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Kerela: A walk through the land of cardamom, coffee, and Kathakali

I was reading the book ‘The Mistress of Spices’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The book prompted me to visit our own land of spices, Kerela. Autumn was the obvious time for my trip. Another interesting event that added fun to my trip was Onam. On a bright sunny morning, I ventured out from my next solo trip. I took a 3 hours long flight from Delhi to Cochin International Airport. As I climbed in the pre-booked cab and moved toward Fort Kochi, I felt eager to explore the land of Kerela.

Mattancherry-Palace-cochin-India
credit: kerelatourism

Cochin welcomed me with its bucolic beauty. Kerela is a place where one can always feel close to their roots. It bears a traditional setup of villages. I roamed around Kochi. The driver took me to Mattancherry Palace. I was stunned by its architecture. It is a quadrangular structure, called  Nālukettu style in the local language of the place. But what attracted me more was the simplicity of the palace. It was a palace only by its name as there was no such royalty ingrained in its structure. It was humble yet sophisticated, just like the attitude of the people there. On my way to Kochi International Marina, I saw ‘Cheena Vail’ (Chinese Fishing Net).

Once there, I got on a yacht that was headed towards the Willingdon Island. It’s a man-made island where you can find the finest of the restaurants and delicious food. As all of you must know by now, wherever there is food, I am always present there.

kerala-food

It was lunchtime, so I went to ‘The Rice Boat’ restaurant. What a marvelous lunch I had! Eating seafood with an uninterrupted view of the ocean… it was an unforgettable moment. The best dishes over there, as per their own suggestion, were Crab and Coconut soup with scallops, Malabar biryani, and Grilled white snapper wrapped in a banana leaf and served with tamarind and pepper sauce. After returning from the island, I left for Munnar. It took me about 4 hours to reach there. After such a hectic day, I fell asleep the moment I lay on my bed.

In Munnar, I woke up to the salubrious beauty of the hills and mountains that surrounded my cottage. The birds were chirping and the tea gardens were lush. I felt utterly energized and excited for my first day in Kerela. 

Echo-point-lake-at-Munnar-kerala
Credit: keralatourismtravel

First, I went to the ‘Echo Point’ where you can find the confluence of three mountains and streams. It is the top-most hill station, situated on a serene, calm lake. My heart couldn’t get enough of its beauty. From there, I went to the ‘Photo Point’. Oh! it’s the perfect spot to take a selfie, with nature all around you as the backdrop. I fell in love with this spot and clicked almost 50 selfies.

On the way back to my cottage, I went to ‘Atukkad Waterfalls’. It’s a perfect romantic as well as a picnic spot. A pristine waterfall flows amidst the lush green hills and the dark forest. 

After this soul-soothing site visit, I was feeling hungry. Therefore, my driver took me to the ‘Treetop restaurant’. I was momentarily dumbstruck by its elegant yet warm ambiance. I ordered Coconut Thoran, Malabari Curry, a range of medu vadas, and ghee roast dosa along with Kerela’s famous filter coffee. In the late afternoon, as I was about to head towards ‘Alleppey’, I found myself the company of a lovely Spanish couple. We shared our experiences and exchanged facts about each other’s culture throughout the 4-hour long journey.

alleppey-kerala-backwaters

‘Alleppey’ is known as the ‘Backwater Capital of India’ or the ‘Venice of the East’. The village was in high spirits and was busy preparing for their festival, Onam. They even invited tourists to participate in the celebrations. So I did. I boarded a ‘Ketuvallam’ (a local term used for the houseboat). During the ride, I witness the spirited villagers along the lake engaged in the celebration. The air was heavy with soul-warming festive vibes. Moreover, I was thrilled because I was staying in a houseboat for the first time in my life.

The next morning, I went for bamboo rafting. It was captivating to see the fishermen throw their fishing nets in the water all around. There was a mangrove forest on one side of the lake and coconut trees on the other side. Nature has painted a perfect landscape there.

Kathakali-dance
credit: culturalindia

In the evening, in a tribal resort, I participated in a ‘Kathakali’ dance workshop. It was a cultural workshop in which we were taught some art forms and a few dancing steps. This is a dance form that hugely focusses on ‘abhinaya’ (expressions) and is dominated by eye and hand movement.

After the enthralling stay in the tribal resort, I moved into a luxurious home stay facility. It gave me a feeling of home away from home. My neighbors came and asked me to celebrate with them. The boatmen were preparing for the popular snake boat festival that was scheduled to take place the next day.

I woke up excited and full of energy the next day. I helped my neighbors in making a ‘Mugoo’(a type of Rangoli with flowers). They helped me wear the traditional attire ‘Kasavu’ with a ‘Gajra’ (flower garland to put in hair). I felt so elevated and looked forward to the surprises awaiting me. 

Snake-Boat-Race-in-Kerala
credit: tourmyindia

We reached the spot where the snake boat festival was taking place. It was a competition. Each team consisted of 20 -25 boatmen. The shore was already crowded. The atmosphere was very cheerful. I was overjoyed to witness this festival. Some people were singing ‘Kuttanadan Punjayile’. I asked someone what the song was about. They told me that it was Kerala’s boat song. The song reminded me of ‘Bhatiyali’, another form of boatman song of Bengal and Assam.

At the end of the day, I had their traditional cuisine ‘Kerala Sadya’ or ‘Onam Sadhya’. It had 26 dishes in total. Anyone visiting Kerala should definitely try it once.

Kerala Sadya-Zakariya-market

Before leaving Alleppey, I visited the Zakariya market and bought some of Alleppey’s local handicrafts and artifacts, along with some spices like nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, Malabar tamarind, and locally made vanilla essence. It is a good place to purchase virgin coconut oil and aloe vera gel too. I also bought their traditional attire, a ‘Kasavu’ saree. I could already see my mom’s face lighting upon seeing all these gifts. It is the best place for shopaholics who can bargain.

The following day, I left for Kovalam at 6 in the morning. It took me 2 hours to reach there. After reaching there, I sunbathed and played in the waters for a while. But my true intent behind this trip to Kovalam was to enjoy the famous ‘Ayurvedic Spa treatment’. The treatment revitalized my skin and left me feeling rejuvenated. 

Ayurvedic-Spa-treatment

Finally, it was time to leave the vibrant land of cardamon, coffee, and Kathakali, all put together in a basket of nature and the people there. The next morning, I left for Trivandrum to catch my flight back.  

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