Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

At a time when one’s face resembles an ancient road map on parchment, a restorative stay at Kalari Rasayana, dubbed a ‘temple of Ayurveda’, could be therapeutic. Located in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala, this is where the 5,000-year-old Indian system of rejuvenation and disease-free living is practised in its purest form.

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Kalari Rasayana is a conspiracy of sorts between its magical lakefront location, fringed with coconut groves, and age-old Ayurvedic wisdom, melding to create the ultimate therapeutic space.  Beyond the lobby with its carved wood furniture flares the moody lake Paravur, fringed with palm trees that seem to bend to kiss the limpid waters. “Please leave your world here,” exhorts a sign as you slip into a rarefied bubble where nothing exists except ministering massages and therapies, organic vegetarian meals, gentle yoga and meditation, all of which are designed to tune up out-of-whack systems and repair a person’s fractured physical, emotional and spiritual selves.

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

Twenty-two tastefully furnished en suite airconditioned rooms, nestled in tiled, pitched-roofed cottages, come with sit-outs or verandas to watch the world go by. They reel in views of the lake which reflects the lush greenery on a far bank. Come evening, dramatic post-sunset skies seem to set afire the lake’s shards-of-glass surface. A red-earth walking trail winds around the eight-acre property where strategically placed, green wrought-iron benches, lily ponds and fish-speckled water bodies lure one to take in nature’s flagrant beauty.

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 Guests clad in mandatory crisp white kurta-pyjamas pad around as they move from early morning yoga sessions in the airy yoga hall to therapy rooms of Zen-like simplicity, located in individual villas. There, two therapists (sometimes three) wield their magic wands. They knead, pummel and dribble herbal decoctions over supine bodies, slather torsos and limbs with oil or medicated paste, thump warm poultices on stiff joints… The various therapies are prescribed by one of five qualified doctors, trained in the ancient system.

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

A minimum stay of 14 days is required to usher in the profound results that most guests report, from feeling like unblemished newborn babies to a physical and neurological reset during which the source is treated and not the symptoms.  Many return time and again to recharge their batteries. They opt for weight loss, stress relief, and immunity-boosting programmes or management of specific disorders of the human body. The more rigorous Panchkarma therapy, a five-stage internal cleanse, once the sole preserve of local princes, is also offered.

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Ayurveda generally employs medicinal herbs and oils. The herbs are sourced from the property’s own herb garden and freshly picked by gardeners while medicines are prepared in a hygienic Ayurvedic kitchen that runs on traditional principles. Some are sourced from reputed Ayurveda pharmacies in the state.

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

The doctors are the stars here who check the pulse, keenly observe and interact with guests several times a day to listen to the signals of the body, and chart a course of treatment and a diet plan. A pre-arrival assessment also yields crucial clues about a person’s condition and constitution.

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At Kalari Rasayana, one learns the art of mindful eating of fresh organic vegetarian meals, cooked with just a smidgen of mild spices. These are artfully presented in the dining area with its wraparound veranda which lassoes nature’s all-encompassing largesse. Focus on the flavour and taste of the meal is the dictum. Chatting is discouraged as is mindless scrolling on one’s phone.

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

The diet is prescribed by the doctor for each person – starting with a substantial helping of fruit for breakfast. (Banish those fantasies of steaming cups of coffee or tea, fried eggs and sausages. Rest assured, the side effects of caffeine deprivation will last for just a day!) A bell heralds lunchtime and dinner which guests relish and consume hungrily – moringa or pumpkin soup with fugitive notes, snake gourd curry, wild rice, millet pancakes, and vegetable stews to name a few dishes.

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The ingredients are sourced from the property’s vegetable garden and fruit orchard where plump pumpkins and papayas hang enticingly and flourish alongside other vegetables and fruits that ripen under a gentle sun.

Owned and run by CGH Earth Ayurveda, the wellness wing of CGH Earth, one of the pioneers of sustainable tourism in India, Kalari Rasayana has to be taken on its own terms. This is not a conventional spa, nor a hotel but an Ayurvedic facility in an alluring resort setting where miracle stories of healing abound.

Stop the world and get off at Kalari Rasayana in Kerala, India, the heartland of an ancient Indian system of wellness

On departure from nirvana, you may spy someone sitting at an easel set up in front of the lake, urgent brush strokes gliding on the canvas to capture the unblemished beauty of the setting, so eternal yet transient.

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