TIME OUT
Seductive symphony
AKBER AYUB
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Swaying palms, languorous lagoons, boat rides... Kumarakom is synonymous with some of the best that Kerala has to offer.
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Photo: Akber Ayub
Quiet reflections: A magical hour in Kumarakom.
SOFT strains of violin drifted over the light breeze that blew steadily from the expansive lagoon. The sun had already set and in the receding dusk, the lagoon lay enveloped in a surreal twilight.
"This is magical," said Nayyar Patel in an undertone sitting next to me, his eyes wandering from the small floodlit stage where a quartet played a soothing symphony to the Vembanad Lake that lay just beyond. Patel, a businessman from Kochi on his first visit to Kumarakom, seemed to sum up the mesmerising effect of the evening.
Relaxing in comfortable chairs set on the wide swimming pool deck of Whispering Palms, we were being treated to a cocktail of sensory stimuli, created by both man and nature. While the violin played on, the languorous lagoon vied for attention — aglow in twilight's last fleeting rays, lights from small country boats already flashing in the distance like fireflies.
True grandeur
Kumarakom has been synonymous with some of the best that Kerala has to offer. The famous, labyrinthine backwaters display their true grandeur here — where its pride and joy, the Vembanad Lake, the largest water body, stretches an expansive 16 km across and 60 km long. Along its shores, poets and artists have drawn inspiration from times of yore. Before long, resorts and hotels followed in their wake, though thankfully — governed by strict government guidelines — its pristine character has been so far left unsullied. Most of these structures, sporting the typical Kerala architecture, merge well into the surroundings.
Whispering Palms, set in a lush six-acre plot on the lakeshore, is luxurious and elegant without being opulent. Restraint is the overall tone here. There is a studied elegance all around, but nothing flashy. And then, there are the unique, one-shot features — the roofless bathrooms for one, borrowed of course from the local village lifestyle. The bathrooms are partly covered overhead, but the rest is left open to the sky with a neat little lawn next to your toilet bowl! And when it rains, if you're relaxing in a warm bath, you feel blissful gazing at the slice of nature brought indoors, complete with the pitter-patter of rain on the grass.
Again, there is the mandatory swimming pool, but there's more to do here than waddle in the pool and listen to the violin. A two-hour boat ride on the lake will take you meandering through the serpentine canals, at times just broad enough for two large boats to pass through. Surrounded by miles and miles of paddy fields — lower than the lagoon to facilitate controlled flooding when required — and the ubiquitous coconut palms lining narrow embankments on the fringes of the fields, you are treated to vignettes from the daily lives of village folks living along the shores. And as your boat emerges from the labyrinth and the wide expanse of the lake appears in front you feel wistful, wanting to linger a while longer.
However, if you can come out of that spell before the trip ends, request a visit to a boat building yard on the shores of the lake. Built completely of wood, according to ancient traditions by skilled craftsmen, canoes, small sailboats and kettuvallams or houseboats are turned out regularly from this small yard. Also worth a visit and about nine km away, on the southern bank of the Kavanar River, is the Kumarakom bird sanctuary, home to a variety of migratory birds including the rare Siberian Crane — apart from numerous other species like Darters, Bitterns, Brahminy kites, Marsh Harries, Teals and several varieties of Herons. Then there is the Bay Island Driftwood Museum at the boat jetty junction, which has a large collection of artistic driftwood sculptures housed in an elegant building. This amazing collection, the only one of its kind in the country, represents a work of art pioneered by a lady teacher retired from service in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Bonus at the end of the day
Most of this is doable in a day if you stretch it a bit and by evening if you find your muscles groaning, head for Sukham, the Ayurvedic fitness centre, and let the expert hands of the masseurs there knead and pummel your body, soaked in warm herbal oils, to experience something close to, well nirvana. At the end of it, and after a steam bath and shower, the relaxed muscles and the healthy glow on your skin seem like a bonus.
Food is something that seems to enjoy a special place here. It's a delightful mix of ethnic and other cuisine. While some of the traditional preparations like Appam and Puttu may be passé, the fish baked in banana leaves or the spicy crab and prawn preparations are not to be missed. You'll also relish the sumptuous Sadya, the traditional, multi-course vegetarian fare. For once, stop counting calories; count flavours instead.
Magical time
Sundown and dawn are decidedly the best times here. The twilight hours seem ideal for lazing on the lake-facing portico or on the long, railed-in wooden jetty projecting into the lagoon. At the break of dawn, the long sleek vallams could be seen making their unhurried forays into the lake, punted along by solitary fishermen silhouetted against the grey sky. Flocks of white egrets and black cormorants skim the placid waters looking for breakfast. If the air is still, the calm, limpid surface looks like a sheet of glass; or, under a stiff breeze, you'll find the wind ruffling the waters, and sometimes, when the tree-line at the far horizon lies obscured in mist or the haze of rain, the lake almost resembles a sea — ripples of waves, whitecaps and all.
For most travellers, Kumarakom ranks high on the list of holiday destinations. One visit is all it'd take to find out why — and you'll be happy you did.
E-mail: akbersait@yahoo.co.uk
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