5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Kottayam
Kottayam is a district in central Kerala to where I don't belong to, but I surely love this place for a myriad of reasons. My association with Kottayam is purely official
The lush green vegetation, the dark grove of rubber plantations, the enterprising people and of course, the Syrian Catholic cuisine - yes it is a cuisine to die for, all summed up together make Kottayam a lovely place place to be in.
I am sure you would love to know why Kottayam holds a special place in my heart and yes I am also going to tell you 5 reasons why you should visit Kottayam.
5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Kottayam
1. Backwaters : C'mon - don't tell me that you don't know about the fabulous backwaters of Kumarakom. From Daniel Craig to Atal Bihari Vajpayee , everyone has been here! If National Geographic has chosen Aleppey as a "must -see destination", I choose Kumarakom.
The Vembanad lake on which the backwaters exist is not your ordinary lake but a hub of amazing flora and fauna. Nowhere in the world you would a biosphere like Kumarakom and I like it personally more than any backwater because it is less crowded, water is pristine and the aquatic life is amazing.
Many small islands dot the terrain of Kumarakom and there are endless and inter-connecting waterways through hamlets, villages, toddy shops . Just Amazing!
You may get lost by yourself in the backwaters without local help , but then cruising on a country boat with a fishing net can be an out-of-the world experience.
2. Food : Yes- Food of Kottayam is just delicious. The Kottayam style meen (fish) curry made by a local can never be surpassed in any other part of the world. The Catholic style Beef Ularthiyath ( roasted dry beef) is one dish to die for.
Savour Appam ( fermented rice pancake) and Karimeen fry (Pearlspot fish ) Mappas and reach the seventh heaven. I never miss a chance to eat it whenever I visit Kottayam.
Some great Karimeen dishes are Karimeen Polichathu , Karimeen Paalcurry and Karimeen Mappas. Mind you- Kottayam guys have a great flair to dole out tasty dishes with Pearlspot!!
The most tasty combination however would be Kappa( Tapioca) and fish curry. A gourmet's delight indeed! All these dishes are Kottayam's gift to the world.
5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Kottayam
3. Weather: Seriously the "Paimaari"- drizzling of rain and the mist before and after that ,is one certain aspect which labelled a great tagline for Kerala- "God's own country" !
It is said that looking at the backwater, experiencing the "Paimaari", the rivulets, the green vegetation across the Meenachil river, an advertising wizard from Goa gave this tagline for Kerala!
God bless the Soul! It is true. Many parts of Kottayam receive abundant rain during the early evenings to get back to clear daylight the next day morning.
The mist giving way to daylight is a sight unique to this district and I just love the feel and smell of it in the early morning.
It is humid till afternoon and cool throughout the night between June and February.
4. Hills: Yes Hills and backwaters? Can they be so close to each other? The answer is a Yes again! Very few places in the world have this diversity and that is Kottayam to you.
Travel 100 kms in any direction you will get some of the best hill stations- whether it is Munnar, Vagamon, Gavi, Painavu, Peermade or Munnar.
If you travel west for just 35-40 kms you can come across world' s finest backwater- Vembanad and if you travel between 60-80 kms, the verdant Western Ghats is waiting for you.
The serpentine roads of Kottayam amidst rubber plantations and the high range paths always mesmerize you with their beauty. You will keep coming back to Kottayam.
5. People: Of course, last but not the least, the people of Kottayam are like nowhere else. Industrious, hard working and enterprising .Originally farmers and planters- they can don any role bestowed upon them.
Over the years people from Kottayam have found themselves in top positions in almost industries in the world, yet deep inside the character of Kottayam remains intact.
They love their land, food and culture more than anyone else, and they are proud of it too. In the last 30 years or so, tourism has set a strong grip over the region.
And as they would do, many of them have accepted the reality and challenge and have become successful tourism entrepreneurs.
I think and have experienced that they are the most versatile people I have ever met.
Kottayam is indeed the crowning glory of Kerala and three cheers to Kottayam . It is incredibly unique!
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