Meet Yathra Kudumbam, a travel group comprising those who have been part of KSRTC’s budget tourism trips

There is nothing novel about strangers bonding during group tour packages. But what if the camaraderie is so strong that they set out on new trips? That is the case with Yathra Kudumbam, a travel group made up of people who met during Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) budget tourism trips.

The members of the group, over 300 of them, have been regulars of the budget tourism trips run by the Budget Tourism Cell (BTC), a vertical under KSRTC that organises group trips to tourist destinations, historical sites, temples, monuments and the like across Keralam and outside of it.

“This group works in association with BTC. That is, the members choose the destination instead of following BTC’s itinerary. Once the location is finalised, we book a KSRTC bus via BTC,” Thomas TC, a veteran of budget tourism trips and a member of Yathra Kudumbam, who is also a level 10 local Google guide – a non-paying volunteer who posts reviews, photos and information about various locations.

Guiding the team is Sajith S, a conductor with KSRTC’s Thiruvananthapuram city depot, who was once a coordinator of BTC. “It is heartening to note how the passengers, most of them senior citizens, became close to each other having travelled together to various locations through BTC trips. There came a point when they wanted to explore those locations that are not in BTC’s itinerary, most of which are nestled within forest areas, and that’s how they formed this group. Since I have been their coordinator in many trips, they wanted me to be a part of it,” Sajith says.

The first trip was to Bonacaud, a trekking base camp of Agasthyarkoodam, which has breathtaking greenery, waterfalls and tea estates. Over 10 such trips have been undertaken by the group so far. “We have had one-day trips as well as those which lasted two or three days,” says Sajith. Among the spots they have visited are Malarikkal in Kottayam, famous for its pink water lilies, Attayar, Kumbhavurutty, Mankayam-Meenmutti-Ponmudi, Achankovil river and Kalleli Appooppankavu.

The group also went to Aranmula to partake in the Aranmula vallasadya, the annual ritualistic feast at Sree Parthasarathy Temple. Recently, they got together at Mayamkadavu, the beautiful riverside destination near Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram, to celebrate Onam. “There were 60 of us, and we had a great time with cultural programmes, games, a country boat ride, sadya and a campfire,” says Sajith, who was felicitated by the group along with Thomas. He adds that Rosario, who was the personal secretary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam was part of the group.

“The best part of the evening was that we could witness the moon rising over the Puralimala Hills,” he says.

On September 12, a trip has been planned to Podiyakkala, the scenic tribal hamlet under Peppara wildlife sanctuary, and the 900-acre Braemore Estate. A two-day trip has been scheduled for September 25 to Chokramudi where the Neelakkurinji is in full bloom.

They have planned a few long trips for October.

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