- The backwaters of Payyoli, Kerala a wellness retreat
I had heard a lot about Kerala as a wellness retreat for many! Wanted to witness the same. My curiosity finally took me to God's own country, this time as - Kerala a wellness retreat!
My first stop over was Karipur literally meaning a place of black. I was actually expecting some theme of black all around. But, what? In total contrast to my understanding of the name Karipur, this place was a lush green hilly area with backwaters and fishing opportunities.
Kerala being in the Tropical zone boasts off its beautiful greens and herbs leading to prevalence of an ancient medical treatment Ayurveda!
This time, my motive of travel being exploration of Kerala a wellness retreat was being satiated by visits to distinctive three locations of Pre Independence India- Malabar, Kochi and Travancore.
Malabar, a scenic destination
Ahead of clibs of Western Ghats, a sexagenarian tribesman - N Vellan who is an expert on natural herbal treatments has got medicinal herbs all around his Vellarachal house. He has taken this legacy of knoweledge from his forefathers who are adivasi Vaidyas. N. Vellan believes that today's world is totally off natural treatments and his natural treatments may even sound heavenly to us. As per him, he was able to cure a lady with colon and great cancer in 2007. She was certified as cancer free by Manipal hospital. He has cures for diseases like migraine and spondylitis.
Totally impressed by this true tale, I wanted to meet a large scale quality trusted grower of medicinal herbs- PJ Chackochan. PJ Chackochan runs an NGO Vanamoolika across a 15 acre cultivation with 2000 farmers taking care of 700 herbs and medicinal plants plus fruits and vegetables.. The quality of the produce is what they can be trusted for.
Parassinikkadavu, Kerala a wellness retreat
Down the hills, in the plains of neighbouring Kannur district, there is a village that occupies a special place in Kerala’s tourism map. The river-side Parassinikkadavu has given a fresh lease of life to no less than 1.10 lakh people in the past 50 years. All because of a pioneering organisation’s acumen to improvise upon one segment of the grand old medical treatment system — and effectively counter snakebite. The Pappinissery Visha Chikitsa Society (PVCS) has fascinated the medical fraternity across the globe as the only institution that blends the wisdom of ancient Ayurveda with new-age allopathy.
What’s more, the PVCS also runs a 30 year old snake park housing numerous poisonous and non-poisonous snakes — an incredible concept luring 3 lakh visitors pee year. Experts say the state’s grand Ayurveda lineage gifts Kerala with the advantage of being a destination for studies on Agadatantra — the ancient science’s toxicology branch — and allied research.
So much for Ayurvedic treatment for snakebite. Okay, these are cure for bodily matters.
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Article and photo credits T.K. Sreevalsan
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