Palakol, where I live
Sacred River Godavari flows nearby my place. My place is flush with green paddy fields, winding canals, dotted with ageless coconut grooves. Palakol in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh of India is where I live. Our district is considered to be the rice bowl of our state. Lord Siva, as Ramalingeswara is the presiding deity of our town. We have an ancient temple to the lord well known as one of the pancharamas (five temples depicted in purans). Our town is around the sacred temple, where pilgrims from all over south India gather to worship the Lord.
Palakol is full of rice mills, in which paddy is converted as edible rice, husk and bran oil. Our farmers are hard working and are only next to Punjabi farmers in per capita food production. We have sugar cane fields, beetle leave gardens, and aquaculture also. Our place is internationally famed as the seat of handmade lace production. Laces are made out of cotton thread, knitted by hand using a needle-like instrument. They are made into various shapes like rounds, squares, ovals, and oblongs. They are exported worldwide adorning the dining tables of many a foreign home. We also export coconuts throughout India. We have many subsidiary industries based on agriculture.
Our economic strength is the blessing of a series of aqueducts and canal systems designed and built by Sir Arthur Cotton. We live in prosperity and peace because of his vision more than a century ago. Our people are god fearing, honest and simple individuals. Some of them made great contributions to the Telugu Cinema. We had our share of freedom fighters, philanthropists, academicians, artists, singer and thinkers who enriched our culture and traditions.
I pray lord Ramalingeswara to bless my place, where I live, eternally with good crops, sufficient rains, peace, and prosperity.
Originally published by me at http://blogs.rediff.com/prasadvssn/2007/01/14/palakol-where-i-live/
on 14th January 2007
