Kerala Travel Guide
The god who made Kerala, according to a popular Malayali saying, had a green thumb. Indeed, India's most verdant state -- rated by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world's 50 must-see destinations -- is a paradisiacal landscape of palm-lined beaches, steamy jungles, plantation-covered hills, and tropical rivers and lakes. Visitors come here primarily to unwind and indulge; this is, after all, where succumbing to a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage is as mandatory as idling away an afternoon aboard a slowly drifting kettuvallam, or sipping coconut juice under a tropical sun before taking in a wonderfully ritualized Kathakali dance. Eastward, the spice-scented Cardamom Hills and wild elephants of Periyar beckon, while a short flight west takes you to the little-known but sublime tropical reefs off the Lakshadweep islands. All of which make Kerala not just a must-see on your India itinerary, but a major destination in its own right.
A thin strip on the southwest coastline, sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the forested Western Ghats that define its border with Tamil Nadu to the east, Kerala covers a mere 1.3% of the country's total land area, yet its rich resources have long attracted visitors from across the oceans -- it is in fact here that the first seafarers set foot on Indian soil. Legend has it that King Solomon's ships traded off the Malabar coast between 972 and 932 B.C., followed by the Phoenicians, Romans, Christians, Arabs, and Chinese, all of whom came to stock up on Malabar's monkeys, tigers, parrots, timber, and, of course, the abundance of spices that were literally worth their weight in gold. Seafarers not only brought trade but built synagogues and churches in the emerging port cities, while an entirely Muslim population set up shop on the islands of Lakshadweep. Despite its religious cosmopolitanism (many locals will tell you they subscribe to both Hinduism and Christianity), Kerala's Hindu tradition is deeply engrained in daily life. Most temples do not permit non-Hindus to enter, but almost every month brings magnificent temple processions involving chanting devotees and squadrons of elephants adorned in flamboyant caparisons.
Contemporary Kerala was created in 1956 from the former princely states of Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar. Largely ruled by benevolent maharajas who introduced social reforms emphasizing the provision of education and basic services, Kerala remains one of the most progressive, literate, and educated states in post-independence India. In 1957, it became the first place in the world to democratically elect a Communist government, and the first Indian state to introduce a family-planning program. Despite its high population density, Keralites have the country's highest life expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rates. Kerala is considered one of the cleanest and most peaceful parts of India, a claim substantiated by its prosperity -- the state remains a major source of India's bananas, rubber, coconuts, cashews, and ginger. While much of Kerala retains an untouched charm, this prosperity has a downside: A highly educated population has meant that many are unwilling to do menial jobs, creating extensive unemployment. Others head for the Gulf to seek their fortunes, returning with sufficient cash to tear down the traditional carved wood dwellings that so greatly characterize the region and replace them with "modern" status symbols. Many of these traditional homes have been bought and reassembled in top-notch resorts like Coconut Lagoon and Surya Samudra, a practice vilified as exploitative by Kerala native Arundhati Roy in her Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things. Others applaud their preservation, and for visitors a stay in these tharavadu cottages is one of the most charming aspects of a trip to Kerala.
If you're interested in ancient history and grand temples, you'll need to include a visit to neighboring Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, but if all you need is to rejuvenate, head straight for Fort Cochin, then head south to cruise the backwaters and wash up on some of the world's most beautiful beaches. "God's Own Country" is one tourist slogan that really does deliver.
Ayurveda: Kerala's Healing Balm--An ancient healing tradition that draws on 3,000 years of Vedic culture, Ayurveda is the subcontinent's traditional science of "life, vitality, health, and longevity" or, to tap into a more contemporary buzzphrase, "the science of well-being." Kerala has long been considered the home of Ayurveda, no doubt due to the abundance of herbal and medicinal plants that thrive in its tropical environment. You will find therapists, physicians, and commercial Ayurvedic shops selling roots, herbs, and bark throughout the state.
Renowned for its curative and rejuvenating powers (and a gift from no other than Lord Brahma), Ayurveda works on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being by rectifying any imbalances in the three doshas -- vata (air), pitta (fire), and kapha (water) -- that are believed to make up the human constitution. In fact, in one ancient tome on Ayurveda, the Caraka Samhita, it is stated that the mind, body, and soul are like a tripod, and that the world's continued existence relies on their combination.
It takes 5 1/2 years of training to qualify as an Ayurvedic doctor, who is then able to prescribe the herbal remedies and related therapies. While much of what is practiced in Ayurvedic medicine has similarities to Western medical practice (the first 3 years of training in anatomy are basically the same), the most significant difference lies in the area of pharmacology, since Ayurvedic medicines are all natural. Some may scoff, but no one can deny the sheer pleasure of the treatments -- Ayurveda will suit those skeptics who merely seek the ultimate in pampering, whether you opt for a soothing facial treatment, where the face is massaged and steamed with herbal oils, or for an energizing full body massage performed with hands and feet (and often by several masseuses simultaneously). Skeptics take note: To truly experience the strange bliss and resultant high of Ayurveda, book a sirodhara treatment, wherein 5 to 6 liters of warm herbal oil (selected according to the body constitution) are poured steadily onto your "third eye" (the forehead) for the better part of an hour while (or after which) you are massaged -- this is said to retard the aging process (by arresting the degeneration of cells) and to relieve the body of all stress.
No matter which balm you choose, you'll find that the well-practiced masseuses of Kerala will treat your body like a temple; for them, the massage or treatment is a spiritual exercise. Of course, it helps to know that your body is being worshipped when you're lying there in your birthday suit (note that in strict accordance with Indian piety, you will be assigned a same-sex therapist). Whatever its purported virtues and pleasures, Ayurveda lures thousands of Westerners to Kerala, which in turn sustains a thriving industry that puts food on the table for many people.
