INSPIRING: A
mesmeric sight during a rivercruise along the Backwaters.
The staggeringly
beautiful Backwaters of India’s Kerala
State is one of the
destinations featured in the book -- 1,000
places to see before you die.
Kerala has a very
well-developed connected system of lakes, lagoons, canals and rivers known as Backwaters,
a name that sounds rather unappealing to such scenic places.
The lake is
actually fresh river water that comes down from the rivers and then flows into
the ocean. Thus the name – Backwaters.
A houseboat cruise
on Vembanadu Lake of Allepey Backwaters in Kerala, 62km south of Kochi, is a divine
experience of a journey laced with mes-meric scenic beauty.
The boats are built
in the style of traditional fishing boats but they have all the modern
conveniences – air-cond, toilets, showers and beds.
A typical houseboat
consists of a captain, a chef and an engine driver.
Yes, you can have a
scrumptious meal on board and chilled beer, hot coffee or juices – who can
resist that?
As I sat comfortably
by the window after a scrumptious meal with a camera on my lap and a mug of
coffee in my hand while others were taking a good nap, I remembered the book --
God of small things by Arundhati Roy
who grew up in one of the small villages in Kerala along the Backwaters.
The fiction is an emotional
account of the tragic story of a 17-year old girl Rahel and her brother Estha
and their divorced mother Ammu, set in the
darker side of India’s
history of caste system but with vivid description of the peaceful tropical
paradise of the Backwaters.
The writer’s short
crisp sentences enchant its readers in a special way.
At a press
interview, she said: “A lot of the atmosphere in God of small things is based on my experiences of what it was like
to grow up in Kerala.”
I believe the
sublime beauty and tranquil surroundings at the Backwaters, where she was born
and raised, had given Arundhati an inspiration to write down her thoughts.
I would strongly
recommend reading this book, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in London in 1997, before visiting Kochi, or if you are spending a night on the boathouse,
have that exquisite piece of literature in your bag and read it by the sleepy Backwaters.
You would probably
laugh and weep with the characters of the book while drifting past the unspoilt
beauty of countless swaying coconut palms, paddy fields, lush green vegetation,
small villages, schools and brightly coloured churches on the banks of the
lake.
It is even a sight just
to watch many other holiday-makers, Nature lovers and honeymooners cruising
through the waters, made green by the
reflections of the greenery from the bank.
Cruising along the
river, I could see the daily routines of 60,000 villagers come alive. Children
going home from school along the riverbank, small passengers-filled motor boats
plying across the river and fishermen waiting patiently in small boats to land their
catch.
Traditionally, the
Backwaters are used by local people for transport, fishing and agriculture.
An annual snakeboat
race is held along the Backwaters that provides a great source of entertainment
for both locals and tourists alike, Shine Aroor, our tourist guide, told us
while we passed by a snakeboat moored by the bank.
TOP VIEW: A
panoramic view of the river.
RIVER CROSSING: The
way of life for the villages along the backwaters.
SNAPPING THE
SIGHTS: A tourist with camera at the ready during a tour of Kochi.
Kathakali cultural dance
Talking about
Kerala without mentioning kathakali will
leave the story of Kochi
incomplete. We watched a performance of this native classical dance form and
also captured the backstage make-up.
Kathakali (literally story-play) is a traditional
dance drama with elaborate make-up and costumes, involving dancing with
detailed facial expressions and gestures to underline the dance, vocal and
instrumental accompaniment.
The dances are
pantomimes, telling a story through exaggerated mimics and gestures rooted in
the Hindu mythology.
The performers’
wordless communication and play is very engaging from beginning to end.
Shine told me it is
a great honour to be a kathakali
performer and training to be a professional kathakali
dancer can take up to 10 years.
PANTOMIME: A native
classical dancer doing his make-up backstage.
PATIENCE AND
PERSEVERANCE: Training to be a professional kathakali
dancer can take up to 10 years.
KOCHI’S PERFORMING ARTS : The Kathakali is a traditional dance drama with elaborate make-up and
costumes, involving dancing with detailed facial expressions and gestures to
underline the dance, vocal and instru-mental accompaniment.
Shop till you drop
Show Kochi off at your next
party do by wearing a Kerala kasuvu sari?
Yes, a member of the tour group told me excitedly she picked up one sari for RM25
only. Another had saris and shirts for all the members of the family.
For me, it is the rich
spices I bought for 200 rupees that could keep my larder well stocked for many
months.
Yes, spices to cook
biryani chicken with – which is very
out of this world -- and there is none in Malaysia that tastes as aromatic and
fragrant as that cooked with Kochi spices.
A tea lover will
have no problem with brewing creamy masala
tea with slight hints of ginger and cinnamon the Indian way if you get the
spices from Kochi.
There are many
other picks such as painted mats, curtains woven from bamboo and handcrafted
elephants to bring Kochi
home as souvenirs.
AROMATIC: The byrani chicken cooked with spices is very out of this world
SPICY: Varieties of
exotic Keralan spices that could keep any larder well stocked for months.
Ayurvedic massage
Ayurveda, a
4,000-year-old holistic treatment, is said to be good for rheumatism, insomnia,
depression and even flu. After a consultation, practitioners will recommend a
course of all-natural therapy, usually spreading over several days.
In a single massage
-- with the herbs and coconut and medicinal oils working into every pore of
your body -- it disengages your mind, relaxes your muscles and softens your
skin -- or at the very least, refreshes your spirit.
There are four
medical colleges in Kochi,
offering a 4-year traditional medicine course on Ayurvedic massage.
God’s own country
A beautiful port,
steeped in history; great exotic varieties of Keralan spices; wonderful mix of
churches, synagogues, temples and mosques; lush green palm-fringed landscape; colourful
saris in shops and wonderful foods all vouch for Kochi’s diversity and uniqueness.
Shine (the tourist
guide) told me Kerala prides itself with having the highest literacy rate of 94
per cent – even the working elephants are bilingual as they respond to commands
in Hindi as well as the local Malayalam.
They call
themselves God’s own country – it’s difficult to challenge that appellation.
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