Kumarakom: Abode of Peace

chillibreeze writer — Lakshmi Sharath

Need an editable PowerPoint map of India

A gentle monsoon shower caressed the earth, almost liberating it from the heat that was embedded within its surface. Puddles of water appeared everywhere. We passed nondescript hamlets where the monsoon’s fury had left its footprints on the battered roads. But we were not in a mood to complain. A bunch of children jumped right into a puddle, splashing their happiness across the town and bringing our car to a grinding halt. We had just set foot in God’s own country looking for that elusive little thing called peace. The sheer collage of colors blinded us – a natural mosaic of greens, yellows and browns which merged into a beautiful pattern. Even the muddy roads seemed picturesque. A narrow creek appeared out of nowhere. We took a small detour and followed the stream, cutting through the foliage until the stream became a vast expanse of waters. We had reached our destination.

We were in Kumarakom, a small hamlet carved out of the backwaters way back in the 19th century. A cluster of islets today, Kumarakom was created literally during the colonial era. It is said that in 1878, George Baker, a British missionary had arrived in Kottayam, which is just 14 kilometers away from Kumarakom. He cleared the marshy mangrove forests on the banks of the Vembanad Lake and decided to settle down there. He planted coconut trees on the banks of the lake and Kumarakom, the island was born. Today Baker’s bungalow is a five star resort in this idyllic paradise.

Kumarakom, known as the “Rice Bowl of India” is a seamless montage of mangrove forests, paddy fields, green meadows and coconut trees interrupted by canals and lakes. The famous backwaters of Kerala locally called kayals are an endless flow of brackish lagoons and inland lakes which curl and furl around the state .The Vembanad Lake, which is the largest of them borders the districts – Alleppey, Kottayam and Ernakulam or Cochin. Kumarakom is a huddle of small islands located on the banks of this lake and we were in one of the jetties, looking out into the vast expanse of waters which fills up nearly 200 square kilometers of space.

A spacious double bedroom kettuvellam or the traditional rice barge was waiting for us on the narrow creek with her crew on board .These country crafts which are over 60 feet in length have been renewed into luxury houseboats for cruising down the backwaters. The houseboat completely charmed us, and it was a mobile luxury hotel, complete with a living room, an open lounge, a kitchenette and a personal bathroom attached to our bedroom. The thatched windows soon opened out into the Vembanad Lake and the canvas came alive-an endless expanse of blues, with tinges of green and browns. We were sailing down to Alleppey, but before that a few stopovers at little islands to quench our thirst.

As we started sailing towards Alleppey, we crossed several clusters of islands and farms separated by a labyrinth of brooks, streams and lagoons. The inclined coconut trees interrupted the landscape as we found ourselves flanked by lush greenery on either side. Several tourists and locals sailed past us in their barges and canoes, taking in the moment. We passed by a few who were attempting to fish, but the native “Karimeen” seemed elusive. The silence grew on us as our eyes took in the endless blue-green spectacle.

It was one heady mix of beauty and peace. Occasionally the birds broke the silence, feasting on the paddy fields submerged in water. We paused for lunch in an idyllic island, sipping in the natural flavor of toddy. Our next port of halt was the bird sanctuary on the enchanting island called ‘Pathiramanal‘, home to several migratory birds such as Siberian cranes, teal, egrets, heron and the water duck. Located on the tributary of the Meenachil River which flows through Kottayam, the sanctuary is spread over 14 acres. Kumarakom is a favorite haunt for these birds with the natural environs suiting their needs. The bird sanctuary comes alive with the cries of these avian creatures spreading their wings wide apart or dipping their beaks in the water, refreshing themselves.

We continued our journey watching the lake turn several hues. The sunlight streamed in, creating patterns, a flight of birds flocked in the horizon, a lone oarsman slowly rowed his way through , leaving a hard day’s work behind him … it was like a moment captured in eternity . As the night closed in on us like a thick blanket that shrouded everything, I collected my thoughts of the day.

Day light brought in the first images of Alleppey. The waters were abuzz with life. Kids going to school, vegetable vendors selling their wares on the boats, fishermen with their nets, a few tourists on the canoe and lot of people like us watching the routine of the locals from our bedrooms. We were in our barges, sipping tender coconut water as our crew was getting our breakfast ready. Our boat gently swayed as the breeze blew and the rope tied loosely to the coconut tree bobbed on the waters. A group of water hyacinths floated towards us. The cormorants were hunting for their breakfast. A kingfisher made a quick dive.

We stepped out to see Alleppey, a nondescript town today, but during the colonial era, it was an important trading post. Today, Alleppey is more of a coir manufacturing centre. We had just a little bit of time on us and so we decided to go for a morning stroll on the beach. The weather was just perfect as the pink and blue sky beckoned us to this unspoiled calm beach. We walked a bit taking in the fresh air and giving our lazy limbs some exercise. We soon returned to the kettuvalam to have our sumptuous breakfast and continued our cruise back to Kumarakom.

Our journey had not yet ended, but I think we found what we were looking for: a little bit of peace and lots of happiness.

Getting there

Kumarakom is about 14 kilometers from Kottayam and 55 kilometers from Alleppey and 90 kilometers from Cochin and 170 kilometers from Thiruvanthapuram. The closest airport is at Cochin while trains are connected to all these places. One can also take a ferry from all these places and each private resort has its own jetty as well. There are several backwater cruises on the Vembanad Lake ranging from a few hours to a few days. These suit your budget as well as there are air conditioned boats to simple ones. If you are in a larger group, there are boats which have multiple bedrooms as well. Most long cruises offer meals on board.

One can also opt to stay in Kumarakom and just relax and do nothing as there are several home stays, resorts and luxury hotels offering an authentic Malabar experience.

Paramount Airlines flies to Cochin and Thiruvanthapuram from all major cities in India.

Best time to visit

Kumarakom is beautiful during all seasons, but it is better to avoid summer as it can get very hot. The Vallam kali or the Snake Boat race that happens in Alleppey in July-September is a great time to visit this region. The monsoons are heavy, but there is nothing like watching the rains in the backwaters from the safe confines of a kettuvellam. The best time to visit the bird sanctuary is between June to August or during November to February when the migratory birds visit Kumarakom.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

—About our writer:

Lakshmi writes for Chillibreeze.

Kumarakom: Abode of Peace

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers: