Calming Kumarakom

Indulge your senses to cathartic comfort in the midst of wilderness, writes Pooja Prabbhan Srijith

With pristine waters lapping against roomy houseboats that are fashioned to help one soak up the idyllic views of the backwaters, complemented by the breezy vibe of rich groves of lanky, sashaying coconut trees — the lure of Kumarakom is unmatched.

An isolated vibe dominated the setting as we decided to check-in to the outlying spot amidst a pandemic. Holidaying at a time when travelling has taken a backseat felt like an adventure in itself. “Over 2,000 houseboats have been stationed since the lockdown,” rued the driver, as he navigated through the smooth-sailing waters of the Vembanad Kayal — the largest lake in Kerala, we sailed past the picturesque Pathiramanal Island. The Vembanad Lake — sparkly from a distance and expansive in its entirety — is cupped by islands of Pathiramanal, Perumbalam and Pallippuram.

It’s one of those spots that’ll transport you into a dreamy lull, especially so if you have a thing for bird-watching, or better still, switching off from everything else and indulging your senses to cathartic comfort of being surrounded by wilderness. We were soon consumed by a strong wave of intrigue. A floating house — that was nearly abandoned — was our haunt for the day in God’s Own Country. We settled for a single-storeyed houseboat. The houseboat was docked right outside a service villa, which was taken out for some time around mid-morning.

The houseboating experience was soon preceded by a speedboating experience, just as we halted somewhere in the middle of the island. The heady spin lasted about 15 minutes (you can opt for longer schemes if you aren’t sea-sick or have tried the activity before) and gives you a great view of the entire island. Some highlights of our trip included sinking our teeth into the nadan (authentic) seafood fare — the Kerala matta rice, a choice of Malabar specialities, and the star dish, of course i.e. Karimeen Polichathu.

The thing with houseboats is, you barely feel you’ve covered the distance you’ve actually covered. The waves were kind to us, and so was the weather which was breezy and pleasant. We feasted our sights on a host of migratory birds. Some of the popular finds in the region are Siberian cranes, parrots, herons, owls, egrets, darters, and waterfowls. However, we did not chance upon the usual highlights — clearly, the fishermen weren’t in their element, most likely due to the Coronavirus scare that has brought several industries to its knees.

The panoramic view of the Pathiramanal island is unmissable and a sight to remember, as one crosses the Thanneermukkom bund — pegged the largest mud regulator in the country. One gets to witness a clear demarcation between murky waters on one end and freshwater fed by the rivers draining into the lake on the other.

The bund, which is viewed as one of the highlights of visiting Kumarakom, currently faces a lot of wrath as its construction has reportedly posed challenges to the act of fetching local fish in the area.

Kumarakom was devoid of its usual spark. But it’s the year of the pandemic. And, irrefutably, in isolation or otherwise, travelling — armed with the safety measures — has a charm of its own. You win some, you lose some. Don’t you?