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The Enviroment:
INDIA - Kerala Cochin
A CGH Earth Experience
Kalari Kovilakom is the Palace for Ayurveda, perhaps the first and only one of its kind. Its face is the face of the warrior-king, elegant and expansive. But its heart is that of a sage, offering a deep healing, a doorway to the union of the mind, body and spirit. If the old legends are to be believed, healing is part of Kalari's very soul. Stories are told of a Prince who came to the foothills of Kerala's Annamalai. Hills around the 10th century. It seems he was afflicted with a particularly troublesome skin ailment. So he came to cure himself in the healing spring waters of this land. Possibly, he also sought the medicinal Venga Tree that grew here in profusion.Dharmavarman stayed on to found a kingdom, Vengunad, 'The Land of the Venga Tree'. And for all the days to come, his descendants held sway over these silent and green foothills. It was in the 19th century that they built Kalari Kovilakom.
Being Responsible
Experience of Heritage is a kind of responsibility towards culture, history and architecture.
Kalari is a place where opposites meet. Here, if you can imagine it, is a historic palace, restored and recreated into an Ayurveda-based place of healing. Kalari Kovilakom combines 19th century luxury with monastic austerity to create an experience nonpareil.The properties have been conceived as repositories of history, places where the past can be a vivid, tangible presence for the visitor.
Restored over two years by the artisan families of the area, Kalari Kovilakom Palace is one such trip into yesterday, evoking the simple elegance of princely Kollengode.
How you will reside
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18 Heritage suites that offer the experience of authentic palace living.
The Old Guest Wing, with '20s colonial Western-styled rooms.
The Palace Wing, which has traditional Kerala architecture reminiscent of the 'zenana' (harem).
The wooden slats provide a well of light and fresh air to the first floor rooms in the Palace Section, even as they keep the noonday heat firmly at bay.
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How you will eat
Kalari Kovilakom's pure Ayurvedic kitchen is a shrine to ideas first outlined by the ayurvedic physicians of more than a thousand years ago.
Foods are prepared in brass, iron or clay vessels only. And chef Nayaranan Kutty create Ayurvedic lunch, served in gleaming brass 'katories' (cups) on a banana leaf platter. Organic rice (top) provides rich fibre and the glass of buttermilk cools the system. The dishes of local vegetables are picked to provide a medley of tastes and textures, without having to use excessive fats or spice,. vines climb around a mango tree in the herb garden. Kalari is home to a profusion of fruit trees, including papayas, bananas and custard apples.
You may find your first meal at Kalari somewhat bland, specially if you're a curry lover or a steak-eggs-ketchup-and-mustard kind of person. But within a day or two, something strange happens. Your palate softens, becomes more sensitive. Suddenly, the subtle flavours of pure spices and fresh tropical vegetables begin to come to the fore. Each meal becomes a medley of subtle textures and aromas, rather than the taste assaults most of us are used to.
Amenities
Ayurveda treatment rooms, catering to 10 persons simultaneously; Ayurvedic beauty therapy centre;
Extensive gardens growing Ayurvedic herb; Yoga, meditation and chanting hall; Well-stocked library;.
Traditional Kalari arena; Spaces for music and cultural performances.
About People
The Dominic Family have nine diverse destinations that capture the many moods of Kerala, Southern India and the Lakshwadeep Islands. As a family, they share a deep commitment towards a new kind of aware and responsible tourism.
They love nature and history, it took us more than two years just to restore Kalari Kovilakom property but the results are excellent. This is a property with a Soul!
The Wellness Choice
Through a combination of massages, herbal treatments, medicines, diet and purifying baths, the Kalari experience promises you a chance to see the world afresh, to be twice born.
10 therapy and massage rooms offer a complete range of treatments. Expert masseuses and therapists work with you from head to toe, bringing new life to tired muscles, bones and tendons. The healing continues at our Yoga and meditation centres, and even at the dining table. And of course, hovering protectively over your whole treatment are Doctors Shreelatha and Jain, qualified Ayurvedic physicians with years of clinical experience. treatment, or even just a relaxing massage. The resort, like all CGH Earth properties, has fully-equipped Ayurvedic facilities.
Ayurveda is the Indian system of traditional medicine, and it's a great way to treat niggling, chronic health problems. .
Suitable For
Eco-friendly tourist, SPA holidays, Ayurveda & Yoga Session, Environment Programs, Local people sustainability,
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