Located near the Kalanad River in Bakel, Kerala, The Lalit Resort & Spa Bakel is a luxurious property with gardens and lagoons, They have rooms boasting of balconies with lagoon, garden or river views, whirlpool tubs, minifridges, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs as well as tea and coffeemakers. This is an account of my trip to Lalit Resort, Bakel.
I met them – Kathakali artist Sukumaran and his companion – in (what I thought) was the unlikeliest of places – in one of the corridors of The Lalit, Bakel – a luxury five-star resort in Kasargod, Kerala. They were getting ready for a brief performance in front of some visiting foreigners.
I was in The Lalit Resort & Spa Bekal to spend a couple of days immersed in luxury and some peace and quiet (and celebrate our (wifey’s and my) birthdays while we were at it). Located on the banks of river Nobili, the resort has around 38 suites that come with a private jacuzzi in every suite. It also offers many activities including fishing, kayaking and cycling.
(Note – The other beautiful property you can check out is the Taj Bekal. If it comes down to Lalit Bekal vs Taj Bekal, I would recommend you choose Taj Bekal.)
Back to Kathakali artist Sukumaran and his companion. The elaborate makeup session went on for close to 3 hours. So while they were getting ready for their performance, I sat around chatting with Sukumaran’s companion, clicking pictures of the process. I couldn’t help but feel pity for these artists who put in so much of effort sincerely for so many hours just for a frivolous 20 minute session. But then again, maybe it is these sessions that are helping such artists and traditional art forms survive. I asked Sukumaran’s companion how much they would get paid for this session, and he said: “I don’t know. We don’t ask for money—we just accept what they give.”
Leaving you with some photos I took of the makeup session.
