Off the beaten track in Kerala

Johnboy

Thant's a very useful thread. Thanks!

capt_mahajan

Wow.

and Wow.

Great post, bosquef.

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Lady J

Wow, what a great post! I am in Kerala now at the Vijnana Kala Vedi cultural center. I just wanted to let you all know that they offer Malayalam classes here and the teachers are fabulous!
cheers

oytun

this is a wonderful post bosquef,
thanks

dimitri

I've lived in Kerala all my life and this is the first time I am reading a such realistic, truthful article of this state from a foreigner.

You always get to hear about what others say about Kerala's literacy rate and developments, or the lack of it, hill stations, beaches etc. But this is the first time I am reading about the impression that our way of life creates in the mind of a third person.

Thanks a lot for letting me know all this. Keep it up buddy.
All the best for your phd.

Diana

This really takes one on a vicarious tour of the "real" Kerala. I spent several months in Thrissur District (mostly Kunnamkulam) early this year and go back in January. I'm already looking forward to visiting a few of these places you mention as a possible location for a second preschool/early intervention site. Right now, Irinjalakuda keeps popping up due mainly to location and the traditional dance academy and programs (both Kathakali and Kottiyattam) as those will help attract volunteers and interns. You mention it in your travelogue but don't elaborate. Is it a likely site for a school for kids with disabilities in your view?

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kalbarri

so delightful to read from other travellers that respect and love kerala. it made me tearful. i hope that small village can cope with the influx of visitors after the publication of your letter! i will definitely be going there next visit.
my lovely speciality is marayoor, via munnar amd the tea plantations. i am female and had very few hassles in all of kerala and none at marayoor, in 3 weeks of wandering aroung and chatting to one and all. {2 months journey altogether} i only saw 3 other tourists at marayoor and there is a nature reserve to visit ,archeology sites and generally a peaceful friendly town to enjoy. people would thank me when i took their photos with my digital and then showed them. i was amused and would thank them. i then had all photos of people printed at trivandram and posted them to the manager of the " marayoor tourist home", indrajith, and he and his friend with a 3 wheel taxi, distributed them and apparently, i am frequently asked after, as to when i am coming back. it is so touching that such a simple gift is so greatly appreciated! people seem so spoilt and greedy when one returns to the west.
i must say, i got a severe tummy bug that attacked whilst at murayoor,not sure if it was a chili chicken meal i had, but indrajith and his family and friends looked after me like i am one of their family. i was there in february and there is apparently another tourist season, when there are lots of flowers but i am not sure xactly when that is.

ashokm

bosquef, what a brilliant post! I can totally relate to your observations and I have to say you probably know more about life in Kerala that I do - and I am a proper Malayalee (although I live in Ireland these days)!

And what more, I am originally from Ottapalam, and Thiruvillamala temple that you mentioned is an amazing place. While I have only been there two or three times, I remember there's a tunnel so many hundreds of meters long, and its open to pilgrims a particular day of the year - and its really narrow at some parts one would crawl along to get thru! I will find out more about this when I am in Kerala in a months time!

Anyway, fascinating post and thoroughly enjoyed reading it - Thank you!

fajitanumerouno

Wow, that was a really wonderful read on Kerala. We will be there in December with relatives on the tourist route but perhaps if we get a moment to veer of the course we can do it. It reminds me of why I like to travel and only wish I could travel to live instead, perhaps, of living to travel. Will take what I can get.

Britbat

Just found this excellent review. I've been thinking about living in Kerala ever since Nick-H suggested it might suit me, and your post is an eye opener. Thanks Bosquef.

the opoponax

Arg!

I had just finally decided to skip Kerala and spend more of my 2 months in the north (either bumming around up near Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Gangtok, or heading up to Amritsar later in the trip). But between this post and the fact that I've just started re-reading The God of Small Things, now I think what I really want is to go to Kerala, after all...

arkz

Hai Bosquef,

That was a living account and so graphic. You have captured the essence of the life and times of Kerala.

You may want to check out some other places near Thiruvilvamala, a little further up from Nemmarah, you have a hill station called Nelliyampathy which goes deep into the Western Ghats, another hill community near there Mangalam Dam. Come down to the plains to the river banks ner Pattambi / Ottapalam villages you'd fund rustic village settings near the river, so beautiful. If you travel down south, towrds Kottayam and Thiruvalla, you'd find lots of rubber / plantations right on the Western Ghats, more people speak english here and would be an experience too.

One thing you'd notic is that even your Auto, Taxi, Bus, Lorry drivers tend to read vernacular papers and magazines, internan circulation of Malayalam magazines is one of the highest in the world due to highest literacy rates. If you further notice, an average (even low income earners) will have a mobile, 2 wheeler, TV,fridge house of their own, childeren going to school and the general material standards one of the highest in ASIA. This has been written in many many research report., Communism has brought in its complications too.... a paradox really, one of the highest literacy rates in India, yet relatively one of the lowest per capita income / outputs.....

Happy Researching,

--ARKZ

ranjan154

I like the minute details .. hats off to you..

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Jean-Philipe

bosquef said: "My favorite place in all of Thrissur was actually in the Northeast corner, near Ottapalam, a train station. The little village of Thiruwalamala ... Later we discovered a little pilgrim lodge right next to the Thiruwalamala temple, that would have to be one of the most beautiful places to stay I've seen in all of India. I didn't have a chance to ask if they would welcome non-Hindus into that peaceful, sacred abode."


They do. I did. It is.

A little more detail. The eight rooms are basic but clean. Rs 200 per night. A small unpaved road next to the lodge leads to a rocky outcrop with a couple of stone benches, which is a great place to watch the sunset. Just down the main road towards the town is another small temple, which was lit up with miniature oil lamps at sunset when I was there. A little further is a newer Shirdi Sai Baba temple.

Unlike the Guruvayoor temple, the Thiruvilwamala temple is open to non-Hindus. In the innermost part, men must go shirtless.

Truly a beautiful, peaceful and sacred place. Thanks for the recommendation. Brilliant post.

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Nick-H

Thanks for resurrecting this wonderful thread, and for adding valuable information

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