Aymanam was in the limelight when Arundhati Roy’s Booker Prize-winning novel ‘The God of Small Things’ had it as the backdrop
Arundhati Roy’s Booker Prize-winning novel ‘The God of Small Things’ had brought the sleepy little Kottayam village called Aymanam under the global glare. When Roy decided to feature her as village as the backdrop of her novel, which went on win hearts, Aymanam became a much sought after destination on the Kerala scape too.
The pastoral charm of the village is again in the limelight, with Conde Nast picking it as one among the 30 best places in the world to visit in 2022. Aymanam, located on the state’s picturesque backwaters near Kottayam, shot into prominence in November last year, when its Responsible Tourism (RT) Village project was awarded ‘Indian Responsible Tourism One to Watch’ at the World Travel Market (WTM) for its travel initiatives showcasing heritage and culture while keeping things clean and plastic-free besides creating more community jobs.
Aymanam a Responsible Tourism destination
The village, bordered by Lake Vembanad and River Meenachil, is “the stuff that makes people dream of taking a writing retreat to become a published author, or plugging out in a digital detox, or living a simple life close to nature,” points out Conde Nast in its commendation of the place.
It also beckons tourists to visit Aymanam for undertaking bird watching tours, walking in paddy fields, visiting temples and churches, watching the martial art Kalaripayattu and the classical dance Kathakali, enjoying boat rides, and savouring delicious coconut-rich preparations.
Conde Nast honour important, says Minister
“Aymanam may be a tiny village, but its pristine charm is spellbinding and its cultural diversity spectacular. Till recently, it was largely an unexplored area for tourists, but its recognition as a model RT Village has changed its profile on the global tourism map. The recognition by Conde Nast is a huge testament to it,” said Kerala’s Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas.
According to him, the latest recognition is important, and it will spur Kerala to provide an impetus to the efforts to set up Responsible Tourism projects across the state.
The Conde Nast’s list also features places like Bhimtal (Uttarakhand), Sikkim, Odisha, Goa, Kolkata (West Bengal), Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Qatar, Japan, the UAE, Egypt, Oklahoma (USA), Singapore, Sumba (Indonesia), London (UK), Istanbul (Turkey), Sicily (Italy), Serbia, Uzbekistan, and Seoul (South Korea).