Kalari Kovilakom is the Palace for Ayurveda, perhaps the first and only one of its kind. Its face is the face of the warrior-king, elegant and expansive. But its heart is that of a sage, offering a deep healing, a doorway to the union of the mind, body and spirit.
If the old legends are to be believed, healing is part of Kalari's very soul. Stories are told of a Prince who came to the foothills of Kerala's Annamalai Hills around the 10th century. It seems he was afflicted with a particularly troublesome skin ailment. So he came to cure himself in the healing spring waters of this land. Possibly, he also sought the medicinal Venga tree that grew here in profusion.
Dharmavarman stayed on to found a kingdom, Vengunad, 'The Land of the Venga Tree'. And for all the days to come, his descendants held sway over these silent and green foothills.
It was in the 19th century that they built Kalari Kovilakom.
A new life
Today, Kalari Kovilakom has been restored and recreated into a unique experience in wellness. Combining the healing experience of India's ancient medicinal system, Ayurveda, with the grace and scale of palace living.
So is it a spa? A Palace hotel? An ayurvedic hospital? An ashram? Kalari is beyond these simply because it is a little of all of these.
The intent and purpose of Kalari Kovilakom is to give you a chance to start your life all over again. Ayurveda, if correctly followed, promises not only a new body and mind, but a deep connection with the spirit.
To the ancient Indians, this was a cosmic connection. A chance to be reborn in this life itself.
Shoeless indulgences
To stay true to the traditions of the palace, no meat, leather footwear or alcohol are allowed at Kalari.
You will see echoes of Ashram-like austerity. Yet, enjoy a rare level of amenities and service, part 21st century comfort, part 19th century romance.
The original dwellings of the lords and ladies of Vengunad are still yours to delight in, unchanged from times past.
We restored them as authentically as we could. Then added as many modern facilities as we dared, without compromising the Palace's original character.
The air-conditioning, the luxury bath fittings and the four - poster beds will certainly lull you, but they shouldn't mislead you. For Kalari offers unvarnished ayurveda, administered in its purest form, in accordance with millennia-old texts and traditions.
The healing touch of pure Ayurveda
At Kalari, every therapy is personal. Our treatments are customised for you by our doctors, often combined with yoga and other methods to provide deep healing from within and without. Every treatment is based on your needs and your ayurvedic body type. Even the food you're served is individual, with health drinks and herbal preparations that vary with your treatment.
The result is nothing less than a return to the womb. There are no game rooms, no shopping expeditions, no television sets. The evenings are alive with chanting and hymns, unsullied by the sounds of the city. In fact, apart from these post-dinner gatherings where guests and staff alike participate, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to disturb your new-found inner silence.
You are in a space like no other on earth that we know of. An atmosphere that makes you conscious only of the potentials within, being slowly unlocked as your therapies progress.
Kalari Kovilakom Palace is located in the old princely capital town of Kollengode in the foothills of the Annamalai range, Kerala, India The nearest International Airport is Cochin, 105 km, or about two-and-a-half hours drive away.
Coimbatore Airport. is 75 km away and Palghat is the nearest railway station (on the Mumbai-Trivandrum route), a mere hours' drive.
All the accommodation provided by Travelmasti are in the most comfortable hotels/resorts/camps, handpicked especially for you, offering the best stay to make your business or leisure trip, simply 'worth it'.
Accommodation
Accommodations
18 palatial suites that offer the experience of authentic palace living.
The Old Guest Wing, with '20s colonial Western-styled rooms.
The Palace Wing, which has traditional Kerala architecture reminiscent of the 'zenana'.
'You are what you eat' isn't just granny's favourite saying. It's one of the key underlying principles of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic diets, contrary to common belief, do not prohibit meats or wines. Rather, they stress moderation, and selection of foods in harmony with your body type.
Ayurveda also gives us the unique idea of food as medicine. The ancients believed that a person's diet had the power to cure many ailments, large and small.
A dispensary of taste
Kalari Kovilakom's pure Ayurvedic kitchen is a shrine to ideas first outlined by the ayurvedic physicians of more than a thousand years ago. Foods are prepared in brass, iron or clay vessels only. And chef Nayaranan Kutty weaves his pure vegetarian magic with only the minimum of oil and almost no chillis.
You may find your first meal at Kalari somewhat bland, specially if you're a curry lover or a steak-eggs-ketchup-and-mustard kind of person. But within a day or two, something strange happens. Your palate softens, becomes more sensitive. Suddenly, the subtle flavours of pure spices and fresh tropical vegetables begin to come to the fore. Each meal becomes a medley of subtle textures and aromas, rather than the taste assaults most of us are used to. Even better, you need to eat less and less to feel completely sated!
| Testimonials |
Signup | Careers| Link to us
