GREEN HEAVEN

This enchanting corner of India offers a mixture of exuberant chaos, hidden backwaters and rugged mountain treks

- Stephanie Pearson

Each autumn, residents of the South Indian state of Kerala celebrate Onam, their 10-day harvest festival. It commemorates the return of the legendary king Mahabali, who is said to have given every Keralite— whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jew, or other—equal rights and prosperity.

I bumped into Mahabali in the city of Vaikom. As I attempted to cross the street, a parade of hundreds following a bejewelled man with a giant belly came along. Mahabali handed me a piece of candy, while a TV news reporter stuck a mike in my face and asked: “What do you think of Onam?”

“It’s a happy time!” I stammered.

When I made my plans to travel to Kerala, I knew nothing about Onam. All I knew was that I had always wanted to see the vivid beauty of this vast country but was intimidated by the volume of humanity—India is home to 1.33 billion people. In Kerala, I had heard, one could still experience the diversity of India, yet also find quiet beauty, tropical ocean beaches and cultural festivals that attract visitors from around the world.

After a few days of exuberance, I can attest that Keralites know how to celebrate. At the Coconut Lagoon eco-resort, I feasted on the traditional Onam meal known as sadya. The 26 vegetarian servings included ash gourd, masala curry, sambhar, papads and mango pickles.

On the festival’s last day I attended the Aranmula Boat Race, a 700-yearold contest that starts at the Aranmula temple on the river Pamba. Thirty-metre-long palliyodams, or snake boats, from 48 villages went head-to-head in front of thousands of spectators. The race had the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics.