It has been 6 years since Travel Scope has been promoting the Uthralikkavu Pooram Festival celebrated annually in the small town of Wadakancherry in Central Kerala. It’s a festival that is much smaller in scale compared to the other Poorams but being smaller and practically unknown makes it an intimate experience for our clients. The involvement of the maternal side of my family in organizing this trip adds special privileges to our guests who come from as far as USA, Australia, and Europe. Having missed the festival last year, I was eager to get back this year to be a part of the two-day spectacle.
We spent the first couple of days researching to introduce some new elements for touring options in Cochin and the great backwaters of Kerala, and to check out some hotels. We spent a couple of nights at the 8th Bastion Hotel in Fort Cochin. This is one of the latest additions to the CGH Earth creations in Kerala. It’s an affordable option in Fort Cochin with walking access to the main spots in the city such as the Chinese Nets, St. Francis Church, and the Maidan area. Rooms are comfortable with attached bathroom and shower, a small swimming pool is surrounded by an al-fresco dining area, and an air-conditioned restaurant serves all three meals. Hotel is yet to get a bar license, so at the moment there’s no alcohol service but this should be in place soon. Rooms are spread out on three floors from Ground to 3rd, with maximum rooms on 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors with diverse views. I would highly recommend this property for guests looking for an affordable option in Fort Cochin.
CGH has also restored and renovated two Bungalows very close to the 8th Bastion Hotel. Each of the bungalows is an independent unit with 3 bedrooms, living dining area, and a separate swimming pool. Each bungalow has a dedicated team looking after housekeeping, f&b, and general upkeep. Meals are cooked and served in the bungalow itself. Guests also have the option of cooking themselves. Ideal for families or small group of friends.
Most clients visiting Kerala to experience the backwaters do a routine cruise from Alleppey to Kumarakom or v/v. To say the least, this has resulted in overcrowding at the Alleppey boat jetty and the experience is further diluted when you see countless boats navigating on the same route. There is no real experience of cruising through the narrow canals to experience real life as most of the time the houseboat is navigating the large Vembanad Lake.
Therefore one of our missions was to cruise the backwaters to explore a new route for our guests and we did find a beautiful route where we saw all of three houseboats and the experience was real and authentic. We started the cruise from Pallaturuthy boat jetty and went all the way towards Thotapally and back. One important point to note here is that for this cruise our clients have to report to Pallaturuthy boat jetty by 11 AM so that the cruise can be completed in time and guests return back to Pallaturuthy boat jetty by 4.30 to 5 PM, and then drive back to the hotel. This cruise cannot start or end from a hotel in Kumarakom. Guests will have to drive to Pallaturuthy boat jetty from either Cochin or Kumarakom and again drive back from Pallaturuthy to Kumarakom or Cochin depending on the itinerary. The drive usually takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes one way, but it is definitely worth the experience that you get on the cruise.
For guests opting for an overnight on board, the houseboat will anchor at Thottapally and then drop them back at Pallaturuthy the next morning.
The route is very scenic and one can witness life on the backwaters. Stops include a short walk to see the Karumadi Kuttan Statue – a half cut statue of Buddha which is installed into a small chorten like structure. Something very unique to see in Kerala. Guests also visit a small Krishna temple where the flagpole of the main shrine is said to be shifting leftwards. The locals believe that it will stop in front of another small shrine, which is towards the left of the main shrine and that is the day a new golden flagpole will emerge in front of the main shrine.
For guests opting for an overnight we can organize a auto-rickshaw ride to visit the Krishna Temple at Ambalapuzha, known for its rice pudding as offering to Lord Krishna every day. The temple is located only 2.5 kms from this spot and we will provide auto-rickshaws for a road access. Travel Scope also can also organize exclusive cultural performances of Kathakali or Ottanthullal (stand-up comedy) on an overnight cruise.
I highly recommend this (the Pallaturuthy / Thottapally) route for all our clients seeking an authentic backwater experience.
Our next stop was Wadakancherry. We spent the next couple of days with our guests from USA and Australia who had specially come to witness the Uthralikkavu Pooram Festival at Wadakancherry. The eve of the festival saw the build up to the hectic activities that were to follow the next two days. The three villages of Wadakancherry, Kumaranallur, and Engakkad compete with each other in parading the best of elephants and displaying the noisiest of fireworks, and all this while drummers and trumpeters built the tempo while the crowds joined in to encourage them. And this time we had a unique guest who was conducting the philharmonic orchestra at Wadakancherry. If you don’t believe me, please see it for yourself on the video linked below. The uncles are always thankful to us for bringing people from across the world to witness a festival that’s unique to the Kerala culture.
January to April is the season for some of the most authentic festivals in Kerala. We have identified the following festivals that can be scheduled on a client’s itinerary for 2014 – 15. Pulikali (9th Sep 2014), Thripppnithura Poorathrayesha Festival (21 – 26 Nov 2014), Waddakancherry, Utralikkavu Pooram(24 Feb 2015), Arattupuzha Pooram (01 Apr 2015), Thrissur Pooram – Biggest of all Poorams (29 Apr 2015)
