Knead away the stress and rejuvenate your body and mind with the famed Kalari massage at the Divya Spa at The Leela Kovalam.

If the picturesque sight of palm leaves swaying in the sea breeze, sea waves continuously lapping up the sandy beaches, fishing boats bobbing in the sea and the invigorating smell of cardamom and bursting jackfruits aren’t heady enough, I am introduced to the wonders of traditional Kalari massage by the Divya Spa manager Sunil Raj. K at The Leela Kovalam. His advice: “It’s surely going to work wonders on professionals like you who have erratic working hours and are under constant stress.” Sounds apt as I make my through the Zen-like spa interiors and into a corner room with two young girls greeting me with folded hands and a smile. They are my masseuse, I am told. A tastefully done up room with diffused spotlights, stone flooring and a peeping view of the sea greets me. However, it has sparse interiors comprising a wooden bed (without legs) lying on the ground and a jute rope hanging above it, quite unlike the usual, soft linen covered bed and flower-filled copper vessel seen in most spa rooms. Reading my flummoxed look, the masseuse explains: “It’s our spa’s signature massage and this is how it’s done in the traditional way.” So, it’s different from the luxurious confines of the other seven rooms that make up the Divya Spa.

I lie down on the wooden bed that has been covered with a sheet of soft towel and the trained duo go about dabbing my body with copious amount of sesame oil before beginning to massage every frayed nerve with their nimble feet. Yes, that’s the USP of Kalari in which the entire body is massaged by the masseuse using her foot. Traditionally, this form of massage is applied on the exponents of Kerala’s martial arts i.e. Kalaripayattu who need it to sharpen their reflexes, make their body flexible and agile. 

However, it’s rejuvenating and healing properties has made it find its way into luxury spas as well. As the adept feet of the duo go about applying the right pressure on my body, kneading away every iota of stress and ache that was lying bottled up, I suddenly begin to wake up to the wondrous effects of this massage and feel the stress melting away and the body seeming lighter. As I lie down with my back facing upwards, I feel their magical foot work stimulating every marma or vital energy points of the body, be it my spine, shoulders or feet, even as they steadily hold on to the suspended rope for support. Such is their synchronised movement that I am left wondering how.

As their therapy takes over, I slip into a deep trance. My blissful hour-long sleep during this 90-minute treatment is cut short when one of them taps my palm and wakes me up to undertake the ritualistic post-treatment shower. This includes scrubbing the body with green moong dal paste to remove the extra oil and add a glow to the already visibly glowing skin.

I am loving it.

Ready Reckoner:

The Divya Spa is spread over 8,000 sq. ft. and is equipped with eight treatment rooms to cater to both guests staying at The Leela Kovalam and visitors coming to Kovalam.

It offers a range of traditional Ayurvedic treatments – the Netra Tharpanam i.e. warm, medicated ghee eye bath to relieve eye strain and strengthen the optic nerves, the Abhyanga Snana or body massage, the signature Kalari massage and Shirodhara, to name a few.

Rejuvenating and detoxification packages are available for 7, 14 and 21 days.

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Clockwise from top: Zaha Hadid’s Moon System sofa, Shibuya vases by Christophe Pillet, Giò Ponti superleggera chair, rotating disc shelf by Nendo

The furniture capital of the world – Milan beckons you to take the first flight and make those beautiful adornments a part of your home.

How about a set of classic Giò Ponti superleggera (superlight) chair? Or, Zaha Hadid’s Moon System sofa. Or, an Edward chair along with an Equipe low side table by Giorgio Armani. Be it designer brands, quirky fittings or home décor items, if you’re looking to buy furniture for your home, Milan is the place to go to.

After all, where else would you find the famed Phillip Starck 24-light chandeliers, rotating disc shelf by Nendo, Shibuya vases by Christophe Pillet, lamps by Andrea Branzi or, the mix-n-match marbles by Patricia Urquiola, all on one stretch of a street.

It is in the streets around the Duomo – via Durini, via Manzoni and via Cerva, hailed as the haven for fashion, that you will find more square feet of furniture shops and homeware showrooms than anywhere else in the world. Artistic designs, high-end furniture brands, out-of-the-box pieces vie for space along side utilitarian goods and home décor items.

If a store like De Padova is known for its cutting-edge and contemporary furniture, Dilmos has products designed by Starck and Pesce to its credit; Studio 1950 has antique and modern objects on display, Alessi has kitchenware and fantastic gadgets as its USP while Cassina is a contemporary furnishing haven.

Milan is the city where designers showcase their work of art, some hunt for new ideas, budding talents display their aesthetic bent and manufacturers wait to strike a deal with those whose works have a winning edge.

Apart from shopping at these cluster of showrooms and standalone stores during your visit to Milan, if you’re a serious buyer and want a furniture that ranges from being high on fashion, a work of art or a made-to-order piece and pocket friendly, the Milan Furniture Fair or the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, as it is called in Italian, is the address you need to knock at.

Come April and the city of Milan becomes a hotspot for thousands of architects, textile, furniture and interior designers, manufacturers and buyers, all swarming the Feria Milano complex to visit this popular design fair.

You name it and they all come here. Prolific interior architect and designer Karim Rashid, product and interior designer Philippe Starck, industrial designer Tom Dixon, Rosita Missoni of Missoni Home, furniture designer Jefffrey Bernett… the list is endless. After all, it is the Mecca of design and the biggest event on every international design industry’s calendar.

This 52-year-old expo is the largest event of its kind in the world — with nearly 300,000 visitors and 2,500 design companies from 150 countries making it their home during the six day event.

The Salone is not just a trade show but a showcase for interiors. It has big names displaying their latest collections, emerging designers showcasing their independent projects, buyers floored by the choices on offer and art aficionados raving about the trend-setting designs that are set to rule the year ahead. A case in point being the Milan Furniture Fair 2013 that had Swiss furniture company Vitra display its iconic Prouvé Standard chair in black plastic; Japanese studio Nendo revealed its patchwork-style glass lights for Czech house Lasvit along with an installation of tables for Israeli quartz manufacturers Caesarstone, while Armani Casa came up with a banana-tree fibre coiffeuse to highlight the use of sustainable materials as the way forward.

Viva il Milan!

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