Women in Kulashekharamangalam take up evening paddling, turning canal into community space

Kulashekharamangalam, Maravanthuruth: As summer heat drives most people indoors, a group of women in Kulashekharamangalam village is heading to the water.

N.G. Indira, a 63-year-old communicative English trainer, has added a new morning routine this summer. She heads to Arivalthodu, the canal that winds through her village, for a paddling session. At one of the ghats opening onto the scenic waterway, Indira joins other women from the village, including a Class X student. By evening, after finishing the day’s chores, the women return once again, their oars slicing through the water for another round.

The canal links two tributaries of the Muvattupuzha River and has become a daily meeting point. For Indira and the group, the paddling sessions offer both exercise and community, turning the Arivalthodu into more than just a waterway.