Carys Connects with Culture and Climate


July 29, 2023 - Kovalam
Today we were supposed to have class to present our individual presentations on cultural aspects; however, because some of our group is not feeling well, this was postponed. Yesterday, we had a rest day to explore nearby markets and familiarize ourselves with the local culture in Kovalam. Many of us went to the beach and got burned pretty badly. Prior to Kerala, there has been sun and heat, but nothing like this. Though few, this beautiful, tropical location does come with some downsides. I had woken up pretty early in order to finish up my cultural presentation. It goes both ways: it is difficult to work in such a beautiful environment because all I want to do is put down my computer and enjoy, but also how blessed am I to be doing homework in a hammock with a beach view? I ate my breakfast and headed to the Ayurvedic spa. Ayurvedic means the science of life: ‘ayur’ meaning life and ‘veda’ meaning the knowledge of life. Ideas associated with Ayurvedic relate to an ecological and ecocentric worldview. Instead of curative treatment, Ayurvedic emphasizes preventative therapy for a healthier and enlightened lifestyle. Kerala has kept this tradition alive. I opted for the Ksheeradhara treatment, where I received a full body oil massage and a herbal medicinal hot milk bath. There are many benefits of this treatment such as easing skin conditions and nourishing and smoothing the skin. These may all be true but I mostly just felt very relaxed.
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Some of us decided we wanted to check out the back waters. On our boat, we passed through the AVM canal, mangroves forest, coconut island, floating cottages, the mother mary statue, estuary point, golden sand beach. We stood on the beach where on one side lay the Arabian Sea and on the other side, the Neyyar River - how cool is that? We saw plenty of birds, including king fishers, and cows and goats. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience; however, I felt a little uncomfortable passing by villages where locals were swimming and washing their clothes. We are on a sightseeing tour right by their places of residence.
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In the evening, we watched a performance of Kalaripayattu. It is known to be one of the oldest surviving Indian martial arts, originating in Kerala. It is said to be performed for good reasons, not in terms of selfishness. Kalari translates to battlefield and payattu to training of martial arts because this form of martial arts was designed for ancient battlefields. It includes Kerala-specific weapons and techniques with light armor for increased flexibility and mobility. The performance we saw included fights using their hands, swords, axes, daggers, sticks, and fire. Kalaripayattu was supposedly taught to Parashurama by Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, and brought to the original settlers of Kerala. The performers that we were lucky enough to watch, put full force and effort into each movement. Although it was a series of choreographed fights, this seems to teach coordination, strength, flexibility, concentration, and decision-making skills.
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