looking for genuine Ayurveda center committed to the basic principle of Ayurveda? ‘Saaram’ is the Answer !

All  across kerala,there are many firms selling the brand ‘AyurVeda’! . Ayurveda is not a product to be sold and bought . It is a complete way of living. If  you are looking for genuine Ayurveda center committed to the basic principle of Ayurveda ,’Saaram’ gives you the best homely atmosphere.

Saaram:

It is a big house situated in a quiet area of Kottayam city in Kerala, south India. It is near the back-waters of Kumarakom.It is a 3 bedrooms house with attached bathroom and hot water, and one ayurvedic room+ library and Internet connection. It is situated in the middle of a big garden with fruits, spices and plants growing only in tropical climate. You can plug yourself the spices you need to prepare delicious South Indian recipes! The area is peaceful, with small river running along paddy fields, ideal for a walk in green colors and water as main elements around.

Saaram is ideal for resting and dreaming, as well as learning about Indian culture, sharing moments with Saarm’s  team and the inhabitants.

In Sanskrit: ‘ayur’ means life, ‘veda’ means science, knowledge. Ayurveda is one of the most ancient systems of natural health. Originating from India, its oldest references are 5000 years old. Explored in the West from the 8O’s, it is now recognized by WHO.

 Its aim: maintain as well as restore our inner balance, bring harmony to a disturbed system while strengthening our natural immune system through simple daily habits and proper food. Ayurveda uses only natural products and processes: medicinal preparation, massage with herbal oil, food advice, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation. It focuses on maintaining prakriti (the normal balanced form) and intends to correct vikriti (the disturbed or diseased state).

Ayurveda encourages us to learn who we are, to understand why we keep good health or fall sick. It considers human being mature enough to take care of oneself. You are free to accept your path to an healthier life, or ignore it! It is more than a science, it is a path for life where we are responsible for our self.

Ayurveda is a strong reminder of our inseparable relation with mother Nature. It is up to us to preserve this precious heritage.

The Team 'Saaram'

Than Home stay Saaram offering  Classical art classes,Ayurveda treatments and - Healthy Cooking workshops. Surprise your family and friends with amazing healthy Indian recipes! Learn the secrets of age-old Indian dishes! Such a pleasure to let cooking bridge a gap between our cultures!

Behind ‘saaram’

Murielle Ikareth

Murielle Ikareth

Murielle Ikareth director of ‘saaram’ is a French lady who fell in love with ‘God’s Own Country’.

India became her adoptive land when she traveled first in 1989. Till 1996 she lived in Varanasi where she learnt Classical Indian Dance of Bharata Natyam and studied Indian Art History from Banares Hindu University.

In 1999 she went to Kerala in South India where she became the educational coordinator for Alliance Française. She created two multi-disciplinary performances: musicians, dancers, actors, acrobats, painters, mixing Western and Indian artists.

Since 2004, she is an artistic coordinator for events and artistic workshops, mainly kathakali, mohini attam, carnatic music. She is director of ‘Saaram Tours and Cultural Training’. Since 2008, she is the director of ‘Saaram Centre for Ayurveda and Arts’.

All  across kerala,there are many firms selling the brand ‘AyurVeda’! . Ayurveda is not a product to be sold and bought . It is a complete way of living. If  you are looking for genuine Ayurveda center committed to the basic principle of Ayurveda ,’Saaram’ gives you the best homely atmosphere.

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“I was in Saaram to learn Bharata natyam (indian classical dance) and Murielle organised everything for me and found one of the best teacher in the south of india, I learned a lot! ”

MariePichot, Le Puy-en Velay, France

strong

1.There are many hidden flaws in the cheap rate Kerala House Boat offers  like,

a) Having no enough space in the boat

b) Substandard Food

c)Much used Boats

Kerala House Boat

2. Cruise used for different classess of  House Boats is the same.

3.Beware of the fraud practice of displaying the images of High Qulaity House Boats and providing substandard Boats.

4.Infact there is no differene between the Back waters of Kumarakom and Alappuzha (Alleppey) ,except in the number of canals in Alleppey .

5.The Best view of sun set is from Kumarakom because the Vembanad Lake stretches far here.

6. Kumarakom is a less crowded ferry and less Boats are here on the water scape.

 

More questions on Kerala House Boat cruise ?

ask us now  :)  >  welcometokumarakom@gmail.com

Breeze County Single Bed Room Cottage

Situated on the western shores of the magnificent Vembanad Lake, nestled beneath the breezy Palm trees is Breeze County, a secluded haven for travellers coming to Kumarakom. The home stay run by one Anil MA, a longtime resident of Kumarakom village is a much sought after destination for repeat travellers who is accustomed to the kind of personalized hospitality he is known for and wont settle for anything less.

In a highly commercialized tourist space like Kukarakom, Breeze County is probably the only place where you can enjoy a stay beside the lake shore without paying a bomb. And trust me; the view from this place at all times is absolutely mesmerizing. 

Breeze County is located a few 100 meters away from the Kumarakom Lake Resort near Chakrampady Bus stop.

a Breeze County Morning view from Cottages

The location is just a 10 minute walk from the famed Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary and Tourist Complex at Kavanattinkara. The place is easily accessible by road and depending on whatever transport medium you come from, just ask for Chakrampady bus stop from any eagerly helpful Kumarakom locals who would be glad to help you out. If you have a mobile phone, it would be much easier to simply give a call to Mr. Anil.

Breeze County is situated in a property that is over an acre in size. There are however only two lake side cottages here. The only other construction on the plot is the house where Anil and his family lives.! Lakeside and lake facing deluxe A/C cottages and family cottages provide maximum relaxation and peace of mind in a pollution free atmosphere

The place offers possible everything a tourist would expect from a perfect Kerala backwater getaway. For example, you will get absolutely delightful food on order which would be sought from a restaurant cum toddy shop that Mr. Anil runs. We recommend the famed Karimeen Pollichatu which will blow you away with totally out of this world flavour. If you don’t like that idea of ordering food from outside, tell Mr. Anil and he will ask his family members to make extra food for you – and treat you like an extended member of the family. Talk about homely stay!

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enjoy the evening breeze in the Hammock, right beside the waves of the Vembanad Lake

Why GO :

1. You can enjoy the evening breeze in the Hammock, right beside the waves of the Vembanad Lake

2.You can experience the beautiful Sun Set from the Cottages.

3. Ethnic ,Homely Food

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 Rooms :

1.Family Cottage-(2Double  Bed Rooms )

Family cottage with 2 rooms and toilet.

Only master bedroom is A/C. Breakfast is included in tariff.

Tariff :3500 INR

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2,Double-bed Cottage – A/C  ( Total 1 ):

Double-bed cottage with attached toilet. The tariff includes breakfast

Tariff : 2500 INR 

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Facilities:

.Well Furnished A/c & Non A/c Rooms

.Cable TV

.Homely Food

.Spacious Car Parking

.garden

.Travel Assistance

.Doctor on call

.Airport transfer

.Boating and Sight Seeing

Nearest Tourist Attractions:

1) Back water cruise on country Boats/motor boats/speed boats

2) Farm Visit

3) Ancient churches, temples and other places of interest

4) Bird Sanctuary, home to rare Migratory Birds

5) Museum
Location &Address :

Address:

Breeze County, C/O

Anil MA, Mattathil House,

Chakrampady, Kumarakom North

Location :

Fousquare Venue 

Google Map

 Rating :

we give 4 out of 5 points to this perfect home stay from our personal experience !

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 want to Book This Accommodation with a  special discounted Price ?

write to us with your Travel Plan today  : welcometokumarakom@gmail.com

or call us right now : (0) 9809069003

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‘Thazhathangadi‘ near Kottayam Town ,one of the oldest trade centres in Kerala, hosts the oldest Boat Racing competition in Kerala.112 year old  Heritage of the competition had the presence of eminent people like Ethiopian Emperor ‘Haile Selassie ‘ etc.

The Boats compete with each other in the water of’  ’Meenachil’  River,that was Immortalised in the Novel ‘The God of Small Things‘ by Arundhati Roy .

a few shots from the beauty of the Kerala Snake Boat competition

‘Pathriramanal  island’ is a 10 acre haven of egrets and other migratory birds ,otters and butterflies .Home to a large number of locally found flowers and plants ,it attracts visitors of all sorts on all seasons. ( The name ‘Pathiramanal’ means ‘Sands of night’.  ) .As  an apt location for nature walkers ,heritage travelers and adventurists ,it stands 40 minutes from Kumarakom ,hot bed of Indian Tourism. It can accommodate the dreams of a traveler in search of unforgettable experiences .

 The island is a Birdwatcher’s paradise. It is home to around 91 local species of birds and 50 migratory birds. One can see Pintail Ducks, Common Teal, Night Heron, Cormorant, Darter,Indian Shag, Purple Heron, gulls, terns, large egrets, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Little Egret, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Watercock, Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Little Cormorant and Whiskered Tern.

Some people have even reported seeing the Monarch flycatcher.

The indescribable beauty of the island in  moon light bewitches your eyes for beauty.’Pathira manal’ is accessible only by boat.

Why go:

. a bird-watcher’s paradise

.Home to a large number of locally found flowers and plants.

How 2reach:

By Boat:

From Kumarakom:45 minutes journey

From Alappuzha :90 minutes journey

: 30minutes by speed boat

 From Kayippuram (near Muhamma ,14 Km from Alappuzha is the nearest road end )

Country boats available here .(Rate: 300-350 INR /hour)

Distance:
Muhamma boat jetty to Pathiramanal Island =1.5kms
Kumarakom to Pathiramanal Island =4kms

Getting Here : 

Nearest Airport: Cochin Airport is 85km away.
Nearest Railway Station: Alapuzha is the nearest Railway Station.

When?

All seasons

Entrance Fees?

:No

Must don’t :

Pathiramanal Island is a plastic free area and tourists are not allowed to carry plastic

In a photo finish, snake boat Devas Chundan powered by oarsmen of Jesus Boat Club lifted the coveted silver trophy in the 59th Nehru Trophy Boat Race, considered  as the country’s biggest water sporting event, at Punnamada Lake,Alappuzha.It is the occasion of a melting pot  unique in every respect consisting of a historical and geographical grandeur .

The major attraction of the boat race is the competition of snake boats chundanvallams .’Chundans’ (snake boats) are an impressive sight, measuring over 100 feet in length, with a raised prow. The annual water extravaganza is one of the rare events in the state that has managed to grab space in the international  tourism map and calendar.  20 “Chundans” or Snake boats will this time  There will also be a series of other Boats of smaller sizes like the .Chrurlan, Veppu Vallams, Oadies or Iruttukuthies.

The race is organized by the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society chaired by the District Collector with a  well represented public committee supporting the show.  In the year 2008 Government of Kerala declared the boat race as “Sports Event” which was a huge leap in the competitive aspect of the race.  For more than five decades, the boat race is being conducted  in a highly successful manner with the financial support of the esteemed organizations from Kerala and other States.

The 59^th Nehru Trophy Boat Race  is all set to start on august 13 at Punnamada backwater in Alappuzha District ,kerala.All the participants and race enthusiasts and Tourists are eagerly waiting for the commencement of 59^th  Nehru Boat race. It is the occasion of a melting pot  unique in every respect consisting of a historical and geographical grandeur . To add flavor to the event Indian Military would make it presence for the first time in the history for NTB.Men in uniform belonging to  Madras Engineering Group  would take oars in their hands to row in the waters of  punnamada lake competing for  UBC Kayanagiri Boat Club .The villagers of Kumarakom are sure of the victory of Kumarakom village boat club , a debut .

The major attraction of the boat race is the competition of snake boats chundanvallams .’Chundans’ (snake boats) are an impressive sight, measuring over 100 feet in length, with a raised prow. The annual water extravaganza is one of the rare events in the state that has managed to grab space in the international  tourism map and calendar.  20 “Chundans” or Snake boats will this time  There will also be a series of other Boats of smaller sizes like the .Chrurlan, Veppu Vallams, Oadies or Iruttukuthies.

 The race is organized by the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society chaired by the District Collector with a  well represented public committee supporting the show.  In the year 2008 Government of Kerala declared the boat race as “Sports Event” which was a huge leap in the competitive aspect of the race.  For more than five decades, the boat race is being conducted  in a highly successful manner with the financial support of the esteemed organizations from Kerala and other States.

How this boat race got the name

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Independent India visited Kerala in 1952. He was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey, escorted by the huge snake-boats. Having gone through the tremendous excitement of sailing in a snake-boat Jawaharlal Nehru donated a rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner of the race. The trophy is a replica of a snake-boat in silver, placed on wooden abacus on which the following words are inscribed.

The presence of Kumarakom in Nehru Boat race 2011

1. Kumarakom Village Boat Club

Captain: Rajan K Abraham

captain of kumarakom village boat club speaking about Kerala Snake Boat Race Festivals and His Team

2.Kumarakom Town Boat Club

Captain : Tomichan Mulakupadam

3.Kumarakom Boat club

BaBu

Participants

Snake Boats

There are 8 A Grade Chundan Vallams(Snake Boat  A Grade)

There are 8 B Grade Chundan Vallams (Snake Boat B Grade)

Small Boats

There are nearly 35 other kinds of race boats such as

1. Iruttukuthy – Grade A

2. Veppu – Grade A

3. Iruttukuthy – Grade B

4. Veppu – Grade B

5. Churulan

6. Vanitha Vallam

NTBC 2011 Track and Heats 

 Track length – 1400 M.

Tracks –4 tracks of 10 M. wide from East.

Heats 01

1.Cheruthana

2.Devas

3. Allapadu

4. Jawahar

Heats 02

1.Muttel Kayinakari

2.karuvatta

3.Illikalam

4. pulingunnu

Heats 03

1. Vinayakan

2. Divanji

3.Payippadu .

4 Chapakulam

Heats 04

1.sreeganeshan

2. vellamkulangara

 3. anary

4. Karichal

For more details plese connect

G. Mohanan Pillai

Secretary ,Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society &                 Website : http://www.nehrutrophy.nic.in

Revenue Divisional Officer, Alappuzha.     E-mail   : nehrutrophy@kerala.nic.in,

Ph: + 91 477 – 2263441 , 2260320,          nehrutrophyboatrace@yahoo.com

Mob: 9447495002

A few moments from the spectacular Champakulam Boat Race 2011 held yesterday .

‘The Champakulam Moolam Boat Race ‘- one of the most crowd pulling entertainment sporting event of Kerala kick starts on July 14th at Chambakulam ,Alleppey . This time around ,our very own Kumarakom snake Boat shall take part in the ‘Champakulam Boat Race ‘ ‘Since this will be the Kumarakom Village boat club’s maiden snake boat race please extend your heart filled wishes and luck’.

Champakulam Boat Race is held every year at the Champakulam Lake in Alappuzha, Kerala. This is the first boat race of the Boat racing season of the state. The race is organized in the Malayalam month Midhunam on the moolam day, the day of the installation of the deity at the Sree Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. Champakulam Boat Race is held on the river Pampa,the holy river of ‘Sabari mala’.

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Alappuzha about 26 km away.

Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 85 km from Alappuzha.

More Boat Race  Articles and Photos