St. Francis Church COCHIN (Heritage Monument)
Kalaripayatu Dance
A Mohiniattam Dancer
A Kathakali Dancer
CIAL India’s first private airport.
Dutch Palace COCHIN (Heritage Monument)
Santa Cruz Basilica COCHIN (Heritage Monument)
Pardesi Synagogue COCHIN (Heritage Monument)
Bolgatty Palace, now run as a heritage hotel by the tourism department, is a classic example of how the local traditions mixed with the foreign influences to create palaces and churches great beauty and charm.
Alappuzha, known as the Venice of the East
Thekkady – the main entrance to the famous Periyar tiger reserve .
Kumarakom, located on the banks of the beautiful Vembanad Lake
A houseboat in Vembanad Lake
Munnar is situated 120 kms away from Kochi at the confluence of three-mountain streams – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and the Kundala
Vandana K Mittal, 05 April 2008, Saturday
A weeklong holiday in Kerala has established the truth of the Malyalis’ claim of their state being, ‘God’s own country’. The people of Kerala are more than justified in naming their state ‘God’s own country’ and projecting it as a haven for tourism.
WE STARTED our tour at Kochi, where India’s first private airport, welcomed us with its cleanliness and smooth operations. It was greener than one could have ever imagined and this was not even the monsoon season. As we tread along the tourist trail starting from (Kochi), winding our way up to Munnar, Thekkady and then on to Alappuzha (Alleppey) the stunning beauty of this southern state unfolded at every turn. Spice, banana, coconut, rubber and tea plantations treated the eye to an intense green that seemed almost surreal.
Kochi treated us to a quick peep into this region’s ancient history starting from way back in 900BC when trade links were well established with people as far away as the Jewish kingdom of Solomon. The Jews, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, and the Dutch have all passed by this region and their legacy can be seen in the architecture of this city. Bolgatty Palace, now run as a heritage hotel by the tourism department, is a classic example of how the local traditions mixed with the foreign influences to create palaces and churches great beauty and charm. Christianity and Islam arrived early in this state and the Jewish synagogue, at Mattancherry, is a testimony to the state’s tradition of welcoming people of all faiths.
In the present context too the three main religions (Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity) coexist in a manner not enjoyed easily by other states. Unlike the other states, it is the language here that binds all Malyalis, regardless of their faith. At the taxi stand I had the choice of getting into cabs with painted signs, ‘Sri Krishna’, ‘Hamdulillah’ and ‘Jesus saves’. On the surface at least, this truly seems Amar, Akbar, Anthony country.
Our next destination was Munnar. Munnar is situated 120 kms away from Kochi at the confluence of three-mountain streams – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and the Kundala. As we drove uphill we passed through small villages and towns. The view from the car window was not of grinding poverty and illiteracy (although poverty is present here too). The abiding impression was of the average Malyali, everywhere, engrossed in his newspaper. The sheer variety of books, magazines and newspapers in Malyalam leaves one speechless. The language of the state thrives here, not merely survive.
From Munnar, we travelled to Thekkady – the main entrance to the famous Periyar tiger reserve .It was another long drive through spell binding natural beauty. The air was redolent with the fragrance of Kerala’s famed spices. Incredible cuisine awaited us at most eateries. In fact the best food we ate was in small restaurants along the way. The established restaurants in the main tourist towns seem to have fallen prey to that ubiquitous menu that plagues our country from one end to the other. Yes, I mean the standard invasion of chholey bhature and vegetable jalfrezie is to be found in all menus.
The boat ride on the Periyar Lake did not disappoint as we got to spot wild elephants, bison and deer in abundance. The sheer tranquility on the lake, in spite of the huge numbers of tourists, is an unbelievable experience. There are numerous treks available for the more adventurous. After watching some Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performances at Thekkady we headed to Kumarakom, located on the banks of the beautiful Vembanad Lake, for our date with Kerala’s famed backwaters.
This was a world-class experience from the word go. We stepped on to the houseboat to be welcomed with fresh nariyal pani. Over the next 24 hours, we were treated to scenes of astounding beauty and tranquility. We watched the local people going about their daily lives all around us. We watched young girls casting their fishing lines from the banks to fish for the family dinner, men and women rowing home after a day’s work, often catching a free ride behind the houseboats when distances were too long. Children played, people bathed and women washed clothes and utensils as boats full of happy and curious tourists chugged by.
The cook, onboard the boat, all this while, continued to churn out mouth watering dishes for us to feast on. In his tiny but clean kitchen at the stern of the boat he rustled up a variety of thorans, sambar, idlies, vegetable and chicken stews. Fish, freshly caught, turned up on the table as ‘fish fry’ or cooked steamed in a banana leaf.
We were more than sorry when our boat tour ended at Alappuzha, known as the Venice of the East. The driver met us at the jetty to drive us to Kochi airport for our flight out of this green jewel at the southwestern tip of India. We returned with an impression of Kerala being a state that has left its peers far behind on most parameters of social development.
The surveys on social development parameters that always place Kerala at the top in areas such as literacy, women’s literacy, health etc do not fully capture the manner in which Kerala is different from the rest of India. It is generally cleaner than most other states and women can be seen working everywhere: in businesses, plantations, tourism industry, health care, education and every other occupation. From a woman’s perspective, it is also a safe state to travel and holiday in. The average Malyali is unlikely to leave a negative impression on a tourist. This is such a refreshing change from the harassment by cab drivers, vendors, and beggars that one usually encounters on landing in New Delhi.
So is all perfect in this land? I am not naïve enough to believe that Kerala has no problems. Unemployment, due to low industrialization, is everywhere to see. Our 27-year-old driver told us that for the last seven years, he had been trying to get to Dubai. So desperate is he to go to Dubai that he is ready to do any job as long as it is in the oil rich Gulf region. He has a post graduate degree but no real work skills other than driving and this renders him unemployable in the few industries that do exist in Kerala. Poverty exists here cheek by jowl with garish mansions, built in small villages, with the money remitted home by millions of workers from the Gulf. As ubiquitous as the coconut palms are the toddy shops in the state. The shops dot the landscape with one coming into view every half a kilometer or so. Long lines form in front of the toddy shops each evening. I could also not help but wonder about the social consequences of this penchant for alcohol in the state.
But I applaud this state for not only positioning itself as the number one tourist destination but also living up to its claim. If this is what the people of the state can achieve in the tourism sector then there is no limit to what they can do in other areas with some change in thinking and help from the political leaders.
The people of Kerala are more than justified in naming their state ‘God’s own country’ and projecting it as a haven for tourism. Next year, we will be back to explore other places in Kerala. We have just scratched the surface and there is much more to be discovered and enjoyed in this paradise.
MERI NEWS.COM
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