Month: December 2020

Edgar Watson, the American novelist, beautifully quoted, “To be an ideal guest, stay at home.”

A homestay is a place where you are treated like a guest; a hotel is a place where you are treated like a client.
So to be more precise, what is a homestay?

Homestay is a concept of local lodging where the guest is accommodated in the family’s residence in a separate local quarter nearby.

In India, there is a well-known saying in Sanskrit verse, “Atithi Devo Bhava” translated it means “The guest is equivalent to God.” Indians are known for their hospitality, love, and warmth they provide for their guests.

There are many reasons to choose a homestay over a hotel, but today I will be sharing six reasons which will change your perspective on homestay forever.

1. Price: Everyone loves going for a vacation but who likes it when they get too expensive to afford? Hotels can be cheap but less likely to be clean and hygienic. The local residence will give you the best tips on places you can visit for a modest price, and it does not include any additional charges. Choosing a homestay helps you in managing your expenses which can assist you to spend on other activities like trekking, sightseeing, or visiting new places.

2. Meet new people: A family trip or solo traveling can add more fun to your plan when you meet new people, make memories, share thoughts with them which will be cherished for life. Local residents love to mingle and talk about their culture to their guests. You might end up making a new and truthful friend. The chances of such scenarios happening in hotels are implausible.

3. Home-cooked food: Food is a favorable form of hospitality for Indians. They have a wide range of cuisines which keeps changing according to the different cultures and locations. Hotels do serve good food, but there is nothing as good as food prepared at home. The beauty of experiencing different cuisines, the smell of fresh spices, and learning traditional methods of cooking from the people who inherited it from their ancestors, is altogether an exquisite feeling which you definitely don’t want to miss.

4. Local Culture: India is known for, “Unity in Diversity.” Imagine staying at a new place, where you witness local’s daily chores, food habits, and lifestyle. Indians have known for having unique cultural changes from state to state; there is a notable fusion of all cultures. Isn’t that something new to learn? Immersing yourself with the local culture, their lifestyle, and interacting with them can be a great learning experience for you.

5. Personalized service: Who doesn’t like customized services? At a homestay, the main focus is on you. Your likes and preferences, your comfort is their higher priority. And they will put in all the effort it takes to make you feel at home. You will be invited to local groups to meet new people, and you can explore local places. You can make the best of every moment you spend there as a local residence will guide and inform all the details you’ll want to enjoy.

6. Support local economy: By staying at a homestay and buying handicrafts made by the locals can add financial value to local communities. The amount you pay for the homestay is the money you are contributing to their livelihood. The hospitality, memories, and experiences are what you will take back and cherish. Supporting and buying from the locals is a great way of giving back.

Everything comes with its own pros and cons, be it staying at a homestay or a hotel. Preferably, staying at a homestay is a beautiful feeling and getting a home-like experience away from home is worth experiencing. Today, homestays are providing better accommodations than hotels at an affordable price with the added benefits of exploring local sights, food, and culture.

One such beautiful homestay is Anamala Homestay, they are known for warm hospitality, home-cooked food, environmentally conscious, peaceful locals, and much more. Build a story worth sharing with peers and friends.
Written by: Sahana Y

When I think of Kerala, the first thing that comes to my mind is Kerala’s traditional attire set- mundu, saree, and dhoti which is now becoming a fashion trend. With many brands coming into the picture, a perfect handloom made at a beautiful place like Kuthampully is still a mastery and eminent. Many people are adapting to the changing trends, but some families have their hearts for the ancient handloom sarees. Such is the place Kuthampully located in Thiruvilwamala of Thrissur district.

Kuthampully is located about 50km northeast of Thrissur Town, it is mainly known for traditional cotton weaving. Many traditional families say that “Kuthampully is the place to do the shopping for traditional sarees and dhotis which are perfectly hand-loomed with traditional techniques and methods.”

The Kasavu Handloom is immensely famous which is run by 600 families, in which, majority of them belong to the Devanga Community; their true origin is traced from modern-day Karnataka. This community of traditional weavers was brought by the Kochi Royal Family dated 500 years back exclusively for the palace requirements, though they continued following that tradition as a part of their culture.

Kuthampully handloom sarees and settu mundu have received GI Certificate( Geographical Indicator). A GI certificate is given by the government to secure the traditional knowledge of the region or community as they are specialized in a certain product or craft and have a reputation for it.

Kuthampully Handloom Industry Co-operative Society was registered in 1972 with 102 members, they have made sure that the ancient methods that were followed back then are still being continued irrespectively of the changing world and current trends. The Kasavu double dhoti, set mundu and veshti make huge profits during the Onam festival.

Keeping the current scenario in mind, the floods, the pandemic, and the disapproval of the younger generation toward handloom employment has caused the families a severe crisis.

The government policies as GST has affected handloom weavers, as the price of the needle, cotton, and other raw materials have increased. The weavers who would make a chunk of profit during festivals were unable to do so due to Covid19. Most of the people who work there have a modest income; what you earn is completely based on the speed you work at and how much you can finish in a day.

From the past 15 years, almost 150 weavers have quit weaving and have taken up different professions to earn their daily bread. Everything is slowly changing, as the number of weavers is decreasing in Kerala, people from Tamil Nadu are being hired to continue the tradition.

The tourists, who cannot distinguish between the handmade and power-loomed handloom get manipulated easily. So when you visit Kuthampully, make sure you buy it from the right source and support the local economy. Kuthampally is a great place to visit and recreate the traditions which were followed by our ancestors.