Kerala beckons couples to tie knot

Kochi, Oct 22: Marriages, they say, are made in heaven. Now, God's Own Country, Kerala, is inviting people to tie the nuptial knot in its sylvan surroundings.

As new age youngsters and foreigners look for the extraordinary to make their marriage ceremonies truly memorable and different from the rest, Kerala is positioning itself as an ideal and exotic destination for couples to solemnise their weddings and then spend a few romantic days.

''There is a great potential in this segment. Kerala provides a truly exotic landscape, besides readymade infrastructure like resorts and hotels in scenic locales to conduct wedding ceremonies,'' says Kerala Tourism Director B Suman.

At the biennial Kerala Travel Mart last month, 'wedding and honeymoon tourism' were among the new products being touted by the tourist trade - ranging from cozy wooden log cabins in misty Wayanad to 'honeymoon on houseboats' on the Alappuzha backwaters. Bibi, the Irish owner of 'Raheem Residency', a heritage tourist home in Alappuzha, has reserved a special 'Honeymoon Room' in the period bungalow dating to 1868. The room has a Kerala-style bathroom, partly open to the skies, and a four-poster mahogany bed with inlaid marble hearts.

An Irish couple, Peter and Mary Larkin, chose Raheem Residency to get married and spend their honeymoon some time ago.

The bride, dressed in a traditional gold-bordered Kerala saree and the groom, in white 'kurta-pyjama' with a blue shawl, got married at the Latin Catholic Church near the Alappuzha Beach.

The wedding procession, complete with an elephant and 'nadaswaram', followed by a traditional 'sadya' (feast) were the highlights of the occasion for the couple, recalls Bibi. ''They simply loved it. Kerala has such an exotic atmosphere. It is simply ideal for honeymooning,'' she adds. Prompted by the success of this venture, Bibi has now added a special ''Wedding Package'' with clothes, jewellery and a trip to the beautician's thrown in for foreign couples wishing to take their vows in Kerala.

However, if gliding down the backwaters in splendid isolation is one's idea of a romantic getaway, there are special ''honeymoon houseboats'' for hire.

Mr Hari Narayanan, who operates a range of one-to-four bedroom houseboats on the Alappuzha backwaters, says his 'honeymoon boat'' is becoming increasingly popular with newly-weds, particularly from North India.

The single airconditioned bedroom in the houseboat has glass walls on three sides. The one-way see-through glass lets the couple enjoy the scenic beauty of the backwaters in complete privacy.

Mr K Abhilash, Manager-Operations, at the 'Rain Country Resorts' in Lakkidi, Wayanad, describes the mist-laden hills as a ''haven of solitude and peace.'' Besides techies from Bangalore, the cottage-resort is a favourite with honeymooners from Gujarat, Maharashtra and the North Indian states, he says.

''Most of these couples are looking for solitude and natural beauty. And, this area abounds in both,'' he adds.

UNI