Dreams on Meadows

A view from the Watchtower at the place

Nestled in the lap of nature, Mango Meadows at Kaduthuruthy in Kerala offers a unique experience with its glimpses into the traditional plants and agricultural practices of the state. It is branded as “Agriculture theme park.” Like most contemporary ads, it seeks to rope in children with the professed intention of making them familiar with varieties of plants that are on the verge of extinction.

It is a commercial venture, however. Like all commercial ventures, it has to keep on modifying the professed goals and objectives if it has to be commercially viable, let alone successful. The entrepreneur behind this venture must be a dreamer. I’m glad he created the Garden of Eden too in the little available area. He has brought as many species of fruit trees as possible in a little space. They are all hybrid plants, however. New Gen plants for the New Gen children.

But no children were found appreciating any of that. Who expects children to walk through a foot-wide path to see bushy specimens of lab-manufactured fruit trees struggling to grow in a congested crowd like an ugly mass in a political rally? No, the entrepreneur behind this is not a poetic dreamer. He is a corporate dreamer. The corporate style is palpably visible in the Meadows without meadows.

There are no meadows in Mango Meadows. There are just commercial stalls with nice labels and nicer exhortations. It is better to forget the theme and enjoy what the commerce offers: cycling and boating, shooting and archery, swimming or relaxing in the cosy niches.

This is a new venture. I’m sure the creator of this is still struggling with an identity crisis that is torn between tradition and modernity, between agriculture and technology.

I found my enjoyment in cycling. I went around cycling most of the time on the tessellated paths that wind through the entire complex which has a pristine look in spite of the modernity that is lingering in every corner waiting for the opportunity to pounce like a predator.

The place lies between Kottayam and Ernakulam (about 40 km from each place). If you have your own vehicle, it is accessible and the road leading to it is very rural and narrow. If you are looking for a tourist place with a difference, Mango Meadows is quite advisable. It provides accommodation too though at a very high price. Much of it is still under construction and so the accommodation part right now is not recommended. The staff are very professional and hence you will get good services, as good as they can get in a place that is struggling to grow up into gigantic though impractical dream.