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KERALA AT A GLANCE 
Kerala, the land of green magic, is a narrow, fertile strip
on the south - west coast of India,sandwitched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western
Ghats. The landscape is dominated by rice fields, mango and cashewnut trees and coconut
palms. Christianity has been in Kerala for as long as the period of Christ's apostles. The
present-day state of Kerala was created in 1956 from Travancore, Kochi and Malabar.
Malabar was formerly part of Madras state. Kerala is one of the most progressive, literate
and highly educated states of India. For the visitors Kerala offers an intriguing blend of
cultures and some unusual ways of travelling around. It offers some of the best and most
picturesque beaches in India.
Kerala is the southern most state of India having the city of Thiruvananthapuram as its
capital. It shares it's boundaries with Karnataka in the north and Tamil Nadu in the east,
It is hugged by the Arabian Sea in the west.
In this entrancing place where the land rises from the coast
to end up in the misty hills of the western ghats covered with dense tropical forests, the
landscape is dominated by rice fields, coffee, rubber and tea plantations all dotted with
coconut palms, where time stands still for a visitor with the silence of the clear skies
breached only by the cry of the wild.There is so much that is unique to Kerala that the
only way to experience its natural beauty, history and culture is through traveling in the
state and discovering a new facet every day.
Malayalam :
Malayalam (/malayALam/) is the principal language of the South Indian state of Kerala and also of the Lakshadweep Islands (Laccadives) of the west coast of India. Malayalis (speakers of Malayalam), who - males and females alike - are almost totally literate, constitute 4 percent of the population of India and 96 percent of the population of Kerala (29.01 million in 1991). In terms of the number of speakers Malayalam ranks eighth among the fifteen major languages of India. The word /malayALam/ originally meant mountainous country) (/mala/- mountain + /aLam/-place). Tamil is its neighbor on the south and east and Kannada on the north and east. Emergence of the Language With Tamil, Kota, Kodagu and Kannada, Malayalam belongs to the southern group of Dravidian languages. Its affinity to Tamil is the most striking. Proto-Tamil Malayalam, the common stock of Tamil and Malayalam apparently disintegrated over a period of four of five centuries from the ninth century on, resulting in the emergence of Malayalam as a language distinct from Tamil. As the language of scholarship and administration Tamil greatly influenced the early development of Malayalam. Later the irresistable inroads the Brahmins made into the cultural life of Kerala accelerated the assimilation of many Indo-Aryan features into Malayalam at different levels.
Travel Destinations
Trivandrum | Thrissur | Kasargode | Cochin | Alleppey | Kovalam | Kottayam | Cranganore | Peernade & Thekaddy | Quilon | Silent valley
Trivandrum
Capital of Kerala, near to Kanyakumari , is built on a series of hills that gradually descends to the sea. Trivandrum as a city has much to offer. The Padmanabhaswamy temple; the Napier museum with a fine collection of bronzes; the Oriental manuscript Library which preserves ancient palm leaf manuscripts; the Chitralayam Art Museum with its Indian and South East Asian collection. This city of seven hills which has the Napier Museum, a beautifully landscaped tourist village with water sports at Veli, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is over a thousand years old, Shangumughom Beach.... all keep you occupied throughout. The Kawadiyar palace,the museum,the zoo, the chitralayam with a large collection of paintings, the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the Acquiarium are the main attractions of the city. Ponmudi,56 km from Thiruvananthapuram is a pleasant hill resort.
Kasargode
is known for its Malik Deenar Mosque of the eighth century.Kovalam, 13 Kms south of Thiruvananthapuram, is a beautiful beach resort gifted with a bathing bay.Bakel
between Kasargod and Hosdurg has an old fort built by Sivappa Nayaka of Bednore in the 17th century.
Cochin
Kochi(cochin),and the region ground Kochi, the city of natural charms is a harmonious blend of history, art and culture Its blue lagoons sparking in the sun, tiny wooded islands and shady canals make the tourist feel the soft and soothing touch of nature.The main tourist spots are Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Willingdon Island, Bolghatty Island, Gundu Island, Eranakulam and Tripunithura.This palm-green commercial city of Kerala is one of the finest natural harbours in the world from where ships set sail for foreign ports with different products of Kerala, like pepper, seafood, rubber and coir. Across the bridge into the old city, there are bastions and streets built by the Portuguese over 500 years ago. It was here in St. Francis Church that the body of Vasco da Gama was originally buried. The enormous fishing nets on the sea front of Cochin provide a charming view. A fast growing city in South India which has a 400 years old Jewish synagogue and other sights that blend harmoniously with the basic thread of Kerala's rich heritage.Athirappally Vazhachal water fall, 77Kms from Kochi, these water falls present an enchanting sight, good picnic spot. Fort Kochi is considered to be the oldest European settlement in India. The Santa Cruz Basilica, also at Fort Kochi, has many beautiful frescos. Mattanchery with a jewish community, limited in number by now, has a synagogue built in 1568. The clock tower, painted Chinese tiles, and scrolls of Old Testament and the Copper plates are the attractions of the Synagogue.
Willingdon Island, made by dredging up soil from the lake under the master plan of the British Engineer Lord Willingdon looks like a pleasant English village is occupied by the Kochi Harbour, some leading hotels , a few business houses and the Government of India Tourism Office.The Hill Palace of Tripunithura is worth seeing. City buses are available from Ernakulam. Chottanikkara Temple is not far from Tripunithura.City buses are available. Kalady the birth Sree Sankara, lies 52 Kilometers north east off Kochi (via Aluva). A Keerthisthambha is built here a few years ago to cherish the memory of Sri Sankara.
Alleppey
Pick up doormats bright enough to be framed. Capture the untouched magic of the narrow, shaded streets. See the wharf markets where boats off load rice, green coconuts, red chilies, and fat rough skinned jack fruit. Cruise on the myriad waterways or on the shallow lake, scene of the great annual boat race. Drive along the canal backwaters across the Vembanad Lake, 777 sq. km in extent, after the monsoons.
Kovalam
13 Kms south of Thiruvananthapuram, is a beautiful beach resort gifted with a bathing bay.Top
Kozhikode(calicut)
Is on the malabar coast is a historic city with an ancient trade connections with the Middle east. Kallai, near Kozhikode is Asia's largest timber trading centre.Top
Kottayam
is a verdant landscape famous for literature, lake and lagoons. Kumarakom, near Kottayam is a lake resort full of splendid view pointsTop
Kodungallur
The ancient Alexandrian port of Muziris, now Kodungallur( Cranganore) , is where the Romans built a temple to Augustus in the first century. Cruise along the backwaters from Cochin for a pleasant three hours, passing through green and rural Kerala. See the ancient Tiruvanchikulam and Bhagawati temples, the Portugese Fort, and tiled mosque believed to be the first in India and shaped like a Hindu temple. Also domed white, modern Syrian Catholic Church surmounted by a double armed patriarchal cross. lying at a distance of 32 Kms from Kochi, was an International harbour in the olden times. The Cheraman parambu, the Portuguese Fort, the Thiruvanchikulam temple, the Bhagavathi temple, the oldest mosque in India and the St. Thomas church at Kottapuram are spots worthy of visit.Top
Peermade & Thekkady
Hill resort with tea gardens on way to Thekkady. Peaceful, cool and away-from-it-all place. Have a round of golf at Peermade Club, a few kilometers off the main road. Thekkady about 192 km from kochi is a wildlife sanctuary set around the a vast lake with a pleasant back drop of hilly that envelope the lake is the homing ground of wild elephants, bison, leopards, tigers and many other species. A boat cruise in the lake would bring you eye to eye with these animals. The many guest houses here provide you luxurious way of enjoying the jungle wildness in a restful atmosphere.There are the facilities for boating and fishing too. Season:Dec-AprTop
Quilon
The cashew town of Kerala. Relax in the tourist bungalow, former palace of the British Resident on the shore of the great Ashtamudi Lake. Extensive grounds, age-darkened regal furniture, an atmosphere of old times. Pick up Chinese pottery shards from the beach. Visit a cashew factory. Stand on Neendakara bridge, about 16 km from Quilon with backwaters stretching before you. Step into a scheduled boat and make the 9-hour trip through the most picturesque backwaters in the world to Alleppey. The beaches and the backwaters with a 9 hour boat trip to Alleppey are the major attractions.
Top
Silent Valley
Among the world's last surviving rain forests. Famous for orchids and
home to many endangered flora and fauna. 16 kms from Calicut, prior permission is required
to enter.
Other Attractions Beaches
Sanctuaries Hill Stations
Spice Plantations Flora &
Fauna Festivals
Beaches
Kovalam,Shangumugham,Papanasham(Varkala),Thirumullavarm,Allappey,Cherai, Kappad and Bekal
are some of the beaches.
Kovalam : Among the three beaches here, the Eve's beach is the most beautiful in
India. Surfing, swimming, speed boating, Ayurvedic massages etc. are prime attractions at
this resort. Varkala : This beautiful expanse of beach is flanked by thousands of
palm trees and fertile paddy fields. Alleppey : Rightly called the Venice of the
East, Alleppey is a maze of canals and backwaters. The spectacular beach here has dense
palm grooves at one end, and an ancient towering light house at the other. Top
Wildlife Sanctuaries
Periyar Wildlife sanctuary (Thekkady):about 192 km from kochi is a wildlife sanctuary set
around the a vast lake with a pleasent back drop of hilly greenery.The thick that envelope
the lake is the homing ground of wild elephants,bisons,leopards,tigers and many other
species.A boat cruise in the lake would bring you eye to eye with these animals. The many
guest houses here provide you luxurious way of enjoying the jungle wildness in a restful
atmosphere.There are the facilities for boating and fishing too. Top
Season:Dec-Apr
Hill Stations
Ponmudi, Peermade,Thekkady,Munnar and Devikulam are some of the Hill Stations.
Munnar : Rolling tea plantations, trekking tracks and breathtaking waterfalls. All
cushioned in a green paradise 1800 m above the sea level, 160 kms from Calicut. Devikulam
: This serene hill station is 16 kms south west of Munnar. Velvet lawns and rare fauna
and flora make Devikulam a nature lover's retreat. Ponmudi : Trekking.... bird
watching.... picnicking.... All a 1000 metres above the sea level. In the enchanting hill
resort of Ponmudi. The Golden Valley and Deer Park are other adjacent attractions. Top
Spice Plantations
Kerala is home to some of the world's finest spices. Pepper, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Ginger and
Turmeric are grown in hillside plantations. Idukki has an exclusive Spice Village. Spice
plantations dot the hillsides of Munnar, Devikulam, Ponmudi, Peerumade... Top
Flora & Fauna
Kerala is a botanist's delight. A wide variety of orchid, rare medicinal plants, the
world's largest teak and eucalyptus are a few attractions. Kerala is also home to
Neelakurinji, the unique plant that blooms only in 12 years. Medicinal herbs, abundant in
Kerala, are used in Ayurveda. Arogyapacha, a unique stamina giver had been a secret among
the tribal population till recently.
Kerala is home to a wide variety of birds and animals. The Periyar National Park has
tigers, a large elephant population and a wide variety birds. Eravikulam National Park is
the best place to see Nilgiri Tahr (Hermitragus hylocrius), the mountain goat of south
India. The Nilgiri Langur, the Lion tailed Macaque, Leopards and Tigers are other
attraction. The Ibex also has a very strong presence here.
Top
Festivals
Onam : Floral courtyard decorations, delicious feasts, snake boat races, a special
tourism week, cultural programmes and much more mark Onam, Kerala's most important four
day long festival. Thrissur Pooram : Dozens of caparisoned elephants, colourful
umbrellas atop them, thrilling drum beats and lakhs of people accompany Thrissur Pooram,
held every April. Nishagandhi Dance Festival : India's leading exponents of almost
all classical dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Mohiniyattam and Kathak perform
at the Nishagandhi open-air auditorium in Trivandrum. The dance festival is held every
year.
