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editor’s note vol 1 Issue 1

4 Go Kerala winter ‘09

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mohammed Shine

MANAGING EDITOR

Binu George

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Saju Thomas

MARKETING HEAD

Kurien Raju

CIRCULATION HEAD

Salini Saraswathy

CONTENT MIX,

ART AND DESIGN

the pendrive.in

PICTURE DESK

Niyas Marikar

Praveen Elayi

Aji Colonia

COPY CHIEF

Keralavarma

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE:

NonstopKerala

Kannadan Buildings

Mattammal, Thevara

Kochi-13

www.nonstopkerala.com

[email protected]

General enquiries -09961881930

Printed and Published by Saju

Thomas for nonstopkerala Media

Group, Kochi. Published from

Maya Printers, Earoor, Kochi.

On a high noteeditor’s note vol 1 Issue 1

What really is the high art oftravelling? Is it backpack-ing to some brochure-tolddestinations? An ideal an-

swer must be no. Almost always the lesserknown places provide a greater holiday. So gowhere the locals go. After all, when you come toKerala, you should find out what the real Keralais all about. While cooking up the premiere issueof GK this was our real end in view. This de-scribes our approach to travel as well. Ourlaunching issue brings kerala’s virgin heart landsthat will inspire, inform and entertain our read-ers.

We were quizzed, why a travel magazinefor kerala, by many a well-wishers. The querywas genuine. There were more than a handful ofmagazines for a land that takes notmore than a day todrive through.Our answer isour magazine. Ifyou’re picking thismagazine up sometime inwinter ’09 and make a way toKerala, it mea ns we’ve suc-ceeded. Have a fabuloustravel, a great holiday, awonderful Xmas.

CHEERS 2010

by mohammed shine

insideAn equable cli-mate, a longshoreline withserene beaches,tranquil stretchesof emerald back-

waters, lush hill stations, exoticwildlife- Kerala possesses a widerange of attractive and titillatinghavens. This cover story takes you tothe very best, yet undefiled destina-tions.

When folks livingin a place calledGod's Own Country refer to an-other piece ofland as 'Green Pa

radise', you know there's somethingextraordinary about it. And southerntip of the Western Ghats, is proof.Wayanad - with its mist-clad hills,sprawling spice plantations and ever-green woods - was a rejuvenating ex-perience for us.

Kerala offers one ofthe most variedcuisines of any placeon the planet. Thesegoodies are best ap-preciated with nothing between you and the eating expe-rience. Those unfortunates who haveused cutlery all their lives might liketo scan the instructions on the gra-cious art of eating with your fingers.Here is something worth trying out –wonderful perlspot from kumarakombackwaters.

Culturally, Keralapresents a pag-eant not foundanywhere else inIndia. Until someyears back it was

just the Kathakali or theyyam per-formances. The stage has changed.Kerala has developed its traditionaltheatre to the heights many neverdreamed off. The local theatre, oncefilled with soap operas is on thechange. Chayamukhi, a state-of-artdrama shows us how this happens.

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Content

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. e great affairis to move. - Robert Louis Stevenson

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5Go Keralawinter ‘09


rou

Coverstory

statuesquenonpareilCoverstory


Varkala has one of the most stunning landscapes in theworld. And, to see it in winter is to see it in its element - ahigh rocky cliff ends abruptly and a stretch of clear sand ex-tends down to the sea. The contrast between the cliffs, sandand sea makes Varkala Beach a breath-taking destination.Eight kilometers north of Varkala is Kappil, an unfrequentedbeach where locals go, and rightly GK suggests you too. vi

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varkala beach

Mention Kerala and people think ofparadise. Why is this so? Take a tripto Kappil and you will have your an-swer. Splendiferous waves from the

sea and emblematic backwaters of Kerala in one singleframe- No joking. Kappil is a place where the beach andthe backwater coalesce. The main road is built betweenthe sandy beach on one side and backwaters on theother side. The view itself is breathtaking with sea onone side and the lake on the other and each competingto pull our eyes towards them.

The waves were prime; the beauty was staggeringand the sluggish pace seductive. This is Kappil, the newVarkala, says Kiren S Nair, a home-towner. Workingwith a multinatiional company in Trivandrum, Kiren SNair day-trips to Kappil whenever he gets a break.Standing with hands akimbo, Kiren explained to teamGK why Kappil is an emerging hot spot. We sat downby the shore harking on his words.

“Varkala was plenary until a couple of years back.Now that the beach is crowded with vendors and bums.many prefer other beaches, especially the local crowds.We don’t want to spoil our vacation with police men pa-trolling and children playing around. In that case whyshould one come to a beach? A public park could be anexcellent choice… And that is why Kappil became ourchoice, now it is more than a mere substitution; Kappilbeach has proven itself to be a sumptuous prospect”.

Looking around we knew he was speaking thetruth. The beach was less crowded but more beautiful.If one wants to spend a vacation enjoying the beauty ofthe sea in all its majesty and splendor and relax, thistranquil place is an apt choice. Far from the city ofVarkala, here in Kappil there were only a handful ofshops where they sell local cigarettes and confec-tionary. The Kappil Lake, also known as Paravur Lakeis a natural backwater by the side of Arabian Sea.

Boating trip:Visitors to Kappil can enjoy a private boating trip

(up to 5 people) on the quiet and peaceful lake in Kap-pil. The natural scenery takes one’s breath away. Thetrip is on a traditional fishing boat, navigated by a vil-lager. He also prepares delicious local food for lunch.Besides that, one gets a glimpse of the very rural side ofKerala. The view of the blue water playing in the chimesof bells of the wind on one side and the never endingspread of the green palm groves and the green veiledhill top on the other side, is sure to thrill the visitorsmost. The boating trip is conducted by Priyadarshiniboat club, affiliated to the government of Kerala.

Dozing over a waterbed of somnolent backwatersunder a million green parasols held open by coconutpalms, Kappil village is just at the right distance (lessthan 58 KMs) from Trivandrum city, near enough toenjoy all its urban amenities and far enough to forgetits hustle and bustle. Its beautiful beach, water expansesand simple native folk pursuing traditional means oflivelihood like coir-making, toddy-tapping, paddle-

Coverstory


varkala beach

Fact file

Road: 55 km fromThiruvananthapuramand 35 km from QuilonTrain: Almost all trains from Thiruvananthapuram and kochi halt atVarkala.Air: Nearest airport Thiruvananthapuram

Most of the accommodations is strewnacross the higher (helipad) and lower(Papanasam beach) cliff tops. The lowercliff is much less crowded and morepeaceful. The downtown Taj Garden Retreat (Ph: 0470-2603000) is 4-star while thegovernment guesthouse just opposite of-fers spacious rooms at down-to-earthrates. For bookings, contact Protocol officer,General Admin Dept, Secretariat, Thiru-vananthapuram, Ph: 2327377.

The season extends from October toMarch. Though the beach is idyllic, strongundertows preclude serious swimming.Monsoon is best avoided, as the sea turnsquite rough.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

boat fishing, etc., make it an ideal placefor environmental and cultural tourism,besides having the widely acknowl-edged potentials of beach tourism andhealth tourism. The wholesome andunique atmosphere of the locale isenough to rejuvenate the body, refreshthe mind and resuscitate the soul of thevisitor. Now it is time to get back toVarkala.

VarkalaVarkala, 46 km north of the capital

city of Thiruvanantpuram, is famous forits clean, blue and cliff-edged beaches.The beach extends to half a kilometer,where the waves from the Arabian seakisses the cliff-face. The two km longcliff extends from the south, Papnashambeach, to the north to the Thiruvambadybeach.

The period from December toMarch, every year is considered as thepeak season for tourists in Varkala –monsoon plays a great deal in this, es-pecially in the entire state of Kerala.Varkala is also famous as the eternalresting place of the towering social re-former Sri Narayana Guru - Sivagiri, avery calm, serene and beautiful place.Varkala beach is more than just beach

for it carries along a religious as well asmedicinal significance.

Holy DipVarkala is a lot less touristy, at least

as far as Western tourists go. It attractsa lot of local people since it is an auspi-cious religious spot, but the foreignersgo for the beach.

Like numerous other pilgrimagedestinations in India, this temple too hasa legend attached to it. Visit this 12thcentury temple (it is actually supposedto be much older) and listen to the piousstory that also gives the Papnashambeach and even Varkala their name. Thespring that originates from the cliff hereis supposed to have curative properties(you will know why when you hear thestory). On the new moon day, it is betternot to visit the beach, if you are not veryreligious because it is heavily throngedby devotees. A dip here is believed towash away all the sins of soul and purifyit. Many believers go to the place withurns containing the mortal remains andimmerse them in the sea as it is consid-ered as the culmination of funeral rites.

Beach bazaars are very common inVarkala from where you can pick upitems like trinkets and souvenirs.


Kappil, where the beach and the backwater coalesce

Coverstory


a rock, a bird and


legend

The Eco-tourism wing of the State Gov-ernment’s Tourism Development has

adopted the sixty acres atop The “JatayuRock” in Kollam district for developing

the area as a tourist attraction. Once fin-ished, Jatayu sculpture would be the

biggest functional sculpture in the Asiancontinent. It can be termed as the tallest

sculpture as well. The proposed sculp-ture is 60 ft tall, 150 ft broad and 200 ftlong. A visitor who enters the sculpture

can literally have a Bird’s Eye View of theplace. GK finds out more on Jatayu – the

rock, the bird and the legend.

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proposed structure of the bird on top of the Jatayu rock. (graphics: R Padmajan

The sun is bright. My legsare twinging. Just a fewsteps more, chetta (brother), we are almost fin-

ished, Balu, my local man says with anobliging grin on his face. It is almostthree in the evening; my water bottle hasalready drained out, but not my quest forthe brow. Clambering half way up Ilooked down- something a rock climbernever should do.

I have a bird’s eye view of Chadaya-mangalam village from where I startedmy trekking. I am on my way to Jatayu-para (Jatayu Rock), a huge cluster ofrocks seen as a single rock, 1000 ft abovesea level covering an area of around 60acres. Having been told that Jatayuparais an ideal location for trekking andhang-gliding, I backpack myself to sizeup the rock.

The way up is narrow, rocky andslippery. Never mind, I am on the top ofthe rock. Gentle breeze blown from thewest has a puff of mysterious whiffwithin. The place where Lord Ramafound the dying Jatayu was named asJatayumangalam, now known as Cha-dayamangalam, is where I am now. I sitdown and begin ink this write up for GK.

The Legend:Legend, steeped in distant antiquity,

links the rock with the great Indian EpicRamayana. The myth says, Jatayu is theson of Hindu God Aruna (Charioteer ofSun God). A semi-god who has the formof a vulture, Jatayu tries to rescue Sitafrom Ravana when Ravana abductedSita and carried her to his country SriLanka on the famed aircraft Pushpaka.

Jatayu, the Great Bird, attacked himmid air and an intense fight ensued atthe end of which Ravana managed to cutoff Jatayu’s wings. Jatayu is supposed tohave fallen on top of this rock. Thewounded bird lay there till Sri Rama vis-ited this rock, looking for his wife. Jatayutold Rama what had happened andwhere Sita had gone.

After giving this vital information toRama, the bird attained liberation. Localpeople have established a Rama templein commem oration of this legend.

The Rock:Jatayupura (Jatayu Rock) is a curi-

ously shaped rock formation along theMC Road in Chadayamangalam village,

Kollam, India. Jatayu Para is 30kmsaway from Kollam town. The eco-tourism wing of the State Government’sTourism Development has adopted thesixty acres atop the Jatayu Rock for de-veloping the area as a tourist attraction.The facilities would help the visitors toenjoy the caves and creeks of the rockyenvironment. There would be a windingfoot path leading up to the top stretchingto several kilometers.

The path will be lit and there will beplaces for rest, kiosk for tea, coffee andsnacks etc. A few honey-moon cottagesare also being planned. It is a part of the

legend that the rock suffered a cut fromJatayu’s beak as the Great Bird fell.Where the beak eventually pierced therock turned into a pond. This pond neverdries, even in midst of summer. Thereare markings closely believed to be thefoot points of Sri Rama. These sightsgreatly attract spiritual tourists.

The Bird:Right on top the rock the building of

a huge functional sculpture of the GreatBird Jatayu is under its way. It is 60 fttall, 150 ft broad and 200 ft long. This willhave three storeys and would among

The facilities would help

the visitors to enjoy the

caves and creeks of the

rocky environment.

There will be places for

rest and kiosks for tea,

coffee, snacks etc. A

few honey-moon cot-

tages are also being

planned.

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Coverstory


Rajiv Anchal, the sculptor


Jatayu rock

other attractions, house a museum andmini film theatre. The form of the Birdwould be lying on its back with a brokenwing, raising its head. The visitors whoenter the sculpture can literally have a bird’seye view as the Jatayu’s eyes are planned tobe round windows opening to the world.Once completed, Jatayu sculpture would bethe biggest functional sculpture in the Asiancontinent. It can be termed as the tallestsculpture as well. And what you see and ex-perience is a magical blend of legend, folk-lore, aesthetics and sculpture; all at theirhaunting best.

Rajiv Anchal, Sculptor:One of India’s most famed film

maker, Rajiv Anchal is the sculptor ofJatayu sculpture. Underlined for his spir-itual classic movie Guru, which wasIndia’s official entry for the AcademyAward in the foreign film category, Anchalhas directed over ten feature films.

An art director-turned-director-turned sculptor, Rajiv Anchal has under hisbelt over a dozen sculptures across thestate and abroad. He was the recipient ofbest director award in the prestigiousNew York International Independent Film

and Video Festival in 2003 for his Englishmovie, Beyond the Soul.

How to reach:Jatayupara is in Chadayamangalam

Gramapanchayath in Kollam district. Theplace has mythological importance ashaving connections to the stories in theHindu epic of Ramayana.

The place is believed to have derivedits current name from its old name ofJatayumangalam. It falls on the StateHighway between Trivandrum and Kot-tayam MC Road. It is about 30 km fromKollam, 55 km from Trivandrum.

Coverstory


Spread across the beauty of Periyar Tiger Re-serve, Gavi is a quiet, beautiful and pristine for-est haven. It is at the eastern extreme of thePathanamthitta District at 3400 ft above Sealevel. These evergreen forests are abundant inmagnificent wildlife including the tiger, ele-phants, leopards, bears, Indian gaur, sambar,barking & Mouse deers, lion tailed macaque,other varieties of monkeys, Nilgiri Marten andlot more. GK takes a tour to Gavi to know whatit is like.vi

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Coverstory


Going to Gavi has been in thecards from the first time sincewe thought of a magazine fortravel buddies. Stating off

from Kumily- a little town that can passfor a picturesque settlement in a roman-tic fiction, bordering the states of TamilNadu and Kerala in southern India- I hadmore to do, pen the beauty.

Every tripper on his way toThekkady and Periyar Tiger Reserve hasto pass through this little place to reachtheir end road. I tried hard to place thecall of innumerable birds and was on thelookout for large mammals that I mayencounter on the way. The trail to Gavi inthe Periyar Tiger Reserve was largelymade of gravel and sand. It was hard todrive on. The lush green canopy of theSholas, the sub-tropical forests peculiarto this area, compensated for the agonyof this difficult journey. After two hourson the tedious road, I was in Gavi.

Gavi lies adjacent to the western partof the Periyar forests and is a nature’sparadise. This part of the Western Ghatsis a haven for rare flora and fauna. Thereare more than 260 species of birds in-cluding the great pied hornbill, wood-

pecker, and kingfishers. A forest guest-house is located at a spectacular locationoverlooking the Gavi lake and the forests.The ambience inside the eco-friendlycottage was marvelous. As I took a walkaround the guesthouse the gentle breezefrom the lake, the song of the MalabarWhistling Thrush and a variety of manyother species of wildlife gave a greatcompany.

The local tribes are born with awealth of knowledge about the naturalproducts surrounding them and takegreat pride in maintaining it at its pristinebest. They are always with full of smiles .It is a refreshing feeling to mingle withthe tribes in the tranquility of the forest.I hopped on to a boat eager to take a lookat the serene beauty of the lake. I mustwarn you though that the conditions herecan change dramatically and one neednot be surprised if the heavens send sud-den showers of thunder and rain. I waskeen to go trekking in the forest and thetribes joined as the local guides. I was alleyes and ears, taking care not to miss theslightest movement in the woods. Isighted several exotic species of wild an-imals and birds throughout my trek. Par-


Picture left: A view of surrounding greenery from

gavi. Left bottom: wild musa (locally known as

Kattu vazha) from the banks of gavi lake.

ticularly amusing creatures were theNilgiri langurs that stared at me andjumped from tree to tree showing offtheir acrobatic skills. I in fact spotteda still amphibian adeptly camouflagedon a tree trunk. Equally astoundingwas the growth of fungi of all shapesand sizes, all along the trek. I was fol-lowing my tribal guides for most partof my trip but at one stage, I wanderedpast him quite by accident. The mostsensational part of the trek awaitedme soon enough. I held my breathwhen a leopard walked across anddisappeared in to the woods! I was soexcited that I did not even attempt tolift my camera and shoot. I missedhim.

As I trekked deep into the jungle, Icame across many fascinating aspectsof nature at its best. A small waterstream cascading down the rocksadded much charm to the green vege-tation. All the while, my eyes kept onpraying for the elusive big cat, thetiger. We came across a parade of In-dian elephants grazing on the grass.Our footsteps seemed to disturb them;but they were curious enough to stand

alert and stare at the strange intrudersin their territory. Gavi is famous forsome of the breathtaking viewpoints.The valley with its spectacular view ofa deep ravine with forests below atChenthmara Kokkai is a visual treat.Nilgiri Tahrs can be seen at KochuPampa, a short trek from the guest-house. Among other wildlife that canbe spotted are the elephants, the lion-tailed macaques, barking deer andsambars. For those interested in ob-serving the nocturnal wildlife, nightsafaris to Kullur, Gavi Pullumedu,Kochu Pampa, Pachakanam provideample opportunities for wildlife view-ing.

Another unique feature of Gavi iscamping in the forests. One can pitcha tent in the camping site, which is ararity in many Indian forests. As thedusk stretches to the silence of thenight, one can feel the presence ofwildlife in the middle of nowhere, anexperience that cannot be explainedin words. There are also tree tophouses available at Gavi to enjoy theavian life to the fullest. Gavi is surelyan unforgettable place.

factfile

By Air: the Kochi Int’l Airport (200kms)and Trivandrum Int’l Airport 250kms)By Rail: The nearest railway station is atKottayam (120kms).By Road : Regular buses are available toVandiperiyar from Kochi & Thiruvananthapu-ram.

'Green Mansions' run by the Kerala ForestDevelopment Corporation Ltd with threerooms is the only lodging facility available.Food and accomodation is good but onecannot expect' star' facilities in a tiger re-serve, as it is here. There is no scope forshopping in a tiger reserve.

February-April, daytime temperatures will beup to 28o C. but it can drop to 20o C at night.June - August, daytime temperatures rise upto 25o C but can also drop to 10o C by night.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

THE WATERSHIDDEN AMONGST Coverstory


If you want to avoid the winter chill and enjoy a trop-ical winter, head for the Kerala backwaters. Innumer-able lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries, and river deltas

make up the 900 km backwater network of Kerala.Cruise along palm-fringed waterways in a luxurioushouseboat. Or, skim past the water lilies, lush paddy

fields, coir villages, rustic homes, temples and co-conut groves. For any reason, whatever it may,

Alleppey or Alappuzha is a must go destination. Here is why GK insists on it. vi

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Coverstory


Kerala has hundreds ofmiles of backwaters wherethe building of levees andcanals has reclaimed the

land for rice cultivation. The best way tosee the backwaters of Kerala is by ‘ket-tuvallam’, a houseboat made from tradi-tional rice boats and covered with wovenmats to resemble the rice barges. And thebest place to be is Alleppy.

In this Kerala’s tiny coastal village,strung together by the intricate networkof canals and lagoons, the day begins andends on water. And instead of the MUV’sand SUV’s parked in front of Modern dayflats, there’ll be a little boat moored infront of the houses, to far more pictur-esque effect. The canals are indented atregular intervals by these tiny householdjetties, which also serve as the family’schief water source. As you row past, youalways find them there, washing clothes,vessels, fish, rice and babies’ bottoms.They swim in the water, drink it and gar-gle into it. The women glide down thesteps, bend over and flash their long hair

over their heads into the water, thengather it up into a topknot, while they slipunderwater to bathe.

While the major waterways areserved by public ferries, along these nar-rower, remoter canals you just up androw yourself to work, worship or school.Man, woman, and child wield an oar flu-ently. There’s quite a hierarchy of boats,ranging from the one-seater family koc-chuvalloms to the 10-seater churlamval-loms with their curlicue bows that can behired as taxis for family occasions, to thegrand chundanvalloms or snake boatsused in the famous races. The large publictransport barges between villages chargeRs 5-10 while local ferrymen like Antonyin Champakulam will row you across tothe opposite shore for the princely sum ofRe 1. We watch as the students of the StAloysius High School in Edathua rowthemselves to school, but that evening wealso see a motorised ‘school bus’ launchheave past, jabberingly full.

We are on a country boat we boardedat the Alleppey jetty this morning in our

bid to see something of what life is like inthe remotest of these waterbound villagesof Kerala. We had originally thought wecould get on a cargo barge at Alleppey,only to realise on arrival that water trans-portation of cargo has long since diedhere. As rail and road networks increas-ingly link up Kerala, people and goods arefast abandoning the boats. Well, big wa-terborne trade might be finished butbackwater quotidian life continues prettymuch at the same placid pace as eonsago. Men and women dive under for mus-sels, baskets tied around the waist andnot a snorkel in sight. They catch shellfishwith a long hoe-like stick with net at-tached. I see a raft made of banana treetrunks criss-crossed together. Only now,the houses have satellite TV and fridges.

Set bang in the middle of Kerala’s fa-mous Kuttanad rice bowl, its harvest sea-son in Alleppey now. Just beyond thecanal banks, the paddy fields stretch end-lessly green, lower than sea level and pro-tected by bunds everywhere. I’m halfdrunk on the view but what leaves me


open-mouthed is the sight of a boatfloating by with a dismantled thresheraboard. A villager hails the boat, themachine is assembled, the paddy threshed; then boat, thresher and all set sail forthe next Muhammad to summon themountain. And that pace...how on earthto feel road rage when life moves at 20km an hour, water winks unendingly formiles around, and traffic has to slowdown because armies of ducks havepaddled into view?

When evening approached weheaded for the lake so as to be out of thecanals during the night when the fisher-men set their fishing nets. Water hy-acinths drifted on the glassy water.Flocks of birds gathered in brush for thenight, their songs competing with themusic from the Hindu temples. The fieryred balloon sun set, going for its baththey say. When the brilliant yellow,“cleansed” morning sun was well abovethe horizon we headed back into thecanals for another wonderful day inAleppy.

Fact file

By Air: The airport nearest to Alleppey is Kochiat a distance of 64 km north. The Trivandrumairport is located 159 km south of Alleppey. By Road: National Highway 47 goes throughAlleppey connecting it with almost all thenearby places in South India.By Rail: Alleppey is well connected by train toCochin and Trivandrum. Alleppey railway sta-tion is within the city limits.

Marari Beach Homes -www.cghearth.com Pooppally's Heritage Home & Resortwww.pooppallys.com - 0477 2762034Venice Castle Homestaywww.venicecastle.com - 0477 2237779Arakal Heritage- 0478 2865545Motty's Homestay -www.alleppeybeach.com Mappilassery Mansion- 0477 2704426www.mappilasserymansion.com.

The best time to visit Alleppey is in the monthsof September, October, November and Decem-ber. April and May may not be a good option ashumidity will be high at this point of time.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

Top: A father and son shares hearty moments in the paddy field.Left below: House boats in the Alleppy lake.

Places to seeKuttanad

It's called the rice bowl of Kerala be-cause of her wealth of paddy crops and isat the very heart of the backwaters. Thescenic countryside of Kuttanad with itsshimmering waterways also has a rich cropof Banana, Cassava and Yam. This is per-haps the only region in the world wherefarming is done 1.5 to 2 mtr below sea level.

Pathiramanal

According the mythology, a YoungBrahmin dived into the Vembanad lake toperform his evening ablutions and thewater made way for land to rise frombelow, thus creating the enchanting Islandof Pathiramanal (sands of midnight). Thislittle island is a favourite haunt of hundredsof rare migratory birds from different partsof the world. This island lies between Tha-neermukkom and Kumarakom, and is ac-cessible only by boat.

Alappuzha beach

This is one of the most popular picnicspots in Alappuzha. The pier, which extendsinto the sea here, is over 140 years old.

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Homeaway from home

Kumbalanghi, a lovely backwater village intimately inter-locked with vast stretches of water, virgin landscapes, calmbackwaters, cool shady coconut fields, and lush greenpaddy cultivations is thirty minutes drive from kerala’ssmartest city kochi. Kumbalanghi has everything that atourist can wish for. Stepping in for a dinner in Kumbalangithe GK team stepped out storytellers. Vi

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You’ll never be short of distrac-tions in the pulsating metropo-lis, that is Kochi. But if you’reseeking out its quieter charms,

then these off-the-beaten-track spotswill show you a different side to theQueen of Arabian Sea. Dinner with a sun-set view is not hard to come by in Kochi,but the more unconventional option isdining somewhere in Kumbalangi- thefirst ecotourism village in India. That iswhat I am doing right now.

Those who change places changetheir fate. If this was not the case, I wouldhave been browsing somewhere in thebusy streets of Broadway or haplesslyroaming around Fort Cochin- somethingI had done every single time I set my footin this city.

Kumbalangi, an impressive fishingvillage that is located near Palluruthy Is-land in the vicinity of Ernakulam is 25kilometers from Kochi. Spread over anarea of 7 square kilometers Kumbalangiis basically a fishing hamlet. It’s a tiny vil-lage located to the western part of thecity. Resorts, walkways and other suchactivities are not permitted this main-tains the pristine and fragile environ-ment. It was something new to me. Themangroves around this place are givenutmost care. It’s a paradise for anglers asbait fishing is very popular. The onlyplace one can find his boarding is in thehome stays that there are plenty.

It provides excellent opportunity forthe visitors to get the real feel of beingclose to the enviable calm and coollifestyle that prevails in Kumbalangi. Thecharm and cheer offered by this stunningvillage will sure rejuvenate your mindand make you refreshed.

Kumbalangi is surrounded by back-waters and its sprawling waterscape isbeautifully dotted with Chinese Fishing

Nets. There is an artist’s village by thename Kalagraamam displaying handi-crafts and fishing equipments.

Kumbalangi has lot to offer for theintriguing tourists who are keen to ex-ploit the rustic natural beauty of theplace. One can admire various forms offishing using Chinese nets and ordinarynets, can even participate in the fishingexpedition to prove their skills in fishing.

You can also learn some new skills ofthatching palm leaves, learn the processinvolved in toddy tapping, witness huskbeating to coir making, have a pleasantstroll along the splendid waterways, canhave a voyage in country boats, tastelocal dishes, can admire boat buildingprocess, this and lots more will makeyour trip to Kumbalangi an unforgettableexperience to cherish for a lifetime.

As recognition to its ecological bal-ance and its inimitable natural beautyKumbalangi was declared as the Inte-grated Tourism Village by the govern-ment of India, this is considered as firstof its kind. The visitors can also befriendthe fishing community.

The exceptional ambiance of this fish-ing village will offer a unique experiencefor all the visitors. Other than fishingthere are several prawn and crab breed-ing farms located on both sides of theroad that leads to Kumbalangi. The pres-ence of mangroves makes Kumbalangi ahaven for prawns, crabs, oysters andmany small fishes. The village is 16 Sq.Kmin area and is a hamlet inhabited by coirspinners, toddy tappers, farmers, fisher-men and laborers.

Home stay provides the traveller thehighs and lows of Kerala at incredibly lowprices. One can never stop coming backto this exceptionally brilliant backwaterplaced itself just at the right spot- half anhour drive from kochi.

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The best time to visitCochin would be be-tween October to Aprilwhen hot and dry condi-tions prevail. The day-time temperatures wouldbe around 32o Celsiusand in the night it isaround 20o Celsius.

When to Go

The tourism village is only a 45-minute drivefrom the Cochin City. Route: Via Thoppumpady bridge - Palluruthy- Perumpadappu Nearest Railway: Ernakulam South, 12 km Sta-tion Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport,30 km Nearest Touristattractions: Fort Kochi Her-itage zone, Bolgatty palace, Willingdon Island.

How to reach

There are about 10 Home stays,which offer rooms to visitors. TheseHomestays are generally within aresidence, where two or morerooms with attached baths are setaside for guests. The charge is aboutRs 1000, per day, inclusive of break-fast. Lunch and dinner are also pro-vided at an extra charge.

Where to Stay


Kumbalangi Integrated TourismVillage project is a unique initia-tive to transform the tiny islandas a model fishing village and

tourism spot. Here at the Kumbalangi Tourism Vil-

lage one can fully savour a variety of nat-ural splendours, and paramount to amodel tourist village the outstanding eco-logical balance of the location. The vil-lage, the first of its kind in the country is

located near the port city of Kochi in Er-nakulam District. The model village is averitable treat to its visitors with the fa-mous Chinese fishing nets and manyother sights to savour.

As art of the model village project atKumbalangi, a nearby island near Pallu-ruthy would also have plenty of interest-ing vistas and activities in the near future.This coastal hamlet without doubt pro-vides a fascinating glimpse of the simple

and prosperous livelihood of the vil-lagers, and also unravels the age-old,magnificent culture and heritage of theplace.

An array of mangroves separate landfrom water providing a breeding groundfor prawns, crabs, oysters and smallfishes. The village which is 16 Sq.Km inarea is home to fishermen, farmers,labourers, toddy tappers and coir spin-ners all alike.

Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project

PARADISE

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the coral

Lakshadweep literally means "thousand islands”.The charm of Lakshadweep islands lies in theirremoteness. Far off the beaten track, they attractno hordes of merry makers to its shores. Each is-land is serenely set in a sea whose waters rangefrom palest aquamarine and turquoise to deepestsapphire and lapis lazuli. This is the best time tovisit Lakshadweep, says team GK.

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The word ‘Island’ instantly con-jures up images of pristine whitesandy beaches, coconut palms,clear waters, tropical greenery,

and most importantly – no crowd. Well, atleast to me it does. And Lakshadweep wasanything but.

One of India's best-kept secrets, the36 atolls and coral reefs making up theremote Union Territory of Lakshadweepare an extension of the better-knownMaldives island group. Only three Lak-shadweep islands -Agatti, Kadmat, andBangaram - are open to foreign tourists,and the Indian government employs astrictly enforced entry-permit system. Allthe islands are "owned" by the indigenouspeople, and land is unavailable for pur-chase by non-natives - even a man mar-rying a local woman may not buy landhere.

Lying 350 km off the Kerala coast,strung in a shimmering strand of jewels,the islands are coral atolls that encircle afabulous aquamarine lagoon. Ten islandsin the archipelago are populated, almostexclusively by Malayalam speaking SunniMuslims who make their living from fish-ing and harvesting coconuts. Only Mini-coy Island, which is closest to the nearbyMaldives, shares aspects of its neighbor'sculture, including a Maldivian dialectknown as Mahl.

Being Muslim, the islands are offi-cially dry, and alcohol is only available onBangaram, which is technically uninhab-ited by locals; avoid carrying any liquorwith you. You are strongly advised tobring insect repellent since the mosqui-toes become alarmingly active once thesun descends.

Experienced divers rank the reefs ofLakshadweep among the best diving des-tinations in Asia, particularly the coral is-lands of Bangaram, Tinakara, Pirelli 1, andPirelli 2. Bangaram Island Resort hostsLacadives, a small dive center that wasthe first CMAS (an international under-water-sports federation) dive organiza-tion in India, with its headquarters on theisland of Kadmat. Lacadives offers divingcourses, rents out equipment, and con-ducts two dives a day (9:30 AM and 2:30PM). If you're not a qualified diver, youcan rent a mask and go on one of the re-sort's snorkeling trips to a nearby wreckwhere an assortment of marine fauna willhave you begging for more. The resort

can organize big-game fishing with localboats, but anglers should bring their ownequipment. A trip to Lakshadweep re-quires a tourist permit. This can bearranged at the Lakshadweep Tourist Of-

fice in Cochin (Kochi). The only way tovisit is to hook up with a package tourgroup. Tour operators start the first of thetrips in October and continue till May.Bangaram is open to both Indian and for-


eign tourists who have permits. ThoughKadmat, Kalpeni, Minicoy and Kavarattiare open to Indian tourists only, move-ment is restricted to the tourist area.

Make sure your reservation of tour beforeleaving your station. Carry your specialbrand cigarettes, cosmetics etc. for use asonly ordinary varieties will be available

on the islands. While in the ship, a repre-sentative of SPORTS (Society for Promo-tion of Nature Tourism and Sports) hasbeen specially designated to assist you.

factfile

By Air

Cochin International Airport links Lakshad-weep with the mainland. Onward flights fromCochin are available to most of the airports inIndia and to selected foreign destinations. Agattiis the only airport in Lakshadweep. Helicoptertransfer is available from Agatti to Bangaram Is-land. The flight from Cochin to Agatti takes ap-proximately one hour thirty minutes. Flightsoperate six days a week.

By Ship

Five passenger ships- MV Kavaratti,MVTippu Sultan, MV Bharat Seema, MV Amindiviand MV Minicoy operate between Cochin andLakshadweep. The passage takes between 14 to20 hours. The ships offer different classes of ac-commodation; A/C Deluxe Class with two berthcabins, A/C First Class with four berth cabinsand Tourist Class with A/C seating.

While availing the various packages offeredby SPORTS, excellent accommodation is pro-vided on the islands for tourists who stayovernight.

The most popular months are from Januaryto the middle of May when the diving and fishingis good but it’s possible to visit any time in theyear. Lakshadweep has a tropical climate withtemperature ranging from 25° C to 35° C in sum-mer and winters are just marginally cooler.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

Coverstory


CHARIOTS OF THE GOD

Throbbing with the Vedic chants sonorously re-cited by the Vedic scholars escorting the god,Kalpathy comes alive with the spirit of true devo-tion and joyous celebration. Vedic ricitals are heldin each and evey house throughout the street. Be-tween the kolam clad streets stood us, team GK, tofind out what and how life flows here in Kalpathy.Vi

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Imagine a village which welcomes the goddess ofwealth everyday by drawing traditional pictures(kolam) on the courtyard. Imagine a village withonly one type of people living in harmony along the

two sides of a road. That is Agraharam. Kerala's first heritagevillage is an Agraharam named Kalpathy. It is situated on theShore of Kalpathy River in Palakkadu district.

It was the first time that i am visiting this traditionalBrahmin's settlement. So there was some confusion. Local teashops are the information centers in these types of ruralareas. I carefully listened to an old man while enjoying the hottea. "There are 18 Agraharams. Among them the biggest isKalpathy",he pointed out. I strolled towards Kalpathy enjoy-ing the calmness village life.

Agraharam boasts of the nearby near houses of Brah-min’s. Each house is equipped with a small courtyard in be-tween the road and sitout. There the ladies or girls draw thethe Kolam daily.The medium will be tiny granules of rice

Kolam

Kolam is the name given to the art of Ran-goli in southern parts of the country,mainly the states of Kerala and TamilNadu. The Hindus residing in these parts

make use of this art form on a large scale. The fe-male members of the house usually draw Kolamdesigns in front of their homes, with the help ofrice powder. Limestone and red brick powder arealso used on special occasions. Kolam is regardedas a sort of painted prayer in South India. The de-sign usually comprises of a symmetric line draw-ing, which comprises of curved loops, drawnaround a crisscross pattern of dots.

Kolam is an invitation for Goddess of Wealth- Lakshmi to the house that has Kolam drawn inthe entrance. Usually Symmetric, these Kolams aredrawn infront of every household, temples andsimilar places. Traditionally the front part of thehouse used to be swept first and then the cow dung( has antiseptic, provides a literal threshold of pro-tection for the home and also provides contrastwith the white powder) mixed with water issplashed across and then cleaned with water be-fore the Kolam is drawn.

(podikkolam). In special occassions they use coloured Ko-lams. (makkolam). Agraharams are established by the migrantBrahmins from Thanjavoor.

"Half to Kashy is Kalpathy".Shree Hari a software engineerbegan to describe about their village. The first thing the Gov-ernment tackled under the heritage scheme in Kalpathy wasthe thinnai or seat just outside every front door. This waswhere householders held court, chatting sideways and acrossthe road to their neighbours. Some houses had broad thinnaisand some had narrow ones, some high and some low. Thedoll-maker’s thinnai had elephant-shaped sides. All that wasbroken up, in order to preserve our heritage, and uniformthinnais were built, each with an identical kolam slab in front.

Because of the tourism department’s publicity campaigns,Kalpathy’s chariot festival now draws hordes of sightseers,and the department offers a heritage walk, at $100 a head.


Kalpathy Ratholsavam or KalpathiRatholsavam is an annual chariot festivalheld at Sri Visalakshi Sametha SriViswanatha Swamy Temple (also knownas Kalpathy Temple or Kasi Viswanathaswamy Temple) in the Kalpathi villageof Palakkad district in Kerala. The deitiesof the Kalpathy Viswanatha Swamy Tem-ple are Lord Shiva (Lord Viswanatha) andhis consort Visalakshi, another name forGoddess Parvathi. One of the most re-markable festivals of Kerala, this week-long Palakkad Kalpathy Chariot Festivalis celebrated during the month of No-vember, every year. Dedicated to LordViswanatha or Lord Shiva, the KalpathyCar Festival is based on Vedic Tamil

Brahmin culture. Vedic recitals are helddaily and cultural programs are held inthe evening. The recitals are believed tobe over 700 years old. On the last threedays, the temple chariots are ceremoni-ously taken in procession by large num-bers of devotees through the streets.Major attraction of the festival is the threemagnificent chariots, decorated withflowers and flags.

On the fifth day night is the RishabhaVahana procession. The deities from allthe temples are taken out in beautifullyadorned chariots and after their meetingat western end of new Kalpathy villageground at midnight, they disperse aftertwo hours. The deities of Viswana

thaswamy Temple are taken out and in-stalled in the three cars, one for the maindeity Viswanathaswamy and consortGoddess Parvathi; the second for Vigneshwara and third for Lord Subrah-maniya Swamy.

The deities of Old Kalpathy Templeand Chathapuram Temple are taken inprocession on the chariot and processionis made through all villages. By sun set, allthe chariots return to the original place.Abhishekams are then performed to thedeities who are decorated again andtaken out on procession in floral palan-quins during midnight. The palanquinsthen return to the temple at dawn on thefirst day of the Tamil month of Karthigai.

Coverstory


The Natural Choice

Muzhappilangad

Muzhappilangad beach has something unique thatadds to its credit; being one among the few largest ofKerala beaches, it is the second largest drive-in beachin the whole of the nation. One can take a stroll alongits unending stretch of shore or bring one's family for apulsating drive in the beach, splashing water allthrough. Team GK lands at the shore to expore moreof the beauty.

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Calm and serene, the place issecluded and remains unex-plored. Huge black rocksscattered here protect this

long beach from the deep currents, andform a tranquil pool of shallow watersthat is a swimmer's paradise. But weare here not to swim nor sunbathe. Weare here to drive. Welcome to the sec-ond largest drive in beach in India,Muzhippilangad.

Muzhappilangad Beach in NorthKerala, near Thalasseri, is one of thosestrange experiences one comes acrosswhen travelling through India. It is along beach complete with white sand,coconut groves and an inviting ocean.The Beach is a palm-fringed stretch ofsand where in seclusion you will findpeace and retreat from daily drudgeries. The surrounding coconut grovesstrewn all along the beach promises arelaxed stay. The 4.5 Km drive facilityprovide the beautifully landscape withsoft wet sand. Drive in sunset time isunique experience which is thrilling.

Another significant of the beach isits serenity and smooth waves.Muzhappilangad Beach with its shal-low waters makes it ideal for swim-mers. The enchanting ambience of thebeautiful Muzhappilangad beach in-vites one to swim, sunbathe, or just lazearound. During the day the beach re-mains quiet and peaceful, and the onlypeople around are local fishermensorting out their day’s catch in themorning. It is possible to walk fromone end of the beach to the other, andsee hardly anyone on the way.

But around evening the crowdsstart to arrive: large families in equallylarge cars, young men on scooters,husbands giving driving lessons totheir nervous wives, young coupleswho come here to watch Muzhappilan-gad’s famous sunset (apparently one ofthe best in India), ice cream vendors,schoolchildren and rickshaw driversblaring music out of their radios.

Muslim women in black head-to-toe burkas and Hindu ladies in colorfulsaris dip their toes into the water, whiletheir husbands walk in the ocean fullyclothed – but nobody swims. Instead,large crowds of people eat ice cream,watch the sunset and drive back andforth on the sand. For a tourist who


factfile

Muzhapilangad beach is just a kilometre to the west of National Highway 17. Nearest railway station: Kannur, an important railhead ofSouthern Railways. Nearest airport: Kozhikode international airport, about 93km from Kannur town.

There are two homestays on the beach. The nearest town to MuzhappilangadBeach is Thalasseri, seven kilometres away.

The best time to visit Muzhuppilangadbeach is at May, because most of the tem-ples here in Kannur have Theyyam per-formances during this time.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

generally comes to a tropical beachto swim, all this can be very puzzling.It is advised not to swim in theevening. Better make it in the morn-ing.

South of the beach is a private is-land called Dharmadam Island(Pacha Thuruthu in Malayalam,which translates to Green Island inEnglish). It is possible to walk to theisland during low tide. It lies 100 me-ters from the MuzhappilangadBeach. This island, covered with co-conut palms and dense bush is abeautiful sight from the Muzhappi-

langad beach. Permission is requiredto land on the island as it is privatelyowned. Another attraction isMuzhappilangadu Thuruthu whichis in the middle of Anjarakandy Riverand is very near to Muzhappilangadbeach.

"Kandals" and rare birds aresome of the beautiful sites of this"Thuruthu”. Journey round the Thu-ruthu in boat attracts many tourists. Due to the lack of general tourist fa-cilities (such as beach restaurants)and the problems regarding sun-bathing, few Western tourists end upin Muzhappilangad.

This means that a stay here canbe very peaceful. However, the localgovernment has now decided tobuild a road along the beach. It ishoped that the road will reduce driv-ing on the beach itself, but it is pos-sible that it will also destroy thepeaceful atmosphere in the twohomestays, as the planned road runspractically through their front gar-dens.

Muzhappilangad Beach in

North Kerala, near Thlasse

ri, is one of those stra nge

experiences one comes

across when travelling thro

ugh India. a long beach

complete with white sand,

coconut groves and an

inviting ocean.

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Sweet

StreetFor the Arabs it was Kalikat, for the Chinese it wasKalifo. English called it Calicut. Locals have always pre-ferred to call it Kozhikode. We, team GK are right inthe heart of the third largest city in the state. Rightlyplaced in the Sweet Meat Street, popularly known asS.M. Street- the busiest shopping spot of Kozhikode wecould feel the ambience of malabar as never before. Vi

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Meat was never sold there,nor was butchers allowed.Yet it came to be known asSweet Meat Street, the heart

of Calicut- better known as SM Street. Thetrading foreigners equated Calicut halwas– a sweet brown red delicacy to Sweetmeat. The name stuck for the next fewcenturies. Incidentally Halwa must havecome from Turkey to India via the silkroute. Never mind it is not our point of in-terest.

What takes us to SM Street is its in-delible imprint of Northern Kerala. A walkthrough the busiest shopping spot ofCalicut, SM Street will let you know whattypical Mallu life is all about. (Keralitesare often called as Mallus in cyberspace)

SM street sells anything one wants oranything that man has ever invented(both original and duplicate). The closeknitted and well networked but narrowstreets and ignorable traffic which is al-most nil most of the time has made it themost comfortable one-stop-shoppingspot in the city. The cut-throat competi-tion between the shops which are usuallyfound in clusters of similar business, keepthe price under control and the selectionat its best. It is a bargainer’s paradise.

The sellers on the footpath cater tothe demand of cheap products and thewell-established and branded outletscater to the taste of the high-class of thesociety. Thus you can buy anything froma safety pin to ultramodern laptops atprices your pockets can afford from thesestreets which has obviously made thestreet the most preferred one stop shop-ping spot of the visitors. This resultanthuge flow of potential customers hasmade the street the most sought aftervenue for traders to base their business inthe city.

Kozhikode was the capital of Malabarduring the time of Zamorins who whereruling before the British Rule in India. Itwas trading in spices like black pepperand cardamom with the outside worldwith the Jews, Arabs, Phoenicians, Chi-nese from centuries and with the Dutchand Portuguese more than 500 years ago.Portuguese were the first foreigners tofind this land, the gateway to Kerala, fa-mous for spices. This city is famous forreceiving Vasco da Gama in 1498. Helanded on the remote beach of Kappadwhich is 18 km away from the Calicut City.The English word calico, a cotton textile,

originated from this city's name "Calicut".Water pipe enthusiasts should look outfor the Koyilandy Hookah, made in thenearby town of Koyilandy. Preparation ofan average hookah requires up to 1.5 kg

of copper, 1.5 kg of zinc and half kg silver. It takes a week to prepare a

Hookah.Available in different sizes (12 to24 inches), these Hookah are sold any-where around rupees 500 to 1500. Spe-

cially crafted Hookah come at rupees 15,000. Oneway to to procure one of these, you could contactthe Kozhikode District Handicrafts Artisans Co-operative society. They have several pieces readyand can polish it and give it to you within an hour.These range from Rs. 1200 to Rs. 2500 dependingon the size.


previous page: a street vendor oil-fries ready-to-

eat cashewnuts in SM Street, Calicut.

Images this page: Street Vendors with their

commodities in SM Street, Calicut.

Fact file

The Airport in Kozhikode, the Karipur In-ternational Airport, is at a distance of 23 kmfrom Kozhikode town. Tourist taxi chargesabout Rs 400 from airport to town. Karipurairport is well connected to many majorcities in India and abroad, specifically tomany gulf countries.Kozhikode railway station is well con-nected to all major cities in India. Cities likeTrivandrum, Kochi, Chennai, Mangalore,Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata areall can be reached from Kozhikode by rail. KSRTC buses of Kerala state and Karnatakastate connect Kozhikode to many cities inKerala and the neighboring states. Touristbuses with A/C luxurious facilities are reg-ular from Kozhikode to Chennai, Manga-lore, Bangalore and Trivandrum. Thesebuses charge about Rs 3 to Rs 4 per km.

Hiliya Resortwww.hiliyaresort.com - 04936 211575 Wayanad Blooms- 09995552299 Annapara Home Stay 0452 2525212 Ente Veedu- 04935 320494 Hill View Home Stay - 04936 217404 Herbal Nest- herbalnestindia.com

Summers in Kozhikode are pleasant withtemperature rising up to 33 'C plus. Thewinters are also pleasant with average tem-perature being around 23 'C.

When to Go

Where to Stay

How to reach

This city is famous for receiving

Vasco da Gama in 1498. He landed

on the remote beach of Kappad

which is 18 km away from the Calicut

City. The English word calico, a cot-

ton textile, originated from this city's

name "Calicut".

Coverstory


This fort has an eventful history behind it.Inearlier days, the river was considered to be theborder of two powerful kingdoms - Kolathu-nadu and Thulunadu. Now the vast sevenacers of land is all mine. Nobody, nothing todistract me from having a breathtaking viewof Chandragiri river and the Arabian Sea.Vi

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Evergreen

Chandragiri

The Sun was caressing the west-ern walls of the Chandragiri fortwith its reddish rays when Ireached. They brought to mind

the history of kings, kingdoms and blood-shed wars. I felt some anonymous andcrispy impulses inside.

Chandragiri fort is situated in south-east side of Kasargod town, on the bankof Chandragiri river, in north malabar.This fort had played a vital role in the his-tory of Kasargod. But an enquiry on itmade me disappointed."Chandragiri fort?Where is it? We are from this town itself,but never heard of anything like that...”this was the answer to my query to a co-passenger in the bus!

Welcome to the historyAnyways I alighted at a small town

Meleparambu, near the fort. Day light wasabout to get dim. Nobody was along theroad and no way-boards were there.Above all hunger began to rage inside. Ihaven’t had anything to loosen my ap-petite for hours, thanks to the four plushours of bus journey. next time i shallbring with me some snacks. Yet the questto see the historic beauty gave me energy.By the time I climbed up to of the fort,following a secluded path from the roadbelow, I was welcomed warmly by theman who keeps the fort. The vast fort,built in the 17th century by Shivappa

Nayak, the ruler of Kelady Nayaka king-dom. He was a successor of VijayanagaraEmpire.

Now it is time for a small 'HistoryBreak'. Before the foreign invasions, Indiawas divided into many small kingdoms,each with independent rulers. Chandra-giri region fell under Kolathunadu king-dom, which is now in the state of kerala.

The nearby river Chandragiri (alsocalled Payaswini) stood as the boundaryof Kolathunadu and Thulunadu (now inKarnataka state). At a point of time the Vi-jayanagara Empire conquered Thulu-nadu. After the decline of the latter thisregion came under the rule of KeladyNayakas. By 15th century they declared in-dependence from Vijayanagara Empire.During the reign of Shivappa Nayaka achain of forts were built- including Chan-dragiri and Bekkal. This fort is 46meter above the sea level and oc-cupies an area of about sevenacres. The huge bricks givestrength to the walls to with-stand the ravages of time andrashes of enemies.

On the bank of a RiverBack to present tense.

After registering my nameand whereabouts in the fortkeeper’s book, I was al-

lowed to enter the fort. From the maingate one could see the Chandragiri Riveron its way to be in rendezvous with theArabian Sea. This bluish river and thegreenery of coconut trees gets hold myvision from the south east sides of fort.

The fort’s huge walls, built by the bigbricks were above the ground with a ru-minative silence. The way to the fort wasnarrow. This was the path to glory formany a kings, to many a kingdoms. I waswalking through the lane that created his-tory. Now i am insdie the inner yard ofthe fort. The place was vast open. Full ofsunlight, plenty of swinging grasses. Itook a turn to my left and paddled up tothe top. wooowwwwww, a panoramicview of scenery took my breatha w a y ;

Coverstory



a small hill with abundance of co-conut trees, and the Chandragiririver -from the east side. My cam-era had no rest. i was clicking atalmost everything.

I was at a loss while watchingthe sunset. I was alone in the vast-ness of 7 acres to view the en-chanting beauty. I wondered whyon earth this piece of beauty re-mained unexploited by the way-farers roaming around forsomething novel.

I now had strong reasons todisagree with many friends backhome. They tried to dishearten meon hearing my plan to go to Chan-dragiri. ("Hey, there is nothing tosee"). No my friends, there is morethan something here. The good

old saying came to my mind,beauty lies in the eyes of the be-holder. Like many other forts ac-cross the world this one also hada long tunnel, the one helpedmany a kings escpae from theclutches of his enemies. Cannonswere placed in carefuly carvedplaces along the top of the fort. Ireturned when the dark began tocover the history.

Getting there:Nearest railway station: Kasaragod, about 4 km away. Nearest airports: Mangalore inneighbouring State of Karnataka,about 50 km from Kasargod town;Karipur International Airport,Kozhikode , about 200 km.

Something special

a) Kasargod is one of the rare districts in Indiawhich houses as many as 7 different languages (ex-cluding dialects and tribal languages), with eachspoken by a substantial number of people.Kasaragod had a population of around thirteenlacs. Widely used languages are Malayalam, Tulu,beary bashe, Konkani, Kannada, Marathi and Urdu.Hindi also spoken here. b) Kasargod district has 11 rivers (out of a total of44 rivers in Kerala) forts, beaches, hills and back-waters. c) Chandragiri is just 13 kilometers away from in-ternational fame Bakel fort. d) Backwater trips on the Chandragiri river atValiyaparamba are amazing experiences.e) Chandragiri is a vantage point watch the sunset.

Lifestyle & shopping




the

Vedic

life


People all over the world folk toIndia in search of the roots ofAyurveda, the wonderful science,

originated and widely practiced through-out India from time immemorial. By thetime the world realized the fact this is agift of God to mankind, a system withoutside effect.

A system which can cure from rootcause, and a system which has treatmentsfor all diseases, the precious knowledgeacquired by our ancient Rishies, throughtheir spiritual pursuit, and passed on togenerations through Guru Disciple ordergot neglected with the incursion of mod-ern civilization at the land this wonderfulscience originated. There are extensivereferences on Ayurveda in Ramayana andMahabharatha. Ravana, the richest em-peror of Srilanka was a scholar onAyurveda and Siddha Types of medicinesand treatments, in Thretha Yuga, which ismore than sixteen hundred thousandyears back.

Ayurveda not only is a system of treat-ment, it is the Science of life whichteaches the method to lead a successfuland meaningful life, with strong andhealthy body and mind. The approach inthis system is quite different from othersystems. The people are broadly catego-rized by three humors- called Vatha, Pithaand Kabha. The medicines, food and rou-tine are prescribed on the basis of thesecategories.

Treatments in Ayurveda are not forthe symptom of the affected part of thebody, it is for the root cause of the same.

Santhigiri

Santhigiri Ashram is situated on abeautiful hillock, 24 Kms. away fromTrivandrum city, capital of Kerala, SouthIndia. As the name implies, Santhigiri hasdeveloped as a mountain of peace (Santhi= Peace, Giri = Mountain). Also it has be-come a fountain of love and mercy to allpeople, irrespective of the differences anddiscriminations of caste, creed, color,community, culture or country. Theproper synthesis of Dharma and Karma ispreached and practiced here.

Dharma means a good life performingthe duties according to the laws of natureleading to salvation - the ultimate goal ofhuman birth without compromising onvirtues, truth, righteousness, mercy andkindness. Karma means good and appro-

priate action fulfilling the assigned dutiesstrictly obeying the words of Guru. This isthe uniqueness of Santhigiri Ashram.Santhigiri advocates a way of life withdefinite goal. It establishes a tradition anda culture to be handed down to the nextgeneration and the generations to come.

Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala

The sanyasins -renouncers- andsages, carry out their activities in thisWorld by using their bodies as the instru-ment. A healthy body makes a person ca-pable of effectively practicing his Dharma-Divine Law- and karma -positive ac-tions. The Ayurvedic and Siddha systemsoriginated with this objective of provid-ing good health to the sanyasins, but laterthose systems became a blessing for thewhole World.

At Santhigiri, genuine Ayurvedic andSiddha medicines are manufactured byblending our ancient tradition with mod-ern methods. The production and distri-bution of these medicines, all involve adivine invocation. This involvement ofDivine Grace contributes to the cure ofdiseases, as evident from the experiencesof several people. The Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala, producesmore than 600 medicines, some of them

in accordance with the directions of thesaints and sages, who have unveiled themystery of nature, to bring out a methodof curing the sick.

The Ayurvedic and Siddha medicinesmanufactured in the Ashram are ratedtoo high in the country. Ashram has de-veloped medicines for the total cure ofcancer, arthritis, sinusitis and other ail-ments. There is an Ayurvedic hospital inthe Ashram, and one at Olassery,Palakkad District.

Santhigiri Hospital ComplexThe services of all the major systems

of medicine in the World -Ayurveda-, Sid-dha, Homeopathy, Allopathy- are avail-able at the Santhigiri Hospital Complex.In the treatment of diseases they haveevolved a novel approach called "Inte-grated System of Treatment" combiningall systems of medicines mentionedabove.

Treatment is provided by doctors,who are efficient in their respective areasof specialties. Effective and genuine med-icines and preparations- are provided tothe patients. Besides providing dentaltreatment, panchakarma treatment basedon Ayurvedic and Siddha systems areavailable. The medical care available atSanthigiri, has become widely known for

Visu

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nias

mar

ikar parnasala at santhigiri



its efficacy and effectiveness, being at-tested by all those who had personallyexperienced benefits of the services. Thestaffs of the Hospital Complex are nosticklers to the ‘rules.’ They shy awayfrom no work. It is not at all uncommonfor nurses washing the dirty linens, mop-ping the floors and engaging in sanitaryduties.

Herbal GardenMedicines are essential for saving life

as well as for preserving health. To ensurethe availability of genuine medicines, ad-equate quantities of their ingredientshave to be produced. The preservation ofherbs and other medicinal plants, is par-ticularly significant in an age when man’signorance and recklessness, have causedimmense damage to the environment,causing the disappearance of many use-ful herbs. All sorts of medicinal plants andherbs, including the extremely rarespecies, are planted and cared for in theherbal garden. The expansion of this gar-den is also envisaged.

Ayurveda and Siddha Medicine Manufacturing

Ayurveda and SiddhaMedicines were evolvedby the great Rishiesin the ancient ageswho were Atma-jyanies. In courseof social develop-ment these sys-tems lost

its organic growth anddyamism. With a view to lib-

erate these great systemsfrom the growing commer-

cialisation and to preservepurity and ensuring quality,

these medicines are manufac-tured by selfless

devotees withprayers in theAshra m. On

Guru’s advice verynew medicines have been

evolved. SanthigiriAyurveda and Siddha Vaidya

sala produ ce more than 400items of medicines including

proprietary medicines ona large scale and marketthem. These medicines are

approved by the State DrugsControl Authority for sale in

India and abroad. The pharmacy unit

Nava JyothiSri Karunakara GuruNava Jyothi Sri Karunakara Guru (September 1, 1927 - 1999) , founder

and spiritual leader of Santhigiri Ashram, was born in Chandiroor, Alap-puzha district. The humility, dignity and calm poise of this ascetic, at-tracted the young aspirant to the devotees who came in large numbers tothe institution of Sivagiri Madam of Sri Narayana Guru. Before long, inthe year 1957, the Guru bid farewell to Sivagiri and shifted to Varkala. Thatplace had started to be known as Santhigiri. While at Sivagiri people usedto call the Guru as Karunakaran Santhi.

The word Santhi stands for the one who performs pooja -worship. Theword giri stands for mountain. Thus, the giri -mountain- to whereKarunakaran Santhi was shifted, becoming Santhigiri, which now trulysignifies ‘the mountain of peace,’ place where tens of thousands of peoplehave come seeking directions in their material, emotional and spirituallife so as to be led to the supreme aim of human life, which is the com-munion with the Supreme Light. This was the beginning of SanthigiriAshram. The teachings of Karunakara Guru inspired many creative writ-ers of Kerala. His immense influence inspired O. V. Vijayan to write Gu-rusagaram. Malayalam movie Guru, which was the official entry fromIndia for the Academy Award for Best Foreign film in 1997, was directedby Rajeev Anchal, thanks to the influence of Karunakara Guru's teachings.

Ashram has developed medicines for the total

cure of cancer, arthritis, sinusitis and other

ailments.


PANCHAKARMA THERAPYPeople are confused with thisterm. Everyone believes that Pan-chakarma therapy means 'mas-sage'. As a matter of fact there isno 'massage' in Ayurveda Therapy.The systematic application ofmedicated oil is called 'massage'which actually is "Abhyangam".Panchakarma means the five'kriyas', which is to purify andeliminate the impurities from thebody. They are: 1. NASYAM (application of small drops ofmedicine through nose)2. VAMANAM (induced vomiting)3. VIRECHANAM (purgation)4. VASTHI (medicated enema)5. RAKTHAMOKSHAM (bloodlet-ting)Panchakarma is purification therapy.

IMPORTANT THERAPIESThe various other 'Kriyas' for var-ious purposes are given below:

REJUVENATION THERAPY (ABYANGAM & SWEDANAM)Systematic application of med-icated oil on the body, medicatedsteam and bath.Duration : 1 hourIndication: Low back ache, com-plexion of skin, muscular toning,body shaping, increase in mem-ory, vigor & vitality, retard ageingprocess.

SIRODHARAPouring of lukewarm medicatedoil on the forehead.Duration : 30 minutesIndication: Loss of sleep, eye dis-eases, mental diseases, stress, hair

loss, migraine, neurological prob-lems, stiffness in neck, etcNASYAMApplication of small drop/dropsof medicine through nose.Duration : 30 minutesIndication: Migraine, facial paral-ysis, bell's plasy, frozen shoulder,ENT problems, etc.KIZHI (Elakizhi, Navarakizhi, Narangak-izhi, Podikizhi, etc)Fomentation with various combi-nations of fresh herbal leaves,medicines, etc..Duration : 1 hourIndication: Muscular dystrophy,cervical & lumbar spondylosis,paralysis, lumbago, rheumaticpains, sports injuries, rejuvenation,etc.NETRA TARPANAM, PUDA-PAKAMApplication of medicines on theeyesDuration : 15 to 30 minutesIndication: Various eye diseasesUDWARTHANAMApplication of medicated powderon the bodyDuration : 45 minutesIndication: ObesityPIZHICHILPouring of lukewarm medicatedoil on the body systematicallyDuration : 45 minutesIndication: Paralysis, sciatica,Osteo-arthritis, horse feet, numb-ness, disc prolepses, etc.BEST TREATMENTS

Apart from REJUVENATION pro-gramme, OBESITY treatments,COSMETIC packages, treatmentfacilities are also available for var-ious diseases.

con forms to the certification for GoodManufacturing Practices (G.M.P) as laiddown by the Drugs Controller, DrugsControl Department, Government of Ker-ala. Santhigiri medicines reach the handsof ultimate users anywhere in the worldthrough a well-organized network of over70 branches, more than thousand agen-cies and dealers.

The profit out of the medicine salesare used for charitable purposes like free

food, accommodation, education, reha-bilitation etc., measures - all with theblessings of GURU.

The Santhigiri Ashram had a humblebeginning with a small thatch roofed hutbarely of twenty square feet. Now it hasmore than 1500 inmates from all walks oflife, bulk of them are volunteers, who gettheir barest necessities, only in exchangefor most grueling tasks for most of theday. The self imposed discipline to ac-

complish the existing work is a phenom-ena worth seeing to be believed.

How to Reach:Santhigiri Ashram is situated on a

beautiful hillock, 24 Kms. away fromTrivandrum city, capital of Kerala, SouthIndia. Government buses and private tax-ies are available to reach Ashram.

Tel No. +91 471 419313 or 419056Fax No.+91 471 419076www.santhigiri.com

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Shopping in Kerala make for a de-lightful experience. It is as excit-ing as touring the mystical place.The land is traditionally rich in

handicrafts. Apart from the usual knick-knacks, there are many eatables that youcan buy in Kerala.

The famed banana chips are avail-able in each and every shop in Kerala.While in Kerala, shopping can be done inmajor cities like Kochi, Trivandrum, Cali-cut etc. In all major cities, you will find

not only the flea markets but also glitter-ing malls and showrooms. You shouldn'thave much of a problem in decidingwhat to buy in Kerala.

Kerala is famous for gold and everyroad in Kerala's major cities will have ahuge jewellery shop.Indian gold is priceyso check the on going rates before youbuy anything.

Apart from jewellery, Kerala is well-known for its ivory carvings, pottery,brocade fabrics and earthenware prod-

ucts. Also famous are the Indian spicesthat are available in Kerala. You canchoose from turmeric, pepper, gingerpowder and other exotic spices that areavailable only in Kerala.

Do not hesitate to bargain a bit onthe prices. Chances are that you may geta discount of around Rs. 50 - Rs.100.Katahakali is a renowned dance form inKerala. Kathakali-masks made of woodor papier-mâché are also favourite buyswith the tourists.

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Travel

When folks living in a place called God's Own

Country refer to another piece of land as 'Green

Paradise', you know there's something extraordi-

nary about it. And Wayanad, on the southern tip

of the Western Ghats, is proof. Wayanad - with its

mist-clad hills, sprawling spice plantations and

evergreen woods - was a rejuvenating experi-

ence for us. It can be one for you too.paradisepicturesque drive to

Travel


UP ABOVE THE

WAYANAD HILLS Visu

als:

Aji C

olon

ia

Tucked away at an altitude of700-2100 meters above sealevel, Wayanad is probably theonly hill station of its kind in

Kerala. As my car wound its way up theThamarassery Ghat, I craned my neck tohave a peek at a banyan tree bound by alarge chain around its trunk. Legend hasit that a tribal from Wayanad had showeda British engineer (who was searching fora route to build a road running throughWayanad) the Thamarassery Ghat as aneasy way to reach Mysore fromKozhikode. Eager to take credit for thesame, the engineer bumped off the tribal.He buried the latter’s body under anearby banyan tree. Soon after theseroads were built, the Thamarassery Ghatwitnessed a spurt in the number of acci-

dents. These horrendous accidents wereattributed to the tribal’s wanton spirithaunting the place. Before long, an exor-cist was summoned… The latter is said tohave chained the tribal’s spirit onto thatbanyan tree. It’s believed that since, therehas been a dramatic fall in the number ofaccidents here.

Wayanad District lies in the WesternGhats at an altitude of 2,300-7,000 ft. Ithas an area of around 2,100 sq km, and apopulation of around 7 lakh, whichmakes it the least populous district ofKerala. This adds to its charm, for peoplewho have been to Wayanad are capti-vated by the pastoral serenity and theslow pace of life they encounter every-where. The district has three main towns,namely, Kalpetta, Mananthavady and

Sulthan Bathery (thus called becauseTipu Sultan built a fort there). Of these,Kalpetta, which is closest to Kozhikode, isthe district headquarters and usually, thefirst stop in any tour of Wayanad.

Kalpetta has one lake (Pookote Lake,situated 8 km away), one peak (ChembraPeak, about 14 km away), several water-falls and resorts aplenty. But for wildlife,one has to seek out the other two towns,namely Mananthavady and Sulthan Bath-ery, from where it is easier to access theWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The hills,rocks and valleys, which contribute to thevery unique character of Wayanad, pro-vide a lot of adventure tourism. Trekkingto the Chembra peak is a risky moun-taineering endeavour. Chembra peak, thehighest hill in Wayanad, is near Meppady


Travel

a typical wayanad tree house


town. Trekking to the top of the peaktakes almost a day. Tourists can also stayone or two days at the top of the peak intemporary camps. District Tourism Pro-motion Council provides guides, sleepingbags, canvases, huts and trekking imple-ments on hire. The scenic beauty ofWayanad, which is visible from the top ofChembra, is very exhilarating.

Sulthan Bathery is considered theheadquarters of the Wayanad WildlifeSanctuary (Tel: 04936-220454). TheMuthanga Wildlife Range (15 km) andTholpetty Wildlife Range (70 km) are thetwo entry points into the sanctuary. Thelatter comprises the northern section ofthe sanctuary and is therefore also knownas Upper Wayanad WLS. It is around 25km from Mananthavady. The southern

Thamarassery Ghat

the peak of chembra

section, the Muthanga Wildlife Range orLower Wayanad WLS, is 15 km fromSulthan Bathery on the road to Mysore. Incase you are interested in going on thePakshipathalam trek, you should get intouch with the Deputy Conservator ofForests, North Wayanad, Mananthavady(Tel: 04936-240233, 09447979074).

Muthanga is contiguous with theBandipur NP in Karnataka and the Mudu-malai WLS in Tamil Nadu while theTholpetty Wildlife Range is contiguouswith the Nagarhole NP in Karnataka. Inother words, Wayanad, Mudumalai, Na-garhole and Bandipur constitute a singlelarge forest tract separated only by polit-ical boundaries.

In the fringe areas of the sanctuaryare Inspection Bungalows of the KeralaForest Department; visitors can stay atboth these places with prior permission.You can hire trained guides (Rs 100 perday) at the Muthanga and Tholpettyrange offices. There are no Forest Depart-ment jeeps but you can hire private jeepsfrom Muthanga and Tholpetty check-posts and also from Sulthan Bathery (Rs250 per trip). The Forest Department isplanning to start jeep safaris. Trekkingpackages (Rs 500-1,500) covering 3- to32-km long trails in the sanctuary, arealso likely to be offered soon.

Tourists can visit the watchtower inthe tourist zone but the ones located inthe core area are out of bounds. It may bepossible for tourists to visit these oncethe department launches its trekking

packages. No night travelis permitted; excep-

tions are by

special permission only. Sanctuary entryfee Indians Rs 10, foreigners Rs 100 Guidefee Rs 100 Vehicle entry fee Rs 50-150Cameras Rs 25-150 Sanctuary timings 6-9 am, 3-6 pm

Major Attractions:Banasura Sagar Dam: This is the largestearth dam in India. The topography hereis such that many islands will be formedin the upstream of the dam when the damis full. These islands with the backgroundof the Banasura hill will provide a hypno-tising sight to tourists.Edakkal Cave: This location is breath-tak-ing beauty is three kilometers from Am-balavayal which is 25 kms. from Kalpetta.The Edakkal cave in the AmbukuthyMountain is not a cave in the real sense.it is only 'a cleft about 96 ft. long and 22ft. wide in the rock'. It is a fissure made bya corner of rock splitting off from themain body due to some natural causes.The depth of both the cleft and the fissureis 30 ft. Kuruva Island: The Kuruva Island, 950acres of evergreen forest on the tributar-ies of east following river Kabani, is anideal picnic spot, far away from the dis-turbance of city life. The island is unin-habited. Rare spicies of birds, orchids andherbs are the sovereigns of this supernalkingdom. It is 17 kms. east of Manan-thavady and 40 kms. north west ofSulthan Bathery.Lakkidi: One of the highest locations inWayanad, Lakkidi also commands pictur-esque scenery. It is about58 kms. north east of

Kozhikode and five kms. south of Vythiri.Lakkidi, the gateway of Wayanad, liesatop Thamarassery, a ghats pass at an el-evation of 700 m. above mean sea level.

The lofty mountain peaks, the gurgingstream, luxuriant vegetation and the bird'seye view of the deep valley on the south,with its winding roads, are breath taking. Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary:Muthanga, which is 16 kms. east ofSulthan Bathery, is located very near tothe Karnataka border. Wild forests cover-ing an area of 345 sq.kms. from theMuthanga Wild Life Sanctuary; thebiggest abode of wild animals in Malabar. Pakshipathalam: Pakshipathalam in theBrahmagiri hills at Thirunelli is a chal-lenging tourist spot for any adventureseeking tourist. To reach Pakshipathalam,seventeen kms have to be coveredthrough wild forest. The deep rock caves,formed among the thick blocks of rocksat the northern top end of the Brahmagiri,are the abode of various birds and wildbeasts. Special permissions have to beobtained from Forest Department to goto Pakshipathalam. Pookot Lake :It is a natural fresh waterlake, brimmed with evergreen mountains.The weather here is salacious; the scenicbeauty, hypnotising and the nature, un-spoiled. Pookot Lake tourist resort in-Vythiri is the most sought after touristspot of Wayanad. Soochippara Waterfall: The waterfalls atSoochippara near Meppadi are really atreasure of nature, yet to be discovered.The stretches of waterfalls ranging atplaces from 100 to 300 feet height are a

treat to the eyes. The tree top huts atSoochippara give a unique view of

the valleys of the WesternGhats.

Travel


chembra hills

Opposite page: Climbing the peak of chembra

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Kerala.

Profile: Vythiri is a picturesque place lo-

cated in the sylvan Northern High Ranges

of Kerala in Wayanad district. Exclusive,

comfortable,

re f resh ing,

pollution free

and inspiring.

Acres and

acres of lush

green land

interspersed

with perennial streams and rolling hills, at

Vythiri, an undertaking of Primeland Hold-

ings Pvt. Ltd. situated near the Pookode

Lake, in Wayanad District.

For Reservation: vythiriresorts@hotelsker-

ala.com

Greeshmam Resorts Valley View, Lakkidi-673 576,

Wayanad District, Kerala.

Facilities: Exclusive Keralites hospitality.

Distinctive ambience. Mesmerizing natural

beauty. 44 well appointed rooms.

Ay u r ve d i c

rejuvenation

c e n t r e .

O p e n - a i r

stage. Cof-

fee Shop.

Mul t i -Cu i-

sine restau-

rant. Malabar Delicacies. Large Lawn area

for functions and parties. Mini conference

hall. Club House. Room Service. Laundry.

Doctor on call. Arranged sight seeing

tours. Pick up and drop. 60 KM from Cali-

cut city. 88 KM from Calicut Airport. Lo-

cated at Lakkidi, Wayanad. off

Calicut-Bangalore-Mysore-Ooty NH-212.

For Reservation: greeshmam@hotelsker-

ala.com

Stream Valley CottagesUnder Home-Stay of Kerala Tourism

Vythiri, Wayanad, Kerala.

Facilities: Round the year flowing stream

for Natural Bathing. Exclusive tree House.

Attic with grass thatched roof. The Natural

Landscapes & Trees preserved. Eco-

friendly cot-

tages on stills

with view of

the stream.

Round the

year flower-

ing plants,

winders on

trees. Luxurious living room with convert-

ible sofas, Dining facilities and Cable TV.

Spacious bedrooms with ward robe Lug-

gage rake, Dressing area etc. Modern Toi-

lets with round the clock Hot Water.

Kitchenette with Cutlery, Crockery, vessels,

fridge etc., Balcony with Wooden flooring

overlooking the stream. Central Kitchen for

Traditional food (service on request). Inter-

com Telephone, Internet connection, Ever-

green lawns & landscaped well lit

walkways. Covered Car parking & Drivers

accommodation. Outdoor dining and Bar-

beque facilities.

For Reservation: streamvalley@hotelsker-

ala.com

Tranquil

ResortsAswati Plan-

tations Ltd.

Kuppamud i

Coffee

Estate,

Kolagapara PO,

Sultan Battery, Wayanad- 673591, Kerala.

Profile:Tranquil believes in promoting eco-

tourism in India in an unusual way. It is part

of a working coffee plantation spread

across 400 acres. In the midst of this plan-

tation is a sprawling bungalow with an old-

world charm. Here you will be staying as

house guests of Mrs. & Mr. Dey.

For Reservation: tranquilresort@hotelsker-

ala.com.

for more hotels & resorts energize@

www.nonstopkerala.com

Wayanad

Food & Drink


Kerala offers one of the most varied cuisines of

any place on the planet. These goodies are best

appreciated with nothing between you and the

eating experience. Those unfortunates who have

used cutlery all their lives might like to scan the in-

structions on the gracious art of eating with your

fingers. Here is something worth trying out –

wonderful perlspot from kumarakom backwaters.Fish it out

Food & Drink


Karimeen

Pollichathu• 2 Pearl spot fish (Karimeen) • A piece of ginger, finely chopped • 5 Green chillies, finely chopped • 1/2 Cup small onions, chopped • 1 Cup thick coconut milk • A few Curry leaves • A few Plantain leaves • Oil as required

For paste • 1 Piece ginger • 2 tsp Chilly powder • 5 Garlic pods • 1 tbsp Pepper powder • A few curry leaves • 1 tsp Turmeric powder • Salt to taste

How to make• Grind ginger, garlic pods, chilly powder,pepper powder, turmeric powder, curryleaves and salt for making a fine paste.• Marinate the fish with the above paste forabout one hour.• Coat few heated plantain leaves with oil.• Place the marinated fish over it and putthe entire thing in a frying pan.• Cover and cook it over low flame till it isdone.• Take another frying pan and heat oil,sauté chopped onions, ginger, green chill-ies and curry leaves in it.• Place the cooked fish without the plan-tain leaves in the above pan and coat itwell with the sautéed masala.• Combine coconut milk and mix well.• Simmer for few minutes, until all thewater gets evaporated.• Wrap them in the plantain leaves andserve.

from the land of coconuts

Visu

als:

Prav

een

Elay

i

banquet

Food & Drink


Kumarakom the charmingemerald peninsula jutting intothe ever-effervescent Vem-banad Lake takes you into the

heart of the scenic lake where you'll comeacross plenty of traditional countrycrafts, boats and canoes. The fresh waterof the lake runs into the mainland makinga labyrinth of lagoons, brooks, canals andwaterways. The backwater houses a vari-ety of species of both fauna and floraWhen nature is all you need to recuper-ate, Kumarakom is undoubtedly the mostinvigorating, fascinating paradise on Ker-ala, God's own country. The slender co-

conut palms standing here, there andeverywhere, its never ending paddy fields,meandering lagoons and backwaters,mangroves nesting birds of a hundred va-rieties can peacefully calm and invigorateyour mind with renewed inspiration foryour vocation and life. That is the pristinebeauty of Kumarakom.

The Food:Kumarakom offers you a plethora of

dining options, from Chinese to North In-dian, continental to American and manymore. Rice and fish is the staple diet ofKumarakom. Also, like other parts of Ker-

ala, you will find coconut as a major in-gredient in all the food that you get to eathere. Other food is typically south Indianlike idli, dosa, uthapam and sambhar.Food is generally very spicy and will havea rich taste of coconut which may not becherished by people coming from outsideof Kerala. Some of the most populardishes amongst the tourists are the SyrianChristian Duck Roast, Thamarappam,Karimeen Mappas, Duck Curry, KarimeenPollichathu, soft spongy rice bread calledAppam, Idiappams (string-hoppers), etc.besides tropical fruits, vegetables and ce-reals.


Lakesong:Lapped upon by inviting waters, cooledby fresh breeze and waving coconutfronds…awaits the sought after blissfultranquility called “Lakesong”. Nestledamong the serene backwaters of Ku-marakom, Lakesong comprises of 8 acresof facility packed leisure land. It is indeeda retreat with a difference in that it offersexcellent facilities with uncompromisingquality and superb service. It is an idyllicretreat that offers an unparallel opportu-nity to savor the magical sensation ofKerala. A true Kerala retreat, Eastend

Lakesong Kumarkom has an innovativeinland private canal which allows you toreach the reception desk, all by boat! Theresort offers cottages and rooms done incolonial style.

The rooms are well appointed withair conditioning, cable television, direct-dial telephone and Wi-Fi system. It offersa neatly laid out gabled cottages androoms with tiled roof and unplastered ex-teriors are reminiscent of the MalabarMansions and blend in to the lush greenlandscaped ground harmoniously, inAcres of land with largest water front, allwith very modern facilities.

Getting there:Air: International airports at Trivandrum,Cochin and Calicut connecting flightsfrom Kerala and abroad. Nearest airportis Cochin.Rail: Connecting from major cities inIndia. Nearest railway station is Kot-tayam.Road: The nearest bus terminal is at Kot-tayam, 14 Km away by road.Best Time to Visit:Winter: October - January (22 - 32 Dg. C)The best season to visit is between No-vember and March.

left & previous page: Eastend Lakesong Resort, Kumarkom.

top: Chef Ajaib preparing Karimeen Pollichathu. See the previous page for recipe.

Food & Drink


Naadan Meen (Fish)

Curry with Kudam PuliIngredients1. Fish – 8 to10 curry sized pieces (I used Seer Fish/Ney Meen) 2. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp 3. Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp 4. Kudam Puli (Garcinia/Kokum/Kokam) – 3 or 4 small pieces 5. Finely Sliced Shallots/Pearl Onions – 6 to 8 6. Slit Green Chilies – 4 7. Minced Ginger – 2 tbsp 8. Minced Garlic – 2 tbsp 9. Curry Leaves – A sprig 10. Fish Masala Powder – 2 tbsp 11. Kashmiri Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp 12. Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp 13. Fenugreek Powder (Uluva) – 1/4 tsp 14. Oil – 2 tbsp 15. coconut past -70 grm16. coconut milk -70 ml17. Water – as required 18. Salt – to taste

For Marinating1. Fish Masala Powder – 1 tbsp 2. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp 3. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp 4. Salt – to taste

Preparation Method1. Wash and clean the fish fillets. Add a pinch of turmericpowder and 1 tbsp lemon juice to water and soak the fishfillets for 5 minutes. Drain and keep aside. 2. Prepare a marinade using the above ingredients andrub it on the fish. 3. Meanwhile peel the shallots and slice it into smallround pieces. 4. Soak the cocum pieces in a cup of warm water. 5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pan. Add the shallots and sautéfor a while. 6. Add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger and garlic andsauté. 7. Make a paste using chilly powder, fish masala powderand coriander powder adding very little water. 8. Reduce heat and add the paste. Stir for 3-4 minutesuntil the raw smell disappears. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp fenugreekpowder and stir. 9. Add the kokum (kudam puli) pieces along with half ofthe tamarind water. 10. Add 2 more cups of water and little salt. Increase heatand bring the gravy to a boil. 11. Reduce heat to medium and add the fish fillets alongwith the marinade. Cook uncovered for 15 minutesswirling the pan occasionally. 12. Add coconut past and milk .cook 30 seconds more13. Switch off the stove and cover the pan. Keep this fishcurry for atleast 6-7 hours before serving, so that the fishabsorbs all the flavors. You can remove a few pieces ofkudam puli/kokum if you find the gravy to be very sour.

They say when you are in Rome, do as Romans do. Likeways, whenyou are in Kerala... Start with a mouth watering local dish- all spicy,all delish.

Shibu, Executive Chef, Hotel The Senete, Providence Road, Kochi isall happy to be your tutor.

Here we go:Let us make this curry usingseer fish- locally known asney meen. This Meen Curryis lot more healthy than themore famed Kerala FriedFish. It could be served withrice or chappathi. I boughtthis fish from Chambakkarafish market. I had to rushthere- early in the morning,which finally paid off. I gotthe best of the catch. Hereare some tips that have tobe born in your mind whilepicking up fish:

1. Eyes should be bright and not sunken2. Gills should be red3. The tail should be stiff4. The flesh should firm and flabby5. Their should not be any un-pleasant odour Shibu

Art & Culture


Culturally, Kerala presents a pageant not found

anywhere else in India. Until some years back it

was just the Kathakali or theyyam performances.

The stage has changed. Kerala has developed its

traditional theatre to the heights many never

dreamed off. The local theatre, once filled with

soap operas is on the change. Chayamukhi, a

state-of-art drama shows us how this happens. without Limitations

Expression


Art & Culture

The Magical

Spectrum

Visu

als:

raja

n ka

rimoo

la

Mohanlal and Mukesh in Chayamukhi

Art & Culture


It is easy to love, but difficult to beloved. Each and every human being, atsome point of their life passes throughthis situation. This is not a situation. It’s acurse- Curse of Love. This has been thestory from the beginning and will last tillthe end. Prasanth Narayanan, the directorof the play, has drawn this universal truthby CHAYAMUKHI, the story taken fromepic Mahabharata.

The play revolves around a magicalmirror, call it ‘CHAYAMUKHI’. TheDemon princess Hidumbi loved Bheemaand gifted him a mirror. The mirror,CHAYAMUKHI, never reflects the person,but the image of the onlooker’s ardentloved. Hidumbi asks Bheema to look intothe mirror. It was Draupadi in the mirror.Hidumbi realizes that his mind was filledwith Draupadi. First time, we recognize, itis easy to love, but difficult to be loved.The agony is the same, be it princess orthe demon.

Union of Geniuses

As the curtain went up for the openingshow of CHAYAMUKHI, on 12th March2009, few realized it as the introductionof the greatest positive sign in the con-temporary Malayalam theatre. Dias wit-nessed for some fabulous moments-coming back of versatile actors Mohanlaland Mukesh to the stage, young and vi-brant director Prasanth Narayanan’scraft, Pattanam Rasheed’s technical skillsof makeup and folk melody by com-posers Mohan Sithara and Vidhyadharan.Moreover, it was the willingness to spenda big fortune to this unsupportive arena.

Mohanlal- Take best ten actors (eitherfilm or theatre) from India, he is one ofthem. Take five; no doubt, he is one ofthem. Make it three; definitely, he is oneof them. And name the final one; that isMohanlal. He is a regular face in Indiancinema for the last 25 years withnawarasa (nine emotions of acting).

Mohanlal’s transformation from filmto the theatre as Bheema, the centralcharacter of CHAYAMUKHI, is astonish-ing. It is his first full length Malayalamplay. Earlier, Mohanlal had costumed forthe role of Karna in ‘Karna Bharam’, San-skrit play, by the noted playwrightKavalam Narayana Panickar. Two timenational award winner and one of thebusiest figures in the Indian film industry,Mohanlal, and his crew have rehearsedfor sixty days to present CHAYAMUKHI

nicely. Prasanth Narayanan- Oh my God,

why had he waited 38 years, to come upwith such a top level play? May be the an-swer is this- Mr. Narayanan is an extra or-dinary genius. Mr. Narayanan wrote an‘Aattakkatha’ (Kathakali play), ‘Bharathantham’ in 1991, when he was 18. Is it pos-sible, an eighteen year boy make a filmlike ‘Titanic’? In Kathakali play, Bharathantham stands peer with Titanic, if not of

greater value. Late twenties and the earlier of thirties

of Mr. Narayanan were the period of wan-dering. He was drifting through the Subcontinent with no aim in particular. Hecould not call to mind, when it happened.Definitely it was one of his alcoholicevenings at a village in Gujarat. A folk talepassed through his ear. It was the tale ofa magic mirror and villagers called itCHAYAMUKHI. And rest remains history.


Mukesh- Hats off to the producer andthe anti hero of the play CHAYAMUKHI,Mukesh. He may be the anti hero in theplay but not for Malayalam theatre.Mukesh’s character keechaka enters thedais in a hysteric mood and the playreaches to high altitude from there.

Mukesh’s Kalidasa visual magic spentaround one million US dollars forCHAYAMUKHI to bring it on theatre. Thiseffort was amazing and critically ap-

plauded, especially in a stage where the-atre plays are fast becoming nothingshort of mimics or soap operas. “It wasnot for any personal gain that I wanted toproduce this play; my aim is to bring au-diences back to the theatre, Mukesh ex-plain his intention.

Brocken Rhythm of love

Amidst thrilling victories over his op-ponents, Bheema feels loneliness. He ex-

presses his grief over his lost love evenafter leasing his faith on Draupadi. Themagic mirror unveils the minds of allcharacters. It was draupadi for Bheema,Arjuna for draupadi and again draupadifor keechaka as well. Bheema’s depth ofloneliness gradually overwins his emo-tions. Towards the end of the play, whenBheema tries to kill Keechaka, he noticesDraupadi’s face in mirror, this time theonlooker being Keechaka. Bheema feelssorry for Keechaka even after seeing this.Here, Keechaka’s words stirring theminds of viewers, “Bheema, please killme. Otherwise you may see my face inChayamukhi because of the soft heartedapproach impulsively formed in yourmind towards me.”

The play ends with a monologue fromBheema which reveals the bitter truththat love is often killed by the arrow of re-ality, dipped in the highly toxic preten-sion, which deceives mankind.

Prasanth Narayanan, the playwriter and actor, Chayamukhi

Chayamukhi on stage, extreme right is Mohanlal, the lead

Catch Up


Kerala Festival Calendar

2010

Padayani Kadammanitta Padayani: 14 to 21 Apr 2010 Neelamperoor Padayani: 18 Sep 2010Othara Padayani: 24 Mar 2010 Theyyam Kanathoor NalvarBhoothasthanam: 28 Dec 2009 to 01 Jan 2010 Kuttikkol Thampuratty Theyyam: 22 to 26 Feb 2010 Perumthitta Tharavad Kottamkuzhy: 06 to 15 Dec 2009

Elephant PageantsAdoor Gajamela: 26 Jan 2010 Arattupuzha Pooram: 28 Mar 2010 Chinakkathoor Pooram: 28 Feb 2010 Parippally Gajamela: 07 Mar 2010 Pariyanampetta Pooram: 19 Feb 2010 Thrissur Pooram : 24 Apr 2010 Uthralikavu Pooram: 02 Mar 2010

OnamOnam – The Festival: 02 Sep 2009 Pulikali : 05 Sep 2009 ThripunithuraAthachamayam: 23 Aug 2009

Temple FestivalsAttuvela Mahotsavam: 19 Mar 2010 Chettikulangara Bharani: 20 Feb 2010 Kalpathi Ratholsavam: 13, 14, 15 Nov 2010 Kodungalloor Bharani:20 Mar 2010 Machattu Mamangam: 23 Feb 2010 Malanada Kettukazhcha:26 Mar 2010 Nenmara Vallangi Vela : 03 Apr 2010

Thaipooya Mahotsavam, Harippad: 30 Jan 2010 Thaipooya Mahotsavam,Koorkancherry : 30 Jan 2010 Thirunakkara festival: 15 to 24 Mar 2010 Vaikathashtami Festival: 25 Nov 2009

Snake Boat RacesAranmula Boat Race: 06 Sep 2009 Champakkulam Boat Race: 26Jun 2010 Nehru Trophy Boat Race:08 Aug 2010 Payippad Boat Race:04 Sep 2010

ChandanakkudamPattambi Nercha:07 Feb 2010 Kanjiramattom Kodikuthu: Jan13-14 every year

Feasts Arthunkal Perunnal: 20 Jan 2010 Edathua Perunnal: 27 Apr to 7 May 2010 Koratty Muthy's Feast: Second week of October Malayattoor Perunnal:1 st Sunday after EasterManarcad Perunnal, Kottayam: 1 to 8 Sep 2010 Parumala Perunnal: 02 Nov 2010 Vettukadu Perunnal - Feast ofChrist, the King: 3rd week of No-vember

District wise festival list

AlappuzhaAMBALAPUZHAMOOLAKAZHCHA: 26-06-2010 Ambalapuzha Sree KrishnaTem-ple : Elephants, Percussion : 23-04-2010ARTHUNGAL CHURCH: Offer-ing gold & silver replicas ofHuman limbs - rare ritual: 20-

01-2010 Chambakulam Boat race: 26-06-2010 Chettikulangara Devi Temple:BHARANI MAHOTSAVAM 7days Art forms & Kuthiyottom:20-02-2010 ChettikulangaraKettukazhcha : 19-03-2010NEHRU TROPHY BOAT RACE:Punnamada Lake 14-08-2010 Payippattu Boat Race: 25-08-2010 Rajiv Gandhi Trophy Boat Race:Pulinkunnu Lake. 05-11-2010

ErnakulamAluva Manapuram Siva Temple Elephants, Percussion & Spl pg-mmes.- PITHRUBALI: 12-02-2010 Ambattukavu Thalapol Ele-phants Percussion procession:19-03-2010 Chottanikkara Devi Temple: Ul-savam 9 days - Elephants per-cussion 8th day important:22-02-2010 Chottanikkara Devi Temple:Makom Thozhal 2 P.M.: 28-02-2010 Edaprakkavu Ambasserykavu:Kakkur - Bullock Cart Race - 4days: 19-02-2010Elavoor Puthenkavu: Elephants,Percussion, special ritual'THOOKKAM': 23-04-2010 ERNAKULAM SIVA TEMPLEUTSAVAM: 21-01-2010 Kalikkotta Palace, Thrip-punithura: Kathakali Program:17-01-2010 St. Mary's Forane Church, Ko-ratty: procession with Candles -2 days: 16-10-2010 St. Thomas Church, Malayattoor:Climbing the Hill to the SacredGolden Cross of St. Thomas: 11-04-2010 Thrippunithura Athachamayamprocession: 10-09-2010 Vamanamurthy templeThrikkakra: Utsavam - 10 days -last day GRAND POORAM: 14-

08-2010 Vypeen W. Island: 6 Days -Vypeen Carnival - (New YearEve Important) 26-12-2010

Idukki1000 Acre Temple ("Ayiram AcreTemple"): Utsavam - Kavidi &Art forms - 3 days : 28-01-2010 Kali Temple Muthirapuzha: Ele-phants, Percussion & Art Forms,Kallarkudi: 20-03-2010 Mangala Devi Temple: Rituals,Festivals - Kerala TamilnaduBorder: 28-04-2010Nedukandam Tourism Festival:26-01-2010

KannurMuchilot Kavu: 10 Theyyam -Onakkunnu - 6 days: 07-01-2010Adukkaden Tharavad: 7Theyyam – Mathil: 29-10-2010Kizhakkara Chamundi temple:Theyyam "Vayalattom" specialart Forms. 01-03-2010 Mambalam: 6 Theyyam-of various Deivams - 4 days: 28-01-2010 Mavilakavu Daivathar Temple:Mudiyettu, Adi & Thikkal (Martial Arts) - 6 days 14-04-2010PARASSANIKADAVU Muthap-pan: ANNUAL CELEBRATIONS- Puthari Thiruvappana: 02-12-2010

KasaragodAnantheswara Sidhi VinayakaTemple: Utsavam 5 days - Yak-shagaanam - (Growing Idol) 13-04-2010 Gulikabana MangalpadiSpecial ritual festival - Sonkal 10-06-2010 Hossankudi Ayyappa Temple:AYYAPPOLSAVAM - Processionwith & Fireworks: 09-01-2010 Parayil Paradevatha Vet-takkaran T.: Pattulsavam -12000 Coconut breaking: 07-02-


2010 Kottayam

Mahadeva Temple: GrandVaikom Ashtami Utsavam 12Days : 19-11-2010Mahadeva Temple: PALLIVETTA- Elephants & Percussion: Ash-tami vilakku: 29-11-2010 Neelamperoor 16 days' Pa-dayani: - Special Art Forms -Last Day Imp: 08-09-2010 Panachikad Saraswathy temple:Navarathri - cultural pro-grammes :08-10-2010

KollamAanayadipazhayidomNarasimhaswamy Temple Ut-savam: 10 days - last 2 daysPooram: 08-01-2010 Duryodhana Temple, MalanadaColorful fest, fireworks: 26-03-2010 Ochira festival: 12 days - Per-cussion & cultural programmesand rituals: 17-11-2010

KozhikodeMahi Church: GRAND CHURCHFESTIVAL - 3 days: 14-10-2010 Mananchira :Elephants, Percus-sion - Ayyappanvilakku - fullnight: 11-12-2010 Mananchira Ground :MalabarMahotsavam - 4 Days: 13-01-2010 Sree NarasimhaParthasarathi Temple: RATHOLSAVAM - 6days:07-02-2010

MalappuramKolady Thar-avaduShrine,Pon-

nani :"PANTHEERAYIROM' -

12000 Coconut breaking ritual -Oracle etc.: 18-12-2010 Malamakkavu Ayyappa Temple:All Kerala Thayambaka Compe-tition :13-11-2010 Navamukunda Temple:Ekadeshi festival - Elephants &Percussion: 25-02-2010

PalakkadAamakkavu Devi Temple, Na-galassery: GRAND POORAM :MANY ELEPHANTS, ORACLE,FOLK ART FORMS: 14-03-2010 Chamminikkavu, Aloor: THOLPAVAKOOTHU - 14 days:16-02-2010 Chithali : B U F F A L O / B U L LO C K RACE: 25-08-2010 Grand MosqueFestival :Ele-phants,Percus-sion &

Procession - 2 days: 11-02-2010 KALPATHI RADHOTSAVAM: 3days grand festivities - Chariotpushed by elephants - 3 Days:14-11-2010 KAMBATH CHALLA: BULLOCKCART RACE: 10-01- Koduvayur: Onam festivities -Martial art : "AVITTATHALLU":24-08-2010

PathanamthittaAranmula Vallamkali :SnakeBoat race in Pampa Lake: 27-08-2010 Kadammanitta Devi Temple: Pa-dayani & Percussion - (8th dayimportant) - 10 days:14-04-2010 Orippurath Thattayil: Ket-tukazhcha, Garudanthookkom,Votif Horses etc.- 2 days: 20-03-2010 Sabarimala Arattu at Pampa: Ut-savam 10 days - Elephants Per-cussion & procession:29-03-2010 Sabarimala SasthaTemple: Idol Installation Day -Niramala, Chuttuvilakku & ritu-als : 24-05-2010

ThiruvananthapuramAttukal Devi Temple: Utsavam9th day - P O N K A L A M A HO L S A V A M: 01-03-2010 Padmanabhaswamy temple:Ten Days' Utsavam - LastDay Royal Procession toseashore: 04-11-2010 Pazhavangady Ganapa-thy Kovil: VinayakaChathurthi - Chariot,Elephants & Percus-sion: 11-09-2010 Varkala Temple: Ele-phants, Percussion,

Kavidi, Garu-

danthookkam & Other Artforms: 21-02-2010

ThrissurGuruvayur Temple: PAL-LIVETTA - procession, men dis-guised as animals & Birds:06-03-Kalamandalam MahanavamiProgramme: Kathakali, artforms - full night: 16-10-2010 Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple Elephants race at: UtsavamKodiyettu: 26-02-2010 Thrissur Town: ELEPHANTS& Percussion: ThrissurPOORAM (30 Hours): 24-04-2010

WayanadIrulam Sitha Devi temple: ThiraVellattu - LAVA & KUSHA - Pul-pally - 6 Days: 02-01-2010 Pazhoor Mahavishnu temple:THIRA, Kappuvayal: 09-03-2010 Veliyambam Kotta Siva temple:THIRA-VELLATTU: 06-02-2010 Disclaimer : In Kerala, festivaldates are decided in accordancewith the Malayalam calendarand the local traditions and cus-toms. Festival dates have beencalculated based on these. Butthere can be changes in thedates according the customsand rituals associated with eachplace of worship. As such, thisshould be considered only as anapproximate calendar and thedates confirmed with the localauthorities.

Content courtesy: Department of Tourism,Kerala Government.

Signing Off


After a late lunch of freshly caught fish, I wonderedaround the ferry terminal and found this man sleep-

ing next to the shuttered ticket booth.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IILens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USMExposure: 0.4Aperture: f/4.0Focal Length: 24 mmISO Speed: 100Exposure Bias: -2/3 EVFlash: Off, Did not fireExposure Program: Program AEDate and Time (Original): 2009:07:12 17:54:53.11+05:30Date and Time (Digitized): 2009:07:12 17:54:53Max Aperture Value: 4.0Metering Mode: Multi-segmentSub Sec Time Original: 11Sub Sec Time Digitized: 11Custom Rendered: NormalExposure Mode: AutoWhite Balance: Auto

Photographer: visual_entropyflick page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/visual_entropy/

go kerala magazine dec 2009

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