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-600 edlule. Kuyamangalisa ukuthi izinhlanzi ezibanjwe ngenetha elilodwa nje zingondla wonke umzana. Izivakashi eziningi zihlatshwa umxhwele yizithombe ezinhle zamanetha anekwe elangeni eseliyoshona, ezithanda ukuzifaka kuma-albhamu azo eholidi.

Akuzona nje izithombe zamanetha amaShayina kuphela ezikhanga izivakashi kuleli chweba. Izinto ezenziwa emanzini, njengemijaho evamile yezikebhe ezimise okwezinyoka, zikhanga izinkulungwane unyaka ngamunye.

Imijaho Yezikebhe Emachwebeni

Izikebhe ezimise okwezinyoka zinde futhi zincane. Ingaphambili lazo linjengekhanda lemfezi, yingakho zibizwa kanjalo. Esikhathini esidlule, amakhosi ayelwa kuleli chweba ayesebenzisa lezi zikebhe ezimpini zangemva kwenkathi yokuvuna. Lapho lezi zimpi ziphela ekugcineni, isidingo salezi zikebhe sancipha. Lezi zikebhe ezinhle zazitholakala emanzini phakathi nemikhosi yasethempelini kuphela. Zaziba nabagibeli futhi zihlotshiswe ngobukhazikhazi, zisetshenziswe njengemibukiso yesiko lendawo. Phakathi nenkathi yemikhosi, imijaho yezikebhe yayenzelwa ukuhlonipha izitatanyiswa ezazikhona. Leli siko, elaqala eminyakeni engaba yinkulungwane edlule, lisaqhubeka namanje.

Ngokuvamile kuba nezikebhe ezingaba ngu-20 ezincintisana kule mijaho, ngasinye esingaba namadoda agwedlayo angaba yikhulu kuya kwangu-150. Amadoda angaphezu kwekhulu anezigwedlo ezimfushane ashaya imigqa emibili ngapha nangalé kwesikebhe ngasinye. Kuba namadoda amane phambili anezigwedlo ezinde ukuze aqondise isikebhe. Amanye amabili ama maphakathi nesikebhe, eshaya isigubhu ngezinduku ukuze anikeze abaqondisi besikebhe uphawu lwesikhathi. Lolo phawu lunanelwa okungenani amanye amadoda ayishumi akhona esikebheni. La madoda ashaya ihlombe, amakhwela, amemeze futhi ahlabelele izingoma zabagwedli ezikhethekile ukuze akhuthaze abagwedlayo ukuba basheshe. Khona-ke, ngemva kokugwedla ngendlela ehambisana nesigqi, lezi zinsizwa zibe sezikhipha wonke amandla azo zibheke entanjeni.

Ngo-1952, undunankulu wokuqala waseNdiya, uJawaharlal Nehru, wavakashela e-Alleppey, idolobhana elikhulu elikuleli chweba, futhi wahlatshwa umxhwele kakhulu umjaho wezikebhe awubona lapho. Empeleni, wajabula kangangokuba waziba amalungiselelo ezokuphepha wagxumela esikebheni esiwinile, eshaya izandla futhi ehlabelela nabagwedli baso. Lapho esebuyele eDelhi, wathumela isipho, isikebhe esincane esenziwe ngesiliva, esinegama lakhe nombhalo othi: “Kubanqobi bomjaho wezikebhe oyingxenye eyingqayizivele yokuphila komphakathi.” Lesi sikebhe sesiliva sisetshenziswa njengendebe yomjaho waminyaka yonke i-Nehru Trophy Race. Kuthutheleka cishe abantu abangaba yizinkulungwane eziyikhulu bezobona le mijaho minyaka yonke. Ngaleso sikhathi kuba nesiphithiphithi kula manzi echweba ahamba kancane.

Amahhotela Aphambili Ahambayo Futhi Antantayo

Akuzona zodwa izikebhe ezimise okwezinyoka ezikhanga izivakashi kuleli chweba. Seziyathandwa nezikebhe zokuthwala irayisi—izikebhe ezindala eziguqulwe zaba izindlu zikanokusho.

Nakuba eziningi zezikebhe ezisetshenziswa yizivakashi zisanda kwakhiwa, zisekhona izikebhe zokuthwala irayisi ezineminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu futhi eziye zaguqulwa ukuze zisetshenziselwe ezokuvakasha. Ekuqaleni zazaziwa ngokuthi ama-kettuvallam, okusho “isikebhe esinamafindo.” Sonke lesi sikebhe sasakhiwa ngamapulangwe e-jackwood futhi sasihlanganiswa ngamafindo endophi elukwe ngamahlamvu kakhukhunathi, ngaphandle kokubethelwa ngezipikili. Lezi zikebhe zazisetshenziselwa ukuthwala irayisi nezinye izinto eziya emizaneni ehlukahlukene kanye nezinongo eziya ezindaweni ezikude. Lapho kufika izinto zokuthutha zanamuhla, lezi zikebhe zacishe zaphela. Kwabe sekuqhamuka usomabhizinisi onobuhlakani owavela nomqondo wokuba zishintshwe zenziwe izindlu zokuhlalisa izivakashi. Njengoba zinovulandi, amakamelo anethezekile anamagumbi okugeza kanye namagumbi okuphumula anefenisha kanokusho, lezi zikebhe zingabizwa ngokuthi amahhotela antantayo. Kunezisebenzi ezishayela isikebhe siye nomaphi lapho ufuna ukuya khona futhi zipheke noma yini ofuna ukuyidla.

Lapho sekuhwalala, lezi zikebhe ziboshelwa ngasosebeni noma phakathi echibini, kulabo abafuna ukuthula nokuba bodwa. Uma elapho, umuntu angajabulela ukuthula okukhulu kwechweba, ngaphandle uma ephazanyiswa yizinhlanzi ezingalali, zishaya amanzi!

Kodwa akukhona ukuthi konke okuphila kuleli chweba kuthulile. Kukhona “abadobi babantu” abaphapheme futhi abashisekayo kule ndawo.

‘Ukudoba Abantu’ Kuleli Chweba

Inkulumo ethi “abadobi babantu” ivela emazwini uJesu awasho kubadobi ababa abafundi bakhe. Wathi: “Ngilandeleni, ngizonenza abadobi babantu.” UJesu wayekhuluma ngomsebenzi wokusiza abantu babe abafundi bakhe. (Mathewu 4:18, 19; 28:19, 20) Lowo msebenzi wenziwa oFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke, kuhlanganise nalabo abasezindaweni ezizungeze leli chweba.

Kunamabandla oFakazi BakaJehova angu-132 eKerala, kuhlanganise nangu-13 endaweni eyakhelene naleli chweba. Amalungu amaningi ala mabandla enza nomsebenzi wokudoba. Lapho eyodoba, omunye wabo wakhuluma nesinye isisebenzi ababedoba naso ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Ngokushesha le ndoda yawubona umehluko phakathi kwezimfundiso zesonto layo nezeBhayibheli. Umkayo nezingane ezine nabo baba nesithakazelo. Kwaqalwa isifundo seBhayibheli nabo. Bathuthuka ngokushesha, futhi abane kwabayisithupha sebebhapathiziwe kakade. Ezinye izingane ezimbili sezithuthukela kulowo mgomo.

Amalungu elinye ibandla athatha uhambo lwesikebhe aya esiqhinganeni esithile ukuze ayoshumayela khona. Ngenxa yokungahambi njalo kwezikebhe eziya kulesi siqhingi, abantu bendawo basibiza ngokuthi i-kadamakudi, okusho ukuthi “uzovaleleka uma ungena.” Lapho, oFakazi bahlangana noJohny nomkakhe, uRani. Nakuba bazalwa bengamaKatolika, babengamalungu esikhungo sokuzindla futhi benikela yonke imali kuso. UJohny wabonisa isithakazelo esikhulu esigijimini seqiniso leBhayibheli, futhi kwaqalwa isifundo seBhayibheli naye. Waqala ukutshela abanye ngenkolo ayesanda kuyithola. Iqiniso leBhayibheli lamsiza ukuba ayeke ugwayi nokuphuza ngokweqile!

Umsebenzi kaJohny wokuziphilisa wawungqubuzana nemiBhalo, ngakho wenza ushintsho. Ekuqaleni lokhu kwawuhlupha umkhaya ngokwezimali. Kodwa ngokushesha uJohny waqala ukudoba izinkalankala ukuze azidayise futhi kanjalo wakwazi ukunakekela umkhaya. Wabhapathizwa ngo-September 2006, kanti umkakhe nezingane ezimbili babhapathizwa ngemva konyaka. Ithemba lokuphila phakade epharadesi lembulunga yonke liwushintshe ngokuphelele umbono wabo ngokuphila.—IHubo 97:1; 1 Johane 2:17.

Ngempela, ukuvakashela ichweba laseKerala kuyajabulisa ngempela. Lokhu akwenziwa nje amanetha okudoba amaShayina, izikebhe ezimise okwezinyoka, nezikebhe eziyizindlu kodwa nangenxa ‘yabadobi babantu,’ oFakazi BakaJehova abathembekile abahlala lapho.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 22, 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

INDIA

KERALA

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Ukudoba kuyingxenye yokuphila eKerala

[Umthombo]

Top photo: Salim Pushpanath

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Abesifazane bebamba izinhlanzi ngezandla

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Umjaho wezikebhe

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

I-“kettuvallam”

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

Isikebhe esiyindlu

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

UJohny nomkakhe, uRani

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]

Salim Pushpanath