Spiritual Tourism

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Kerala Tourism takes off !

It was Walter Mendis, the Corporate Creative Director of Mudra, who gave Kerala the name " God's own Country". He meant Kerala is as beautiful as the Lord made it, bearing on every feature the unmistakable stamp of the great Original Creative Artist !

Kerala is amongst the top 40 destinations in the world. National Geographic is of the view that she is amongst the top ten !

More than 13 K cr has come in and more than 5,98,000 foreign tourists visited this beautiful state out of a total of 8.2 million tourists. This 131130 cr is 7.7% of Kerala's total income.

Kerala has a lot to offer. Houseboat Tourism, particularly in the Venice of the East, Alleppey, Beach Tourism, because of the 586 km coastline, River Tourism, Mountain Tourism & Monsoon Tourism, because of the heavy rainfalls that grace Kerala !

Kerala is just 1.1% of India ! Yet, she hosts 22% of 47 K plants, 35% of varieties of fish and 210 types of oceanic creatures. She has 700 kms of the Western Ghats & 586 kms of coastline. She receives 2000 mm rains. You will find different types of people belonging to different civilisations as she is multi-cultural and multi-religious. That is how Kerala becomes the Lord's own country !

The foreigners say that " well kept beaches, good people, tasty and mouth watering cuisine, spirituality and Ayurveda " are the hallmarks of Kerala !

Beaches are a fascination for tourists and the four out of the five Districts which receive the influx of tourist have beaches ( Trichur, Trivandurm, Ernakulam, Alleppey and Idukki ).

Some fishing villages have been defined as Fishermen's Village. Farm Tourism is also on the rise !

The Munambam Estuary

The Munambam beach is a beautiful place to behold. On the west we have the Arabian Sea, a mouth of the sea on the north and the "Life Line of Kerala", the Periyar River on the east. This estuary is the place where the Periyar River, 244 km long, flows into the sea.

Munambam Beach is also known as Muziris Golden Beach. It is the farthest end of the famous Cherai beach. On the north west side, you can see the Munakkal beach. On the north we have Azheekode in Trichur Dist. The Munambam Azheekode point is the point where Trichur and Ernakulam Districts meet. You can cross the mouth of the sea on the north by Junkar or boat. Just five minutes from Munambam ( Kochi ) to Azheekod ( Trichur ) !

You can sit and enjoy the views, watching the local fishermen fish in their canoes and colourful boats. Photographers find Munambam enchanting, as the glorious sunset is indeed inspiring !

The Chavakkad Estuary

The Chavakkad Azhimukham ( Estuary ), where the Chettuva River meets the sea, is a lovely spot to watch.

The Chavakkad beach is only 2 kms from Chavakkad. We have a 6 km road almost along the beach which goes to Munakkal. There is a fish landing harbour at Munakkal, on the shores of the Munakkal river. We can see Chettuva on the other side of the river. 2 kms furthur, again along the road near the 8 km coastline, we reach the Azhimukham, where the river meets the sea !

On the eastern side we can see the Engandiyur Fish Landing Hourbour. The place is undeveloped and some tourism projects may come over there. Full of coconut trees and with a great green ambience, Azhimukham is a great spot to behold.

The Tourism Ministry has plans to beautify four beaches- Fort Kochi, Cherai, Munambam and Munakkal at a cost of 8 crores.

The Model Tourism Village, Kumbalangi !

The United Nations Development Programme cited Kumbalangi, a small fishing village in Kerala, as an Endogenous Tourism Center. Endogenous means that which is derived internally and that this place shows the inherent skills and traits of Kerala. The Govt declared Kumbalangi as a Model Tourism Village.

Biogas is the gas which accrues from animal waste. Kumbalangi, as an exemplar of Organic Farming, has 800 biogas plants, generating more than 3600 hours of cooking gas per day!

The backwaters of Venice, the green fields of Europe all combined is this beautiful village. The Lonely Planet called it the " Paradise found on Earth". Sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea in Peninsular India, is Kerala, the gift given by Nature to mankind !

Close to the port town of Kochi is Kumbalangi, an ideal tourist location. She possesses a vast stretch of backwaters and is rich with cuisines, fish farms, local boat building and coir looms. You will find its inhabitants in tune with Nature, depending on Nature for their survival. There is not too much rush of tourists ( this island gets only 5000 tourists per season ) and you will find her more or less a virgin landscape.

In 2005, the Govt came out with the Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project, to transform this small island to a model tourism and fishing spot. The Chinese fishing nets which grace Fort Kochi and other places in Kochi can be seen here. Crores were invested in the project, as new roads were built, percolation tanks to store rain water were built ( thus solving the water problem ), fishes which had moved away were brought back and water drainage system was built.

Lack of rooms created Homestays. Now there are a lot of homestays in this village.

Kochi Airport is just 40 kms away and the nearest Rly Station is Ernakulam, 25 km away.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ayurveda, the cause of Monsoon Tourism

Monsoons may be the primary cause of Monsoon Tourism in Kerala.

During the monsoon seasons, particularly during the months of Mithuna ( Gemini ) and Kataka ( Cancer ), the body becomes weak and this is an excellent time to take in Ayurvedic medicines.

I am taking in Chyavana Prasam, a rejuvenative and restorative. It is an Anti Aging Medicine, enriched with the essence of gooseberries, the great source of Vitamin C.
Aphrodisiacs like Mucuna Pruriens ( Naikarana parippu ) and Withania Somnifera ( Aswagandha, the Indian ginseng ), can be taken in. This process is called Vajeekarana in Ayurveda. It makes men regain their lost Sapta Dhatus or the Seven Tissue Elements and makes men as fit as horses !

In his book ” Quantum Healing”, Dr Chopra says ” During the coming years, Ayurveda will blossom”.

During Monsoons, the digestive power weakens and vata is aggravated. Moderation in diet is what the doctor orders. Bitter, pungeant and astringent food should be taken in, along with rice and wheat. It is better to avoid excessive sex. It is time to go in for oil bath and massage. Water should be boiled and cooled. Avoid sleeping during daytime. Honey can be taken in, as it is an excellent medicine.

The triune humours of Ayurveda, Vata, Pitta and Kapha( bile, wind and phlegm) should be kept in equilibrium as their disequilibrium is disease. To keep these doshas or humours in balance, Ayurveda prescribes unique diet ( Ahara ), a distinct mode of living ( Vihara ) and routine living ( Karya ). This will help you in coping with the stresses and strains of the changing seasons.

Kerala is one of the states identified by the Center for Monsoon Tourism. Mainly because Kerala gets around 3000 mm rains in three Monsoons. Even the summer rains ( Summer Monsoon ) bring in about 300 mm of rains , the North East Monsoon brings in 500 mm and the South West 2200 mm !

Not blessed by high education alone
Tiny Kerala is graced by three Monsoons !

unnatha vidyagunathal sampannam
Kochu Keralam Thri mazhayal samriddham !

Monsoons may be the primary cause of Monsoon Tourism. But the secondary cause is Ayurveda !

One of my friends is working for USA Eyes, a site which complies with the Health on the Net Code. He says Lasik Surgery is done fast in the US. It is the most performed surgery in the US. Lasik vision recovery is fast, within a few hours. The doctors who work at the USA Eyes are graduates from UCLA, John Hopkins and Yale. A US Congressional subcommittee cited USA Eyes as a reliable source of LASIK information.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Spiritual Tourism VI - Heavens on Earth - Thirunavaya

Thirunavaya,. the Abode of the Celestials !

Yesterday I went to Thirunavaya, in Malappuram, to do shrardham for my mother. It was a great experience.

Thirunavaya is the abode of the gods and it impresses one with its breathtaking natural beauty. On the banks of Nila or Bharatapuzha, a 203 km long river, the second longest after Periyar, we have three glorious temples, dedicated to the Creative, Preservative and Destructive aspects of Time Eternal !

Hindus do srardham or bali ( rites to the departed ) , that is respect those who have gone to the astral plane.

We respected the dead ancestors and prayed for forgiveness for the offences, knowingly or unknowingly, done to them. I am my brother did it for almost forty minutes, on the banks of the sacred Bharatpuzha.

Bharatapuzha comes from the Western Ghats and flows through Kerala and drains itself into the Arabian Sea. It irrigates thousands of acres. Above is a video about the lotus cultivation in Thirunavaya. ( This temple deity, Lord Vishnu, was the Tutelary Deity of the Zamorin, who then was the ruler of Kerala. He was worried about the idols which were lost in the Bharatapuzha River. Astrologers advised him to garland Lord Vishnu with the lotus flower and hence lotus is cultivated on 250 acres. The lotus thus obtained goes not only to this Nava Mukunda temple but to temples like Guruvayur also).

Millions come here because of the natural beauty, the greenish landscape architecture done by Nature and the proximity of the three temples dedicated to Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Historical Background

Thirunavaya is a must see destination in Tourism Kerala. It lies 8 kms south of Tirur.

The famous Nava Mukunda Temple lies on the bank the of the second largest river in Kerala, the Bharatapuzha. It is believed to be 6000 years old. The sanctum sanctorum is adorned by great sculptures which defiy imagination. You can see the mythological Ten Incarnations of Vishnu along with the story of Lord Shiva in his tribal avatar, blessing Arjuna with the Pasupatha Arrow.

A place of immense historical importance, this is the ancient land of Mamankam, where the rulers used to assemble once, in every 12 years. One of them used to be elected as the Emperor of Kerala. There was a great Trade Fair held at this venue. Traders used to come in ships and barges and this festival was celebrated with great pomp and pageantry.

This temple has a ten day annual festival starting with Kodiyettam and ending in Arattu. Lakhs of people visit this temple during the festival.

The famous Vedic Othanmar Madhom, is on the bank of Bharatapuzha, near the Lord Shiva temple. This institute was a center of Aryanisation thorough Vedic Knowledge and Sanskrit and Thirunavaya is believed to be the main center, where Parasurama,one of the Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu, brought and settled Brahmin scholars.

How to reach Thirunavaya

It is well connected to all the districts of Kerala and can be reached

By Air

The Calicut Airport, one of the busiest and best designed, is just 26 kms from Thirunavaya

By Road

All districts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Kerala are connected to Tirunavaya by an efficient system of roads. The National Highway 17 is the most notable.

By Rail

Malappuram District, where Tirunavaya is posited, has two railway tracks running through it. The Mangalore-Madras and the Nilambur-Shornur tracks. Both are well connected to other cities.

Medical Tourism in US

For LASIK and PRK, U S is the ideal place.

I have a friend of mine who works in USAEyeswhich is a highly informative site which deals with LASIK and Photo Refractive Kerotomy.

USAEyes.orgcomplies with the Health on the Net Code.

Laser Surgery has improved considerably now. The Method, in which a tiny flap is cut across the top of the eye's clear dome shaped cornea and folded back , so that a laser can reshape the tissue underneath. LASIK, short for laser assisted in situ kerotomilusis. Photorefractive Kerotectomy is sister to LASIK.

USAEyes deals with both methods.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Trichur Pooram, a great Tourist Attraction !

Yesterday was Trichur Pooram, the greatest of all festivals. A group of 15 elephants faced each other and it was a great sight.

Fireworks at 0430 AM today and 05.15 ended the great Trichur Pooram. I saw many foreign tourists in Trichur. Trichur is a tourist spot, because of the Trichur Pooram, the great temple of Vadakkunathan, the great Elephant Sanctuary in Guruvayur, the Palayur Church and the educational institutions in Trichur. Trichur is the cultural and educational capital of Kerala. The Trichur Medical College is spread over 1500 acres !

More than one million witness this great Festival, which occurs on the Pooram day in Mesha, the First Zodiacal Month of the Vedic Calender. Two major temples, Thiruvambadi and Parmakkavu, compete against each other. 15 elephants representing each take part in the festival. Also other elephants from other temples. It is a great sight, with the Trichur Round jampacked. One elephant fell down due to the intense heat. All India is under a heat wave. Global Warming is a real problem and temperature touched 45 degrees !

In my travel and tourism site, Kerala Heritages, I have uploaded a lot of Kerala Tourism, Farm Tourism and Health Tourism videos !

Video about Cherai Beach at Tourism

About Alappuzha Beach

About Medical Tourism

About Health Tourism

About Travel Kerala Tourism

About Organic Farming

About Farm Tourism

About The Arts of Kerala

One of my friends is working for the Stahl Eye Center, under Dr. Thierry Hufnagel He says Lasik Surgery is done fast in the US. It is the most performed surgery in the US. Lasik vision recovery is fast, within a few hours. The doctors who work at the Stahl Eye Center are graduates from UCLA, John Hopkins and Yale.