Olavipe Home stay with Parayil Tharakans' family in Kerala.

Set amidst the lush tropical greenery of Olavipe Island, Parayil Home 'Thekkanatt' is one of five Heritage Homes belonging to the Parayil Tharakans. This century-old mansion is located on a forty-acre organic farm on the banks of the Kaithappuzha Backwater  between Cochin and Alleppey.

Olavipe is also the home of the 'Parayil Tharakans', a well-known Syrian Christian family of Kerala. Tracing their history over 250 years, the family proudly claims amongst its sons one Marquis, two Grand Chevaliers, three members of Kerala Legislative Assembly, several senior government officials and social leaders.

The house was built in the time of Parayil Varkey Mathu Tharakan, (1851-1919). The construction of this home took 13 years, since most of the material that went into it, had to be brought to the island in large country boats. This old mansion built in the traditional Kerala style has been the private home of the family for more than a century.

The family has now decided to share this exclusive home with select visitors who would like to stay at 'Thekkanatt' and experience the lifestyle of a typical Syrian Christian household of Central Kerala.

The eight large and airy bedrooms of the house need no air-conditioning. The bathrooms attached to the bedrooms offer both cold and warm water. This stately heritage home and its estate provide facilities for both rest and recreation. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be with the family and other guests. Food is mostly in the traditional Kerala style. If you choose to, you can even eat off a banana leaf as Keralites do at festival time. Vanilla , pepper, arecanut, mulberry and cassava are also grown on the estate. Prawn farming is active in the season in the larger ponds and canals. The canals are also used for rearing the local delicacy-the pearl spot fish.

Over a hundred varieties of Ayurvedic medicinal plants are cultivated and preserved here. A short walk away from the house are the lagoons where prawn farming is done. Nearby are the canals where the pearl-spot - 'Karimeen' in local parlance, a gourmet's delight - and other fish grow.

This home offer an ideal place for visitors to absorb a village ambience. You can walk up to the waterfront on the western side and the southern side. The paddy fields on the western side of the house grow a special variety of rice used in the household.

They also have facilities for outdoor table tennis, badminton, cricket, volleyball, basketball, indoor games like carroms and chess. They can also provide Canoes, wind-surfing, walking tracks, bi-cycles. Internet and other communication facilities are available on the island.

Gatehouse - outside & inside

Activities

• Browse through the Family Archives. This treasure-trove of old family documents, letters and photographs was put together for the younger generation of the house to understand their roots and touch the past. It also houses rare documents and papers forming part of Karalla social fabric of the last two centuries. The archives include old cooking vessels, farming tools and other curiosities of the house which are no longer in use.
• Fish in the family's farms or in the surrounding lagoons / canals using traditional 'Choonda' (fishing rod). Learn to cast fishing nets in the Kerala style.
• Learn Kerala cooking. Learn 'Parayil Duck Roast' and 'Karimeen pollichathu' from the family recipe book.
• Swim in the village pond.
• Watch the coconut climbers plucking nuts.
• Help with the feeding of prawns during the farming season
• Take a bicycle tour of the village. You can even walk through the village and soak up the ambience of the place.
• Learn the traditional techniques of making coir.
• Row in small country boats through the village canals. Visit other nearby islands.
• Visit the island's ancient places of worship. Known for their unique architectural styles, they include three churches built by the family, the oldest of which is almost two centuries old.
• Play badminton, volleyball, table tennis, chess and caroms. You could even join in a village cricket or football game.

Rooms do not have air-conditioning or television or phone. Their concept of a home stay is that their guests stay with them as part of the family and understand Kerala from the experience. This is their family home and meal times are with them, around the family dining table. It is a double storied house that comes with all the trappings of an old house. Every doorway has a thresh-hold, the old wooden stairs are eccentrically interesting and the floor levels vary from room to room. All the guest-rooms are upstairs. There are few ponds in the compound and so toddlers need to be supervised.