Backwaters calling…
Kerala, often known as the Gods own country, is a state in India with a vibrant heritage and a spectacular display of nature at its best. In recent few decades it is fast becoming a premium tourist destination and in my opinion the district of Alappuzha is the most colourful feather in the hat.
This region, collectively considered the rice bowl of Kerala, is such a lush and beautiful area thanks to the countless water channels all across that divide the land mass into tiny islands. The mode of transport is mostly via boat, while some of the places are connected by bridges and roads. Its a fascinating sight to see people go on their life casually riding the wooden boat, both adults and children alike.
What was just the mode of transport of people and products between the regions has now changed into lucrative business with the introduction of much larger counterparts, Houseboats. These massive boats, a modified version of earlier ‘Kettuvallams’ which were originally used to transport rice, are now reworked into hotels for tourists. With this the landscape of Kerala, particularly Alappuzha has changed forever. However the rural life of the villages still continues as usual, due to the fact that the massive size of these houseboats prevent them from entering small waterways thus effectively limiting a potentially massive tourist influx.
This travel documentary explores the region on a pace of the usual wooden boat. More slowly and consciously.
