Photo Journey from God's own country || Kerala Travelogue-series by Tanya Chaudhary (Part 6 - Kovalam)

The Journey continued to be more exciting after exploring Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarkom and Kanyakumari. After this enriching soul stirring Kanyakumari, I headed back to Kerala. Next check out this Photo Journey to know about the experience on the way and how Kovalam welcomed me.

On my way to Kovalam, I visited the Thanumalayan Temple in Suchindram. It was built in the 17th century and is grand in architecture & size. It has a ‘Linga’ or ‘Sthanumalyam’ which represents Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma as one or the principal deity. It’s a beautiful temple with magical pillars, navgraha on the ceiling and presence of gods across the length and breadth of the Hindu pantheon. 

With the advent of monsoon, the drive toKovalam was smooth. My hotel’s balcony in Kovalam overlooked the Lighthouse Beach. I headed straight for the beach, but before that I wanted to grab a bite. Unlike the rest of Kerala, Kovalam has a lot of continental and western cafes and restaurants. One such was La Pizzeria on Lighthouse beach, with a Giant Mona Lisa Poster, so I just couldn’t help but pose! 

If you are expecting Goa like ambience, you’ll be surprised by the more relaxed atmosphere, more laid back, the food a touch softer and lighter. A lot of foreigners visit Kovalam and many even stay here. The other two teaches – Samudra and Hawa are nearby only. The lighthouse of Vizhnjam is one of the oldest in Kerala. Cine-crazy that I am, I did a little “The Great Gatsby” lighthouse pose for my entertainment. I spotted a bunch of Indians and Foreigners surfing. One of them, Alan from Germany said that he lives in Kovalam with his parents and he enjoys surfing in the sea. But, off late the water has become quite rough with strong undercurrents. The water was definitely deceiving here. 

I tried my hand at the surfboard, landed badly on my nose. Nevertheless, Alan introduced me to his dad, Mr. Heiner, who is a writer and translates Indian philosophical books in German. Heiner met his life partner and Alan’s step mom in Kovalam seven years ago and he really likes this place. He has many other foreigner friends residing here. He says Kovalam is giving him something that he needs the most – Timelessness. I bid them bye and promised to stay in touch!