Travel Diaries: From Kollam Children’s Park to Ashtamudi’s Shores

9 August 2025, Saturday. 

After visiting the Asramam Maidan, despite my tiredness and laziness, I somehow trudged along to my next destination – Kollam Children’s Park. I remember seeing the District Ayurveda Hospital on the way. 

Within ten minutes, I arrived at the entrance of the Children’s Park, where I spoke with the lady at the ticket counter about the facilities available. She explained everything patiently and gave me a ticket in exchange for ₹ 24.

Ticket Rates & Timings 

Entry time – 10 AM – 9 PM

Ticket rates – Adult: ₹24, Children: ₹12, Senior Citizens: ₹12 

Camera charges – Still Camera: ₹59, Video Camera: ₹236

Recreational Facilities For Kids:

The playground features swings, slides, trampolines, a merry-go-round, and a frog ride, along with nearby ice cream stalls.

A Small Pond

It was my first time at the park. I have an affinity for water bodies, so I was instantly drawn to the small pond near the entrance. I stood there for some time, just soaking in the sight: the green water of the pond, its blue cemented rim, the reflections of the trees nearby, the fallen dry leaves. 

I realized there was an empty bench under the shade of a mango tree. And right next to that, a grove of stellar bamboos. I removed my sandals and sat on the bench, cross-legged like a yoga instructor. In Malayalam, we refer to this as “chamram padanju irikkukka.” 

Dagx

I saw an Indian pariah dog trotting to the pond and taking a sip from it. I know the breed name because my dad had one as his pet. 

His name was Dagx. We got him as a pup from my cousin when I was studying in my first year of college. Dagx was only as big as my shoe then and had a special liking for it. In fact, he made it a habit to curl up on my striped-green canvas shoe for his afternoon naps. 

During his first few years, I was always away at college, so every time I returned home for vacations, he used to bark at me and keep me at bay, as if I were a thief. He was closest to my dad.

Pariah dogs are really healthy, strong, and friendly in general, but Dagx suffered from epilepsy, possibly due to genetic reasons. He died a year ago. 

A Water Hole Dream 

Soon after, the brown dog left, and a white dog came to the pond next. This one soaked in the water for some time before taking a sip. I reckoned the pond must be a big relief for the dogs, especially on sunny days. 

Though I only had a mobile phone in my hand, I felt like a wildlife photographer: holding my own DSLR camera, standing near a water hole, hidden behind bushes, waiting for elephants and leopards to arrive. 

Apart from the dogs, there were no other visitors in the pond. So I focused on black ants on the ground and the yellow-orange butterflies in the air. 

It’s a simple park, so there was not much to look forward to. But the greenery around me was gorgeous. The little splashes and dots of purple, yellow, and pink flowers made my day. The fallen dry leaves and yellow flowers on the ground looked more like art than debris. 

Happy Families

I was starting to feel out of place. But soon a young couple walked into the park with a toddler, and it changed the whole vibe of the place. Instantly, I was filled with hope and happiness. 

I don’t have kids yet; I’ve neither come to this park as a parent nor as a child. So, watching a child experience the park was a beautiful memory for me. 

The way the elders taught the children to ride bicycles, helped them into swings and merry-go-rounds, and introduced them to touch-me-not plants was endearing. Children, on the other hand, squealed happily as they rode bicycles or just ran around chasing the butterflies in the park.

Since there’s a constant influx of negative news about marriages and relationships in the media, every time my family brings up the topic of marriage, I feel so anxious. But as more and more couples walked into the park, holding their kids, their positive mood started puncturing my negative bias. The world suddenly seemed more beautiful and loving than what the news or social media depicts it to be. Maybe I’m just catastrophizing about relationships, and there’s still hope. 

I was happy to see parents spending quality time with their kids. Sadly, not every child gets to experience such carefree moments in their childhood. Some spend their entire childhood in war-prone countries or toxic families, carrying that trauma for the rest of their lives. I wish all children could grow up in happy and peaceful atmospheres. 

Butterscotch Ice Cream

By 4, the sun became more bearable. So, I reminded myself to stop brooding and walk around the park, exploring the available facilities, and clicking photos.

In between, I saw a Lazza ice cream stall in the premises and bought a cone of butterscotch ice cream. Then I settled under a big tree, next to two young moms who were waiting for their lads. 

Because of the hot weather, my ice cream melted quickly, making me wish I had brought more tissue paper from home.  The moms smiled at me. Maybe I’m as clumsy as their kids. 

A Fall 

Just then, a kid fell from his bicycle right in front of me. I rushed over, but by the time I got there, both moms were already by his side, helping him.

The child stood up and wanted to ride right away. But his mother told him to stop for a second, take a deep breath, calm down, and then ride again. I liked the calm tone of her voice and felt her advice applied to my life as well. 

Facilities

The liveliest part of the park was the cycle rental counter. The roads in the park, the fake petrol pump, and traffic lights gave the kids a sense of riding on an actual road. Some even stopped at the fake petrol pump to “refuel” their cycles. 

I liked how the parents were putting effort into teaching kids this basic skill early on. One even rode alongside the kid, advising, “Take it slow. Balance. No need to panic.” 

There was also a nameboard and directions to a swimming pool, but it was not functional. There was an open-air auditorium, which was in good shape but could use a fresh coat of paint. 

The swings, slides, trampolines, merry-go-round, and frog ride were always active. Kids were queuing up to use them. But the break dance ride, the helicopter-shaped ride, and the train on the rails were not working. 

I loved how even teenagers and grown-ups were using the swings and occasionally riding the bicycles. I could see the joy on their faces as they revisited their childhood days in their hearts and thoughts. I love people who still hold onto their child-like joy, innocence, and wonder towards life.

Ambience

The best thing about the park was definitely the trees. I was happy to spot even banyan trees on the premises. There were many well-maintained flowery bushes and potted plants, too. I particularly liked the tree near the auditorium, but I don’t know its name. 

The pink oleander flowers (arali pookkal) and a small pond covered with water lily plants, but no flowers caught my attention. I wished they were in bloom as I love water plants. But the bougainvillea blossoms at the entrance more than made up for it.  

Apart from the laughter and happy squeals of children, the only other sounds were the thud-thuds of the rides and the sound of the generator. 

Scope for Improvement 

While the park has its nostalgic charm, I wish the government and the staff would put more effort into maintaining it, especially by trimming the overgrown grass and repairing the rides on time.  Though I was curious to see the trees with nameboards and statues at the corners, I didn’t dare go near them as those areas were overgrown with weeds. 

I also noticed that many buildings were under construction or left half-finished. Some, like the Amul building, were fully constructed but not in use. I hope the government allocates the necessary funds, follows up, and completes these constructions and the repair works. 

Leaving 

Before leaving the place, I stood near the pond again, looking for fish or tadpoles. But there were none. Parents had to lure the kids with ice cream to make them leave the park.

Watching the joy on the faces of the kids as they walked into the park with their parents was infectious. Their enthusiasm would make even a cynic optimistic about life. 

By 5:15 pm, I walked outside the park. Since it was a Saturday evening, the city was slowly coming alive for the weekend frenzy. I could see the signboard for the Eight Point Art Cafe. This time, I let my laziness win and decided to return home. 

On the way, I saw Kala Koumudi Park and Thangal Musaliyar Park. They were closed and didn’t seem functional. I wondered what happened to them. 

Ashtamudi Lake

I kept walking and soon reached the Asramam Maidan road. I took the turn to the right, leading towards the Kollam KSRTC Bus Stand on the left. Before that, I came across a small market area on the left and the Ashtamudi Lake on the right. 

At a distance, the lake and the skyline above it looked majestic. But when you walked by its shore, you couldn’t ignore how badly the lake was polluted with plastics and reeking of waste. 

On the radio, I had heard that the government is starting many campaigns to save the Ashtamudi Lake. But without proper planning, social awareness, and an attempt to build better civic sense among the locals, including me, I’m afraid the campaign will be fruitless.  

A Double-Decker Boat 

Many houseboats were anchored on the lake, and even had tourists. One particular boat caught my attention. It was a double-decker named – See Ashtamudi. I enquired about it to the chetan(brother) at the nearby tea shop and jotted down the contact number and details on my phone. 

Return Journey 

I could see the shrine of the Lady of Vailankanni on the left. The famous Tuet Church, Alukkas, RP Mall, and Bishop Jerome Nagar are also nearby. But I’ve been to all those places countless times.  

Besides, my legs were aching for some rest, as my digital watch beeped that I had walked 8 kilometers. It’s okay, the first 2 were part of my morning walk.  Anyway, I quickly crossed the road and caught a Chavara bus to my home.

I paid for my ticket and looked around grimly. My legs groaned in relief as I spotted an empty seat and settled down. Ah, the simple joys of life!

Author’s Notes

~ All content, including images, on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2025 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.

~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through my hometown, Kollam, a beautiful district in Kerala, India. You can read more posts from this series here: Kollam | Kerala | India.