Kalari Kovilakom, Ayurvedic Centre

Other than few temples, there isn’t much to see in the small town of Kollengode, an ayurveda holiday destination or a weekend destination from Kerala, but this is something I have to be told. I would never have discovered this for myself, for as a guest at Kalari Kovilakom, I’m not allowed to step outside the big, black gate that swung shut as soon as I entered. I’m not allowed to choose what I eat during my stay either. I’m not given access to a television set. I’m not able to enjoy a chilled pepsi as there are no refrigerators in the rooms here and besides, alcohol consumption is not permitted on the premises. I’m not allowed coffee, not even sugar, if I want to sweeten my herbal tea however I have to use honey.

I am experiencing ayurveda as something more than just getting a relaxing massage with oils made of herbs whose names you can’t begin to pronounce. Ayurveda in its purest, most traditional form, here with yoga, a balanced diet at Kalari Kovilakom, the Palace of Ayurveda.

And it was a palace a Kovilakom once. It housed the daughters of the royal family of Vengunad. The original architecture is intact, very little has been touched or added. There is a peacock carved into the ceiling, wooden beams radiating from its plumage like rays of the sun. A set of doors past the enormous four poster bed in the centre leads to a smaller room with space for storage, and further doors open out to the bathroom with bath products made of sweet basil and aloe vera. It’s easy to lose yourself in the past at Kalari Kovilakom. My dad’s leather sandals are taken away and he is given a padukas to roam around. We were woken up at half past five by devotional songs from a temple nearby, meant to awaken the town. Before and after meals the timings of which are announced by the ringing of a temple bell, we were asked to rinse our hands into vessel, using the water that the person waiting, pours on us through a spouted jug.

I heard a lot about energy at Kalari Kovilakom. I’m told that according to ayurveda, the year is divided into Visarga Kala during which our bodies give out energy to nature and Adana Kala during which our bodies take in energy from nature. The monsoon season belongs to the latter, which makes it the ideal time for Ayurvedic treatments because the body doesn’t get tired. I came to know that a popular treatment during monsoon is the panchakarma. The five step cleansing process includes vomiting, evacuation of the bowels with a laxative, nasal therapy, enema therapy and bloodletting. These massages aren’t typical. I’m here for two days, so I get these treatments just to have an idea of what the experience entails. If we were here for 14 to 21 days then the doctor would have first diagnosed us first. She would have drawn up a personalized diet chart, determined which herbs and oils would best suit us and the appropriate yogas for here.

I attended a session of yoga nidra, the aim of which was to attain a state of psychic sleep. The body sleeps, the mind is at rest, but the consciousness is aware. The effort is so relaxing, I doze off a guest helps me through a splitting headache which is due to caffeine withdrawal and that I should ask for a herbal remedy. I did so and half hour later someone walks with a drink hat tastes like rum and from another container he scoops out the paste and rubs it on my scalp. After an hour I felt better.

The yoga and the ayurveda take care of the body. And the fact that these treatments and exercises aren’t designed to occupy you 24 hours a day takes care of mind. And a sign here said that don’t let the silence disturb you.

Reaching there is easy, we took Air Deccan flight to Kerala and the nearest airport is the Coimbatore. Kalari Kovilakom is not a hospital, not a resort, not a spa but it offers the experience and the benefits of all these. There are 18 rooms and the suits called as Kovilakom or Vengunad suites. The minimum stay is 14 days. For reservation you can view kalarikovilakom.com.

Mandvi Palace

Two and a half kilometers of beach all to me was my idea of enjoying the camping holidaysMandvi Palace. It is in the middle of 450 acres of mildly domesticated jungle that make up the backyard of Vijay Vilas, the summer retreat of the former rulers of Mandvi, situated in Kutch, Gujarat. It is the only private owned beach in India, with the property extending to the waterline. I have heard that the Mandvi family has refused offers from various chains to take over and the run the palace as a hotel. Mr. Pragmulji III is the current head of the family. I didn’t get to meet him either because he was off campaigning for the elections way over on the other side of the Gujarat, but when we spoke his enthusiasm for the place was evident. He liked the idea of tents instead of making sculptures so he and his wife designed tents in their own way and got them made locally. It is an accommodation with my family. The waves gambol in the few feet away. I’m at the beach at of 10 pairs of guests at the moment, so it works out to a comfortable 200 meters of beach per couple at peak occupancy. Well, I exaggerate and came to know that the place was also for the day trippers however charging them a fee for access to the beach, so it may not be so deserted.

The camp consisted of 10 tents in a clearing, each sleeping two, a sand dune and a line of scrub and trees separating them from the beach and protecting them from the worst of the weather. Each one is set on its own concrete plinth, a little sit out in the front with a couple of dinky camel leather deck chairs. The styling is reminiscent of royal expedition tents like scalloped edges, carved finials atop the tent poles, awning over the entrance. The tents are set rather too close to each other, with the support ropes of neighboring tents overlapping. The tents are triple layered, a candy striped inner tent, over that a thicker outer, and over it all, a waterproof roof and the lack of natural ventilation is more than compensated for with a high power air conditioner.

Inside, a carpeted floor, twin beds, bedside tables with small storage space, carved wood chairs and a writing table. The chair are nice looking but not to comfortable. Lighting is a couple of lamps beside the beds. At the back, behind the flap, is a largish tiled, walled bathroom, its roof an extension of your tent. Meals are delivered to your tent or you can amble over to the thatched roof restaurant that looks out on to the beach. It served continental, Chinese and Indian.

Overall, the place does itself a disservice with its branding as it calls itself a luxury beach camp which raises expectations way too much. It is no doubt very comfortable and gives fair value for money.

Bodhi Zendo, a Zen medication centre

It is in Kodaikanal which offers ayurvedic massages, yoga and is a spot of spiritual fulfillment. Bodhi Zendo, is one of the perfect destination for ayurveda holidays in India. Isolation always seems a cruel idea to me, even if you are ensconced in a beautiful luxurious, pampering environment, because soon you will be chucked back into noise.

Bodhi Zendo is a wonderfully serene place, snug in belly of banana and coffee plantations with acre of woodland paths to explore and spectacular views of the plains. The rooms are sophisticated and single wooden floors, a writing desk overlooking the garden, portable cane reading chairs, and a charming wooden bureau for your belongings. The main building is set around a central courtyard with Japanese style rock garden complete with bonsai and bridges. The background sports an impressive vegetable garden, a lily pound and gazebo.

It isn’t very different from most other places of its ilk, except that it also makes you work for living, which adds the proper dimension of righteousness to the wholesome experience. Visitors are expected to be present for Zazen (meditation sessions), samu/ seva (community work), and meals (they feed you well). They are also expected to maintain certain hours of silence, wash their own dishes, and keep their rooms and bathrooms clean. My favorite ritual was watching the sun redden the sky, turning it to midnight black from my position in the Mediterranean room. This wonder of a room has three walls of glass and its flawlessly soundproofed, so while I was there silence was primeval.

The point of Zen has always been to emphasize the journey rather than the end result. Bodhi Zendo will give the chance to put on a new pair of shades with which to view the world.

A stay at Bodhi Zendo cost us Rs.200 per day for rooms and meals. Contact details are Bodhi Zendo, Perumalmalai, Kodaikanal, and tel: (04542) 230345; email id: mail@bodhizendo.org

Mangalore, Port of many colours

Mangalore draws its name from the goddess Mangaladevi in whose name a temple was built here in the ninth century by King Kundavarma. What I came to know about this place was that religion dominates society and economy. Exquisite temples like the Manjunatha, Mangaladevi and sharavu Ganapathi are a part of the religious circuit in the city. Located right in the centre of the city, on the campus of St. Aloysius College on Light house hill road, this chapel is an architectural gem. It was built in 1900, has a series of paintings that cover every inch of its roof and walls. On the Kadri Hills within Mangalore city lies the Kadri Manjunatha Temple, it is among the oldest Shiva temple in India. The caves atop Kadri Hill on which the temple is made are popularly known as the caves of Pandava. The Pandmasanastha Loke shwara, a bronze statue within the temple is among the oldest bronze sculptures in the country.

About 6km from the Mangalore, lays the ruin of an important 18^th centaury watch tower built by Tipu Sultan near the scenic Gurpura River. And in the city in Hampankatta on G.S Road near the State Bank, there is Sharavu Maha Ganapathi temple is both a temple and a cultural centre which dates back almost eight centuries. It hosts a range of Yakshagana performances.

Then there was Milagres Church which was razed by Tipu Sultan who suspected the Catholics of Mangalore of being secretly affiliated to the British army. However it was rebuilt after Tipu’s death. And then Sri Mangaladevi Temple on the southern tip of Mangalore city is fairly humming with myth and legend. It is built as a mark of piety by King Kundavarma on the advice of two Nepalese sages, this temple and the Kadri Manjunatha Swamy Temple are closely interlinked in the rituals and practices they perform. On the nine days of Navratri or Dussehra in October, this temple comes alive in a grand celebration of the Devi. The Swayamwara Parvati puja in the temple is one that draws a lot of aspiring girls who look to divine intervention in their search for ideal mates. The ritual involves the young maiden dong a special fast and also receiving sanctified holy sandalwood paste from the priest after the ritual puja.

Then there was Kadri Hills where we went for Lighthouse Hill Garden for a look at snakes, deer and other such animal’s friends. The city’s oldest cathedral Rosario Cathedral built by Portuguese is a reminiscent of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was very simple stained glass windows with the main altar of Jesus and Mary created with mosaic tiles.

Mangalore is famous for cashew nut so we purchased lots of them and we had the famous cashew drink kajucho which was amazing. We stayed at The Taj Manjarum Hotel however there many more like Hotel Mangalore International, Hotel Manorma and many more.

Find Travel Directions to Mangalore Here

Kemmannagundi, a monarch retreat

For a weekend break from Bangalore, we found Kemmannagundi in Karnataka. It is a single secluded hill that’s been successfully posing as a hill station ever since King Krishna Rajinder made its summer haven here. It can be viewed in one day with its views, gardens and waterfalls. The 58 km ride from Chikmagalur to Kemmannagundi is like watching a nature program on TV. There were views of sprawling coffee estates shaded with silver oaks stream on our car window as we bounce along on potholes. The Horticulture department guest house is thick with flowers in the garden. Then there was the Rock garden within the guest house premises maintained by the Horticulture Department. The Kallahati falls also known as Kalahasti falls descend from a height of 122m and are quite pretty. It’s a lovely place for picnic lunch. Then we went to trekking Mohammed Aseem who works for LEAF, an environmental agency, is the activity coordinator for the Taj in Chikmagalur and also organizes treks, coffee plantation visits and other activities for tourists.

Find Travel Directions to Kemmannagundi here

Mount Abu, sitting pretty on a Plateau

Mount Abu was beautiful when I visited it with my family around 6-7 years ago. However to be said it is a hill station of Rajasthan and when we arrived there in the month of June the temperature was around 42 degree and according to the locals the fluctuation in temperature is always between 30-45 degree Celsius, that was strange to us but then what can except from a hill station in Rajasthan. We started our search for a good hotel and we found Hotel Mount view which offered us cottages along with all the amenities and games plus a swimming pool and the positive point was it was on the famous Mall road which was enough for us.

Next day we had breakfast at the hotel and decided to view the Dilwara Temple. We had our own car so after understanding the route to the temple we started for it and hardly from our hotel it was 20 minutes run and we reached the temple. The temple was amazing and for few seconds I was astonished to see the architecture of it, the carvings on the pillar of the temples and its doom was mind blowing. I mean in my history lessons I had only heard about the carvings of Ajanta and Ellora or Taj but no where was this Dilwara Temple mentioned. It is a Jain temple and according to me it has the most astonishing carvings, ceilings and pillars. After offering our prayer and having something to eat we started for our next step which was Bharamakumari Ashram, the famous Ashram for the old people. When we reached there I could see the white building with beautiful gardens and the neatness of the road and the surrounding looked liked we have reached some foreign city. The building included a museum which showed some of their programs brochures, paintings etc. Then they also showed us small documentary about the ashram as in what all they do and how it was started. On a brief note our visit to the ashram was little soothing. So after the tiring day we decided to go back to our hotel and swim and relax for the day.

Next day we went to boating at the famous Nakki Lake which is on the mall and in our history it is told that it was scraped by God from the ground using their nails. There were various boats for ride and the paddle one. The next one hour we enjoyed the boating. After that we were in no mood to visit sunset point so we started roaming at the mall exploring shops. The shops here offered the famous Kullu caps, shawls, and more decorated things for households. My mom purchased a chess which was made in a big stone and had beautiful carvings on its chess man. And after shopping we had went back to the hotel and enjoyed our game of table tennis and swimming. Next day we checked out from the hotel to drive back home. In a short brief I still enjoy memorizing my trip with my family to Mount Abu.

Apart from Mount View there are many hotels available like Jaipur House and the Rajputana Club.

Find Travel Directions to Mount Abu Here …….

Aurangabad, At the Heart of History

I went to Aurangabad to inspect the fabulous heritage of the Buddhist caves at Ajanta and Ellora. It was a rough journey across the forbidding mountains on India’s frontier was made I suppose 600 years ago by Zahiruddin Babur who had descended from two ferocious Asian conquerors, Timur and the Genghis Khan. I also found the man who brought the dynasty to an end Aurangzeb buried here. Like all the other Mughal spots it is two faced one shows the bygone era and the old city.

We went to the India’s most important sites of heritage and natural wealth. The Ellora Road leads west out of the city, taking us to the Daulatabad Fort and the Buddhist caves of Ajanta and Ellora and Pitalkhora. The Paithan Road, south of the Aurangabad station leads past Bidkingaon and Dhorkingaon to ancient Paithan on the banks of the Godavari. Bibi ka Maqbara, which the locals proudly also call the Twin of Taj Mahal and outsiders call Poor Man’s Taj, was built by Aurangzeb’s son. It was quite a trek, well preserved and retaining the luminosity of all Mughal structures. It has the marble’s shade and geometric designs still survive despite the intermittent vandalism of the decades. Then there was Panchakki, a water wheel with a healthy ecology of its own, and large khol of fish glide gracefully in a tank that as part of a snazzy engineering marvel in those days, built by the slave- king Malik Amber. Water drawn from a reservoir some km away, again drawn into a tank and ceramic pipes and an iron fan churned the water to create energy used by the flour mill to grind grain for pilgrims. In its ordinary red marble structure it shares the memory of Aurangzeb himself.

Then we visited few masjids and Dargahs. Jama Masjid was our first choice which was between the market and The Shah Ganj Masjid, and the famous of all where the emperor’s tutor lies buried in Dargah of Pir Ismail in the north of the city. Then Bani Begum Gardens, about 24kms from Aurangabad is the house tomb of Bani Begum, the consort of one of Aurangzeb’s sons. It is built in various styles with massive domes, fountains and pillars, these gardens were a fine specimen of Deccan influenced Mughal architecture.

For shopping there are good fabrics available to buy like Himroo, Paithan and many to go. We stayed at Quality Inn the Meadows; however the best is the Taj Residency along with Ambassador Ajanta and many more.

Find Travel Directions to Aurangabad Here….