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Ever enjoyed fishing with a bow and arrow or sauntered beneath the shade of the swaying palm trees or tasted the delicious Karimeen and the sweet toddy oozing out of the earthen pot. If your answer is a ‘no’ then this exotic village lulled by the placid river has much in store for you. Come and experience the charm of Kumarakom that eludes words.
Kumarakom Village Life Tour conducted by Kerala Tourism commences at Kavanattinkara, a village blessed with the best of nature. The floral welcome to the house of Latha Chechi at Kavanattinkara is customary. Here Latha Chechi (Chechi is any elder woman in Kerala) will introduce you to the art making the coir developed perfected and mastered through generations and the versatility of this magical texture widely known as the Golden thread. Leaving the machine she weaved lengthy coir thread with her bare hands. The spinner starts to spin, Latha Chechi walked backwards swiftly, pulling fibers from her basket to attach deftly to the spinning and lengthening yarn.
From there the little canoe will take you to the soothing shade of the coconut grove where you meet Kuttappan, the Toddy tapper who shows you how the sweet toddy is taken into a pot. Kuttappan tenderly taps the sides of the spathe in a rhythmic tone. The taste of the fresh toddy oozing out of the spadix dripping into the earthen pot will never be expunged into the oblivion of memory.
Want to enjoy a deliciously spicy home-cooked meal. Well then the Kudumbasree canteen awaits you with flavours and tastes that befit this enchanting village. The different dishes of fish especially that of Karimeen will linger long on your tongue and even longer in your memory. You can have food at an affordable rate here and the rush at the canteen testimonies this.
The farm of Sebastian displays the dexterity of village folk in using the simple materials available to them and transforming them into gorgeous articles of value. Here one would see women engaged themselves in weaving the mat, making brooms out of the palm leaf and other works. Snake-gourd plants spread all over a raised platform and spinach grows beneath the shade of it. Fishing with a bow and arrow would be a stunning experience waiting for you at the farm. You can also enjoy the luxurious pageant of sundry birds and animals here at the farm.
The large exotic birds, Emus welcome you at the Arayil Farm. These birds with different black and white stripes or brown and black mixed with a bluish neck parade with pride at the farm. Trapped in the adroit spreading of the net by Antony Chettan (Chettan is any elder man in Kerala) the fishes sparkled under the sun. The Pond adjacent to the farm is the hub of a variety of fish like Karimeen, Red Balaria, Thilopia and many others.
As you come to the close of the Kumarakom Village Tour the landscape, the river, the people and the dishes would have captivated your hearts with its ever imposing simplicity and magical charm.
Getting there:
Nearest railway station: Kottayam about 13 km
Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport about 60 km
Contact Address:
K. Roopesh Kumar,
State RT Field Coordinator,
Responsible Tourism
Ph: +91 9446921702, +91 8111805554
