Southwest India
Kerala and Karnataka
Monday 2nd – Saturday 14th December 2024
We propose below a tour of some of southern India, to Kerala and Karnataka. It is the more verdant part of India, initially connected to Europe through the spice trade, pepper and later tea. This is one of three tours that AHA offers working our way North to Mumbai and Rajasthan and then to New Delhi and Varanasi.
Even a mundane question posed in India, often turns into a thread which in turn weaves a fabric across all history; India is a cradle of so much civilisation. Furthermore, with its vast population, burgeoning economy and increasingly powerful posture, India cannot be ignored in our age.
When we speak of art in India, we do not often speak of individual artist or architects, as we might in Europe, and beauty is not focused on disciplines as we might expect. Instead, creativity, ingenuity, colour and design are everywhere, within everything. Hence, our tours take a broad approach to culture. We are interested in aspects of India, from art to architecture and sculpture, theatre, music and dance, as well as the landscape, ecology, food, the economy and all bound by a variety of faiths.
We hope you will enjoy our unique approach, which is to join with Indian friends and local experts who can inform us while Nick Ross provides insights to the creative arts which will chime with a western approach to art. We are also joined by Gyles Morris, who has travelled throughout India for 40 years, and through whose eyes we will appreciate the landscape, rural arts and the natural world.
Lucy Harwood (Cressida’s great aunt) Travelling 1927
Itinerary
Monday 2nd – Thursday 5th December
Our flight arrives in Kochi (Cochin) in the middle of the day on Monday. We will travel in a private bus for 90 mins to Fort Kochi where we stay for three nights at The Fragrant Nature Hotel. This is a good place to start in India, with charming staff and large, well-appointed rooms. The roof offers great views over the estuary and there is a good swimming pool. There is also a fine restaurant on the roof for supper on our first night.
Starting after breakfast at 9.30 on our first full day we will establish our bearings both historically and geographically, taking in the dramatic Chinese fishing nets, spice warehouse, the house of Vasco da Gama and the church of Saint Francis. We will also seek out some of the modern art scene which features in the biennial contemporary art show here in January. In the afternoon we will explore the Synagogue and particularly the Mattancherry Palace which has some of the most noted Hindu mural paintings of the epic tale of the Ramayana.
At 9am on Wednesday we depart for the famous backwaters (the Venice of India) and Kumbalangi, which is a quiet, leafy island village surrounded by mangroves and is the first village practicing ecotourism. This is an opportunity to tour traditional Keralan rural life in one place, from the Chinese fishing nets, coconut palm weaving, rope making, and various forms of aquaculture. We will finish the morning with a delicious lunch. We will return in time for a 5 pm performance at the Kathakali classical dance theatre where we watch the players make up before the performance. Later supper in Fort Kochi.
Thursday 5th– Saturday 7th December
Leaving at 9.30 we will journey north for 90 minutes by bus and, for a little way, on the metro (for the experience) to Raza Gurukul, overlooking the Chalakkudy River. The hotel is also a working farm and Gyles will be able to speak of the unique geography of southern India, resources and farming. The owner of the hotel, Das Sreedharam, is an award-winning chef, social entrepreneur and food philosopher. Since the nineties he has run the best vegetarian Indian restaurant in London and became a pioneer of Indian food on the television. We will take the opportunity learn about cooking with his staff. There is something slightly ‘other worldly’ about Rasa Gurukul and we can offer yoga, learn about Ayurvedic medicine, watch a performance of village ritual dance. We will also discuss daily and family life in India with Divyia, our local teaching partner.
Saturday 7th – Monday 9th December
Drive inland to Munnar, a hill station in a spectacular mountain landscape. We will stop at a spice farm to break the four-hour journey to The Windermere Hotel set amongst the clouds, overlooking miles and miles of bright green tea plantation. Supper in the hotel. On Sunday we spend the day exploring the history and life of a tea picker, packer and producer. We will pick in the tea plantations, and follow the tea’s journey to the factory, and later understand the subtleties of tea tasting. Lunch on this day will be Biryani rice steamed in bamboo. In the afternoon, as we drive back to the hotel, we will stop at the Srishti Trust where we can see beautiful block printing on fabric.
On Monday will drive back to Kochi, stopping along the way at temples and churches. It is the region where Divya was born and it will be an opportunity to practice our visual knowledge of some of the principal Hindu Gods. We will be aiming for the night train travelling to Bengaluru (Bangalore) which is both a sustainable route and an experience. For those who would prefer to fly, this is possible too. Picnic supper on the train. (There is no need to decide about the train at this point. We will send you a video and a description from the last group to help you decide).
Monday 9th – Wednesday 11th December
Those on the flight will arrive late on Monday into Bengaluru while those coming by train arrive for breakfast on Tuesday and rooms will be ready. To this point we will not have spoken about governance nor seen emblems of political power, nor palaces. Bengaluru is the state capital of Karnataka and is arguably the most dynamic city in India, growing fast and spurred on by tech. We want to explore some of the assumptions and difficulties of modern India while taking in this sophisticated city, known as India’s tidiest, ‘garden city’. We will visit our first museum, the Government Museum, which has a good collection of miniatures, and (one of) Tipu Sultan’s summer palaces. There will also be time for one or two temples, not least the Shri Dodda Ganapathi Temple where there is one of the larger Nandi Bull’s carved from a single lump of granite. The old market of Bengaluru is as large as it is dazzling and the more modern Commercial Street is home to numerous spectacular cloths shops. Bangalore has a touch of glamour, and whether visiting a stylish restaurant, going to a glitzy cinema or, if the fixture list will allow, visiting the famous Chinnaswamy Stadium for a spot of Cricket.
Wednesday 11th – Saturday 14th December
So often the very act of travelling is an adventure in India. The journey to Mysuru (Mysore) takes about three hours by private bus, but we will split up the day with fascinating stop offs. The first is a Shiva Temple as we leave Bengaluru which is a single statue 65 feet tall. Later in the morning we plan to drop in on the largest raw silk trading floor outside China. In the afternoon we will also stop at Somanathapura, one of the finest temples in the south from the 12th – 14th centuries.
The golden age of maharajahs and princes may have past, but Mysore remains a city of splendour, with palaces (17), beautiful gardens and handsome tree lined boulevards. One such palace is now the Metropole Hotel in the middle of the city, a colonial set piece, where will stay for three nights. Supper here for the first evening.
On Thursday, we will drive out to Srinringapatham to the fortress of the Muslim leaders Hyder Ali and his son, the brave Tipu Sultan (died 1799) who defied the East India Company and is today a symbol of Indian nationalism. His elegant summer palace remains and one draws to mind the clever automated sculpture in the V&A of a British soldier being devoured by ‘Tipu’s Tiger’. We can ride bicycles or ride rickshaws around this extensive site and visit the oldest Dravidian Temple in Karnataka from 894, Sri Ranganathaswamy. As we drive back into the city, we will stop at the Maharajah’s Palace which is breathtaking, though crowded, but worth it.
Our last full day morning we continue our theme of silk and cloth production which is so vital to this part of India, by visiting a sari factory. We will not have seen that much painting on our tour but Mysuru offers us the opportunity to visit a private collection of the Mysore School of painting stretching from the 17th century to the present day. After lunch we have organised to visit a sustainable block printing cooperative where we decorate our own fabrics.
For our last day, and for those keen for an early start, we can visit the Ranganathittu Sanctuary as the birds are at their most active and the crocs lurk drowsily. There is time to visit the market and peruse the jewellery shops for which Mysuru is well known. In the late morning, we will leave the hotel en route to Bengaluru airport, stopping along the way for lunch, a visit to a sugar (jaggery) mill and perhaps a rural brick kiln.
Further Details
Tutors – The tutors will be Nick Ross and Cressida Ross, Gyles Morris from AHA, and Divya Parameswaran (Kerala) and Faizan Baksh Syed (Karnataka) from our Indian affiliates (IEXP 360).
The party of AHA clients will not exceed 16.
Spellings – There are frequently two spellings, or indeed words, for the same city. Cochin is the name of the airport where we land in India, but this is also written as Kochi elsewhere. Furthermore, Bangalore is written as Bengaluru. We always use the new spelling.
Flights – We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates. NB You must book your flight to leave London for at least the day before the course starts.
Sunday 1st December
Emirates EK016 Depart 13.35 from London Gatwick (LGW) (Airbus 380)
2 Hour 5 minute wait in Dubai
Depart 02.45 Dubai EK530 for Kochi (COK) landing 08.05 +1 (Boeing 777)
Saturday 14th December
Emirates EK567 Depart 20.20 from Bangalore (BLR) (Boeing 777)
3 Hour 50 minute wait in Dubai
Depart 02.50 Dubai EK011 for London Gatwick landing 06.40 +1 (Airbus 380)
Present fare £696.00 (Aug 2024)
Please note that the luggage weight is 30Kgs for hold luggage and 7kg for the cabin bag. If you choose to travel by aeroplane in the middle of the trip, rather than taking the train, it is usual that internal baggage allowance is limited to 20Kgs.
Transport – This will be a mix of a private coach and, for speed and agility, we will often hop in motorised rikshaws. There is the option of taking a flight for the longer journey instead of a train and we will take the odd boat.
Hotels – Our approach is to offer different sorts of experience. Starting with a well-appointed hotel to begin with, we then stay in on a farm, followed by a tea estate, a train (optional) and a more western styled hotel in Bengaluru, and finishing in a one-time palace in Mysuru.
The Fragrant Nature Hotel (Kochi)
Rasa Gurukul (Kochi)
The Windermere Estate Hotel (Munnar)
The Grand Magrath Hotel (Bangaluru)
The Metropole (Mysuru)
Ability and Health – We must all be prepared for long days, and it is important to be fit and well in order for all to enjoy this vivacious country. As someone who is slightly lame, I don’t find India a problem, but one thing to bear in mind is uneven surfaces and pavements – India is not a great place to fall over. When up in Munnar, we will be walking distances and at Mysore, it’s fun, though not obligatory, to do some cycling in the country. Also, an abiding worry is to be unwell while travelling and we will give advice on how best to protect oneself. However, at this stage, it’s wise to advise all coming to eat as a vegetarian in India – it has certainly preserved me. Personally, and as someone who loves meat, I do not miss it and in fact, I relish the vast range of new tastes in Southern India. Nick Ross
Cost – The fees are £5,400 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, 6 evening dinners (not including drinks), transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, two yoga sessions at Raza Gurukul for those that would like it, all events and excursions mentioned above, tuition, reading lists and local advice and tips at hotels and for transport. The single occupancy supplement is £340 (double room for single use). Not included are the flights, five group suppers and travel insurance.
To register – Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay the deposit of £600 per person via bank transfer. We will send an information pack about visas, inoculations, money and what to bring.
If you have any queries, please email nick@arthistoryabroad .com or call 01379 871800 (302)
https://www.arthistoryabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Terms-and-Conditions-Adults-2024.pdf
