ABSTRACT
Kerala has been well known for hundreds of years for its practice of Ayurveda, a system of medicine that believes in not simply treating the ailment but attending to the whole person. Kerala is one of the few blessed regions in the world that is networked by 44 rivers. These rivers are also known as the ‘backwaters of Kerala’ and it stretches up to almost 1,900 kilometres. The backwater routes date back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices. Today, these waterways link remote villages and islands to the mainland and nerve centres of the coastal area. The most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region, called the rice bowl of Kerala. The area is probably the only place in the continent where farming is done below sea level, using a system of dykes and bunds. This state is also the only place in India which practises Ayurveda in its purest form. Being in this geographical wonder; heals the mind, body and soul with the magical touch of Ayurveda.
