Kerala
Kerala lies on the southwest coast of India and offers a variety of bio-regions from the western ghats and the lush tree plantations of Munnar, to cardamon estates and tiger reserves near Kumily, to the maze of Keralan backwaters near Alappuzha, the Marco Polo Chinese fishing nets at Cochin and a legacy of trade with Arabs, Romans and Greeks. The coastline has endless pristine beaches from Kunnar down to Kovalum. Ayurvedic healing originates here. Kerala has tribal rituals like Theyam, the dance/theatre tradition of Kathakali and the martial art Kalari, Hindu festivals, Jewish synagogues, churches, mosques, temples, a communist government, 100% literacy. It is a place where nature is as spectacular as the culture.
The Dalai Lama pointed out during his recent visit that India is a place of tremendous diversity in that people of so many different religions, beliefs, ethnicities all co-exist in relative peace. It’s a country of great tolerance and patience and that this spirit of co-operation is India’s gift to the world. Other more affluent countries could take note. As India becomes more powerful on the world stage, AHIMSA (the first Yama in the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga) meaning ‘non-harming’ and kindness, is its major export. And, it’s true. Despite the difficulty of life for so many people in India, I marvel how most of them just get on with it, not begrudgingly, but with a smile, a sense of gratitude and devotion.