KALARI KOVILAKAM, KERALA Location : 100 km from Kochi, 75 km from Coimbatore Famous As : Ayurvedic Resort What To Enjoy : Herbal Oil massage, Panchkarma Treatment When To Visit : During the Monsoons (June-August)

Kalari Kovilakam - Life In A New Light

Kalari Kovilakam Ayurvedic Resort, Kerala

Healing With Ayurveda Sree Shankara Vaidya Shala Thiruvananthapuram

Kottakkal Vaidya Shala Munnar

Shayadri Centre Palakkad

Other than a few temples, there isn't much to see in the small town of Kollengode in Kerala. But this is something you have to be told. For you would never discover this by yourself as long as you are a guest at Kalari Kovilakom. Simply, because you are not allowed to step outside the big, black gate that keeps the mortal hands of modernity far from the secrets of ayurveda. You're not allowed to choose what you eat during the stay either. You're not given access to a television set. You can't even enjoy a chilled beer from the refrigerator because there are no refrigerators in the rooms here and besides, alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden on the premises. You're not allowed coffee, not even sugar; if you want to sweeten your herbal tea, you have to use honey! And you have ayurveda, all the time.

There is no beach to walk anywhere near Kollengode. There is no backwater even to cruise upon. The only reason for any foreigner to go there is Kovilakom itself, a two-century old palace lovingly restored by the private-sector CGH Earth Group to serve as a luxurious modern quintessence of an ancient way of healing. Plan a holiday to experience a new life - one that includes yoga, a balanced diet, and ayurveda - at Kalari Kovilakom, the Palace of Ayurveda.

The Ayurvedic Ambience At Kovilakom

Kovilakom, as the name suggests was once a palace. It housed the daughters of the royal family of Vengunad. Today the meticulously restored public rooms of the palace were finding purposes never imagined by their original royal inhabitants. Now, it has evolved as a place that joins hands with ayurveda to rejuvenate its guests. Very little has been touched or added as you can feel at every junction of your stay. Enjoy your 'prescribed' lunch in the carefully constructed extension - subtle blend of modernity and original architecture - which serves as a quasi-al-fresco dining room, with a fantastic view of the lush fields. You will be escorted to your room where you can find beautiful motifs carved into the ceiling and wooden beams radiating from its plumage like rays of the sun. A smaller room is also provided with sufficient space for storage, and further doors open out to a bathroom with toiletries made of sweet basil and aloe vera. Nestling with a telephone on the wall and chill whiffs of airconditioning will remind you that, after all like a hermit, you are not in a time warp.

Get Prepared For A New LIfestyle

Essentially, you would live the life of an ascetic, here at Kovilakom. But that is the best part of it. You can actually experience ayurveda more than just getting a relaxing massage with herbal oils, whose names you can't afford to pronunce (though you can try it as a part of the experience). No sooner when you check in than you will have an interview by the resident doctor. After an extensive series of questions related to your medical history, the doctor will determine the kind of treatment you should undergo and the precise combination of herbal oils to be mixed for your massages. Thereafter it will be time to go for a change in attire. You will be provided with a pair of 'dhoti' and 'kurta', and your leather footwears will be replaced with wooden 'padukas' to flop around in.

Wake up in the morning at half past five by devotional songs from a nearby temple. Enjoy a mug of hot, herbal tea - made of good-for-you ingredients like sarsaparila, coriander and lemon grass - while sitting on the stairs beside the emerald lake filled with lotus leaves. Then go to the garden and practice 'yoga nidra', while resting on yoga mats under the swaying coconut trees. The aim is to attain a state of psychic sleep

The Kalari (ancient form of self-defence, said to be the father of modern kungfu) practitioners will jolt you back to the present, with a welcome dose of adrenaline - leaping in the air with their swords and shields, going at each other with sticks, or simply executing sommersaults with one hand. You will be amazed to see the dexterity with which they attack and defend themselves, and that too congrously. The ancient martial art is responsible for part of the name of the treatment centre, Kalari Kovilakom - the palace was built on a site that contained a ritual space for Kalaripayattu - and it is practised mainly by therapists, who perform massages. They impart energy while giving treatment, and these Kalari sessions help them regain those energies.

A Tourist getting Ayurvedic Treatment

Heal By Thy Hands

If you get an opportunity, then go for a practical demonstration of the 'panchkarma' treatment. This five-step cleansing process includes therapeutic vomiting, exudation of the bowels with a laxative, nasal therapy, enema therapy and bloodletting. Surely, this bizarre process of evacuation balances the 'tri-doshas' and creates a new identity among every tourist. You can also enjoy a relaxation massage that would boost your digestive power, improve blood circulation and glow your skin. Lie down and experience the benefits of two different sets of energies, bestowed by two different Kalari trained masseurs. See how their oil-slicked hands keep whooshing past your ear as they slide back and forth across your body, foot to palm, and again palm to foot. What makes these ayurvedic practises stand out from the crowd is that, these treatments and exercises aren't designed to occupy your mind 24 hours a day. You have time to think, to introspect, to be alone. And through this, you ultimately come to know yourself.

Things To Remember

According to ayurveda, the year is divided into Visarga Kala (during which our bodies give out energy to nature) and Adana Kala (during which our bodies take in energy from nature). The monsoon season belongs to the latter, which makes it the ideal time for ayurvedic treatments because the body doesn't get tired. So plan your holiday vacation trip to Kerala, during the monsoons so as to extract the maximum advantage. Tourists who are travelling by air, can disembark at Kochi (100 km) or Coimbatore (75 km) and can hire a taxi to reach Kovilakom. If you are planning to come from Chennai, catch the Alleppey Express and enjoy an overnight run to reach Palakkad Junction, located at 24 km from Kovilakom. The minimum stay is 14 days, which is the minimum duration of the programme, but there are also 21-day programmes. The cost includes pick up from the nearest airport, treatment, food and everything else except telephone calls. For more information about the therapies offered, one can contact Kalari Kovilakom, Kollengode, Palakkad.