Cochin and Guruvayur: The Perfect Marriage of Modernity and Age Old Traditions

To enjoyed Monsoon at its best, I managed to board the train to Cochin- the Queen of the Arabian Sea- located between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Apart from the equatorial climate, the city offers a number of Tea/Coffee and Spice plantations and historical monuments on the south west coast of India. I got a cozy accommodation unit in Hotel Abad Plaza (3 star hotel), just 2 km from the railway station.

I had a sauna bath in the hotel to refresh my senses for exploring Cochin in a well planned manner the next day. I was offered awesome sea-food in dinner along with a few live performances of Kerala's traditional music and dance. While chatting with the manager, I got to know that Cochin is not only called the commercial hub of this thriving state, but also the industrial capital. The manager assisted me with Nishu, who has been guiding tourists in Cochin and the nearby regions for last 7 years.

Our trip started the next morning with the Dutch Palace (Stancher Palace). This Portuguese structure, built in 1557, showcases wonderful murals (wall paintings) in its bed-chambers and other rooms. These murals depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic legends connected with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara and Durga. Meanwhile, Nishu told me that Cochin was ruled by the Dutch, British and the Portuguese but it still retains its cultural identity. I, too, observed a unique mix and match of traditional as well Western architecture and lifestyle in every aspect of Cochin. Nishu also took me to the Bolghatty Palace (on palm fringed Bolghatty Island) and St. Francis Church (built in 1503 by Portugese Franciscan friars; India's oldest European-built church). We had some rice and sambhar (traditional vegetarian south Indian dish) in our lunch at a small roadside shop.

On requesting for some excursions, Nishu took me to Guruvayu- some 100 km from Cochin. On our way to Guruvayur, I saw villagers busy in growing spices, tea, coffee, dry-fruits, rubber, timber etc. Finally, we reached Guruvayur- the Dwarka of south- one of the greatest pilgrimages of Kerala. I received some kind of religious vibes while entering that small town in Thrissur district, and I was right. Nishu told me that Guruvayur is synonymous with its Guruvayurappan Temple, which is dedicated to Balagopalan (Lord Krishna in childhood). Its beautiful paintings, nakkashi and murals depict the life stages and stories of Shri Krishna in an extraordinary way. I also saw a few people making arrangements for marriages in the temple.

Our next halt was the famous Punnathurkotta or Anakotta elephant sanctuary. The best part with the sanctuary is that all the elephants here are the offerings made by the devotees to the temple god. While returning to Cochin, Nishu told me that the Guruvayur residents are very addicted to festivals and celebrations. They organize a huge celebration every month, and the biggest is Thrissur Pooram. This festival is marked with huge processions of caparisoned elephants, and traditional dance performances wearing colorful dresses and giant umbrellas.

On my way to hotel, I spent a few minutes at M.G. Road and Marine Drive road, which are quite famous for shopping. Cochin has business diversions in gold and textile retailing, sea food exports, ship-building, fishing industry and information technology also. I found the city well nurtured in terms of tradition, culture and beauty.

A Mesmerizing Trip on Alleppey Houseboat

A comfortable evening journey by bus brought me to the 'Venice of the east'- Alleppey (Alappuzha), in Kerala. With a mood to explore the entire city on a houseboat, I was booked in a houseboat provided by ATDC (Alleppey Tourism Development Co-operative Society) for one day. That was a huge houseboat ('Kettuvallom'- as people call it locally) and was well equipped with all the modern amenities like proper bedroom, AC, attached washroom, kitchen, tea/coffee maker and lounge area. I was provided with two assistants and a chef. They served me a mouth-watering rice preparation and my favourite fish curry in dinner. I spent a few late hours under the twinkling stars. The assistants told me that Alleppey was amongst the most busy trade centers in India. It was spotted when traders from across the world came here searching for souvenirs and black gold. Later the British established it as a trade port in the late 18th century. Even today, Alleppey is a center for prawn farming and Coir carpet industries.

The next morning, we started off towards the major destinations of the city. It was my first experience of exploring a destination on water. We first sailed towards the 18th century Krishnapuram Palace, which lies about 47 km from the city centre. I walked inside the fort to see the elegant double storeyed structure that displays characteristics of Kerala architecture in its gabled roofs, windows and corridors. It also houses the largest mural painting in Kerala called the Gajendra Moksham, a 14 by 11 feet work of art. I also visited several antique sculptures, paintings and bronzes at the palace. Meanwhile, the chef cooked breakfast for me and offered with a glass of orange juice.

Till the afternoon, we had explored enough of waterways (the huge networks of lagoons, canals, and lakes) along with water lilies and migratory birds. I saw a few local people busy in practicing for the Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, which was scheduled in the next month. I still wonder how the small children are capable of sailing these boats with such a perfection in the region. As the town is established on a narrow land spit between Arabian Sea and Vembanad Lake, these waterways serve as a lifeline to the entire region.

I was also taken to enjoy the splendid natural beauty at the Pathiramanal Island, where I spotted hundreds of the migratory birds. The island, sandwiched between Thaneermukkom and Kumarakom, offers the matchless natural beauty. I also enjoyed the short sightseeing trip to R-Block, its backwaters and the nearby paddy fields. My entire day on a houseboat was simply outstanding. That was an unforgettable holiday amidst the backwaters in Alleppey or the passageways to the beauty.