13 Ashtamudi to Kovalem - Feb 18

This morning many of us enjoyed different spa treatments – before getting ready to head to your next destination. There had been an incident in northern Kerala, near Cochin where two of the ruling Communist Party members had been shot and killed and the Party had called a general strike all day until 6 p.m. Fortunately, our driver decided to ignore the strike and drive us to Kovalem although trouble on the road was anticipated in the form of road blocks, police checks and protests. To try to allow us to pass, if we were stopped a sticker saying ‘Airport’ was fixed to the windscreen.

In any event, the trip was relatively uneventful. Although there were some gatherings on the streets in some places, in general, the traffic was very light. We made good progress to our destination - the Leela at Kovalem Beach. On the way we passed through the city of Trivandrum which is the State capital of Kerala.

The hotel is located right on the beach and the sea can be heard constantly rushing against the rocks below. The hotel has two swimming pools and several outdoor areas where you can eat and drink. There is a long winding path which takes you down to a sandy beach where there is another bar and other facilities. All in all, it is an idyllic place. You can relax and enjoy the wonderful surroundings but you can also take part in the many activities that the hotel offers, such as yoga, various demonstrations and classes and other group events.

We are here at a time when there will be a huge gathering of women in the nearby town. It is expected that 1.4 million women will gather for a religious event that involves the cooking of a certain food. This is bound to be a colorful event. It is said to be the largest gathering of women in the world. Here is the Wikipedia entry on this subject:

Attukal Pongala is a 10-day festival celebrated at the Attukal Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, during which there is a huge gathering of millions of women on the ninth day. These women prepare a divine food made of rice in earthen pots and offer it to the Goddess of the Temple. The pongala preparation starts with the ritual called 'Aduppuvettu'. This is the lighting of the pongala hearth (called Pandarayaduppu) placed inside the temple by the chief priest. The festival is marked as the largest annual gathering of women by the Guinness World Records. This is the first Pongala festival in Kerala. The ceremony was set up in Guinness Book of World Records on February 23, 1997, when 1.5 million women participated in Pongala. In 2009, a new Guinness World Records celebrated 2.5 million attendance. This temple is also known by the name Sabarimala of women. In 2019 Attukal Pongala will be celebrated on Wednesday, 20 February.


The hotel is hosting a wedding and the bride and groom and their attendants were on the beach having photographs taken. This day is the pre-wedding day and tomorrow the actual event will take place on the beach under a purple canopy. The bride will be decorated with henna and will wear beautiful outfits.

After drinks out on the upper bar as the sun set we off to dinner in the al fresco space outside the café overlooking the sea.