Kerala Monsoon - Busting Myths!
Once upon a time, yes that is how the story is told and retold during the heavy showers of Kerala, there was no rain. The kingdoms of Chola and Chera and Pandya were dying of drought. The kings were worried, their subjects were dying. They consulted and decided to leave the administration in the hands of the kings’ hand and go pray to the Lord of Rain, Indra. Sometime in the jungle and some long days of prayer ahead, the God was impressed enough to give them each four months of rain.
Months went by and the rain did come, but one king got too much and the other too little. They went to the God and again and ended up having 8 months of rain for King of Chera and two months of ample rain for Cholan and Pandiyan kings. Yes, that is what the folklore says about the Kerala monsoon. When you stand in the rain, it pushes against your body. The clouds thunder above your head, and the lightning strikes hard and bad.
It
is also the most beautiful time of the year to visit this paradise. Don’t
believe us? Let us bust the popular myths about Kerala monsoons, right away.
Myth 1: The rain is scary and never ends, leaving you with less time and option to explore.
Reality:
Yes,
the Kerala rain is bad. But, unlike the mountain rain it isn’t cold and
unpleasant. The clouds are a mix of bright and dark and the lightening isn’t
deadly. Lets just say it is the kind of rains you would love to take a walk in
while smelling the earth.
Myth 2: Kerala is a backpacker’s delight.
Reality:
Kerala
welcomes every kind of traveller. You may not be out looking for an adventure.
You may just want a spa weekend. Kerala has it all. Infact, it is more
romantic in the rain. Yes, take the lady love out this monsoon for a nice meal
by the backwaters in a houseboat. The sights are prettier, trust us.
Myth 3: Prices are high during the peak season- Monsoon.
Reality:
The
whole internet is asking just about everyone to visit Kerala during rain, the
hotels gotta be expensive right? Wrong. Kerala is a rain driven land and offers
great discounts if you know where to look and end up there during rain. There
are some hotels that offer accommodation at discounts ranging from 20-50%.
Myth 4: The locals aren’t welcoming during festivities.
Reality:
The
linguistic barrier stays, but the locals love to invite the travelers into the
Oman festivities and many others. If you are lucky you may even be invited to a
wedding. It is beautiful to see the pomp and show which you are very much
welcome to.
How to get there?
It
is approximately 2 hours by flight from Mumbai. You can book them straight for
Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram and then take road transport across the state.
How much will you spend?
So,
let us say you want to stay for 4 days and 3 night, with your family in a
decently good hotel inclusive of sightseeing, you shall spend anything between
13000-15000/- if you aren’t being extremely thrifty.
Who to take along?
Anyone
who’s company you enjoy. Great place for families, couples and friends alike.
The
monsoons decide wars and famines and disasters and richness. They define the
life of most of the country’s populations. They hide millions of tonics amidst
those lush evergreen forest they wash over. In this cocoon created by
temperature controlled development, you may be watching your life unfold as a
Facebook memory but think of the paper boat rushing down the stream in the rain
from your childhood, and you’ll know why are asking you to go to Kerala.
