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Kerala, it is said, was reclaimed
from the seas by Parasurama, the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu,
by throwing his battle axe across
the length of what is now the land of the "green magic", "Gods own
country" and the "green symphony". The sheer beauty of this
place is indeed worth a closer look !
From the sun kissed beaches on the Arabian
Sea to the heights of the Western ghats, or the awe inspiring temples
or the fascinating forests and abundant wildlife, the friendly people
, or their excellent culinary feats, the languorous trip down the
backwaters, or the invigorating Ayurvedic massagesKerala has much
to offer the tourist.
The State stretches along a narrow corridor
from Kovalam in the South to Kasargod in the North. So come discover
Kerala, and find out about what makes this place one of the most favoured
destinations by travel writers all across the globe. |
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| The Place: Stretches from the sea to
the hills of Western Ghats on the Eastern boundary of the state. Good
monsoon rains during June to September. |
| People: Highly educated and
literate population. Mainly rural and agrarian economy. |
| Religions: The Hindus form the
majority ( more than 50%), followed by the Muslims ( 25%) and Christians
of many denominations (Syrian Christians and Latin Catholics), form
around 23% of the population. |
Politics: Kerala is politically
highly evolved. A Communist-led government now rules Kerala. The main
opposition party, the Congress led United Democratic Front, is
at the other end of the political spectrum. This two-party system
has ensured some degree of political stability to this state.
When To Visit:
The proximity  to the equator
means Keralas climate is hot and being a coastal state ensures a
humid climate as well. But the breeze from the Lakshadweep sea
ensures that the temperatures are kept to a manageable low 30s throughout
the year. The months of November to March are most agreeable
and for this reason is the accepted " tourist season".
The monsoon months beginning June breaks the season
of heat and humidity- the Southwest monsoons from June to September
and followed shortly thereafter by the North East Monsoon till end
November. But there are takers for this "monsoon" season also a
recent phenomenon- not easy but certainly rewarding ! |
Art & Culture: Highly
evolved art forms, centred around the temples evolved here.
Dance forms like Kathakali, mohiniattam, kalaripayattu etc..
are exclusive to this state. The temples have remained central
to people's lives and temple festivals are a riot of colours,
sounds and various art forms. |
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| Ayurveda: Kerala's Ayurveda
has evolved differently from their versions further North, especially
the rejuvenation therapies which are famed the world over.
Though the theory of Ayurveda remains same, Kerala has experimented
successfully in the different modes of treatments, and different
from those in other parts of the country. These treatments are used
extensively in the treatment of severe chronic diseases like rheumatoid
arthritis, paralysis, facial palsy, motor neuron disease, spondilitis,
acute infective poly neurosis, various spinal problems and gastric
disorders.
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| Backwaters
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Local folklore has it that
Kerala was "reclaimed" from the seas by the warrior sage Parasuraman
by a throw of his battle-axe. Whatever the truth behind the legend,
the fact remains that Kerala is a land with a huge necklace of canals,
lagoons, lakes and rivers. These water bodies are loosely known
in the local parlance as the backwaters. This peculiar landscape
has had a distinct impact on the lifestyle of the people who live
along the banks of these backwaters.
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| Kerala uniqueness lies in
its backwaters found nowhere else in the world. They form a beautiful
and economically viable feature of Kerala. The 41 West-flowing rivers
of Kerala form a backbone to this magnificent gift of nature. In the
olden days, this water highway stretched from the South of Kerala
right up to the Northernmost part of the state. But siltation has
closed many of these waterways now. There is an ongoing project to
reopen the old waterways, especially for the tourism industry.
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The backwaters are a gateway
for  the visitor to see first hand the unhurried village life
of rural Kerala. The life is tough and traditional work is highly
labour intensive. Here one meets the people engaged in country boat
building, prawn cultivation, sand mining, coir manufacture, limestone
collection (by divers who are specialists in this field), rice farming
and duck rearing. Such unhurried life holds a certain fascination
for the visitor to these places.
It is small wonder then,
that this place is also a strong magnet for the millions of tourists
who come here from all over the globe to encounter the unbelievable
beauty of the place and the life of the millions besides these backwaters.
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The journey begins at Alleppey because of its large network of canals. The journey
winds through the small canals out into the Vembanad Lake. This
place is also called Kuttanad, once the rice bowl of Kerala.
Interestingly, this place is one of the few places below sea
level. Using a clever system of dykes and bunds, cultivation
of paddy goes on. To increase the yield, the government had
come up with an innovative idea to stop the inflow of seawater
the Thaneermukam bund. This over the years has impeded the
free flow of water into and outside Kuttanad, leading to quite
an ecological problem. Life around these parts revolve around
these environmental issues today. |
One beautiful backwater
holiday destination is Kumarakom, which was "discovered" barely a decade ago. The
lagoon here, with its spectacular view and fringed by coconut groves,
has been featured in travel books all over the world. A 14-acre
bird sanctuary adds to the natural beauty of Kumarakom. Water ducks,
cuckoos, Siberian storks etc are regular visitors here. Years ago,
an Englishman Henry Baker had constructed his bungalow here. This
has now been taken over and converted to heritage hotel by the Taj
group and is one of the finest around. Not far from here is another
heritage resort Coconut Lagoon also rated as one of the finest
anywhere in the world by travel writers.
And not surprisingly, the
entrepreneurs among the people here have introduced a spruced up
version of the "kettuvallam" (covered canoes) with all the
modern trappings of luxury. These "houseboats", are a world
apart and unique to this region. These regal house boats run by
private tour operators do not come cheap, but the experience  will leave one
with a true sense of the wonder that is Kerala.
Back to the backwater cruise. You could
go to Kollam through
a maze of rivers, and myriad lagoons. The last part
of the trip is through the Kayamkulam Lake and then to the Ashtamudi
Lake in all its pristine glory. Or you could go the other way around
and go to Kochi, the
commercial Capital of Kerala. This trip is also through a maze of
inter connected waterways, lagoons, and lakes.
In the monsoon months,
these backwaters reverberate with the sound of the traditional snake
boat races, featuring the 130 feet long Chundan boats. It is believed
that these boats were designed for ancient Naval battles fought
in these backwaters. Local chieftains of the then kingdoms of Vadakkumkoor
(Northern Kingdom), Thekkumkoor (Southern Kingdom) and Chempakassery
all maintained their chundan boats. Today these are still being
used in another "battle", when up to 16 of them, with over a hundred
rowers each, vie for top honours on the day of the races. The most
important of these races is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the
second Saturday of August.
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| Besides these backwaters
of central Kerala, there are also other water bodies elsewhere. They
are Veli (in South Kerala), Kadinamkulam, Edava, Anjengo, Madayara,
Peravur, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Kodungalur, Chetuva and Valiyaparamba
(in North Kerala).
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Beaches
| Kerala has long stretches
of good beaches for those interested in the sun. Most of it
is still undeveloped and in a pristine state, giving a chance
to the wanderer the chance to enjoy these stretches in relative
peace. |
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Varkala, some 40
kms to the North is more laid back and is now the current
destination for the international traveller. Varkala is essentially
a temple town with a beautiful beach. The Janardhana Temple
is the centre of the towns life. There are several legends
regarding the temple that the seas engulfed it and a Pandyan
king later rebuilt the temple in all its glory.
Monsoons wreak havoc on the beach
but the beach reappears around November. The beaches are good
for sunbathing and a swim, though caution is advised. The
tourist facilities are adequate and it is easy to find many
budget hotels, yoga centres and Ayurvedic massage centres.
One can also go around the backwaters for the day, or just
laze in the sun.
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| Further South, beaches near
Alapuzha are increasingly being seen as popular getaways. The Marari
Beach resort at Mararikulam near Alapuzha is situated right on the
beach here and is finding favour with the discerning global traveller.
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| The beaches to the North
are beautiful, unspoiled and not too crowded. The districts of Kannur and
Kasargod have many miles of unbroken silvery beaches.
Some of these have been developed into resorts, but the vast majority
is still there for the intrepid traveller interested in some solitude.
The Bekal Fort
beach is being developed as a tourism destination. Long palm fringed
coastline with rocky headlands make up this area. |
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| The elephant is the symbol
of the Government of Kerala, symbolising the links that this magnificent
animal and its habitat has with the people of this land. The forests
have been closely associated with the customs, traditions and social
life of Kerala for centuries. The forests in Kerala are indeed some
of the most magnificent and varied found anywhere in the world. |
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The Western Ghats, the natural
mountain
barriers of Kerala, bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are home
to the majority of Keralas forests and wildlife. Not long ago,
these forests made a contiguous path for animal migration. But the
unrestricted migration of vast populations from the plains in search
of cultivable lands during the 50s and 60s saw the alarming denudation
of the forest cover and along with it the destruction of wildlife.
Where once the elephants roamed free are now farmlands and this
has invariably lead to encounters with disastrous results. There
is now a ray of hope with the environmental movement getting an
upper hand to stop the plunder of these forests. The Wildlife Sanctuaries
of Kerala now are the only protected enclaves for the wildlife and
the exceptionally good management of some of these is cause for
hope and optimism.
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