Poovar - where river and sea meets ..

A blue sky, an island, a sandy beach, a river ,an estuary , a stretch of coconut trees, a lone boat and the blue-green backwaters . And of course, birds, fish , the boatman and us .

This is Poovar for you, lost somewhere near the tip of South India, tucked in Gods own country , Kerala .

It was a lazy Saturday morning and we were in Tiruvanthapuram or Trivandrum staring endlessly at the beaches in Kovalam . Unlike most capital cities, this quiet nonchalant town-city has a certain charm that makes you linger. While most of my friends prefer Cochin , I have always had a certain soft corner for Trivandrum - maybe , because its closer to my roots in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu .

We were in Kovalam at the beach , sipping a tender coconut when the vendor asked us if we had been to Poovar . I recollected travel packages promoting Poovar , images of floating cottages and a couple of resorts vying for attention . We were not the typical beach bums , so we were willing to tear ourselves away from the sunny shores and look for newer shores. So, we went driving , in search of a coastal hamlet called Poovar along the River Neyyar .

According to Wikipedia , 'Poovar was a trading center of timber, sandlewood, ivory and spices. It is believed that the trading ships of King Solomon landed in a port called 'Ophir', which is figured out as Poovar.'

While surfing through kerelatourism.com, I was surprised to read that Poovar had a royal connection as well and it owed its name to a king . It was in this tiny hamlet , then a rich trading centre, that Raja Marthanda Varma , the legendary 18th century king of Travancore had sought refuge .


The story goes that Ettuveetil Pillamar, had proclaimed Marthanda Varma as his successor and the former's sons declared war. The Maharaja had to flee from his land and he landed in Poovar with the help of one Moosa Marikar, a merchant who also helped him regain power .

The Raja was fascinated by the sight of red flowers, chipped out from the Kovala trees growing along the Neyyar river , which floated in the river as a red carpet on water. The legned is that the stream was named as "POOVAR" as the Raja described the river as "POO-AAR" ( meaning a stream of flowers).


The drive is not just beautiful, but it takes you into the heart of rustic India. A little bustle here and there, a few shops will convert a sleepy village into a market. The smell of the fish was everywhere - we took a detour and came to a jetty which only allowed tourists who were staying in the resorts ..We managed to talk the boatman into taking us for a little ride on the backwaters .

There were a few resorts dotting the landscape ..but besides that, all we could see was just the azure waters and the blue sky . The coconut trees stretched out, kissing the waters here and there, as we sailed ..Until we saw two horizons ..one separating the sky from the sea, the other - a sandy beach separating the sea from the backwaters . The estuary here connects to the sea during high tides . I looked at the vast expanse of waters called sea, river, backwaters , estuary and wondered if there was anything so simple and yet so beautiful in life ! This is probably what they call happiness !

Getting there

Nearest Airport : Trivandrum International Airport - 18km, Nearest Railway Station : Trivandrum Central - 22km, Nemom - 12km, Nearest Harbor : Vizhinjam - 14km
Poovar is just 32 kms away from Trivandrum .

Accomodation

Lovely resorts and homestays dot Poovar . Poovar Island Resort with its floating cottages, The Estuary Island from where these photographs have been taken , Isola Di Cocco and a homestay - Fridays Place

IN and around Pondicherry

The Alamabara Fort and the Backwaters around







Arikamedu excavation - The Roman connection




Chummnumbur Beach and Paradise Island

Kerala - The Backwaters !

We had just set foot in God’s own country, in search of that elusive stuff called peace. It had rained just then. 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 , driving through the muddy road , cutting through the foliage, until we saw the board. Tharavadu Heritage Home, Since 1870. We were in Kumarakom, a small island carved out of the backwaters .

We had decided on Kumarakom after much deliberation. We had wanted an authentic experience of Kerala, with dollops of nature thrown in, spiced with a bit of local culture and topped with luxury. With just three days on hand and a shoe-string budget, we opted to go in for a home-stay - to get a taste of Malabar heritage and hospitality and to experience the backwaters, floating in a Kettuvellam ,with the water hyacinths for company. Our choice was the Tharavadu Heritage Home, a 135 year old “Mallika “ built in the Syrian Christian style

The verdant greenery was all enveloping as we entered the portals of this heritage house. The creek which had guided us flowed into a river scattered with lotuses . A school bell rang close by ; devotees emerged out of a temple located on its bank. We munched our breakfast , taking in the scene . It was a lazy day, as birds gnawed on the grains and coconut shells were sun dried in the courtyard or the ‘koprakalam’ .

We explored the three acre property which boasts of a heritage preserved over the last century. We went past the dining hall which overlooks the river and interrupted a group of geese playing in a pool. Stepping over logs of wood , we crossed over to the bank , where some boats were slumbering . There are three magnificent structures here with ornate wooden work, that speaks volumes of a bygone era Our host, Kencee George points to an etching on the brick red tiles that adorn the sloping roof which reads 1870 and the name , M C Chandy, the grandfather of the current owner, Joseph John. The home stay is now jointly promoted by the duo . The sloping roof and terracotta floor have been retained , while the rooms have been renovated to suit all modern requirements.

The common portico comes with arch shaped entrances as they open into various rooms There are currently eight rooms only and more are on their way. Some rooms open into their own private verandahs opening into the garden The teak furniture is mostly antique and intricate designs can be seen in all of them .The house smacks of an ancient charm, especially the dusty wooden staircase which is being renovated. An underground storage area, which has been closed now, ends near the reception, says the host.

The architecture tour ended in a sumptuous meal, replete with all the traditional food, soaked in the deliciously rich coconut oil. A trip to Kerala is never complete without a touch of ayurveda. As we treated our frayed nerves and tired muscles, we succumbed to indulgence . Before we knew it, a day just went past us as we launched into sight seeing and it was time for us to shift our abode. And this time, we literally floated around.

A spacious double bedroom kettuvellam or the traditional rice barge was waiting for us on the narrow creek with her crew on board . This was an extension of the hospitality that The Tharavadu Heritage Home offers to make your holiday special . The houseboat completely charmed us , and it came 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 Vembadand Lake and the canvas came alive-an endless expanse of blues, with tinges of green and browns.

As we started sailing towards Alappuzha, 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.

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.


We ensued 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 , leaved 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. My journey had not yet ended … but I think we found what we were looking for.
Getting there
You need to reach Cochin by air or train and then drive or ferry down to Alleppy or Kottayam.Kumarakom is just a stone's throw from there and you should ideally ferry down from there . We took a train from Chennai to Kottayam and drove down to Kumarakom. We later sailed from kumarakom to allepy and back(22 hours) in the houseboat