SOUTH INDIA South India has always claimed its own history. Cradle of Dravidian culture, it has a rich and long history of rival dynasties and empires, where the influences of merchants and conquerors from the sea intertwine. The art and traditions are extremely alive. The extraordinary landscapes. The temples and palaces will not leave anyone indifferent. And if you are looking for spiritual nourishments, South India should allow you to achieve the contemplative state for the rest of your life. Brimming with vitality, exciting, surprising, India confronts the traveler with a range of fabulous experiences. In Kerala, India adopts a more peaceful pace, taking time to breathe and chat with foreigners. Kerala is renowned for its unwavering hospitality. This land of abundance has long attracted merchants and adventurers. Cochin is made up of a multitude of islands and peninsulas, the boat is the most suitable way to navigate from one district to another. Fort Cochin is the historic heart of the city, the most attractive part. It's a lovely place to spend a few days, discover the history of the region, visit the art galleries, appreciate the passing of time, the hospitality of the people. This world is resolutely turned towards the sea. Chinese nets or squares are the great attraction of Fort Cochin, a district of the large city of Cochin at the mouth of the backwaters. They were imported by Chinese merchants between 1350 and 1450. Around thirty fishing nets are lined up along the River promenade; These umbrellas with wooden ribs are hung from masts around thirty m high and are lowered when the tide rises. Used at high tide, they require at least four men to operate the counterweights. Unfortunately, modern fishing techniques are making them less and less profitable. At low tide, small fishermen take over. Their weighted net throwing technique requires a lot of skill and patience for often meager results. The fish are becoming increasingly rare and small and no longer allow professional fishermen to make a living from them. Cochin lives to the rhythm of the tides. The fish is sold right on the quay, but most of the catch comes from the large trawlers that scour the coastal waters. The city has retained the charm of its colonial past, five centuries old Portuguese houses, decrepit vestiges of the British Raj. The whole produces an unusual blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and the English countryside, transplanted to the tropical Malabar coast. Still a living mark of the English presence, we play cricket here in the shade of century-old trees. Built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan monks, Saint Francis Church is said to be the first church built in India by Europeans. The imposing Santa Cruz Basilica was built in 1506, the current, much more recent building dates from 1902. The majority of South Indians are Hindu, but official figures do not reflect the reality of the mixing of cultures that has occurred over the years. centuries . it is believed that there are fewer than 8,000 Jews left in India, most of whom live in the South. The first Jews arrived from the Middle East in the 1st century and settled mainly in Cochin, where there are still synagogues and churches. trading houses. The fort district is home to a very beautiful synagogue, destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, then rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took the city. It is located in the center of Jew Town: a bustling port area which is also the center of the spice trade. The Muslim quarter is also a very old part of the city. You go from one world to another by changing neighborhoods. Conflicts between religious communities are responsible for many bloody episodes in Indian history. But tensions between Hindus and Muslims are much less obvious in the south of the country where the communities respect each other and rub shoulders without incident. The spice trade once brought wealth to the city and its merchants from around the world. entire. It's still an important activity. A multitude of small shops in dilapidated buildings emit scents of ginger, cardamom, cumin, saffron and cloves. At the back of the courtyards, the smells mingle in the incessant movement of porters leaving heavily laden from the wholesalers' warehouses. Spices are an integral part of all South Indian dishes and those from the subcontinent are among the best in the world. Chili peppers are also very popular. There are many varieties and it is not the largest that are necessarily the most formidable. The spice trade was one of the first major global markets. He attracted many foreigners who came to organize this trade. Their presence explains the variety of cults that we still find today. During the day, Indians drink a lot of tea and in particular Chai: a sweet milk tea that street vendors prepare throughout the day. In the land of spices, cardamom and cinnamon give Chai its characteristic taste. At nightfall, the candlesticks were lit in front of a kalari. At the same time gymnasium, school and temple, the construction of this building follows traditional rules. Rectangular in shape, the kalari is always oriented east-west, the Hindu deities are represented at each angle. The masters of kalarippayat teach their art in this sacred arena. This is an ancient martial training discipline. Some consider it the oldest form of martial art. The origin dates back to the 12th century when the different principalities of the region regularly clashed. ITV Maître: "it's a codified tradition, if we practice it on this type of soil we cannot catch skin diseases, this type of soil is different from anything that exists, it's really different we don't does not hurt, it also has therapeutic virtues The kalarippayat uses many ancient weapons, during perfectly regulated and codified choreographies. It is as much about art as it is about combat techniques. Cochin comes alive to the rhythm of the ferries which remain the most practical means of transport to get from one place to another, avoiding traffic jams. You can reach the main neighborhoods and the peninsulas surrounding the city. On these ageless boats, captains must navigate among the giant cargo ships that enter and leave the port. Emotion guaranteed. On the islands around Cochin on Vypeen Island, life flows at a different pace. The bustling city, the noise, the crowds seem far away. small fishing villages dot the edges of the island. We find the same ancestral fishing techniques. When the tide is too low and the fish are not abundant enough, Chinese plaice remain at rest. The fishermen do not hesitate to cast their nets. On the coast, the heavenly beaches welcome sun lovers. It may surprise foreign visitors, but Indians don't swim for fun. They come as a family to the water's edge and immerse themselves fully dressed. But this bathing has a sacred meaning. Just like religion, the family is at the center of Indian society. The idea of still being single between the ages of 25 and 30 is inconceivable. The family remains the cornerstone of rural and urban societies. A miniature Venice in the heart of Kerala, Allepey has shaded streets around a network of canals that flow into the region's major rivers. This pleasant commercial town presents beautiful examples of Kerala architecture and allows you to revisit the colonial past of the region. The old houses still house many craftsmen. Allepey remains above all the starting point for traveling the backwaters on houseboats. These ancient boats which were once used to transport rice allow you to explore this fabulous world. One cannot visit Kerala without spending time navigating these backwaters which constitute a vast network of lagoons, lakes , rivers and canals which extend far into the land. Jewels of South India, the backwaters meander through the state. This network rivers, canals and lagoons feed an almost infinite succession of rice fields and coconut groves. We sometimes come across colonies of ducks which are raised by the inhabitants of the backwaters. Sailing on a Houseboat has become an essential way to explore the interior of the Kerala coast, the spectacle is constant, gliding slowly along peaceful canals lined with coconut trees. Whether it is meeting the villagers or sleeping on the water, far from the tumult of India, it remains a great experience. The villagers live on narrow strips of land reclaimed from the water. They manage to raise cows, chickens, pigs, ducks and cultivate tiny vegetable gardens. We cross shallow lakes, lined with palm trees, punctuated with Chinese fishing nets. Along the canals we see the loading of copra, coconut fibers , and cashew nuts. The incessant boat traffic reflects the intense activity of this world with its feet in the water. The cohir that is obtained by weaving coconut fiber is a widely practiced, long and tedious activity. But this craft allows families to have a small source of income. If for the visitor the atmosphere is relaxing, for the inhabitants the backwaters are a place of life and hard work. At the end of the big rice harvests, a priest goes around the houses to bless the harvests and thank the deities. Animist religions mixed with Hinduism. Villagers often have their own faith. It is expressed through the worship of divinities reputed to be closer to the faithful and concerned with the happiness and immediate prosperity of the community. The priest continues his blessing at a brisk pace from one family to another. No home on the peninsula will be forgotten. Kerala drumming is a tradition of the region. We find these formations on the occasion of major demonstrations, like here in front of a temple in the suburbs of Kollam. These rhythmic performances require great physical resistance and generally everyone finishes their performance completely drained. Further south, Varkala remains a wonderful place with its strip of golden sand, its spectacular cliffs and its view of the setting sun. Every year, the Vellayani Devi temple organizes a spectacular festival: The Koliyacode Dikubali, including the procession of 50 elephants in great pomp. The elephant in India is a particularly respected animal, some perform sacred functions inside temples. The jovial Ganesh with the head of an elephant is the god of knowledge and intelligence. He removes obstacles and is the patron saint of scribes. India is one of the few countries where social and religious structures have persisted for several thousand years. If you are interested in religious buildings, you will discover countless of them. Before going to pray, the faithful will purify themselves in a pool which is below the temple. Varkala is a temple town, dominated by the Janardhana temple. Forbidden to non-Hindus, it stands in all its multicolored splendor. A beach is located near the temple and allows ceremonies to be performed 16 days after death. This is a ritual where one presents oneself with the ashes of a deceased person 16 days after their death. Once the ritual is completed, his loved ones can throw his ashes into the water which will then be carried away by the tide. Sivagiri Mutt is the ashram dedicated to Sri Narayana who was the most revered Guru of Kerala. The asrham is a popular place of pilgrimage. It houses those who wish to study meditation and philosophy. The ashram often hosts weddings. The ceremony consists of a simple prayer in front of the temple. A priest collects mutual consent and proceeds to exchange rings. The religious ceremony generally does not last more than ten minutes. Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala is built on seven low hills. A few meters from the main artery, polluted by crazy traffic, we discover a peaceful town which retains the traditional charm of Kerala. 260 years old, the Sri Padmanabhaswani temple is the spiritual heart of the city and the ancient guardian of the city. Its main entrance is a seven-story gate tower. To the south of the city, in Manaltheeram, a large fishing community lives along the beach. At daybreak, they will, in groups, spread out an immense net using a large boat, which they will then bring back to the beach using the strength of their arms. Luckily today, the sea is calm. But during the monsoon, the waves easily exceed two meters. The boats then turn over easily. The net is anchored a short distance from the beach. Then begins a long and exhausting work of ascent. The youngest go into the waves to free the ropes from the sand and help with the maneuvers. To give themselves courage and forget the heat and hardness of the task, the fishermen chew beettle nuts which redden their teeth. This difficult fishing technique does not always produce a spectacular result. In April, we are far from miraculous fishing. We will have to wait until the end of June and the start of the monsoon to find waters with more fish and fill the nets. As soon as the catch comes out of the nets, it's the women's turn to get into action, they are the ones who organize and manage the sales, then they prepare the fish, which in this season will end up in frying. the nets are then loaded onto the boats again, they will repeat the maneuver 3 to 4 times in the morning. Kerala is the birthplace of Ayurvedic medicine. According to Ayurveda, the world has an intrinsic order and balance. We have three doshas: vata air, pitta fire, Kapha water. Illness is the consequence of an imbalance between them. Ayurvedic treatment aims to restore balance, and therefore health, primarily through two methods. Panchakarma: inner purification and massage. An occasional Ayurvedic massage provides some relaxation. However, only a longer treatment, of at least 15 days, allows beneficial results to be obtained. All supervised by Ayurvedic doctors "we have our own pharmacy we grow our own plants, no chemicals, we do not add any chemicals, everything is plant-based, without side effects Ancient science, medicinal herbs and holistic care, ayurveda uses herbal treatments. One can learn the techniques of ayurvedic medicine and receive treatment in clinics, resorts and schools. A few kilometers from the ayurvedic center, there is a laboratory of manufacturing of medicinal substances made from plants. The principles of Ayurvedic medicine had undoubtedly been known for centuries when they were first described in the Vedas, 2000 years ago. Knowledge of plants and Pharmacopoeia is also very old. By cooking, distillation or maceration, oils, ointments and ointments are extracted. As we move away from the coast, we reach the mountain range of the Western Ghats which crosses part of of the country over 140 km. The mountainous landscapes, steep peaks, carefully tended tea plantations and invigorating air make Munnar a pleasant resort after the humid heat of the plains. Some of the tea plantations are the highest in the world. The town of Munnar itself is noisy and neglected. As soon as we gain height, we find these captivating landscapes. The main reason to come to Munnar is to explore the lush green hills. Workers work on the plantations almost every day. The most important belong to the State. Depending on the quality of the tea, it is harvested mechanically or by hand. Here again depending on the vintages, we will only choose the ends of the shoots by removing the youngest leaves to obtain teas that are also younger. Despite the altitude, the heat rises quickly and picking quickly becomes tiring. Although the cultivation of tea constitutes an important resource of the Ghats, 60% of medicinal plants come from this region. The ghats form a true oasis of biodiversity. Originating from Kerala, Kathakali is one of the most famous forms of classical dance theater in South India. The long preparation of the actors follows strict rules. Makeup, fantastic costumes, hairstyles and meditation transform the actors, physically and mentally, into the hero gods and demons they will interpret. Drums and singing accompany the actors, who tell the story using precise hand gestures and facial expressions. This theater is generally inspired by the great Hindu epics of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Purana. The themes are classic: vice and virtue, fragility and courage, poverty and prosperity, war and peace. Further south in the Western Ghats, the Periyar reserve covers 777km2 and includes an artificial lake. Created by the British in 1895, it is home to bison, sambar, wild boars, langurs , more than 1000 elephants and around fifty tigers. In Kumily, the main town of the region, the altitude makes it possible to cultivate a sought-after coffee. All kinds of spices are grown here, especially cardamom. There are very beautiful spice gardens a few kilometers from Kumily, such as Abraham's spice garden where the passion has been passed down within the same family for more than 50 years. For Cardamom to grow, you must above all be at an altitude of more than 1000m, here it is the cardamom hill and it only grows in these conditions, it is a particular cardamom as well as the other spices. This garden highlights awakening all your senses, there are rare peppers, varieties of forgotten fruits, vanilla, coffee beans. In this superb setting, you can discover all the natural riches that grow in the region. Our road continues. Along the rivers, the inhabitants of the villages go about their usual activities. Fish is a popular dish in this mountain region. Here we dry it and smoke it. To be reserved for amateurs. On the other side of the Ghats, Madurai is one of the oldest cities in South India. A place of learning and pilgrimage , Madurai was already famous in the 4th century BC for the spice trade. The city was home to the sangam, the academy of Tamil poets, whose works celebrate the beauty of Madurai. In the heart of the old city, the Sri Meenakshi Temple offers a particularly exuberant specimen of Dravidian architecture with its gopurams covered in a profusion of colorful deities, animals and sacred figures . Bustling from dawn to dusk, it constantly attracts considerable crowds. 10,000 pilgrims and visitors enter it every day. The basement of the temple houses tailors' shops who work tirelessly. This old cradle of textiles was also the place where Mahatma Gandhi decided in 1921 to only wear khadi, a hand-woven fabric. 1.5 km south of the Sri Meenakshi temple, the Indo Muslim palace of Titumalai Nayak was built in 1636 by the sovereign whose name it bears. Today, only the portal, the main hall and the dance hall remain . The rectangular courtyard called the celestial pavilion bears witness to the past splendor of this centuries-old building, considered one of the most beautiful in South India. This vast basin, 5 KM from the old city, covers an area almost equivalent to that of the temple. Back towards the temple, you can take a short detour to the Madurai vegetable market and get lost in the labyrinth of lively streets. We let ourselves be guided by the scents of aromatic plants and vegetables. Above all, you have to take your time and observe this exuberant life, the facial expressions which transform this market into an indescribable street theater. Leaving the city for the south, we discover the Padmanabhapuram palace. With its carved ceilings and polished teak beams, it is one of the finest examples of traditional Keralan architecture. Built in Teak and granite, it contains ceilings in rosewood carved with floral motifs, Chinese-inspired screens and parquet floors polished to a shiny black hue. Some buildings date from 1550 and the additions of successive sovereigns have made it a magnificent ensemble of 14 palaces. It is the largest wooden palace complex in Asia and was once the residence of the rulers of Travancore, a principality which encompassed part of Kerala. The palace houses ancient statues, some of which represent Krishna dating back to the 6th century. Continuing our route towards the southern tip of India, the Sudjindram temple basin forms a charming little community with small houses. Formerly the basins were crossed by springs or watercourses, today in most cities the renewal of water is much more random. The temple is again the result of tedious work of decoration and symbols. It is the center of the city and often serves as a platform for politicians trying to capture the attention of passers-by. Kanyakumari marks the extreme tip of the subcontinent, where the waters of the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea mingle. For Hindus, the city is a sacred place. Pilgrims come to visit the temple and bathe in the sacred waters. Watching the sun rise is a religious tradition here. The terraces and roofs of houses, as well as the end of the dike, are regularly attacked. Dominating the point, the Kumari Amman temple sees pilgrims flocking. According to legend, Goddess Devi Kanya alone defeated the demons and restored freedom to the world. Men here must take off their shirts as a sign of respect for the goddess. On the beach the faithful come to perform their ritual bath. The Vivekananda memorial stands on a rocky islet 400m from the coast. It was raised in memory of a wise man who came to meditate here in 1892 before becoming one of the country's greatest missionaries. On another islet just opposite is the statue of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. About forty meters high . Once we have passed the cape, we go up the coast towards the east and we arrive at another small peninsula which leads to Rameshwaram. Rameswaram lies on an island in the Gulf of Mannar. The city was once a major port for ferries between India and Sri Lanka. The setting here is more tropical with its fishing villages with a peaceful atmosphere which spread out on the shores of a turquoise blue sea. Rameswaram is an important Shaivite and Vishnuite pilgrimage center. It is here according to tradition that the god Rama gave thanks to Shiva. In the heart of the city stands the Ramanathaswami temple, one of the most important in the country. Its construction began in the 12th century. Among the later additions is the gopuram, 53m high. All of India meets here, from sophisticated city dwellers to Rajasthani villagers in colorful outfits. This superb Dravidian-style temple is renowned for its four splendid corridors bordered by finely carved columns. The faithful move along long corridors amid the statuary of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Pilgrims are sprinkled with sacred water, the freshness of which is particularly welcome. The faithful attribute particular virtues to the 22 pools present in the temples. The pilgrims bathe and drink water drawn by Brahmins. The number of basins corresponds to the number of arrows in the quiver that Rama used to bring water to the island. Whatever their condition, from the rich banker of Delhi to the peasant of the ghats, everyone finds themselves in the same boat with simplicity. We continue our journey east towards Tamil Nadu, land of the Tamils and the heart of South India. We are here in the cradle of Dravidian culture. The farmers of this region have the habit of spreading their harvest on the road to take advantage of the passing trucks to thresh their grain. A little further north, the Chettinad region, whose capital is Karaikkudi, is home to sumptuous palaces, still inhabited by rich families. Chettinad is the home of Nattukottai Chettiars, a thriving community of bankers and entrepreneurs. A large part of these families now live in the United States, Singapore or Malaysia. Their rich residences, most of which were built in the 18th century, demonstrate extreme refinement. Chettinad is also known for its delicate cuisine. For breakfast, we make delicious preparations using rice flour. ITV Itw The recipe is simple, you need 3 parts of rice and one part of lentil powder. You must first mix the rice cream well with the lentils. It is the presence of the lentils which gives the creamy consistency of the whole thing, the rice that we use is also very tender. The preparation must be left to rest for at least 6 hours and then it is steamed. Rice is undoubtedly the queen cereal in South India. Served at almost every meal. The soil here remains moist even outside of monsoon periods. Young shoots must be planted by hand. This long and tedious work is most of the time carried out by women. India is the second largest producer and consumer of rice in the world. The majority of production is grown here in the South. We continue our discovery of Tamil Nadu with a stop in Thanjavur. This pleasant city is famous for its sumptuous Brihadishwara Temple, a world heritage site. It is the jewel of sacred chola architecture . Built on a vast plot of land, the temple includes several colonnaded rooms and sanctuaries. Unlike most temples in South India, where the gopurams form the highest structures, here a 13-story tower, 66m high, overlooks the sanctuary. Its golden roof is original. It contains a lingam 4m high and 7m in circumference. An unmissable monument, the royal palace is a veritable labyrinth with its wide corridors, vast rooms, watchtowers and shaded courtyards. It was partially built by the Nayak of Madurai around 1550. The passageways now house an open-air museum. The carved wooden ceilings are absolutely extraordinary. We continue a little further east. Our route is punctuated by stages, where we discover new temples, marvels of Hindu religious art. Like the majestic Gangaikondai which emerges in the middle of the plain. But the best known is the immense Nataraja temple located in Chidambaram. It constitutes one of the jewels of Dravidian architecture and one of the largest sacred places in South India dedicated to Shiva. The temple has four large gopurams decorated with finely sculpted statues of Hindu deities. Many dynasties have protected this temple, renowned for its superb specimens of Chola art. In the pools, pilgrims perform their ritual ablutions. But at the end of the day, they are also places of conviviality, where the city's inhabitants meet. The gopuram, a door topped by a high pyramid, characterizes Dravidian temples. The choice of location, design and construction of a temple obey complex laws which borrow from numerology, astrology, astronomy and religious rules. The temple is a reproduction of the cosmos. We finally reach Pondicherry. This city has no equivalent in South India. It still retains a certain atmosphere from the time of the French East India Company, contrasting with a typically Indian environment and way of life. On the beaches, as in many coastal towns, we find the same gatherings of families. But as we get closer to the town center, the atmosphere changes. French names appear on store fronts. The history of the French presence dates back to January 1673. At that time a French soldier purchased a village called Poudouchéry from the Sultan of Bjarpur, on behalf of the French India Company . Thus began the epic of France in the Indies. From 1726, the city became the seat of French establishments in India. A period of prosperity followed where the French India Company matched its British competitor. France returned Pondicherry to India, but its presence still strongly permeates the city. The light of the end of the day illuminates the facade of Notre Dame des Anges which dates from 1858. Founded in 1926 by a guru Sri Aurobindo and a French woman called the mother, this ashram provides spiritual teaching which aims to be a synthesis of yoga and modern science. In the Indian district in front of a temple, we witness a strange scene. A sacred elephant blesses passers-by with a blow of its trunk. Many temples have their own pachyderm. He takes an active part in the rituals or waits patiently at the entrance flanked by his trainer, catching offerings or coins with his trunk. On the outskirts of the city, the old French colonial houses are falling into neglect. Some will be restored and then transformed into a hotel. Just a few kilometers from the center of Pondicherry, we find the traditional scenes of rural life. Here a farmer plows with a simple plow and a buffalo. Men and animals here share the harshness of work under oppressive heat. Behind in the palm grove, Kalu prepares for a particularly physical day ahead of him. He sharpens his billhook before leaving to collect palm juice. His wife prepares him a chai before he sets off to attack the coconut trees Kalu practices a dangerous job with no security at more than 10 m high. But the height does not seem to disturb this tightrope walker who is both a monkey and a bird. Kalu can thus, depending on the work to be carried out, treat 80 to 100 trees in the same day. Kalu thus goes from one top to another, going back and forth to harvest the Toddy, the palm juice from the top of the trees. Part of it is transformed into alcohol, but the majority is used in the manufacture of cosmetic products. After several hours spent at the top of the coconut trees. Kalu comes down to earth among his people, visibly relieved. He also brings back some coconuts, whose refreshing water is always welcome. Just on the edge of Pondicherry, Auroville, inaugurated in 1968, is a city which was intended to be a place of international community life, where everyone could live in peace. The Matrimandir with its spherical structure constitutes the spiritual and physical center of Auroville. After this small detour to visit the remains of a utopia, we reach Mahabalipuram, the final stage of our journey. The city is home to incredible temples renowned for their stone carvings. One of them is dedicated to Indra. His mount, a delicately carved elephant, is placed outside the temple. This life-size work is considered one of the most beautiful elephant sculptures in the entire country. In the shape of a chariot called the 5 ratha, these temples are unique. Cleared from the sand by the British two centuries ago, they owe their names to the hero of the Mahabharata. Most of these temples and rock sculptures date from the 7th and 8th centuries. Standing majestically facing the Bay of Bengal, the shore temple eroded by the winds and the sea retains a nostalgic charm. A last look out to sea before joining the crowd gathered on the beach. Behind us a thousand-year-old civilization and before us the purity of the elements. Snapshot of our trip, images, faces, colors parade through our mind. we let ourselves be invaded by this mystery, to touch the soul of South India.
