26 March,2024 09:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
St Francis Church, Fort Kochi; (right) the tombstone where Vasco da Gama was buried after his death on December 24, 1524 and rested there until his remains were removed to Portugal 14 years later
It's tempting for this writer to bypass any new book that celebrates God's Own Country out of fascination for the narrow strip of land that kisses the Arabian Sea on one side, and is blessed by the Western Ghats on the other. But this habit at times, has cost her dear, given the predictable tone and template found in a slew of recent glossy, hastily-researched armchair travelogue titles (courtesy: the âinfluencer/content creator' demigods) that are now becoming the norm rather than exception.
It is why seasoned journalist Binoo K John's The Curry Coast comes as a refreshing departure from all of the above that we've experienced by virtue of having to play fair reviewer on the job. The tagline of the book reads: Travels in Malabar 500 Years after Vasco da Gama, and it lives up to the statement. This revised and updated version is a delight for any reader keen to rediscover the fine craft of research-backed stories that have their roots in the origins and histories of the land. John takes us through the locations that the Portuguese conqueror had set foot on. But it doesn't end there. He mixes up his findings after chatting with local residents and researchers, and in the process cooks up an aromatic stew by piecing the past with the present.
A view of the promenade at Fort Kochi overlooking the natural harbour. The area is believed to be one of the earliest European settlements in India
From Quilon's importance as the pepper hub, to Kotakkal's tryst with Ayurveda, how Mahe fits into the scheme of things, and to Fort Kochi's almost-fantastical love affair with visitors from the sea, he hasn't taken any shortcuts. On the contrary, he was pored over historic records and traveller's accounts, trudging the length and breadth of the coastline to gel it with present-day complexities. The end result? A deep-dive into history with a reality check on today's Kerala along this historic stretch that was once on da Gama's radar. Some of our favourite sections include his interweaving of culinary gems and socio-
cultural anecdotes.
To round things off, John makes a trip to Goa, the seat of Portuguese power on the Subcontinent until the liberation of the tiny region. This joining-of-the-dots travelogue gets our vote because of its dedication to facts and episodic detailing told by key voices with reflections on forgotten places. It's an honest, rigorous attempt to showcase Kerala that misses the eye of the rushed writer.
