A walking itinerary of Kerala — 730 kilometers along the coastline
Mangalore to Kanyakumari
I want to walk 730 kms along the beautiful coastal line of Kerala, the point of the journey is not a practice of political theatrics viz a Padayatra (although I am way too young to write that off as a possibility), but to take the first steps through my inner spirit. To shed identities that I have linked to objects of this illusionary world. I believe that these thinking patterns not just arose from within myself but from generations upon generations of ancestors, who’s fears and pleasures are built right into the subtlest of all our body languages. It’s possible that I may never end up doing this trip, but it is wonderful to experience just a small portion of this freedom just by writing and researching about it, or I may wake up one day and compare the writing experience to the actual experience.
Why walking? Walking is another level of freedom, using your body for its actual purpose, in the truest sense, humans became bipedal just to cover greater distances and have our hands free while doing it. Completing this walking trip would be relatively small achievement compared to the personal achievements of millions of people worldwide, some of whom walk greater than I ever will on a daily basis just to get a bucket of water. While walking I would be grateful for all our ancestors who took that walk of faith and left their homes in search of greener pastures and in result gave birth to us all, I would be paying homage to the millions of our ancestors who braved the earth, walking parched deserts, mosquito infested marshes and one-slip death cliffs to ensure their and our survival. In a weirdest sense, our ancestors are the only Gods worth worshiping and their divine power is ironically being human.
Why Kerala? It is packed with history, unlike any other state in India and with so many beautiful sights to behold. It is ideal for many reasons, prominently for having 700 kms of coastline and road parallel to it to boot, many varieties of food, culture, temples, landscapes, beaches, rivers, fauna and flora. It is also dense in the number cities and villages that offer many places for refuge during the day, so I can ideally stop at the 35 kms to 40 kms mark or less that a person can walk daily. Just along the route of the walk, you will cover almost all the “must-see lists” in Kerala list as recommended by various publications. I can also speak in Hindi or English without being shunned and people are eager to help, it also helps that Malayali women are so elegant.
It’s critical that I stop at a few temples along the way for the following reasons:
- Sri Muthappan Temple, Parassinikadavu — My father was a huge devotee and we as a family have contributed minimally to the development of the temple infrastructure.
- Alathiyoor Hanuman Temple, Triprangode — My colleague in office has been ordering the special Prasada called Aval and we have been doing the online booked service named Aval Nivedam for many years now.
- Sri Krishna Temple, Guruvayoor — Another colleague has been praying for my family in this temple for years and I do like Krishna temples.
- Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram — One of the oldest temples in Kerala and is a must see not just for the fabled unopened vaults full of jewelry but also the Reclining Vishnu.
Tourist and Cultural experiences Sites to see in Kerala:
- Fort Kochi, Kochi — A fort with a blend of cultures and architecture from every old imperialistic country and India since 13th century.
- Backwater boat ride in Allepey — All visuals from the God’s own country ad.
- Theyyam in Kasaragod/Kannur — Colourful all night dances depicting stories from yore.
- Boat Race — Various places around Onam festival only.
Beaches I’ll definitely be stopping by (among others):
- Kovalam Beach
- Varkala Beach
- Marari Beach
- Kannur Beach
- Vizhinjam Beach
- Bekal Beach
- Chowara Beach
- Andhakaranazhi Beach
- Kizhunna Beach
Day 1: Mangalore to Uppala — 28 km — walking timing: 05:34
Day 2: Uppala to Kasaragod — 27 km — walking timing: 05:38
Day 3: Kasaragod to Kanhangad — 26 km — walking timing: 05:16
Day 4: Kanhangad to Edayilekkadu — 31 km — walking timing: 06:13
Day 5: Edayilekkadu to Taliparamba — 30 km — walking timing: 06:02
Day 6: Taliparamba to Parassinikadavu — 9 km — walking timing: 01:48
Day 7: Parassinikadavu to Kizhunna Beach — 24 km — walking timing: 04:48
Day 8: Kizhunna Beach to Thalassery — 13 km — walking timing: 02:45
Day 9: Thalassery to Vatakara — 22 km — walking timing: 04:24
Day 10: Vatakara to Kappad — 32 km — walking timing: 06:25
Day 11: Kappad to Kozhikode — 9 km — walking timing: 01:52
Day 12: Kozhikode to Tanur — 35 km — walking timing: 07:13
Day 13: Tanur to Ponnani — 33 km — walking timing: 06:49
Day 14: Ponnani to Guruvayur — 30 km — walking timing: 06:05
Day 15: Guruvayur to Valapad — 30 km — walking timing: 06:00
Day 16: Valapad to Cherai — 33 km — walking timing: 06:44
Day 17: Cherai to Kochi — 28 km — walking timing: 05:44
Day 18: Kochi to Cherthala — 35 km — walking timing: 07:08
Day 19: Cherthala to Alappuzha — 26 km — walking timing: 05:19
Day 20: Alappuzha to Allepey North — 30 km — walking timing: 06:07
Day 21: Allepey North to Vallikavu — 26 km — walking timing: 03:54
Day 22: Vallikavu to Munroe Island — 23 km — walking timing: 04:42
Day 23: Munroe Island to Kollam — 17 km — walking timing: 03:30
Day 24: Kollam to Varkala — 24 km — walking timing: 04:52
Day 25: Varkala to Thiruvananthapuram — 39 km — walking timing: 07:56
Day 26: Thiruvananthapuram to Kovalam — 16 km — walking timing: 03:19
Day 27: Kovalam to Kollamkode — 23 km — walking timing: 04:45
Day 28: Kollamkode to Colachel — 22 km — walking timing: 04:39
Day 29: Colachel to Kanyakumari — 37 km — walking timing: 07:27
I will definitely be adding more to this as my research about such trips goes deeper…
