A Backwater Haven Not Ruined By Tourism - Padanna, Kerala

Destination – Padanna, Kerala, India

Location – Padanna is a village in the northern part of the state of Kerala, India, south of Kasaragod district. Padanna Panchayat is composed of North and South Padanna villages. It became part of Kerala when the state was formed on November 1, 1956

Coordinates - 12°9′0″N 75°9′0″E

Distance from Hyderabad – to Kasaragod, Kerala, via SH 25 814 kms & via NH 13, about 854 kms. Padanna is about 50 kms from Kasaragod

History suggests that people came to Padne, and the areas surrounding it, from the north of Malabar, specifically, family heads, to sell their produce, which included sweet potatoes, yellow banana, tobacco, & dried fish. Cheena, or the local water transportation system, was their mode of transport. Traders joined the earlier settlers, and today this area is thickly populated, tucked away in the southern tip of Kasaragod district.

This backwater haven is not ruined by tourist influx, which is the case in Southern Kerala, and the local folk offer a stay experience, which is outstanding. These folks have not been corrupted by the tourist ‘greens’, yet.

One such family head there, is G.S.Gul – a quintessential example in being a head of family, a micro-financer, and doing all he can for the poor coastal folk, by applying innovative ideas to build on tourism. The Indian government, have done their bit by awarding a national award to him for Oyster cultivation, but during my stay there, I happened to talk to him at length for hours. He, in his half sleeve shirts, and white lungi, gave me business and tourism ‘gyan’, unlimited.

There are side huts, there are houses in mid air (on/ within the tree), and there is the never to be forgotten house-boat. The food here is meant for lords of both worlds, and Gul and his amazing staff, give you options galore, and see to it, that word-of-mouth marketing and canvassing happens, through suckers like me. You could stay in a house boat for example, and then at night, they will tie a huge rope to the boat, and depending on the tide, will either let you go all the way in, or a little closer to shelter. But at night, someone from the staff comes in a small row boat, delivers food, and lets you stay in the middle of water, gaze the stars, and absorb the eternity. Alternatively, they take you in the small boat to the shore, feed you, and then drop you back.

The back water beaches at Padanna, are virgin, and for kilometres, you don’t see man, mankind, nothing – only water, sand, waves, and maybe your own shadow, if you face the sun in the right fashion, and it then casts your shadow.

My heart still aches when I think of the times there. It is melancholy personified when I think of my wanderings in the surrounding villages over there. I remember reading an article by Muhammad Yunus some time back and his remark on happiness index. I promise you, the people of the real world (cities), need not look further than this place – gorgeous. In addition, Gul also mentioned that he is working on a ‘hut-stay’ concept, since people want to stay like the villagers do. Hence, he is working on a concept, where tourists stay in huts, like the villagers do!

Simple man, with simple ideas, yet effective, like most cannot imagine. I drove down to Padanna, and as Kerala starts, you do realize, that there is a reason that clichés become clichés – it is surely God’s own country, and mortal tourists like me, cannot absorb and feel the entire beauty in 3 or 4 days. I for one, felt like the human in Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, as I was leaving Padanna.