Have you been to Kerala? Have you ever travelled in a vallam (a country boat)? Experience the beauty of the famous backwaters of Kerala as the author experienced it, in her childhood.
It is 24th August 2019.
I am in Kerala for a vacation. I have nothing to do. So I take my mobile and browse through the internet.
I spend time reading about the backwaters and houseboats of Kerala. I look at the advertisements about luxurious and modern houseboat cruises and am reminded of the ‘vallam’ rides (vallam is the Malayalam word for country boats ) I had in my childhood. The rides were invariably from Niranam to Cheppad ( my father’s hometown) .
My father was a scientist at National Physical Laboratory ( N.P.L. ). So my family was based in Delhi. My parents, however, were originally from Kerala.
My paternal grandmother and her spinster sister lived in our ancestral home in Cheppad. My father (we called him Appachen ) believed in spending time with near and dear ones and keeping up ties.
Kerala, the land and the multitude of our kin there, seemed to be beckoning him always. Summer vacation was the ideal time for us to visit. Our schools would close and we could escape the stifling heat of Delhi.
Niranam is a large village, 8 Km. away from Thiruvalla town in Pathanamthitta district. It is surrounded by waterways branching out from the confluence of the Manimala and Pamba rivers.
Niranam is the place my paternal grandmother came from. Niranam is the place where my paternal aunt lived after her marriage.
The Niranam we visited as children could be accessed by road only up to a certain point. Then we had to hire a vallam or walk up to my aunt’s house.
Walking was tough. Sometimes only a single coconut trunk served as a bridge connecting the banks of a stream or canal ! Our return journey was usually by the vallam owned by my uncle.
Now here I am reminiscing our return journey by vallam from Niranam to Cheppad. The memories have lasted a lifetime. Care to read it ?
THE VALLAM CRUISE
Amachie is busy in the kitchen, making breakfast. Penamma, her helper is there too. My parents, my elder sister Lucy and I too are awake because we have to return to Cheppad today.
As we brush our teeth and change our clothes breakfast gets ready. Amachie and Penamma pack the food in steel and mud vessels and banana leaves. They are kept in the hooded/covered part of the vallam.
The vallam is anchored in the water front. It will take us to Paipad. From Paipad we will catch a bus to Cheppad.
One by one, we carefully get into the vallam. Appachen sits on a low, folding wooden chair akin to a lounge chair. Lucy and I sit on low stools with short legs ( kurandy ). All three of us are in the open. My mother chooses to sit in the hooded part made of woven palm leaves. A mat woven from palm leaves is spread on the floor.
Uncle’s boatman Kandamkali ( Penamma’s husband ) comes and stands bare foot at the back/helm of the boat. He unties the boat and propels it forward with a long bamboo pole. We wave goodbye to Amachie, my uncle and my cousins.
As we move away from the banks to the centre of the canal/ water-way, Lucy and I hold our breath. We are sleepy and also scared to move about out of fear that the boat might capsize.
The day has not dawned yet. It is still dark, except for the moonlight. Only the silhouette of the palm trees and houses on either banks are visible.
The moonlight on the swaying palms makes everything seem magical. The starlit sky adds to the magic.
Mounting excitement overtakes our drowsiness and fears. We sit upright, determined not to miss any scene.
Everything is so tranquil and silent except for the gentle lapping of water against the boat and the sound of the boatman thrusting the bamboo pole into the water. It is wonderfully soothing to feel the serenity around .
Suddenly there is a rippling sound from the bank nearby . It could be a water snake or a rat. I see two fiery eyes peering at us and realize it is a kitten.
The time is now 6 a.m. As Kandamkali slowly steers the boat on we feel blessed by this unique and fabulous experience.
The moon begins to hide itself as the sun comes up. We watch the sunlight giving radiance to everything around – something that could not be observed from inside the house.
The touch of the sun miraculously stirs everything to life and make them visible too. We are witnessing the glory of God’s creation. We hear birds calling, dogs barking and boatmen calling out to each other.
We glide along and daybreak scenes unfold before us. People are hurrying along paths meandering parallel to the waterways. They are going to work or to the church or temple.
We pass riverside tea shops where men in lungis are sitting and sipping tea. Bare footed children play around. A few jump into the water for a swim.
Women in nighties stand knee deep in water in front of their riverside houses. They are rinsing vessels and clothes. We hear the slap-slap of wet clothes being beaten against a washing stone. Only when the boat moves forward do we see the woman at this task.
We see some ducks swimming together. They have green heads and white, black and grey plumage. They pass us by saying ‘quack, quack, quack.’
There are people moving around in canoes. Some are fishermen while others are selling the ware in their boats. They announce their presence with a horn and the inmates of riverside houses come running to buy some of their daily needs.
All the canals we pass are fringed by coconut palms. Some of them seem to be eagerly leaning down to whisper to us. The aquatic vegetation around is lush green and pleasing to the eyes.
There are water lilies and lotus plants too. I put my hand out to catch hold of them but they move away with the current.
The time is now 6.30 a.m. We have been journeying for more than an hour . It seems as if we are just sitting and letting the world drift by. It is time for an early breakfast. My mother opens the food lovingly cooked and packed by my aunt. There is roasted duck, egg curry, appams, black halwa and finally hot coffee to drink.
We enjoy this fabulous food in a picturesque environment. Kandamkali keeps propelling the boat on. He says he will eat only after he drops us at our destination.
The winding canals finally open up into a vast lake like area. Kandamkali says it had been a rice field. This reminds me that this area is called “Kuttanad’ and cultivation here takes place at below sea level.
The banks are now far away and are scattered with houses, churches, schools and colleges. The water here is shallow in some places. Twice, Kandamkali gets out and shoves the boat which seems to be getting stuck to the lake bed.
There are lots of water hyacinths floating around. The locals call it African payal. It is a fast growing aquatic weed that chokes the crops. White egrets stand in groups and fly away as the boat draws near.
After half an hour of travelling through the shallow waters we reach Paipad, where we deboard. By now the sun was scorching hot and we understand why Appachen decided to travel early in the morning.
Thus ends my account of our cruise through the backwaters of Kerala in a simple country boat called ‘vallam’.
We visited Niranam almost everytime we visited Kerala. So we traversed the same route several times by vallam,till my aunt’s house became accessible by road.
I feel thankful towards Appachen for this unforgettable experience. Unmindful of the inconveniences, he made it a point to visit each of his brothers and sisters. He cared deeply for them and wanted us to develop bonds with them. He was simple at heart and did not believe in luxury or unnecessary spending.
So we travelled by buses and simple country boats. It helped us to explore Kerala, interact with the ordinary folk and thus understand Kerala better.
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Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
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