It is with Junaid that I go for a pre-prandial walk in the
morning. At that early hour, the Chittoorappan temple exudes a calm
spirituality. The wooden lattice for oil lamps that surrounds all Kerala-style
temples, visible in daylight is soot-black with countless years of worship. The
temple tank has attracted the first batch of bathers. We pass a meat shop
selling beef, pork, chicken and duck, all under the same roof. That’s just how
syncretic Kerala is. At the meat ‘farm’ next door, the caretaker sends his
ducks waddling off into the water. There’s a bridge across the backwaters and
those iconic fishing nets, the net for which now comes from - you guessed it -
China. "That’s why they’re called Chinese fishing nets," Junaid,
quite correctly, points out. We cross the bridge and find ourselves at the
charming Vaduthala Church.
I would like to tell you about the sumptuous kingly repast
that I returned to but I’m presently sitting in a chair in the balcony,
recovering. The view from this Athangudi-tiled gallery over the backwaters is
splendid. The last time I was on these waters, I was taking an eleven-rupee
ferry ride from Alleppey to Kottayam. Now that I have my own little boat, I use
it to visit Shanmugam Road, Kochi’s Marine Drive, where I go on a bit of a
spice-buying spree. I then point the Grey Heron in the other direction, and
head to Sunset Point because I’m worth it.
Shanmugam Road
That’s the leitmotif of Chit-toor Kottaram. You’re lord of
the realm, if only for a night or two. This is a unique privilege, and I can
see many guests falling for it. (I’m made of sterner stuff.) Milton takes his
role as a subject rather seriously and has been referring to me as ‘maharaja’
ever since I arrived. He sensibly downgrades it to ‘prince’ that evening. Next
morning, how-ever, I’m back to being a king.
traditional Kerala
snacks
My chat with Suresh Namboothiri took place in the gazebo over
some traditional Kerala snacks. He narrated the story with precision. The
palace had been abandoned since the 1960s. Then a school rented the premises in
1984. Suresh, a CA by profession, was practising in Dubai when his wife,
Jayasree Varma, who is a member of the Cochin royal family, inherited the
pal-ace. This was in 1996. Drawn by their legacy, they returned in 1998. That’s
when the roofing was done. Proper restoration was only taken up in 2005 and
entrusted to Inspiration, a Kochi-based architectural firm. Inspiration did
such a good job, the project earned a nomination for the Aga Khan Award for
Architecture. It wasn’t an easy job though. Barring the wall structure
everything had to be redone. The Padipura (gateway) had collapsed and was
rebuilt on the basis of an old photograph. It is like you would restore a beloved
family home. There are practical modern touches, like insect screens, glass
doors that draw in natural light and wood laminate floors upstairs—not strictly
heritage restoration stuff. Some things work, some don’t, but it all comes
together.
There is a Kulam (bathing tank) lined with laterite stone on
the premises. It has a traditional kulappura (entrance to tank). The old wooden
door gracing it was brought from another royal home. The tank is presently home
to or Namental fish but there are plans to convert it into a swimming pool.
The furniture is all made to old designs, the rosewood for
which was personally sourced from a contractor friend - a Mr Patel. Replicas of
a distinctive bed with a wooden canopy which was found in the pal-ace have been
used in the downstairs bedroom. I particularly liked the swing in the living
room (where the king once held audience), hanging not from chains but long logs
of teak wood. It makes the motion somewhat...regal. A happy offshoot of all
this - it seems to have inspired Suresh’s daughter to take up architecture as a
profession.
Suresh ran the place himself for a couple of years and
counts Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi among his former guests. He then handed over
the keys to CGH Earth, whose ethos he found in sync with the offering.
Serendipitously, Inspiration had previously worked on SwaSwara, a CGH Earth
property in Gokarna.
a man
performing indian ottanthullal folk dance of kerala ; india
That evening, I’m introduced to Ottanthullal, a narrative
dance form not witnessed by too many tourists. A temple art form in its
inception, it is now performed in secular settings as well. What sets it apart
is its single performer, playing all the parts. The presenter this evening is
Maruthorvattom Kannan, who has been learning Ottanthullal since the age of
five.
Kerala sadya,
vattayappam, and dessert
“This is my life," says the thirty-two-year-old. For my
pleasure, he enacts that lovely story where Draupadi asks Bheema to fetch her a
lot us she covets. Heading out on the quest, Bheema finds a grizzled old Hanu -
man blocking his path (or rather his tail doing it). In turns, I see Bheema,
Draupadi and Hanuman, but only one person has taken the stage. The action is
well paced and I watch with rapt attention.
The Cochin royals were never known for their ostentation and
Chittoor Kottaram is no Rajasthani pleasure palace. The simple tiled roof and
the modest size of the building speak for themselves. And yet it feels
indubitably special. In an experience so near perfect, I have only two cribs:
the shower area in the master bathroom should be provided with a shower caddy
or at least a soap dish. And pancakes stuffed with coconut and banana and
topped with an orange and honey syrup are just too much of a good thing.
If you ask me, I’d say Chittoor Kottaram takes hospitality
to the next natural level of evolution. Once you’ve given your guests every
imaginable luxury under the sun, pampered them till they’re spoilt silly,
feasted them till they beg to fast, what more can you possibly do? I’m sitting
inside the answer. You pare away all the extraneous stuff till you’re left with
the true essentials.
Who wouldn’t want this to be their next holiday? Not a
single pesky stranger in sight. No pressure to mingle. Staff, who fall over
them-selves to please, yet there is nothing studied in their manner. Food that
is unpretentious and whole-some. CGH Earth clearly is at the top of the game.
They care about the environment for one—not a plastic bottle in sight, the
sanitary bag in the bathroom made of recycled news-print. Which other place
charging `20,000 a night can you think of that does that? The true non - hotel.
To be honest, as an only guest, I had expected to be bored
stiff at best or driven over the edge by the solitude at worst. And yet here I
was, on my last morning, a little depressed at the prospect of leaving my tiny
kingdom behind. Enduring parting gifts helped lift my mood. There were cashews
from the garden and a jackfruit sapling for the garden back home. And, at my
request, some lawn grass which now runs rampant in my own modest kottaram.
The Information
Getting there
Chittoor Kottaram is in Cheranallur, 29km from the Cochin
International Airport at Nedumbassery. The airport is well serviced by flights
from all Indian metros. The Delhi-Kochi fare is `5,500 onwards. Chittoor
Kottaram is connected to Kochi by the Chittoor-Vaduthala bridge and is just 7 km
from Fort Cochin.
The stay
Chittoor Kottaram is a palatial three-bedroom homestay
man-aged by the CGH Earth group. It can accommodate up to six people. There’s
an exclusive boat at your disposal for transfers and sightseeing. Meals are
vegetarian. Note that there is no menu and most of the food is unapologetically
local in provenance (lunches are traditional Kerala sadyas served on plantain
leafs; dinners tend to be more pan-Indian affairs). Of course, dietary preferences
can be accommodated. Expect to be served deep-fried rice flour balls stuffed
with jag-gery and suchlike with your tea. You can’t eat just one TARIFF ‘20,000
per night for two. Valid till September 30, This may seem steep but is actually
great value for what’s on offer, including as it does all meals and taxes, use of
the boat and cultural performances each evening. CONTACT 0484-3011711 (central
reservations), cghearth.com
What to see & do
Given its proximity to Kochi, Chittoor Kottaram serves as an
excellent base for exploring the city. You can do all the usual things from the
comfort of your palace, including must-sees like Fort Kochi, Jew Town and its
Jewish Synagogue and the bustling Broadway Market in Ernakulam. And you can
visit many of these places in the comfort of ‘your’ boat.
Go for walks around the village. It's illuminating.
Take boat rides. Chittoor Kottaram organises backwaters and
sunset cruises in any case.
Take in cultural performances including devotional songs,
ottanthullal and many more.
Ask Annie to share a recipe or two. She’ll only be too happy
to and will throw in a practical demonstration as well.
the nearby St
Augustine’s Church
If you have an interest in architecture, you might want to
inspect the Holy Infants’ High School, est. 1909, right at the Varapuzha jetty.
Don’t miss the nearby St Augustine’s Church, Moolampilly either.
For shopping, especially spices skip touristy Jew Town and
head to Ashis Super Mercato on Kochi’s Marine Drive instead. This department
store offers great quality, and the prices are reasonable. Also stock up on Sambar
Powders and superlative peanut chikki here.
The 10-day Chittoorappan temple festival takes place in
April. You might want to plan your trip around then.
