|
The Resort :
Hidden among the palm trees on the eastern shore of Lake Vembanad,
at the mouth of the Kavanar River, Coconut Lagoon Heritage Resort
is set on an abandoned coconut plantation in the very heart of these
fascinating backwaters, and has been designed to give the visitors
and authentic insight into Kuttanad life. The resort can only be reached
by boat - a ferry leaves from one of several "mainland "
embarkation points at scheduled times throughout the day - and its
accommodations consist of individual cottages called " Tharawads
", the traditional wooden house of Kerala. Though some of these
cottages are of more recent vintage, many are well over a century
old and a few actually date back to the early 1700s. Painstakingly
dismantled and brought to their new Lake Vembanad site from various
villages and plantations in the surrrounding countryside
( where because of high unkeep costs they had been abandoned or were
doomed for destruction ) these tharawads have been re-assembled peice
by piece in accordance with " Thachu shasthra, the ancient rules
and rites of carpentry, and set within the coconut grove's well-manicured
network of irrigation canals, all of which have been lovingly preserved.
Each ancient building is a veritable museum unto itself, and each
has its own tale to tell. |
|
[ Top ]
Reception :
The reception building itself, for example, is a " nalukettu ",
a design that features a four-cornered open-rrof courtyard within the
basic structure. Originally located in the village of Vaikom not far from
Coconut Lagoon, it was know as " Kalapakasseril Illom" - the
workd illom signifying a mansion belonging to a member of the Brahmin
Caste - and was constructed in 1860. The illom was purchased in 1993,
at which time a team led by Bhaskaran Ashari, one of Kerala's few surviving
master craftsmen still familiar with the traditional thachu shasthra style
of carpentary, went about the task of reconstructing the mansion at its
present location.
|
The Restaurant:
Cited in Arundhati Roy's Booker-Prize winning best-seller, "
The God of Small Things. " the restaurant at Coconut Lagoon
is renowned as much for its superb Kerala cuisine ( vegetarian and
non-vegetarian alike ) as for its authentic setting, and is housed
in one of the resort's most impressive " tharawads ".
Knowns as an " Ettukettu ", the building incorporates
two atrium-like courtyards under and expansive tile roof supported
by dozens of slim columsn, a design that enables the space within
to benefit from the slightest breeze. The restaurant is the oldest
structure at Coconut Lagoon, and it, too, formerly belonged
to a prominent Malayali family living in a nearby village.
|
|
[ Top ]
The Accommodation:
Though all the cottages vary in configuration, and some of the airconditioned
units are newly built replicas incorporating only fragments of old
" tharawads " that could not be saved in their entirety,
Coconut Lagoon offers three basic types of accommodation : Heritage
Mansions, Heritage Bungalows and Private Pool Villas. The former have
two stories, the upstairs bedroom gallery offering particularly magnificient
views of Lake Vembanad.
The latter are more compact, single-level cottages. Both are furnished
in alyny and jack woods, and retain all the charm of original family
homes, with thick, solid doors, intricate window carvings, and terra
cotta tile floors. Structually necessary alternations have been carried
out with consummate discretion, ie., in keeping with the style and
decor of the era, and great attention has been paid to every detail.
The lampstands in each " tharawad ", for example, having
been carved from old wooden hinges. Traditionally, of course, Keralites
bathed in the rivers - in rural areas many people still do - but Coconut
Lagoon's cottages feature ultramodern bathrooms, each located in an
inner courtyardd boasting its own banana ( or coconut ) tree, so you
can shower al fresco under a starlit sky in complete and utter privacy
! |
|
[ Top ]
|
Leisure Activities :
Sunset Cruise
:
There can be few better ways to adjust to the pace of backwater
life than to spend the waning hours of the afternoon just watching
the sun go down.
Backwater
Cruise :
A
relaxing boat trip through the maze of canals adjacent to Coconut
Lagoon is a fascinating experience, and a delightful way to get
a closer look at life in the backwaters.
Bird Sanctuary:
On
the southern bank of the Kanavar River, immediately opposite Coconut
Lagoon, is a small bird sanctuary, where numerous species of birds,
including Darters, Bitterns, Brahminy kites, Marsh Harriers, Teals,
and several varieties of Herons roost.
|
|
[ Top ]
The Healing touch at Coconut Lagoon's Ayurvedic Centre :
Ayurveda,
the Science of Life, is almost as old as the Indian civilisation.
It's holistic approach, the efficacy of its therapies and the absence
of distressing side affects are some of its more salient features.
Throughout the world there is a rising awareness of the benefits of
natual health systems. Health in the ayurvedic view represents the
Harmony of body, mind and soul. It's pharmacopia is nature herself
and its diagnostic and curative tools have been derived from the invaluable
legacy of insights, experience and knowledge bequeathed to posterity
by its great masters. It is based on natural principles that inform
and animate human life. The Coconut Lagoon offers the following therapies
at it's Ayurvedic Centre under the guidance of an expert " vaidyan
" ( physician ) whom you may consult for a fuller understanding
of symptoms and appropriate treatment. It is well equipped with a
dispensary and qualified resident staff. |
|
[ Top ]
|
