Discovering a land of Canals

Many of the greatest civilizations we know of, thrived and prospered around the availability of water resources. Our land also has a long-standing affiliation with such beautiful man- made canals. It operates as a nerve centre for our agricultural needs and transforms the livelihood of the people in eastern Palakkad. Also, these canals flow across gorgeous landscapes that connect people and their diverse subcultures.

As a travel company, our effort was greatly involved in uncovering the magic of this unseen ecosystem. Our team vehemently pursued connecting the stories of a culture so fragile and succeeded in recognizing its potential. In due course, a trail was unearthed that had all the right ingredients for a unique experience and we named it My Cycle and the Canal Stories. It provided a cycling experience so diverse, as our guests had the joy of exploring the intricacies of culture. A culture, that is vibrant for its agriculture, communities, cuisine, architecture, and art forms.

Jignyasa- The Social Network

Jignasa, a grassroots program, is our core strength and differentiator. This immersive life skills and cultural skills training for young adults touches upon nature awareness, ecological responsibility, aesthetics, citizenship values, etc.

A few participants become young ambassadors with us to avail on-job opportunities for cultural exchange and to develop communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills. A residual gain has been the deep grassroots level connections it has enabled that feed into the curating of our experiences.

Mokshanubhava Project

Keeping in mind the requirements of the differently abled travellers, Moksha Stories incorporated a humble effort to encourage such children to enjoy travel likewise everyone. ‘Mokshanubhava’ was one such initiative to help differently-abled children to participate in active travel. Our team in association with Palakkad Blind Foundation made this feat possible. 13 children and their families joined us for this day tour. We curated this project in a manner that integrated the dominating senses like touch, sound, taste, and smell. We featured art forms, artisans, a garden walk, and dishes from our cuisine that enabled these children to take part in the activities we offered.

An affair with Regeneration

Palakkad is a land that takes pride in having many opulent heritage homes. Properties with grandeur designs were once landmarks of history and prosperity, many awaiting their epilogue to be written in due course of time. In an effort to make the past relevant to the future, we involve in thoughtful restoration and regeneration projects to revive such heritage properties. The restoration of 100-year-old Mankav Kalam in the village of Pallasena, Palakkad is a notable one.

Once having decided to purchase the property and its surrounding farmlands from the previous owner, Moksha Stories began the restoration of Mankav Kalam. It was a century-old property with a granary called Pathayapura to store grains. All its aesthetics and details were kept intact without making sweeping changes. Three rooms were installed with the special skills and knowledge of local craftsmen who understood the complexities and geometries of this property. The wood and wooden works were procured from nearby schools and tharavadu.

Stories of Agriculture

Palakkad is one of the districts in Kerala where you can find agriculture as a prominent occupation of the people. It is also widely known as the Granary of Kerala. A land famed for harvesting rice breeds like Matta, Njavara, Thavala Kannan, etc. Thanks to our agrarian culture, though fading has stood the test of time. Notably, in Eastern Palakkad, our life mainly revolves around agriculture and its various practices.

Agriculture has a huge influence on the countless traditions one sees here. Due to its fertile soils, many communities had made this land their home. These communities also brought along their customs and traditions. Hence one can find a plenitude of rituals, festivals, oral traditions, etc. This has also influenced our art forms and culture as a whole.

As a travel company founded by millennials, we wanted to do our bit. This made us motivated to agriculture in the 6 acres of paddy farmlands surrounding the Mankav Kalam heritage homestay. We take pride in actively taking part in farming indigenous varieties, notably Matta (brown rice with high content of bran). Most of the people working on our farms are women.

A bouquet for our resolute women

Even before the inception of Moksha Stories, our connection with agriculture was imminent. Thanks to our humble agrarian backgrounds, which laid a strong sense of the need to upheave the farming culture and lives associated with it. We realized that it was the women and their labour that goes behind any flourished crop. The women of our land; iron-willed yet delicate and loving at their core.

It was these insights that laid the foundation for our project- Mud Fest. A project to celebrate our women, our unsung heroes. The concept of this one-day program mainly focuses on the need for us to go back to the roots, to the mud, and reclaim our association with - Our Mother Earth. Our team members curated this event in and around Mankav Kalam’s homestay incorporating activities like pottery, playing games in the swampy fields, folklore, and dining together with our communities.