India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (163 page)

Placating the Gods with Theyyams

Peculiar to the tribal region of northern Malabar, this ritual dance form evolved as a means of placating ancient village gods and ancestors. Combining temple ritual, rustic ballads, and folk art, theyyams are essentially representations of the collective consciousness of the village. Heavily made-up men with masks, elaborate costumes, spectacular jewelry, and often 2m-high (61⁄2-ft.) headgear essentially become oracle-like incarnations or manifestations of the godhead or of a valorous ancestor. The ceremony begins with a song of praise, performed in honor of the presiding deity; this is followed by a dance strongly influenced by Kalaripayattu, the traditional Kerala martial art thought to predate the better-known Far Eastern forms like kung fu. Theyyams traditionally last an entire night and include a great deal of music, singing, and lighting of torches—oil lamps are ceremoniously brandished as shields and swords, and you may witness hypnotic music, prophetic moments, and even fire-walking. Theyyams are usually held between November and April (the sacred season), usually in a specially allocated temple or family compound. If you stay at a place like Neeleshwar Hermitage, staff will always know when and where performances are happening and will happily arrange all the details for a visit. To ensure your chances of seeing a performance, visit
Sri Muthappan Temple
at Parassini Kadavu, 18km (11 miles) north of Kannur, which has early morning and evening performances throughout the year. However, you’ll need to be a bit more proactive if you want to track down an authentic theyyam that isn’t staged for visitors, and if you do attend one, it’s a good idea to stay on through the entire all-night ceremony. It’s usually only after midnight that the bigger, more elaborate costumes are put on, and the performance becomes increasingly aggressive, building to a heart-stopping crescendo.

Where to Stay

By a long stretch, the best place to overnight in the northernmost part of Kerala is
Neeleshwar Hermitage
(reviewed below), nestled on the edge of a spectacularly pristine stretch of seemingly endless beachfront near the lively town of Kanhangad (which is where you’ll alight if you’re arriving by train). Neeleshwar is not only within easy striking distance of Bekal Fort (some 19km/11 3⁄4 miles north), but is also convenient for all the other attractions of this part of Kerala, not least of which is a designated Olive Ridley hatching area (the turtles usually lay their eggs in July and August, but this can be delayed till as late as October). There is also a more old-fashioned homestay-style option, a family run guesthouse in Thalassery, just south of Kannur, called
Ayisha Manzil
(reviewed below).

Ayisha Manzil
Occupying a majestic cliff-top position with a terrace overlooking the sea, this lovely two-story mansion was built by an East India Company tradesman in 1862. Bought by a family of Muslim spice traders in 1900, today it is still run by the Moosas, and combines modern facilities (like a beautiful pool overlooking the ocean) with sumptuous wooden antiques, unique family heirlooms, and ancient plumbing. Traditional Keralite and Malabari dishes are served in the family dining room, and Faiza, the lady of the house offers a course in local Mappila cookery which she’s even presented in France. Rooms differ in size and layout, but all have loads of character, with tall four-poster beds, ancient light fittings, high ceilings, and enormous drench showers. Insist on an upstairs sea-facing room, where you’ll have more privacy and splendid views across cobalt seas. Outings to Thalassery’s fruit markets, temples, and the local martial arts school are arranged, as are tours through the property’s original cinnamon plantation, apparently once the largest in Asia.

Court Rd., Thalassery 670 101.
0490/234-1590.
[email protected]. 6 units. Rs 11,500 double. Rates include all meals, taxes, and beach transfers. No credit cards. Closed Apr 15–July.
Amenities:
Dining room; large outdoor pool. In room: A/C, no phone.

Neeleshwar Hermitage
Behind a patch of pristine, virgin beach tucked off to the side of a peaceful fishing village this is paradisiacal Kerala still undiscovered by mass tourism. It seems almost a shame to let this secret out of the bag, but it offers a taste of Kerala before it became famous. Accommodations are in idiosyncratic Kerala-style cottages with coco palm thatch roofs that echo the homes of local fishermen—rooms are large, high-ceilinged, and well thought out with great big beds, luscious linens, and chic open-to-the-elements bathrooms built around coconut palms. The beach is a short stroll away from your private porch, but staff organize all kinds of outings, and at night there are visits by cultural performers, including demonstrations of Kalari and various dance forms. It’s a well-run, lovely little operation and surely a blueprint for how we wish tourism could run everywhere.
Note:
This is a strictly no-smoking resort, with a no-plastic policy, among other environmental initiatives.

Ozhinhavalappu P.O., Neeleshwar, Dist. Kasaragod 671 314.
0467/228-7510,
or 0467/228-8876 through -8878. Fax: 0467/228-7500.
www.neeleshwarheritage.com
. [email protected]. 16 units. Oct–Mar Rs 14,000 sea view double, Rs 11,500 garden view double, Rs 3,000–Rs 3,400 extra bed; Apr–Sept Rs 10,150 sea view double, Rs 7,950 garden view double, Rs 2,200–Rs 2,600 extra bed. Rates include breakfast; 15% tax extra. MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants, club house w/TV, bar (planned); airport transfers (from Mangalore; Rs 3,800 A/C, Rs 3,300 non-A/C); Ayurvedic and general massage center; bicycles; cooking classes; cultural activities and lectures; houseboat cruises; library/reading room; large outdoor pool; Wi-Fi (in lobby; free); yoga and meditation classes. In room: A/C and fans, hair dryer, MP3 docking station.

Chapter 8: Tamil Nadu: The Temple Tour

If your idea of India is one of ancient temples thick with incense and chanting masses worshiping dimly lit deities covered with vermilion paste and crushed marigolds, then Tamil Nadu is where your mental images will be replaced by vivid memories. Occupying a long stretch of the Bay of Bengal coastline known as the Coromandel Coast, India’s southernmost state is dominated by a rich cultural and religious heritage that touches every aspect of life. For many, this is the Hindu heartland—home to one of India’s oldest civilizations, the Dravidians, who pretty much escaped the Mughal influence that permeated so much of the cultural development in the north. Ruled predominantly by the powerful Chola, Pallava, and Pandyan dynasties, Dravidian culture flourished for more than 1,000 years, developing a unique political and social hierarchy, and an architectural temple style that has come to typify the south. In spite of globalization and the political dominance of the north, Tamil Nadu has retained its fervent nationalist sensibility—an almost zealous pride in Tamil language and literature, and in its delicious and varied cuisines. Outside of Chennai and the coastal stretch south to Pondicherry, it is also a state that remains virtually unchanged despite the tourism boom of the past decade, and exploring it provides a far more textured experience than provided by its popular neighbor, Kerala.

Thanks to heavy summer downpours, Tamil Nadu is green and lush—particularly in the Cauvery Delta toward the west, where the great Dravidian kingdoms were established and some of the finest temples built, and a road trip through this region, with the wind in your hair, is pretty much a quintessential south Indian experience. By contrast,
Chennai
(or Madras, as some still refer to it), the capital established by the British in the 17th century, exudes no such appeal. It’s primarily of interest as a gateway to some of the region’s best attractions, like nearby
Kanchipuram,
one of the seven sacred cities of India, and well worth the detour, and
Sri Venkateshwara Temple
(in Tirupati, just over the border in Andhra Pradesh). It is said to be the wealthiest temple in the world, where devotees are prepared to line up for hours—even days—to hand over an annual Rs 1.5 billion to help Vishnu settle his debt with the god of wealth. By contrast are the abandoned temples in the seaside village of
Mamallapuram,
just 2 hours south of Chennai. Here, right near the water’s edge, the Pallavas built the earliest examples of monumental architecture in southern India during the 5th and 9th centuries. From Mamallapuram it’s a relaxing hour’s drive farther south to the former French coastal colony of
Pondicherry,
which—with its charming colonial mansions, eclectic community, and bohemian atmosphere—is perhaps the best shopping destination in southern India. Although the French officially left years ago, Pondicherry’s Gallic spirit is still very much alive—traditional Indian snack joints feature signs proclaiming
MEALS READY; BIEN VENUE
; locals clad in
lungis
(traditional Indian clothing) may converse in French; and gorgeous antiques-filled Indo-French colonial mansions have been restored as hotels—the kind of “temple” that will appeal to the lazy hedonist in you. Having caught your breath in the wide boulevards and air-conditioned shops of Pondicherry, you should travel to Tiruchirappalli, to explore the holy temple town of
Srirangam,
before moving on to the 11th-century
Brihadeshvara Temple,
situated in nearby
Thanjavur,
the Chola capital for 400 years. Or skip Srirangam and head (via Thanjavur) to the
Chettinad
region, where the wealthy Chettiars built palaces and painted mansions to rival the havelis constructed by the merchants and aristocrats of Rajasthan, one of which is now a fine boutique hotel. Either way, your final and most important Tamil Nadu stop will be the temple town of Madurai, to visit the magnificent
Sri Meenakshi-Sundareshwar Temple.
A place of intense spiritual activity, this temple is where up to 15,000 pilgrims gather daily to celebrate the divine union of the goddess Meenakshi (an avatar of Parvati) and her eternal lover, Sundareshwar (Shiva)—one of the most evocative experiences in all of India.