KERALA
HOLISTIC HEALING
Watch the colourful performers of Kathakali, the classical Indian dance
In perfect harmony Ayurveda was born in India some 5,000 years ago and its heartland is Kerala. Today, modernised practices have been adopted around the world and how you are treated will depend on the diagnosis of your body's doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – and what is needed to achieve a state of balance. Discovering it in Kerala during monsoon season is the ideal time, as the moisture in the air, which transfers to the skin, helps the natural medicines work most effectively. Plus, medicines are derived from herbs enhanced by the rich alkaloid content of the soil that’s unique to the area. Kizhi care One of the most popular Ayurvedic treatments is Kizhi, a massage that’s known to help ease pain and is carried out using a warm poultice containing herbs, herbal powders, rice or sand. You'll find many treatment centres and resorts that specialise in it.
*Always check with your doctor before trying Ayurveda or any other alternative medical treatment.
Mind, body, and spirit The main goal of Ayurveda is to promote good health and those visiting for a stretch of time can enrich their experience beyond individual treatments by seeking advice on a rounded approach that includes everything from mindful eating to meditation. A list of government-approved Ayurvedic centres can be found online at keralatourism.org/ayurvedacentres.
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travelgoals Toddy is a fermented beverage made from the sap of coconut flowers – it’s a must-try while exploring the backwaters
CULTURE TRIP A dose of history A confluence of religions and Portuguese, Dutch and British Raj influences, the atmospheric port city of Kochi is a sensory riot, crammed with historic sites like Jain Temple, the 400-year-old Paradesi Synagogue, Mattancherry Palace and Portuguese churches. Timehonoured traditions continue even in the rain: sniff spices along Bazaar Road, head to the harbour to watch fisherman working giant Chinese fishing nets and take a peek inside Kerala Museum (keralamuseum.com). Local theatre Part dance, part mime, the 17th-century theatre tradition of Kathakali, classical Indian dance characterised by colourful performers with exaggerated expressions, is as old as Shakespeare. Book tickets for a performance at Kerala Kathakali Centre (K.B. Jacob Rd, kathakalicentre.com) in Kochi.
Ayurveda was born in India some 5,000 years ago
Get festive Onam, one of Kerala’s most important festivals, starts on 15 August this year. The 10-day harvest festival is marked by elaborate feasts, folk performances and temple visits. It culminates with the Snake Boat Race, held on the river Pampa in Aranmula (around 111 kilometres from Kochi) – an unmissable spectacle of hundreds of oarsmen, rowing along the river clad in white dhotis and turbans, past chanting crowds. World Traveller 63