Alleppey the land of Happy Waters.

This passion of mine, writing about the places which fascinated me had gone into hibernation for quite some time now. Professional commitments took away all the spare time and the composure required to write. Now, this second wave of pandemic coupled with my own affliction by COVID has offered me this long-waited opportunity. It is not without reason that they say 'every dark cloud has a silver lining'.

 In this small piece I would be writing about the backwaters of Kerala called "Kuttanad'. This place used to be the granary of Kerala accounting for more than 90% of the grain produced in the state. But with dwindling yields, rising cost and unpredictable rains, most farmers have unfortunately abandoned paddy cultivation in this area. It is not an exaggeration to state that most parts of this area are below sea level! The residents of this area have been through one of the worst natural calamities by way of floods few years back. But their resilience in the face of worst of the adversities saw them back on their feet in a jiffy. 

As a child I grew up in this part of Kerala where the small pond in the courtyard was both our swimming pool and bathroom. Surrounded by paddy field which turns into a vast ocean during monsoon our quaint house was heaven for us. Eluding the rebuke of our grandfather, our adventures in snaring a frog from the flood water, the jump-scare of water snakes slithering between our legs, diving into the water from the embankments, attempting to swim across the flooded river et al have remain etched in my memory. It is therefore no surprise that I feel more akin to water than land!

Considering the innate love for this beautiful land, I always allure my friends with stories of the landscapes of Kerala and woo them to visit the place. For me, I grab every opportunity to be the guide.

Back in early part of 2000 when I was leading a small team of 11 Officers, I had made it a point to take my team out for a jaunt every three months so that they get a small window of relief from the deary work schedule. One of these trips was to Alleppey (known as Alappuzha in Malayalam). The near 24 hours boat ride gives the visitors a bird's eye view of the life and times of the people of this part of the state. For those who have only small window of opportunity, this boat ride is ideal. Before I proceed further, I need to educate the uninitiated reader little about these boats.

These house boats are re-worked and re-furbished version of kettuvalloms of yesteryear. Kettu in Malayalam means 'dwelling' as in naalukettu meaning a dwelling with four parts. Vallam means a canoe/boat/barge. So kettuvallam could be loosely translated as a boat with a small dwelling unit. These were made by tying together jack-wood with coir and a lacquer derived by burning cashew kernels added as a binder.  Kerala is known for its many thousands of waterways interconnected naturally. In olden times, these kettuvallams were the only means of transport of bulk cargo like rice and spices to the ports of Alleppey and Kochi. In fact, Allepey was one of the principal ports of south India and was called the Venice of the East. These house boats could carry up to 30 tons of cargo. As the journey from the hinterland to the port would take somewhere between 2 days to 7 days depending on the distance, a portion of the boat was hooded by a bamboo canopy and consisted of a small resting area and a kitchen. As the load was heavy three or four able-bodied men used long bamboo sticks to push the boat forward (I have deliberately not used the word ‘row). The modern houseboats are refurbished versions having an outboard motor fitted to it. These now have air-conditioned well-furnished and well-maintained rooms for added comfort. These have a front sit out in the bow where the tourists could have a 360-degree view of the waterscape or could just sink into the sofa with a book. The rear end of the boat has a kitchen and some boats have a balcony which can accommodate up to a 100 pax. 

We, a group of 8 landed early in the morning at Kochi airport and hired a mini-bus to move towards Alleppey. As per the plan, we intended to have our breakfast on the way before reaching the boat jetty. An early morning rise and the travel had made us all famished and my companions were demanding breakfast no sooner we landed. I appeased them with a chaya (tea) and a kadi (small snack) in front of the Cochin Export Processing Zone with an assurance that the wait till Cherthala is worthwhile so that they could savor genuine Kerala breakfast. The entourage acquiesced to my proposal and we moved after the brief pause for tea. As we left the four-lane highway and moved to the Chertala bye-pass I was on the lookout for a decent joint which I found in two minutes-Huts Restaurant. It was early in the day and the folks were waking up. Probably we were the first customers. Even though they were yet to open, they didn't want to lose the windfall of 8 hungry mouths. Politely they asked to take our seats. I asked them for the breakfast menu and the waiter broke into a soliloquy-puutu-kadala, puttu-motta curry, porota-beef curry, appam-stu...Tired of remembering what was said in the beginning despite so many iterations, I ordered all combinations two plates each. Even though I had an inkling that it may be a little of an overdo, I excepted my crowd to finish it as they were starving. The waiter committed a cardinal blunder by bringing in the items in bits and pieces. By the time he went in to fetch the second plate, the first one was devoured. My folks didn't know the name for most items and they merely said 'repeat'. By the end of the hour, we had 7 plates of all what was available in the place. The only regret was that the beef fry was not ready and would take another half an hour to be on the plate. Our friends ungrudging agreed to wait and taste this dish too.  Over cups of tea, I could sense the air of contentment and acknowledgment it was worth the wait. Finally, the celebrated beef fry arrived and four plates were soon washed down with more cups of chaya and we set off again to the boat jetty at Alleppey. The folks now had a glimpse of the fare in store and were delighted to say the least. 

We resumed our journey towards Alleppey for our rendezvous with the house boat. The agent met us at the pre-arranged location in the town. Alleppey or Alappuzha as it is known in Kerala is an old town with narrow roads with houses and shops jutting out on the road quite often. Interspersed by channels which served as waterways for boats carrying goods from the hinterland to the town and to the port, it is no wonder that this town is called the Venice of the East. The agent boarded our bus and directed the driver to ride on the Alleppey-Changanasserry road. Our boat jetty was near Thakazhi a distance of around 10 kms from the town. As we were negotiating the lanes of Alleppey, our agent asked us the most important question-“Are you guys stocked up? In case you need anything, it has to be procured in the town”. In our department, we never venture out without our own stock of alcoholic beverages so that we don’t end up consuming spurious liquor. He then asked us whether we need anything special for lunch or dinner. Even though I knew that the meals would be sumptuous by any standard, I wanted the folks to savour something different. I understood that karimeen (Pearlspot) would invariably be part of the menu. Hence, I wanted my friends to taste kaari (Stinging Catfish). This fish has elongated compressed body and grey brown to black in colour. Catfish are a distinctive type of fish that have whiskers a long projecting hair or bristle protruding from the area around the mouth. This is one of the most delicious fresh water fish available and is also very rare because catching this fish is very arduous task. As soon as we reached the jetty, our ever-so sprightly agent had tete with the boatmen and scurried off in a bike. As we waited, the boatmen introduced themselves to us and welcomed us aboard. Despite being having a feast of a breakfast, my friends were enticed by the smell of pazham pori (banana fritters) fried in coconut oil emanating from one of the nearby kiosks. By the time we were done with tea and pazham pori our agent arrived with a not so happy face. His frantic search for kaari yielded only two kilograms which was grossly insufficient considering the gluttony group we are. Nonetheless, I was happy that at least the guest would be able to get a bite and savour the delicacy. We boarded the four-bedroom boathouse and started off- ahoy!

As we eased into the blue green backwaters with an easterly wind blowing, humidity of the August month was soon blanked out. With the faint thud of the outboard engine the boat entered the channel with mild waves rocking you before the vistas opened up. Coconut palm fronds swayed to the wind and cast their shadows in the channel as life moved on in this part of the country where water is an integral part of their life. From one channel to the other as we criss-crossed the backwaters of Kuttanad, we were treated to the daily life of the people who reside on the banks of these channels and in many cases, small islands in the middle of nowhere. These backwaters are the lifeblood of the inhabitants here. The richer ones among them have small canoes with which they commute to the mainland. As we have local buses in the town for commuting, water buses operated by Kerala Waterways Authority is the only means of transport. Interestingly shaped like a Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC), these water buses are the only means of travel for people in this area where people hop-on and hop-off. Some distances are as long as 30 kms and takes more than an hour of travel. As we moved on languidly, the waterscape offered us many pleasing sights-men fishing from a canoe no bigger than 5 feet, ladies washing their clothes and utensils in the water, sprightly kids diving and swimming in the waters, a foreigner and his boatman attempting canoeing, small boats selling fruits and vegetables etc each unique and mesmerizing.

It was 1’O clock and boat crew heralded the lunch time by serving us rasam soups. We were soon treated with a lavish Kerala lunch. Besides the matta rice (partly polished par-boiled rice) and the normal fare of Sambar, Moru Curry, Avial, Thoran, Mezhukkuvaratti, Pappadam we were treated with duck raost, karimmen pollichathu, kaari curry, prawn fry. Each of the dish distinct in its flavour with a feisty and lavishly marinated in home grown and home ground spices tickled our palate. It was no-holds-barred hog. Ada Pradhaman to top it all as dessert made the meal complete. Before we could wash our hands, the cool afternoon breeze lulled us to a siesta.

After the brief layover, we were back in action and the boat now furrowed into the vast expanse of Vembanad Kaayal. As we skirted around the island Pathira Manal, we could sight many migratory birds. Our next pit stop was a small island in the lagoon which had a Kallu Shap (as they call it in Malayalam meaning toddy shop). Kallu or toddy is extracted from the coconut flower by tapping. Fresh toddy has a sweet tangy flavour and is not an intoxicant. The toddy which is tapped is fermented for a day or two to make a local beer. The fermentation adds a new twist to the brew and may perhaps contain less than 5% of alcohol content. Nonetheless, it creates a very soothing effect on the body and is a good muscle relaxant and appetizer too. Our friends had a decent pouring of the toddy before they returned to the boat. We were soon approached by another boat selling Tiger Prawns. Even though the boat had a more than decent stock of fish and meat for dinner, our friends were drawn at the size of the prawns and after a brief haranguing bargain we carted 4 kilograms of Tiger Prawns to the boat.

August-September is the period for snake boat races in Kerala and particularly in Kuttanad. There are numerous small and big races and at the crown is the magnific Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at Alleppey. Several teams under various categories, including a women-only category, vie for the coveted trophy. Several months of preparation goes into the just a 5-minute frenzied race. These backwaters turn into practice grounds where the teams sweat it out every day for the grand spectacle. Each snake boat has team of 50 to 100 rowers who through their synchronised movement pushes the boat forward. The sheer sight of precision rowing where 100 hands work in unison is a treat to watch. From a distance, it would appear like a centipede moving. With the intense heat of the afternoon abetting, several teams were practsing and putting their acts together. Though it was incidental that our trip was timed during this period, we were indeed fortunate to watch this spectacle too.

Sunset in the backwaters is special. As the glowing red sun sinks into the waters, and the shadow of the coconut palms grew longer, there was an eerie silence with brief respites in between by bird-calls moving to their far-off nests. The whole atmosphere turns ethereal. Water growing darker lent another shade to the vista. Twilight of dusk often kindles a sense of rumination. Then all of a sudden, there was a hustle of activities in the lagoon. Several fishermen fanned out into the water in their small canoes and were spreading their nets. There is an unwritten code that the houseboats would not move after dusk so that they don’t cut these nests. Our boatmen identified a narrow strip of land with few coconut palms in the middle of the lagoon and laid his anchor. We jumped off the boat to the small island and enjoyed the cool breeze and smell of water hyacinths wafting through the air. Preparations for the evening sit in with the single malt had commenced.

A quick shower and we assembled in the bow with Glenlevit-18 years. The chef cum oarsman kept up the steady supply of goodies in the form of Tiger Prawns, Beef Ulathitahu, Chicken Fry, Green Salad, Sprouts. A small drizzle enlivened the atmosphere. We had a few good hands at singing who perked up the party. The binge eating and jamming went on till past midnight. Despite paucity of space in the stomach for any sort of dinner, tapioca and fish gravy with kanji (rice gruel) was irresistible.

Post a small walk on the grass on the tiny island surrounded by fire flies we hit the bed.

As day dawned, our boat was on our way to the jetty where we would soon join the maddening crowd. Getting down the boat with a mighty hug to our boat crew, we knew that the past 24 hours would be reminisced for a long time to come.

I was accompanied by Sailesh Gupta, Radhakrishnan, Syed Rahman and Sundara Bhaskar