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earth calling 

A CGH Earth communiqué Feb-Mar 2011 

Once there was a 

king... 

Enjoy life like a king at Chittoor Kottaram, the only living palace still owned 

by the Cochin royal family 

By Gustap Jeroo Irani 

The Rajahs of Cochin were not flamboyant monarchs 

like their blue-blooded ilk in other parts of India. 

Their palaces resembled stately mansions and were 

devoid of excessive ornamentation. Deep wrap-around 

verandas, solid teak pillars, vast landscaped lawns, 

stunning views, cosy yet royal feel.... The members of 

the royal family were steeped in culture and the arts 

which they patronised vigorously and their pleasures 

were modest. No peccadilloes and idiosyncrasies to 

fascinate a voyeuristic world hungry to see that the 

pedigreed were mortals too. Many were deeply 

spiritual. 

So way back in the 14th century, when the Rajah of 

Cochin shifted his capital from Perumpadappu to 

Tripunithara, he set out to build a Lord Krishna 

temple as grand as the one in Guruvayoor in his old 

continued on page 4 

What brings guests 

back to CGH Earth 

resorts We decided 

to ask Page 2 

Coconut Lagoon is a 

birdwatcher’s paradise 

with a new watching 

perch Page 6 

Singer Reetika and 

Gaurav talk about their 

magical honeymoon in 

Kerala Page 9 

Mala Dhawan talks 

about bringing A 

Hundred Hands to 

David Hall Page 12

2 

www.cghearth.com 

Earth Calling 

Rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, rediscovery… all this makes for a great 

holiday, but why do some guests keep choosing a particular 

destination We find that our guests have a definite inclination for a 

particular resort, so we asked them, 

My wife Paola and I have been 

holidaying at various CGH Earth resorts 

for over 20 years now. In fact, we were 

among the first guests to the beautiful 

island of Bangaram—a jewel—of which 

we could not seem to get enough; we 

went there 15 times. People sometimes 

complained about there being no hot 

water or about the quality of water, but 

we found these to be minor issues. 

When we could not go to Bangaram any 

longer, we checked out SwaSwara and 

this time, we are at Marari Beach. 

We keep coming back primarily for the 

quality of staff. Many of them are our 

friends now. Paola is a good cook and she 

used to exchange cooking tips with John, 

the chef at Bangaram, who used to rustle 

up the most amazing things with the 

limited resources at the island. 

Also, we appreciate the cleanliness here. 

We feel absolutely safe with the food 

and with the quality of drinking water. 

Of course, the style of the resorts is 

beautiful. We feel at home here and 

there is a sense of family. 

Yves Bensoussan, retired UN 

official, Italy 

“What keeps you 

SwaSwara is not a spa, not an ashram, 

not a bling bling resort… it is unique and 

hard to describe. I was here a year back 

for two weeks and thought that I wanted 

to come back this time for three. I 

brought my step-daughter and a friend 

who recently lost her husband. I felt that 

she could really feel at peace here. 

SwaSwara is peaceful and harmonious, 

but difficult to describe to someone who 

coming back” 

hasn’t come, because it is an emotional 

and personal experience; one can put 

down one’s baggage—and I’m not talking 

luggage—here. It feels peaceful and 

harmonious, and the ideal place to 

practice yoga. The water is welcoming 

and beautiful and of course, the staff is 

lovely. 

Marsha Crouzet, used to work in 

fashion and textiles, France 

When I bring a friend over from Canada, they can see both sides of 

Kerala here… the traditional bits and also our love and respect for 

nature. I first came to Spice Village six years back, and it is still as 

beautiful and unspoilt as it was then. When my friends say that 

they had a peaceful, reflective holiday here, it makes me proud to be 

a Malayali. 

James Panikulam, Roman Catholic priest, Canada 

(in pic with friend Yves Louis Joseph)

CGH Earth Communiqué 3 


Haven on earth 

We first came to SwaSwara early last 

year before we went to a wedding in 

Jaipur. It came highly recommended and 

now we are back a year later, because we 

loved the Ayurveda treatments and the 

food. The staff is very attentive and 

whatever you say, they remember during 

their service later. 

We tried our hand at Yoga, of course and 

felt very well from the lessons. We 

practiced it for a while after we went 

home, and hope to pick up from where 

we left off. 

Anonn Monica Tinzl, Italy 

Coconut Lagoon is like a slice of old 

Kerala with its heritage “homes”, green 

environs and local flora and fauna, 

including the vechoor cows. My wife 

Rosina and I were here a little over a 

year back, and we come back because it 

is peaceful—particularly with no TV!— 

for the sun and friendly faces. It’s like we 

have discovered a little bit of paradise. 

Paul Brockington, 

businessman, UK 

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A guest discovers that serenity lies within the self on a 

holiday at SwaSwara 

By Geraldine Coulthurst 

Little did I suspect when my 

flight took off from Cointrin 

airport in Geneva early in May 

that I would come back 

transformed! My heart was 

leaden because Jiva, my little 

four-footed companion, had died before 

my very eyes only two weeks to the day 

before I was due to leave. I almost 

cancelled the trip! Now I know that that 

was part of his pavikrama on his way to 

be happy as part of the Universal 

Whole. I knew I was going on a spiritual 

journey at a turning-point in my life. I 

had been to India several times before 

(and had chosen SwaSwara because of 

the attraction for me of the yoga), but did 

not know that this time was to be a truly 

tantric and life-changing experience. 

SwaSwara truly is my ‘haven on earth’ (I 

hesitate to use words with religious 

connotations which could injure some) 

where everything contributes to the 

awareness, well-being and shaktipat of 

one and all as well as of this earth which 

nourishes, satisfies and protects all the 

life on it. A myriad hues, sounds and 

fragrances embalm the atmosphere. The 

setting is breath-taking, the ocean 

reassuring, the beach free of litter, the 

scenery awesome. The people smiling, 

welcoming, authentic live an integrated 

life ready to grow and practice 

the art of living ancestral ideals. 

The result is that all guests’ 

wishes are contented almost 

even before they are 

expressed. Nothing is too much 

for the mainly local Indians at 

SwaSwara as they go about 

their work fulfilling - knowingly 

or not - and practising the 

yajna of Swami Satayananda 

Saraswati: sacrifice of self in 

order to love, to give and to serve (order 

deliberately modified by myself because 

that is how I sensed it). 

Everyone and everything is there to 

encourage guests on the quest: the 

journey into self, the interior search for 

meaning, the pursuing of awareness. All 

around is conducive to this voyage: 

material needs are taken care of and 

there is no need to worry about anything 

else than to be lead along the path which 

enfolds, as though revealed day by day, 

sometimes even minute by minute. For 

lovers of Reiki, the energy too is majestic, 

almost tangible. 

I finally choose not to mention anyone in 

particular by name because I do not 

want to hurt anyone’s feelings by 

inadvertently omitting them. I 

am indebted to all the members of staff: 

those I got to know well, those I knew 

less well, those whom I did not know at 

all. Bliss radiates from within each 

person. Your team-spirit is magnificent. I 

am immensely grateful to you all. I 

admire all that you do with devotion, 

dignity and humility. Part of my heart 

has stayed amongst you. I have become 

in many ways a schizophrenic eastern 

westerner. I conserve as much of what I 

learnt with you even now that I live 

under different climes. I will be back to 

SwaSwara with loads of gifts for you all 

like the flowers decorating my bed every 

day, like the exquisite vegetarian cuisine, 

like making my sankalpa whilst lying like 

a chappati sinking into the floor. Yoga 

Nidra is complementary to action in life 

and is always achieved. 

If you are tempted by a refuge far from 

“the maddening crowds”, from the nightlife 

of Goa, then, let your travels profit 

from the beauty, peace and calm of 

SwaSwara. It really does provide all that 

it offers, and much, much more!

4 



continued from cover 

kingdom. The charming tiered edifice 

called Chittoorappan was built in a quiet 

hamlet called Cheranelloor, fringed by 

the backwaters of Kochi. The king would 

return to the temple time and again to 

soak in the peace and spiritual calm of 

the place. Soon he built a palace, just 50 

yards away, where he would rest, after 

paying obeisance to the family deity. 

Like him, we too arrived regally at the 

Chittoor Kottaram palace in a boat; but 

ours was not a royal barge steered by 18 

oarsmen. The welcome, however, was 

regal enough as a small group of 

retainers, headed by the redoubtable 

Milton who now manages this minuscule 

palace-resort, stood at the jetty to receive 

us. 

We clambered up and saw the white 

facade of the mansion unravel on 

glistening green lawns — a pillared onestoreyed 

structure with an aged red-tiled 

roof. In a corner stood a thatched 

pavilion with a gauzy white curtain 

where we sat to sip tender coconut water. 

(It also doubles as a spa pavilion for 

Ayurvedic massages.) 

Chittoor Kottaram is the only living 

palace still owned by the Cochin royal 

family. It is today a single key heritage 

hotel where only a couple of members of 

one family may stay. 

Milton ceremoniously 

handed us the keys of 

our kingdom and 

suggested that we 

play king and queen 

for a day. No one 

would be allowed to 

disturb us or enter 

the palace without 

our permission; not 

even the Raja of 

Cochin! No longer 

should we regard 

ourselves as 

commoners but as royalty and our every 

wish would be his command, he stated 

with a grand flourish. 

Nature’s influence 

We explored our temporary fiefdom, 

charmed by its nooks and crannies, its 

intimate spaces where one could 

commune with nature and each other. 

The entire estate was awash in the 

molten honey-gold rays of an end-ofthe-monsoon-sun. 

White wrought iron 

chairs and a table on the lawns would be 

ideal for a bracing cup of tea the next 

day, we decided, while at the ground 

level veranda or on the upper one which 

commanded views of the glittering 

backwaters and a bank of water lilies, 

one could sit and read a book. 

The mini palace had two bedrooms on 

the ground level and one above. We 

opted for nothing less than the king’s 

room on the upper level where the 

spacious bathroom even had a bookcase 

with tomes and bestsellers that were 

royal favourites and a skylight through 

which natural light filtered through. 

Everywhere there were expanses of 

polished wood, red hibiscus flowers, 

spacious four posters draped with 

flowing mosquito nets, quaint writing 

desks and portraits of royalty that looked 

down at us usurpers with a frown. 

As a nod to royal traditions, we padded 

around the palace barefoot and enjoyed 

subtly spiced vegetarian, Kerala-style 

cuisine. That first afternoon, we savoured 

a royal sadya of 24 Kerala delicacies in 

the spacious dining room which was 

located in a separate red-tiled roof 

Chittoorappan was built in a quiet hamlet 

called Cheranelloor, fringed by the backwaters 

of Kochi. The king would return to the temple 

time and again to soak in the peace and 

spiritual calm of the place. Soon he built a 

palace, just 50 yards away, where he would 

rest, after paying obeisance to the family deity.

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cottage. Annie, a Chittoor local, rustled it 

all up in the adjacent kitchen. 

In the sultry afternoon, an inviting 

hammock strung between two trees, 

beckoned. As we swung in it, a Brahminy 

kite with magnificent wings outspread 

cleaved the air and soared upwards; a 

blue kingfisher skimmed the backwaters 

and triumphantly swooped away with a 

fish dangling in its beak; a bright-eyed 

and bushy-tailed squirrel bounded 

away.... The world was a hushed 

spectator to it all. 

Later, a sunset cruise on the backwaters 

was on the agenda and as our boat 

chugged past idyllic villages snuggling 

amid coconut groves, tall palms leaned 

across to kiss the waters. A Shiva temple 

rose against a darkening sky, the spire of 

a church stabbed a crucifix at the 

heavens; coconut palms fanned the sky; 

paddy fields stretched away to the 

horizon; large spidery Chinese fishing 

nets with arms outspread in welcome 

filtered the rays of a dying sun.... 

Everything had a leisurely beachcomber 

pace. Soon the sun set in fiery swirls of 

golds, reds, softening to mauve and 

pink... like nature’s own laser show. 

Evening lights 

On our return, the lawns were studded 

with diyas and the lamp-lit palace 

exuded a soft mysterious glow, rivaling 

the post-sunset sky. So too must the 

kings of yore have returned to their fairytale 

retreat to softly sink into its cultural 

pleasures and sweet ease. Post dinner, 

eaten off gleaming silver thalis, replete 

with honest-to-goodness fare, a culturalspiritual 

feast awaited. Two priests from 

the Krishna temple, arrived, bearing a 

drum and a brass thali. With these 

simple instruments and the rich baritone 

of the singer, they wooed the Lord 

(essentially Krishna and Shiva), singing 

songs of praise in Sanskrit, much as their 

forefathers had done to a royal audience 

in another era. 

The next day, we imperial pretenders left 

the palace but only after a photograph 

was taken. We got into the spirit of 

things and wore shawls and a turban 

while palm-frond umbrellas were held 

over our heads by our faithful “retainers”. 

As we drove away with many a 

backward glance at the palace and the 

temple, we resolved to return one day to 

“reclaim our kingdom.” 

The article has been reprinted 

from The Hindu 

A villa for Ann 

Former Cusat visiting professor from Germany, 

Thomas Leske, talks about holidaying with his 

daughter 

It was a pleasure to be back at Cusat, where I taught 

marine engineering in the mid-80s. In fact, I was here 

with my family for the 25 th anniversary of my tenure 

here, and it was great to meet former students. 

Ernakulam has changed a lot since those days. The 

population has tripled and when we climbed to the 

rooftop, we noticed that the skyline had totally 

changed. I guess that’s development. 

Of course, when we are in Kerala, we have to spend 

three weeks at a place that Ann considers her second 

home. That she thinks so means a lot to us, because 

Ann is wheelchair bound and while we like to travel 

with her, she is happiest when she comes to Marari 

Beach. 

That is not a surprise. When we first travelled to India 

with Ann, we felt that the country was not handicapfriendly 

and we were looking for a place that would be 

easy to handle. At Marari Beach, right from the first 

moment they sensed our need and immediately 

arranged a make-shift ramp for Ann’s wheelchair. Four 

years later, the room that we always occupy has become 

“Ann’s Villa” and is completely adjusted to her needs. 

There is a permanent ramp, and a special bathroom 

and toilet seat. 

We feel that no obstacle is too high in travelling with 

Ann. People—taxi drivers, doormen and the public— 

are always helpful. When we come to Marari, the 

whole atmosphere is so great that we feel it is a heaven 

on earth.

6 



Pepper: adding spice 

to history 

It is difficult to imagine that a little black corn could turn the course 

of history, but pepper, native to Malabar, was so potent a spice that it 

prompted Vasco da Gama to find a trade route to India 

In history 

Pepper was such a pricey commodity in Europe that it was known as black gold. In 

fact, in England, rent could be paid in peppercorns, giving rise to the term 

“peppercorn rent”, meaning something expensive, though today it has the opposite 

connotation. 

Pepper was an ingredient in luxury cooking in ancient Rome and Greece, according to 

the accounts of Pliny. Apparently, 120 ships made an annual trip to India from the 

early Roman empire. With the fall of Rome, the trade of this then-expensive spice 

was largely monopolised by the Arabs. 

In the Middle Ages, pepper was a luxury item, affordable only to the wealthy and 

virtually all of the black pepper found in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa 

was from India’s Malabar region. Its exorbitant price was one of the inducements 

which led the Portuguese to seek a sea route to India. In 1498, Vasco da Gama 

became the first person to reach India by sailing around Africa; asked by Arabs in 

Calicut (who spoke Spanish and Italian) why they had come, his representative 

replied, “we seek Christians and spices”. It was given additional legitimacy (at least 

from a European imperialistic perspective) by the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, which 

granted Portugal exclusive rights to the half of the world where black pepper 

originated. 

By the 16th century, due to the Portuguese influence, pepper was also being grown in 

Java, Sunda, Sumatra, Madagascar, Malaysia, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, but 

these areas traded mainly with China, or used the pepper locally. Ports in the 

Malabar area also served as a stop-off point for much of the trade in other spices 

from farther east in the Indian Ocean. 

As pepper supplies into Europe increased, the price of pepper declined (though the 

total value of the import trade generally did not). Pepper, which in the early Middle 

Ages had been an item exclusively for the rich, started to become more of an 

everyday seasoning among those of more average means. 

Today, pepper accounts for one-fifth of the world’s spice trade. 

CGH Earth and the 

pepper story 

The Palliyans and the Mannans 

lived in the areas that form the 

Periyar Tiger Reserve before 

Independence. In fact, in 1940, the 

Travancore Maharaja felt that he 

could not transact the land, before it 

was “owned” by the tribals. 

Their main occupation was fishing 

and they also served as guides to the 

British, when they went hunting 

into the forest. 

The tribals did not understand 

money transactions, but they were 

self-sufficient, with paddy, ragi and 

corn cultivation. 

Since Independence, they have been 

settled in colonies, with the 

Palliakudi colony initially housing 

20 families, and the Manakuddi 

colony of 165 acres starting out 

with about 37. Today, each colony 

houses a couple of hundred families. 

They started growing pepper over 

three decades back, but did not get 

their due. Local merchants would 

buy the harvest at throwaway rates. 

Things changed a decade back and 

the business became more 

systematic with the forming of with 

the local Eco Development 

Green pepper in brine 

A recipe from Spice Village 

Ingredients 

Green pepper corns 5 gm 

Ginger, julienned 50 gm 

Garlic, crushed 50 gm 

Green chilly, slit 50 gm 

Salt 

100 gm 

Vinegar 

150 ml 

Water 

1 ltr 

Method 

Boil water with the 

salt 

Add the julienned 

ginger, crushed garlic 

and slit chillies 

Add vinegar and 

pepper

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Committee in 1998 giving the 

tribals power over trade. Each house 

has about 100 pepper vines. Now, 

the transactions are done minus a 

mediator and via daily auctions 

during the harvesting season, 

between November and January. 

The harvest ranges between 25 and 

2,000 kg in different families, and 

a single day up to 4,500 kg can be 

auctioned off. CGH Earth also set 

up Natural Harvest, which buys 

pepper from the farmer at a 33% 

premium, and exports it to Europe. 

“The company is an ethical 

business set up to help out the 

tribals; to ensure their culture and 

their practices are maintained,” says 

Antony Varghese of Natural 

Harvest. 

So, what is special about the tribal 

pepper They are endemic species, 

such as a resistant variety known as 

karimunda and jeera mundi. The 

Uorali tribals in the Vanchiavayail 

area, 5km into the Periyar 

sanctuary, also grow a good quality 

pepper in their 100 acres. The 

tribal pepper received its first 

organic certification in 2003 from 

Europe, and since then, the farms 

are inspected at least four times in a 

year. 

Bird watching at 

Coconut Lagoon 

Spotting 30 species in an hour… not a bad record 

by bird watching standards 

By C. Anil Kumar, with data 

from resident naturalists 

Shanmugan and Geethu 

Adjacent to the 30 acres that Coconut 

Lagoon is situated in, we have a paddy 

field of 92 acres. This paddy field was 

cultivated for a long period till it was 

sold off in 2004. Until then, group 

forming was done using common 

irrigation practices called petti and para 

(a Kaplan turbine water pumping 

system that was adapted by British 

planters to remove massive volumes of 

water from waterlogged areas). After 

the sale, paddy cultivation was 

abandoned and area was undisturbed for almost eight years 

with occasional grazing and some fishing. Slowly, we started 

seeing tall grass taking over the shallow ends of the paddy field, 

making it inaccessible for cattle and other domestic farm 

animals. All these years, the eight acre paddy field which we 

had inside our property was farmed organically. 

Recently, we found a sudden explosion of bird activity in the 

area which made us spent lot more time in the location. We 

found that the undisturbed grass patches has become a 

breeding ground for Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, 

Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Medium Egret, Large Egret, 

Indian Pond Heron, White Breasted Water Hen, Purple 

Moorhen, White Rumped Munia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, 

Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Green Leaf Warbler, White Throated 

Kingfisher, Bronze Winged Jacana, Pheasant Tailed Jacana, 

Black Winged Stilt. 

These birds were found to be breeding in vast and diverse 

locations. Non-breeding species like Black Rumped Flame 

Wood Pecker, Common Myna, Jungle Myna, Golden Oriole, 

Black Headed Oriole and Brahmany Kite were also very easily 

spotted. 

On our initial expeditions, the walk through the paddy field 

would cause us to stumble upon some Sandpipers in the field. 

They were so camouflaged that it took more than a layman’s 

eye to distinguish it from dry grass. On the sunny side of the 

field, we saw Purple Rumped Sunbirds humming to the 

continued overleaf

8 



shoeflowers. The reed fields, on the thinner side, Baya Weaver 

birds were busy weaving their nests. Ruddy Breasted Crake, 

Great Reed Warbler, Black Headed Munia, Ashy Prinia were 

rustling in their peaceful nests inside the reeds. This prompted 

Michael Dominic, our director of operations, to suggest building 

two bird watching perches and a camera hideout. 

The bird watching perches have been hugely successful with 

our guests from the start. The fact that we could see about 30 

different species of birds in an hour’s time has been quite 

exciting by bird watching standards. So far we have recorded 

43 different species of birds with the populations of around 

100 in most major species in an hour. The sighting of 200 odd 

purple moorhens together, that we have had here, was a very 

uncommon experience in Kumarakom. 

The presence of many migratory birds like the White Ibis, 

Glossy Ibis Whiskered Terns, Barn Swallow, Ashy Wood 

Swallow is showing increased acceptance by avifauna to this 

bird paradise. 

www. 

cghearth. 

com 

The next time you are online, check out 

our new look website. You can now easly 

keep tabs on events, eco sustainable 

efforts, people and stories about your 

favourite CGH Earth hotels. 

Book holidays, read issues of Earth 

Calling and or even find recipes to some 

of our signature dishes on the site. You 

can even post comments or drop 

suggestions. 

Also, find snippets and pictures on each 

of our destinations on their respective 

Facebook pages. Add your own posts of 

your CGH Earth experiences and share 

them with your friends and us. 

Robert Frost, an English repeat guest and keen birdwatcher 

tells us about his experience of being here. 

Returning to Coconut Lagoon, with its comfort and warm 

hospitality, in such a beautiful and peaceful environment, is 

always a very great pleasure. But what sets it apart as so special 

must surely be the abundance of birdlife. One has only to walk 

around the resort to observe common species such as the 

Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Oriental Magpie Robin and 

various Kingfishers (Common, White-throated and Storkbilled), 

while a glance in the direction of the lake is bound to 

include a number of Indian Cormorants, perched on posts or 

flying across. 

The greatest rewards, 

however, are to be found 

during early morning and 

evening walks through 

the old paddy fields. 

There one may see 

Purple Swamphens, 

Cormorants, Egrets, 

Purple and Indian Pond 

Herons, Black and Blackheaded 

Ibises, Bronzewinged 

Jacanas, Wood 

Sandpipers, Cotton 

Pygmy Geese, Blackwinged 

Stilts and 

Greater Racket-tailed 

Drongos. Blue-tailed 

Bee-eaters drop down 

from the telegraph lines 

to catch insects 

acrobatically in flight, 

while great flocks of 

Lesser Whistling Ducks circle overhead, whistling loudly, and 

then land in the water. If one is lucky, one may see an Indian 

Roller, perched on a line and then flying off with wings of 

glorious two-shaded blue. 

At dusk, if one looks up into the sky above the resort, one may 

observe Black-crowned Night Herons, and Giant Fruit Bats, 

leaving their roost in the bird sanctuary and flying towards their 

feeding grounds, possibly silhouetted against the light of the 

moon. Pure magic! 

It is not just the sight but also the sound of birds that gives me 

so much pleasure. The calls of the Asian Koel, the Pale-billed 

Flowerpecker and the Greater Coucal, and the chatter of the 

White-throated Kingfisher or the splash as it hits the water, are 

evocative and exotic. To observe these birds as they sing is a 

bonus, although never in my many visits to Coconut Lagoon 

have I managed to spot the White-cheeked Barbet, whose call 

I always hear and like so much. I must come again!



Starting on a new journey 

with CGH 

Gaurav and I went to the same school and started dating when we were 

teenagers. Then, when we left school, we lost touch for 16 long years. 

Thanks to Facebook, we found each other again and carried on from where 

we left off without missing a beat! It helped that we had similar passions, 

particularly music. 

After dating again for a year, we got married on 

December 4… a big, fat, crazy Punjabi wedding. 

We had heard of Kerala through friends and family. 

And interestingly, we had heard that if one 

honeymooned here, the marriage would last. That 

useful bit of information helped tilt the balance in 

favour of Kerala! 

We started our trip with a couple of days at 

Brunton Boatyard and moved on to have a few days 

at Coconut Lagoon. What a magical time it was! 

Quiet, peaceful Kerala was a real contrast to our 

wedding and was just what we were seeking when 

we wanted to get away by ourselves. It was lovely 

not having even a TV in the room to disturb us. We 

just lounged by the pool in our villa and read books, 

and lost ourselves in the peace and tranquility. The 

Malayali is definitely a breed apart from the 

Delhiite; they are not as loud as us for a start! 

We were given beautiful, romantic experiences at both 

places… a hand-drawn card signed by all the staff, rooms 

dressed up in flower petals and cloth hearts, cakes and 

lovely baths. The staff was exceptional; they got to know 

what our likes and dislikes were and catered to us 

accordingly. 

Gaurav is a keen photographer, so he took tons of pictures 

of the romantic sunrises and sunsets, particularly on our 

houseboat cruise. We are now happy to recommend a 

holiday here to anyone, particularly to honeymooning 

couples, of course. What particularly stood out was how 

quiet the ambience at the resorts are… it doesn’t even feel 

like India once you step inside. So, I say to my friends, 

before you pack your bags and decide to fly abroad on 

holiday, come and discover this gem in our country. 

Reetika Dhingra nee Puri is a musician and is cutting an album with 

Gaurav, a music producer. Her song, produced by Universal Turkey, is 

scheduled for a worldwide release in a month 

My heart is a pink, pink waterlily: 

Flowers in the Vembanad at 

Coconut Lagoon; Swans and roses 

on a Brunton Gaurav and Reetika at 

the Brunton Boatyard restaurant

10 



CGH EARTH RESORT RECKONER 

CASINO HOTEL 

Business meets 

comfort and 

relaxation at Casino 

Hotel, our first 

venture. Situated in 

Cochin’s Willingdon 

Island, Casino strikes 

a perfect balance 

between the 

cosmopolitan and the 

traditional. 

Accommodation: Suites; standard rooms 

Dining: Multi-cuisine Tharavad 

restaurant; Seafood specialty Fort Cochin 

restaurant; Vasco da Gama bar 

Facilities: Swimming pool, gift shop, 

Ayurveda and conference centre 

Things to do: Sightseeing in Fort Cochin, 

cruise in Mattancherry 

Getting here: 40 km from Cochin 

International Airport; 6 km from 

downtown Ernakulam 

COCONUT LAGOON 

The perfect 

retreat from 

fifth-gear 

living. 

Enjoy the 

b i r d s , 

dragonflies 

a n d 

butterflies 

that thrive by 

the Vembanad lake in Kumarakom. Live 

in grand traditional Kerala homes. Relax, 

but also be inspired. 

Accommodation: Heritage bungalows; 

heritage mansions & private pool villas 

Dining: Kerala cuisine and seafood 

specialty 

Facilities: Swimming pool, Ayurveda, yoga 

and meditation centre 

Things To Do: Explore life on the 

backwaters; visit the bird sanctuary and 

farms and learn to cook with spices 

Getting There: The resort is a 10-minute 

boat ride from to Kavanatinkara boat 

landing, which is 10 km from Kottayam, 

the nearest town. It is a 25-minute boat 

ride from to Puthenangadi boat landing, a 

45-km drive from Kochi. 

Nearest Airport: Cochin International 

SPICE VILLAGE 

Cool off; breathe mint fresh air, tune in to 

bird song and animal noises, and enjoy the 

blanket of greenery o thef Periyar 

wilderness on the Western Ghats. Live in 

the split bamboo and elephant grass 

cottages modelled on the dwellings of the 

local tribal inhabitants. 

Accommodation: Private garden cottages 

and spice garden cottages 

Dining: Kerala cuisine, flavoured with 

fresh spices 

Facilities: Pool, badminton, tennis, 

Ayurveda, yoga and meditation centre 

Things to do: Boat safari in Lake Periyar, 

trekking, spice plantation visit and learn to 

cook with spices 


International Airport, 145 km from 

Madurai Airport 

MARARI BEACH RESORT 

Come here for the sun, sand and surf, but 

also to be cast under the spell of the sea; 

see the treasures it offers to its people. At 

Marari Beach, in quaint Alapuzha, your 

experience encompasses the people that 

lend life to the sea. 

Accommodation: Garden villas, garden 

pool villas, deluxe pool villas 

Dining: Kerala cuisine with fresh catch 

Facilities: Swimming pool, tennis, 

Ayurveda, Yoga and meditation centre 

Things to do: Get a tan, explore village 

life, go cycling, learn to cook with spices 


International Airport 

BRUNTON BOATYARD 

The Brunton Boatyard celebrates the 

many influences-Portuguese, Dutch, 

British, Arab, Jewish-that have made Fort 

Cochin what it is today and transports you 

to the eventful past of the old boatyard of 

Geo Brunton and Sons. 

Accommodation: Harbour-view rooms 

and suites 

Dining: Cuisine that reflects the cultural 

influences of Cochin, Portuguese, Dutch, 

English, Arab and Jewish; terrace grill offers 

the catch of the day 

Facilities: Swimming pool, Ayurveda 

Things to do: The sights and sounds of 

Fort Cochin are just a walk away. 



BANGARAM 

With virgin 

coral reefs, 

turquoise blue 

lagoons, silver 

beaches, exotic 

fishes and lush 

green coconut 

palms, we 

almost had no 

work to create a 

destination on Lakshadweep’s Bangaram 

Island. 

Accommodation: Standard and deluxe 

huts 

Dining: Cuisine of Lakshadweep and 

coastal India, beach barbecue 

Things to do: Scuba diving, snorkeling, 

deep sea fishing, boating /kayaking, island 

excursion, Ayurveda, yoga and meditation 

Getting here: Flights from Cochin to 

Agatti island, transfer from Agatti to 

Bangaram by boat. (Or by helicopter during 

the monsoon: May 16 to Sept 16). Foreign 

nationals require entry permit. 

Airport: Agatti (8 km)



SPICE COAST CRUISES 

Float betwixt blue waters and green 

landscape on a naturally made kettuvallam 

(traditional riceboat). There is nothing to 

interrupt your reverie except the breeze 

playing in your hair and the water lapping 

against the boat. 

Facilities: Our kettuvallams are solarpowered 

and fitted with two ensuite 

bedrooms, a living room. The crew 

comprises a navigator and a cook. 

One or more days along the backwaters 



KALARI KOVILAKOM 

Kalari Kovilakom, set in a 19th century 

palace, was home to the Vengunad 

kings of old Malabar. This ayurvedic 

retreat balances the indulgence of a 

palace with the austerity of an ashram, 

and aims to produce a glowing you. 

Accommodation: 18 heritage suites 

Dining: Ayurvedic vegetarian food 

Therapeutic programme: Cleansing 

and healing in the holistic Ayurvedic 

traditions. Programmes start with 

minimum 14-day stay. 

Facilities: Ayurveda treatment 

rooms, catering to 10 persons 

simultaneously, Ayurvedic beauty 

therapy centre; extensive gardens 

growing Ayurvedic herbs, Yoga, 

meditation and chanting hall, wellstocked 

library, expansive kalari 

spaces for music and cultural 

performances 


International Airport, 75 km from 

Coimbatore Airport 

(www.kalarikovilakom.com) 

SWASWARA 

Rediscover yourself through yoga, 

meditation at SwaSwara, situated beside 

the legendary Om beach in the small town 

of Gokarna in Karnataka. 

Accommodation: 24 self-contained villas 

Facilities: Swimming pool, meditation 

dome, ayurveda centre 

Things to do: Yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, 

boat rides, excursions 

Getting here: 170 km from Goa’s Dabolim 

Airport. 200 km from Mangalore Airport. 

VISALAM 

Chettinad, home to the 

Nattukottai Chettiars, a 

prosperous banking and business 

community, seems to live and 

breathe history. Experience a 

heritage, art and architecture 

untouched by time. Visalam, in 

Karaikudi, is reflective of the 

grandeur of the region, juxtaposed 

against the almost yogic simplicity 

of this community. 

Accommodation: 15 heritage 

rooms 

Dining: The famed Chettinad 

cuisine 

Facilities: Swimming pool 

Things to do: Experience the Chettiar 

lifestyle. Excursions of the temples and 

artisans’ workshops. 

Getting here: 90 km from Trichy airport 

and 105 km from Madurai airport. 

For reservations, please contact: CGH Earth, Casino Building, Willingdon Island, 

Cochin 682 003, Kerala, India. Phone:+91 484 3011711 2668221 Fax:+91 484 2668001 

Email: contact@cghearth.com www.cghearth.com

12 



Handful of joy 

When A Hundred Hands 

brought over a dozen 

craftspeople and artistes from 

all over India to David Hall, it 

seemed to be a perfect 

coming together of the 

ancient and modern; the 

beauty ancient crafts under an 

ancient roof, but with a very 

real relevance for today and the future. The brainchild 

of sisters Mala and Sonia Dhawan, A Hundred Hands 

aims to promote the enriching experience of working 

with our hands. 

Here Mala tells Earth Calling about the NGO, its artistes 

and her take on David Hall. 

Tell us about A Hundred Hands; how did it start, what 

is it about 

The idea was born when we first opened up the garden 

space in our home in Bangalore to 

some women farmers who were 

selling their organic, homemade 

products, such as pickles, jams and 

soft drink concentrates. 

A Hundred Hands, an NGO trust, 

came from this; with the dream of 

spreading the joy of handmade. 

A Hundred Hands aims to 

encourage people to work with 

their hands, particularly artistes 

and artisans, and finding a clientele 

for their products. We have a 

permanent set up in Bangalore. We are just about a year 

old, but have been received with enthusiasm. Our shop 

and exhibition allows the artiste to interact with the 

public. 

What crafts and craftspeople do A Hundred Hands 

showcase 

There are several—from the traditional to some quite 

contemporary stuff. National award winner Raj Soni, for 

example, practices Sanjhi paper cutting. It is a dying, 

ancient art of cutting paper free hand on non-metallic 

surfaces with plied scissors and sharp blades to create 

patterns. It takes about eight years to learn and today, 

only one family, who is the fifth generation of artists, 

practices it. 

Also, we have a father-son duo, who hails from a family 

of Mughal miniature painters. Today, they adopt the style 

to contemporary nature themes. 

There is the “non-violent” Ahimsa silks from Uttar 

Pradesh, where they don’t kill the silkworm while 

producing the cloth, which has a slightly rougher texture. 

There is a lady who sells beeswax balms made from a 

traditional recipe, and we have patchwork and block-print 

material, wooden puzzles and toys. 

It is quite the melting pot. 

How does David Hall fit in with A 

Hundred Hands 

David Hall and are a perfect match. 

This cafe with its area for displaying 

art and perfomances is a fabulous 

space and gels perfectly with our 

philosophy. 

Fort Cochin, too, has a sense of 

community, and balances an oldworld 

charm with a contemporary 

feel, just like A Hundred Hands. 

We are hoping over time to have a 

permanent set-up at David Hall, where visitors can 

interact with artistes and try their hand at a craft. 

Earth Calling, a CGH Earth communiqué, is printed and published by Hotel and Allied Trades Private 

Limited, Cochin for CGH Earth, Casino Building, Willingdon Island, Cochin 682 003, Kerala, India 

Ph:+91 484 2668221 Fax 2668001 email: earthcalling@cghearth.com www.cghearth.com

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