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A Day at Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur, Kerala - Mrs. Susheela Nair, Time out Travel
RON NEEDHAM waxes eloquent about the Bharathapuzha - a river of many returns. A hundred verses have been written about the river in front of me. Words of praise, love, grief and separations.. She has heard them all. Long, lazy stretches of golden sand straggle among the slender streams, shining like silver in the morning sun.
The Bharathapuzha is a river of astonishing beauty, poetry and silence - one of many returns. I have been sitting here for long; the sun has climbed higher, I return to The River Retreat, a heritage luxury resort, my favorite gateway in Kerala. The elegantly rustic, red-tiled-roof, red-brick-walls structure looks imposing, dignified, and kingly. Not without reason either. This was the summer palace of Maharajas of Cochin, now tastefully blended with modernity, to cater to the nostalgia of lesser mortals like me. But the spirit of its illustrious past has been well preserved - the padippura, the main gate, solid rosewood balustrades & ornate grill-work, the rose-wood doors, the arches everywhere, the polished-with-use red tiled floors, the antique furniture that adorns every room.
Devouring the delicious silence, I recall that the whole of Valluvanadu, as this land has been called in history, is steeped in rich cultural heritage. I noticed that each nook & cranny of this simple architectural marvel is imbued with exquisite hints of an age of nobility. I can almost see it - the king enjoying a game of pakida, the dice, inside the Anthapuram. Do I hear the sounds of golden anklets...
Generations of Kathakali genius had sprouted, blossomed & spread their fragrance around the world from here, the famed Kerala Kalamandalam. Mohiniyattam, the sensuously slow dance of Devadasis, found its finer expressions through artists from its fold. Poets had wandered among the banks of Bharathapuzha, seeking that elusive romantic ideal. I had the privilege of catching a glimpse of this abundant legacy at the nearby Kalamandalam, in a few cultural shows.
I have had my share of messages around the world, but nothing prepares me for the unearthly experience of the Ayurvedic massage at the Ayurvedic treatment centre. After what seems to be a century of unalloyed pleasure, I get out feelings as if 10 years have fallen off my being!!
I crossed the river walking; it is high summer & the water is only knee deep. The river flows gently over the dozing landscape. The faint sound is hypnotizing, like a siren song.
You don't want to leave the palace, but as the poet said, I have promises to keep. I look at the river once more and make a silent promise to myself, to come back & treat myself to large doses of The River Retreat, for a rendezvous that lingers around your soul
