Bridges of Peace: A Journey Through Kerala

Hosting a guest is always a joy, especially when it’s someone visiting our small village in Kollam, Kerala, for the first time. We recently welcomed Laura di Pofi, a high school teacher from Italy. One evening, Laura joined us for dinner. I often talk about Kerala’s beauty, but this time I could show her its charm firsthand.

We began our journey at Malamel Rock (Ambalappara), where the serene Sankaranarayana Temple rests atop a giant rock in Kollam. Surrounded by stillness and nature, the place offered a quiet, almost spiritual pause. The next day, we took her to Kundara, where we admired the calmness and beauty of Lake and the view of Kuthiramunampu before setting out on a boat ride through the enchanting backwaters of Munroe Island. In just an hour, the mangroves unfolded their stories of breathtaking beauty and resilience, as the community adapts to the rising waters brought on by climate change. On our way back, we carried with us memories and reflections, filling the evening with laughter and the joy of new flavours shared across cultures.

This was not just a travel experience; it was a spiritual and cultural journey. Laura learned about Kerala’s Catholic and Hindu traditions and the authentic life of our community, and now she can read Malayalam, our regional language, and experience how communities here live in peaceful coexistence.

As someone passionate about peacebuilding, I believe travel can go beyond sightseeing. It can create bridges of culture, not divisions. I experienced how easily a new person can connect to a culture so different from their own with openness, learning, and joy.

If you are a peacebuilder, educator, or seeker of harmony, I invite you to Kerala to explore the way of life and peaceful co-existence. Here, you will find nature, tradition, and people coexist in harmony, offering timeless lessons for the world.

Let’s continue building bridges of peace across the world.