26/02/2011
Once upon a time an enlightened monarch in a kingdom by the discovered that power is not about horeses or chariots; that splendour is not about silver or gold; and tha true sovereignity is the freedom to surrender to the divine.
Way back in the fourteenth centurey, the Rajah of Cochin set out to build a temple for the deity of the royal family. Far from the bustle of his palace, the temple was built in a quiet hamlet called Cheranelloor, by the backwaters of Cochin in Kerala, God’s Own Country. A ferevent devotee of the deity, the king realised that he could not be parted from the temple. He found himself returning to the sacred place time and again. In time, he built himself a palace just fifty yards away from the temple. Simple, elegant and regal, it housed an entourage that would cater to him when he made the sacred visits to the temple.
Years went by, rulers changed and life moved on. Now, far away, in a maze of backwaters and coconut palms, the Chittoor Kottaram stands, making one wonder whether time has lost its way somewhere in the cosy wood inlaid rooms of the palace.
Today, Chittoor Kottaram is open to travellers seeking the legends of an estwhile kingdom. In harmony with royal traditions, the entire entourage in the palace caters to a single occupant at a time. In the silence of the cool nights, travellers can listen to the footsteps of kings echo in the corridors. On quiet mornings, they can walk across the dew drenched grass, drinking in the dawn reflected on the backwaters. A visit ot the temple or a recital on the lawn in the privilege of the traveller. So are backwater boatrides, fishing trips and walking tours. Awaiting eager travellers to walk down the past of a once-eminent kingdom, Chittoor Kottaram stands still, never giving way to time.
A single key palace hotel
The luxury of being yourself and being on your own.
