Where Jesus Walks On Water

…and plates grow on trees, is also where you board the Vaikundam, Vishnu’s abode, and experience God’s Own Country, writes NARAYANI GANESH

He had such long legs and toes and he was walking effortlessly on the waters of Vembanad Lake, trotting between thousands of shocking pink lilies that put Amsterdam’s tulip fields in the shade.

As our boat drew closer, though, we could see that he was lightly stepping on the lily leaves that had virtually carpeted the water for as far as the eye could see, between clusters of beautiful lilies that made for a stunning landscape. No wonder he is called the ‘Jesus’ bird, as he seems to be walking on water like Jesus is believed to have done. His real name, though, is the bronze winged Jacana, and he is also enchantingly called the ‘lily trotter’!

Close to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, we could spot several birds including the kingfisher, cormorant, the blue-tailed bee-eater, pond heron, purple heron, Brahmani kite, egret, Oriental darter bird, Asian koel, weaver bird, drongo, magpie robin, fruit bat and plenty of dragonflies. A birders’ paradise.

At a homestay place, called Malakkarethu House at Aranmula, run by an advocate who doubles as host and rubber plantation entrepreneur, a sumptuous traditional Kerala feast was served on fresh green banana leaves, adding to the ambience and flavour of the experience. “Yup, this is where plates grow on trees,” I explained to my fellow traveller from Britain, who seemed impressed at the eco-friendliness of it all. And the fact that you didn’t have to do the dishes!

We were a small international media/tour group hosted by Far Horizon and Adventure River Cruises, whose founder Sanjay Basu is a pioneer in river and canal cruises in India. In fact we were on the maiden seven-night voyage, sailing on his nine-cabin RV Vaikundam, a kettuvallom, rice barge-turned cruise boat, on Kerala’s backwaters, narrow and wide canals, lakes and lagoons. But RV Vaikundam, aptly named after Vishnu’s abode, heaven, has been around for nearly 20 years, doing shorter cruise trips including the one that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spent a day on, during his famous vacation when he came out with his musings in verse.

The highlights of the cruise were many, notable among which were the daily rustic walks, and one was pleased to note that not a scrap of garbage littered the rain-washed streets and gullies. There was also very little evidence of plastic throwaways, but the scenario at Thottappally beach was not so clean, as the dark sands bore evidence of considerable amounts of litter. Yet, one swallow does not a summer make and one needs to grant it to Kerala that by and large, the people of the state have indeed kept their homes and surroundings pretty clean.

In sync with the sloping, tiled roofs of homes and other buildings in a rain rich region, the temples, churches and mosques of Kerala blend seamlessly with the rest of the built-up landscape with their beautiful tiled roofs and aesthetic architecture. What stood out in church courtyards were the tall brass covered pillars that one normally finds in temple courtyards, the dvaja sthambam, a fusion of culture no doubt that one finds in Tamil Nadu churches as well. India’s very first Christian church, St Francis, said to have been built by St Thomas over the remains of Vasco da Gama, stands tall in Kochi, a town that is now famous for its Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international art exhibition.

What do you get to experience most in Kerala besides palm-fringed waterways, glorious sunsets, birds, food, arts and food? Why, coconuts of course and the cassava, white ash gourd, snake gourd and long string beans fresh from the fields. Sea food is naturally a staple, what with Kerala’s long coastline and aqua networks, and so too the pineapple, jackfruit and a variety of banana. Every home had at least one each of these, as well as herbs and spices. No wonder Kerala was a rich source of trade that attracted the Portuguese, Arabs, Dutch, and more. And so you have churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and Buddhist relics throughout the region. A theosophist’s delight.

All the ambalams, temples, are spotlessly clean, and the rows and rows of oil-fed earthen or metal lamps lit in the evenings suffuse the atmosphere with piety and hope, their warm glow somehow reassuring and comforting. At the Thiruvarur temple, a pooram festival was on, with caparisoned elephants lined up for a procession. At the ancient Mannarasala Nagaraja Temple that boasts of the only woman priest lineage in India, a beautiful gateway greets scores of visitors who are here to pay homage to the gods of fertility (serpents) who are expected to answer to the call of the nonagenarian priest and seek her blessings. Hundreds of ancient stone sculptures of snake gods line the pathways and courtyards of the sacred grove that wears a festive look on this special festival day, with marigolds and jasmine decorations brightening every nook and corner.

A unique feature at the snake temple is Pullavan Pattu — a man playing a stringed instrument, who appeals to the gods to bless you once you tell him your name and birth star. New born babies are brought here by parents seeking the blessings of the serpent gods, and one can see that faith helps one overcome all kinds of fears, including that of snakes.
A visit to a Kathakali maestro, Pallipuram Sunil’s home in Vaikom gave us the privilege of witnessing the ritual of wearing elaborate make up by the performers — “one-and-a-half hours to put on the make-up and just 15 minutes to wipe it clean with coconut oil”— and also enjoy their performance of a story from the Bhagavata Purana of Demon Narakasura’s amorous sister Nakrathundi getting spurned by Indra’s son Jayanthan.

And a lesson in deep humility when Rosa, who facilitated the demonstration of Kalaripayattu at Vaikom, at a guru’s home, explained that though it was a martial art involving the use of dangerous weapons, the entire practice was meant to be used only to defend oneself. There was no question of being aggressor. That the art went far ashore to China and Japan and metamorphosed into Shaolin Temple martial arts is another story.

The 2018 floods may have inflicted a great deal of damage, but Kerala seems to have bounced back with enthusiasm, offering visitors its unique experiences. “My passion is to showcase India beyond the Taj Mahal,” says Basu, “and to promote natural and cultural histories. Give people immersive experiences…” and that he certainly did, as we walked down muddy but clean roads for authentic cultural experiences at every place we docked, between taking the boat at Alleppey and deboarding at Vaikom.

Unique Art Form

Kathakali, Kerala’s classical dance form, involves no dialogue — only gestures, footwork and facial expressions — and essaying stories from Hindu epics. It is usually performed by males, who also take on female roles, and performers wear elaborate costumes, make-up and jewellery that take considerable time to put on. The navarasas, nine emotions, are conveyed through graphic facial expressions to the beating of drums and singing of songs in the background.

Metal Mirrors

Metal mirror making is alive only among a few families in Aranmula, a temple town in Kerala. The secret process has been handed down from one generation to another for more than nine generations. Unlike the conventional mercury mirror, the metal mirror reflects images just the way they are, directly. Queen Elizabeth picked up one for herself when she visited the craftsman’s workshop several years ago. Aranmula’s metal mirror has a geographical tag. ■