On the Road in Kerala
Been out of the matrix for a little bit, due to very little and not so fast internet access.
Now, I'll attempt to fill you in on the surface facts (sorry I can't make it too interesting, my more thoughtful writing will come later): on Wednesday I left Kochi, deciding that I'd gotten pretty much what I wanted from it, not being much interestedin exploring colonial architecture. The Fort Cochin area has a small, breezy seaside town feel and pace, and I have to admit, it was nice for a moment to have some tourist comforts (very necessary, I'm learning, when you're on the road long-term).
Took a backwater tour through the village of Vaikam. Ah, it was nice to travel by water in a small boat! We made our way through small canals at a pace I didn't think was possible on a "tour". The village, like a lot of the small villages in the area, has only 1 trade -- in coconuts. And if you saw the density of these lush coconut groves in Kerala, you'd understand why. Keralans call the trees kalpa vrishka, "gift tree," as in God's gift, since every part of the tree can be used, from the trunk to the huge, boat-sized palm leaves, to fruit. And that's what the folks in villages like Viakam do. We were given some insights into the communist workings of the trade, with certain folks being appointed the task of harvesting coconuts, which then get given to a "society" and materials being redistributed for others to make rope with the fiber, extract the oil, etc. It was amazing to see how every part was indeed used.
Onward, I took a government bus (2 hours to go 38 km, ouch!) to Alleppy to hop on the backwater cruise to Kollam. Not much to say about Alleppy except that it wasn't a place I'd stay for longer than a night.
What happened next, though, was unexpected. One of the stops on the 8 hour backwater cruise down towards Kollam (and the journey was indeed the destination, as Kollam was also not a point of huge interest for me) was Amritapuri, the main and original ashram of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), one of India's few female gurus, the patron saint of Amrita University, where Deepak and Shobhana teach, as well as a host of institutions. It's hard to really sum her up, but suffice to say, she's a prominent spiritual figure who has a huge following in India and the west. In Kerala, actually, she seems to be the main source of aid for tsunami relief. (I had overheard some political talk from some western followers, saying that the state government wasn't doing enough for the survivors).
Anyway, the ashram is a world in and of itself, and I ended up staying there for 3 days. Much to say about it, but I'll leave it at that for now and post my observations as I'm able to digest all the happenings.
Now, I'll attempt to fill you in on the surface facts (sorry I can't make it too interesting, my more thoughtful writing will come later): on Wednesday I left Kochi, deciding that I'd gotten pretty much what I wanted from it, not being much interestedin exploring colonial architecture. The Fort Cochin area has a small, breezy seaside town feel and pace, and I have to admit, it was nice for a moment to have some tourist comforts (very necessary, I'm learning, when you're on the road long-term).
Took a backwater tour through the village of Vaikam. Ah, it was nice to travel by water in a small boat! We made our way through small canals at a pace I didn't think was possible on a "tour". The village, like a lot of the small villages in the area, has only 1 trade -- in coconuts. And if you saw the density of these lush coconut groves in Kerala, you'd understand why. Keralans call the trees kalpa vrishka, "gift tree," as in God's gift, since every part of the tree can be used, from the trunk to the huge, boat-sized palm leaves, to fruit. And that's what the folks in villages like Viakam do. We were given some insights into the communist workings of the trade, with certain folks being appointed the task of harvesting coconuts, which then get given to a "society" and materials being redistributed for others to make rope with the fiber, extract the oil, etc. It was amazing to see how every part was indeed used.
Onward, I took a government bus (2 hours to go 38 km, ouch!) to Alleppy to hop on the backwater cruise to Kollam. Not much to say about Alleppy except that it wasn't a place I'd stay for longer than a night.
What happened next, though, was unexpected. One of the stops on the 8 hour backwater cruise down towards Kollam (and the journey was indeed the destination, as Kollam was also not a point of huge interest for me) was Amritapuri, the main and original ashram of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), one of India's few female gurus, the patron saint of Amrita University, where Deepak and Shobhana teach, as well as a host of institutions. It's hard to really sum her up, but suffice to say, she's a prominent spiritual figure who has a huge following in India and the west. In Kerala, actually, she seems to be the main source of aid for tsunami relief. (I had overheard some political talk from some western followers, saying that the state government wasn't doing enough for the survivors).
Anyway, the ashram is a world in and of itself, and I ended up staying there for 3 days. Much to say about it, but I'll leave it at that for now and post my observations as I'm able to digest all the happenings.
posted by sylviashines at 12:34 AM
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