Other than few temples, there isn’t
much to see in the small town of Kollengode, an ayurveda holiday destination or a weekend destination from Kerala,
but this is something I have to be told. I would never have discovered this for
myself, for as a guest at Kalari Kovilakom, I’m not allowed to step outside the
big, black gate that swung shut as soon as I entered. I’m not allowed to choose
what I eat during my stay either. I’m not given access to a television set. I’m
not able to enjoy a chilled pepsi as there are no refrigerators in the rooms
here and besides, alcohol consumption is not permitted on the premises. I’m not
allowed coffee, not even sugar, if I want to sweeten my herbal tea however I
have to use honey.

I am experiencing ayurveda as
something more than just getting a relaxing massage with oils made of herbs
whose names you can’t begin to pronounce. Ayurveda in its purest, most
traditional form, here with yoga, a balanced diet at Kalari Kovilakom, the
Palace of Ayurveda.

And it was a palace a Kovilakom
once. It housed the daughters of the royal family of Vengunad. The original
architecture is intact, very little has been touched or added. There is a
peacock carved into the ceiling, wooden beams radiating from its plumage like
rays of the sun. A set of doors past the enormous four poster bed in the centre
leads to a smaller room with space for storage, and further doors open out to
the bathroom with bath products made of sweet basil and aloe vera. It’s easy to
lose yourself in the past at Kalari Kovilakom. My dad’s leather sandals are
taken away and he is given a padukas to roam around. We were woken up at half
past five by devotional songs from a temple nearby, meant to awaken the town.
Before and after meals the timings of which are announced by the ringing of a temple bell, we were asked to rinse our hands into vessel, using the water that the
person waiting, pours on us through a spouted jug.

I heard a lot about energy at Kalari
Kovilakom. I’m told that according to ayurveda, the year is divided into Visarga
Kala during which our bodies give out energy to nature and Adana Kala during
which our bodies take in energy from nature. The monsoon season belongs to the
latter, which makes it the ideal time for Ayurvedic treatments because the body
doesn’t get tired. I came to know that a popular treatment during monsoon is the
panchakarma. The five step cleansing process includes vomiting, evacuation of
the bowels with a laxative, nasal therapy, enema therapy and bloodletting. These
massages aren’t typical. I’m here for two days, so I get these treatments just
to have an idea of what the experience entails. If we were here for 14 to 21
days then the doctor would have first diagnosed us first. She would have drawn
up a personalized diet chart, determined which herbs and oils would best suit us
and the appropriate yogas for here.

I attended a session of yoga nidra,
the aim of which was to attain a state of psychic sleep. The body sleeps, the
mind is at rest, but the consciousness is aware. The effort is so relaxing, I
doze off a guest helps me through a splitting headache which is due to caffeine
withdrawal and that I should ask for a herbal remedy. I did so and half hour
later someone walks with a drink hat tastes like rum and from another container
he scoops out the paste and rubs it on my scalp. After an hour I felt better.

The yoga and the ayurveda
take care of the body. And the fact that these treatments and exercises aren’t
designed to occupy you 24 hours a day takes care of mind. And a sign here said
that don’t let the silence disturb you.

Reaching there is easy, we took Air Deccan flight to Kerala
and the nearest airport is the Coimbatore. Kalari Kovilakom is not a hospital,
not a resort, not a spa but it offers the experience and the benefits of all
these. There are 18 rooms and the suits called as Kovilakom or Vengunad suites.
The minimum stay is 14 days. For reservation you can view
kalarikovilakom.com.