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Welcome to the state of Kerala."Keralam"
means the land
of Coconut trees and is derived from the Sanskrit word Kera (Coconut
palms). "Ente Keralam" is just my view of this Green carpet of
Penisular India. Kerala is a beautiful state in the South-western tip of
India. This divine land stretches from the gigantic Western Ghats to the
Arabian Sea with its luscious tropical forests, paddy fields and 
evergreen
coconut grooves. The ever flowing rivers with its tributaries , the backwaters
and lagoons are indeed a sight of this 'God's Own Country' Kerala, rich in
spices is also a land of colourful avenue of rich culture, heritage and people.
Besides, Hinduism which was the predominant religion of Kerala and most
of the Indian subcontinent, Christianity, Islam and Judaism flourished. Kerala is
a state of exotic wildlife, ancient regiments, spectacular art forms, colourful
festivals, fascinating history, and a wealth of unique culture and traditions.
But
history states that when India became free, Kerala was made up of two princely
states, Travancore and Cochin, and Malabar which was under the direct
administration of the British. One of the first steps taken by independent India
was to amalgamate small states together so as to make them viable administrative
units. In pursuance of this policy the Travancore and Cochin states were
integrated to form Travancore Cochin State on 1st July, 1949. But Malabar
remained as part of the Madras Province. Under the States Re-organization Act of
1956, Travancore-cochin State and Malabar were united to form the State of
Kerala on 1st November, 1956. The state has a unicameral legislature. The
legislative assembly has 141 members and in the Indian parliament the state is
represented by its 20 members. The state is divided into 14 districts.
Kerala is a tropical paradise far from the tourist trail at the southern
Peninsular tip. With seductive beaches in quiet seclusion, flanked by cliff,
headland and palm. With the dream-like serenity of its enchanting backwater and
lagoons. With ancient temples and lovely palaces that make you forget the age
you are in. As does shopping for antiques, cashew and gold.
With nature cures and herbal messages that tone up your body, mind and soul. And
with thick evergreen reserves here wild color and wild life run riot.
Geographically Kerala is an exotic mixture of nature's very best.
The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram; formerly known as
Trivandrum. The main language is Malayalam; however English is widely written
and spoken in the state. It cover an area of about 38,864sq kms; which is 1.27per
cent of India's total land area. The currency is Indian Rupee and time is GMT
+5:30. Weather is Tropical.
Kasaragod - The Northern End
The northern most tip of Kerala, Kasargod
is known for it's coir and handloom industries. Grey rocks and barren land
amidst dense vegetation and calm lagoons, the place has an unique aura about it. The district Area is about 1992 sq km. The
district is bounded in the East by the Western Ghats, in the west by the Arabian
sea, in the north by South Kanara district of the Karnataka and the south by
Kannur district. The forest produces are Shegaibark, Sheakoy, Cardamom, Canes,
Fibres etc. Sambar, the fastest deer, is seen in some areas. Bekal
Fort is an important place of tourist interest in the district.
Kannur Kannur's
history abounds with the activities of colonial powers - The Portugese,French,
Dutch and the British. Today it is known for it's handloom and beedi (native
version of the cigarette) industries. The district Area is about 2966 sq
km.).Taliparambu is a temple that is said to date back to the 10th
century. For travelers there are two beaches, they are Payyambalam Beach
and Muzhappilangad Beach. Then comes the Thalassery Fort 20KM away
from Kannur was built on 20th august 1708.
Wynad The name Wynad has been
derived from the expression 'Vayal nadu' - the village of paddy
fields. This northern district, with it's rugged landscape and pastoral valleys,
pose a delightful challenge for hikers and nature lovers. Wynad's climate and
geography make it ideal for the cultivation of coffee, tea, pepper and rubber.
The district Area is about 2131 sqkm. When the state of Kerala was formed in
1956, Wynad was part of Kannur district. Later South Wynad was added to
Kozhikode district and then on November 1, 1980 North and South Wynad joined
together to form the present Wynad district. Trekking to the Chembra peak is
one of the risky tourist endeavours. Chembra peak is the highest peak in
Wynad at 2100m. above mean sea level. It is14 kms. west of Kalpetta. Trekking
to the top of this peak takes almost a day. Tourists can also stay one or two
days at the top of the peak in temporary camps. The Edakkal Caves are at
Ambukutty Mala. It is a pre-historic rock shelter formed naturally out of a
strange disposition of three huge boulders making one to rest on the other two
with its bottom jutting out in between and serving as the roof. Edakkal
literally means a stone in between.
Kozhikode (Calicut)  North of
Kerala lies the land, the legendary traveler Marco Polo described in A.D 1320
as "the great province of Malabar". After the 13th century, Kozhikode grew in
importance as a port and as the capital of the Samoothiri kings or Zamorins, as
they were called by the Portuguese. In fact some historians say, Calicut derives
it's name from the fortified palace ' koyil kotta ' built by a samoothiri ruler.
Calicut has also lent it's name to ' Calico ' - a fine hand
woven cloth said to have originated in this place. Kozhikode is an important
trading centre for timber,tiles and shopping ground for the famous delicacy -
kozhikode Halwa. Beypore, 11 km away is a ship buiding centre
famous for it's country crafts called 'uru'. Telicherry and Sultan
Battery, 98 km away are important trading centres. The city Area is about
30.61 sq km.Malappuram "Malappuram" - literally
meaning a terraced place atop hills, this district was carved out of the
dstricts of Kozhikode and Palakkad. It figured prominently in history during the
freedom struggle especially during the Mappilla revolts of malabar bvetween 1792
and 1921. Although Malappuram lags behind other districts in literacy and
education standards, it has contributed immensely to Kerala's cultural
traditions. It hs been a center for vedic learning and Ponnani for education
of Islamic philosophy. The father of Malayalam literature, Thunchath Ezhuthachan
and Vallathol narayana Menon, often called the poet laureate of Kerala was born
here.Among contemporary personages, the marxist political leader
E.M.S.Namboothiripad, was born at Elamkulam in Perinthalmanna, a
taluk(panchayath) of Malappuram district. The district area is about 3550
sqkm.
Four important rivers of Kerala, Chaliyar, Bharathapuzha, Kadalundipuzha and
Tirurpuzha flow through Malappuram district. Nilambur An extensive forest
area well known for it's bamboos. Itis home to the world's oldest teak
plantation known as 'Canolly's Plot'. The Famous Thirumanthankunnu temple is at
Angadipuram, near Perintalmanna. The 16th century poet Poonthanam was born at
Keezhattur. "Tirur" is a major business centre of Malappuram district.
Palakkad (Palghat) Close to the
Tamil Nadu border, Palakkad derives it's name from the Pala tree
(Alsteria Scholaris) and Kadu (forest). It is always called the Gateway
of Kerala. Palakkad lies at the foot of the gigantic Western ghats on the border
of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This district with mountains, forests and fertile
valleys, rivers and mountains streams are rich in flora and fauna. Palakkad is
known for its historical background and the remnants of Tippu Sulthan's Fort are
still maintained.  Bharathapuzha, kerala's longest river flows through it. Along
with Idukki, it is the only district not to have a sea coast. The land is fertile
and often called the granary of Kerala. Attapadi, an extensive mountain
valley, is populated mainly by tribals. Malampuzha, 14km away is the
site of a large irrigation dam as well as an amusement park. Parambikulam
Wildlife Sanctuary and Silent Valley National Park are two wildlife
reserves close to Palakkad. The district Area is about 4480 sqkm. Kunjan
Nambiar the most famous of all Malayalm poets and the founder of thullal , a
purely Kerala art form, was born in a small village in this district.
Kunnathurmedu Sreekrishna Temple is located at the heart
of the Palakkad Town. A beautiful Vigraha, (idol) depicting Sreekrishna as a
child is an attraction of this temple. The main festival of the temple is
Ashtami Rohini (Sreekrishna Jayanthi). It is the only Sreekrishna Temple
in Palakkad Town. Kalpathy Car Festival is based on vedic Tamil Brahmin
culture.The main centre of the festival is Kalpathy Sree Viswanathaswamy temple.
The three satellite temples in the village of new Kalpathy ,old Kalpathy and
Chathapuram also celebrate the festival this period.
Thrissur The name trichur is derived
from Tiru-siva-peroor, which means the city of Lord siva. The central
feature of this town is a Siva temple, locally known as Sri Vadakkumnathan
Temple. This spacious temple is built on a hill rock right at the centre of
the town.
Guruvayur, one of India's major hindu pilgrimage
centres lies 32 km from Thrissur. The Sree Krishna Temple, dedicated to lord
Krishna, is renowned for it's healing powers. Several offerings are made from
the simple 'archana' to the elaborate 'udayastamana' pooja or the 'thulabaram'
where the devotee is weighed against offerings of banana, jaggery, sugar or
coconuts. It is also the site for several weddings and 'annaprasanam' the first
feeding ceremony of a child. As in most Kerala temples, non-hindus are not
allowed entry. Near Guruvayur, 4km away, is Punnathur Kotta, the place
where the temple elephants (over 40) are taken care of . Visitors are allowed.
Cheruthuruthy, 29km north of Thrissur ,home to the renowned Kerala
Kalamandalam. This institution offers training in music, drama, and other
dance forms including Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Ottam Thullal.  The most spectacular festival here is 'Pooram' celebrated at the
Vadakkumnathan temple every year during April/May.During Onam, there is also the
annual 'Kandassamkadavu Boat Race'. Kerala's grandest temple paegentry, which
includes colourful processions of caparisoned elephants and a midnight fireworks
display can be witnessed from the crowded streets of Trichur. During Onam, there
is also the annual 'Kandassamkadavu Boat Race'. The town Area is about 25
sqkm.
Idukki This district's name is
suposed to have been derived from the malayalam word ' Idukku' meaning a narrow
gorge. About 1500 sq ft of it's area is rserved forest, much of which is home to
a variety of flora and fauna. For the people of Kerala, Idukki is always
associated with power generation, since 60% of the state's power needs come from
the hydroelectric power station at Moolamattom. The district area is about 5019
sqkm.
 Idukki Arch Dam is world's second and
Asia's first Arch Dam constructed across the Kuravan & Kurathi hills. It is
650 ft in breadth and 550 ft in height and this lies close to the much smaller
Cheruthoni barrage. To the west is the Kulamavu Dam. The underground Power House
at Moolamattam is another attraction. 
"Thekkady" the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, lies 60 km away
from Idukki, 190 km from Kochi. The sancuary is the natural habitat of
elephants, deer, bison and wild boar. It is also a tiger reserve. It is India's
largest Sanctuary covering over 750sq km of forests. There are oppoptunities for
trekking, elephant rides and boating.It is expected to be declared as a bird
Sanctuary in the near future with 246 types of native birds and 40 varieties of
migratory flock. The Thekkady sanctuary is one of the best in the country for
watching and photographing wild life. Thekkadi is almost on the border with
state of Tamil Nadu State.
 "Munnar" a
beautiful, peaceful hill station covered with tea plantations, 133 km from
Kochi. 17 km from Munnar lies the Eravikulam National Park. It can be reached
only through trekking. In this area can be found the Nilgiris tahr, an
endangered species.Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic,
cardamom, vannilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is
cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages. "Peermade" 43 km
before Thekkady, lies the former summer palace of the Travancore maharajas. This
cool and tiny hill station is full of rubber, tea and spice plantations.
Kochi The commercial capital of
Kerala and the most cosmopolitan. Located strategically on the east-west route,
it is also Kerala's major port. Centuries ago, traders and sea farers from the
Middle east, Persia, China, Portugal and Holland visited Kochi to trade in
spices, rubber, coir and seafood. Most of the city's commercial centres and
shops are located in the mainland, the town called Ernakulam, which also lends
it's name to the district. Tiny islands can be found in the backwaters that
extend east and south of the harbour. Among these are Vypeen, Ramanathuruth,
Vallarpadam, Bolghatty and Gundu.Cochin is the first district in India to
obtain one hundred percent literacy. 
Fort Kochi
is the site of the St.Francis Church, built in 1510 by five Portugese
priests who arrived with Albuquerque. Said to be the oldest European Church in
India, it was the original burial site of Vasco-Da-Gama.The Clock on this Church
was erected in the year 1923 in memory of HAL HARRISON JONES, a former managing
director of Aspinwal. A few memorial brass plates and marble slabs were erected
in the memories of very important persons who had contributed their own lives to
this Church and the Society. The present furniture were installed when it was
under the Anglican order of worship. Now the Church is owned by the Church of
South India (CSI).
"Sree Rajeswari Temple the unique character of
this renowned temple is that the Goddess is worshipped as saraswati in the
morning, Bhadrakali at noon and Dugra in the evening. This temple having the
reputation as a place of redemption from evil spirits, has a temple pond known
as Rakthakulam, a dip in which is believed to remove the evil spirits from
possessed individuals.
Kottayam Kottayam is the land of
letters,latex,lakes.This historical town derives it's name from the
malayalam word "kottayakam" - meaning "Within the fort". 12 km
west of Kottayam, on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, lies a small village -
Kumarakom, a captivating bird sanctuary known for it's local varieties like the
water fowl,cuckoo and migratory birds like the Siberian Stork. Kottayam is also
an important commercial centre thanks to it's plantations of rubber, tea, coffee
and pepper. The district Area is about 2203 sqkm. History says that the present
district of Kottayam was previously a part of erstwhile princely state of
Travancore. Earlier, the Travancore state consisted of two revenue divisions
viz., the Southern and the Northern division, under the administrative control
of Divan Peshkar for each. Later, in 1868, two more divisions, Quilon and
Kottayam, were constituted. The fifth division - Devikulam, came next but for a
short period, which in course of time, was added to Kottayam.  Kottayam is proof of the cultural and religious plurality
of Kerala. It serves as the headquarters of several ecclestiastical heads of
christian churches like those of the Syrian Christian Community. It houses
several ancient churces like Puthenpally, Valiapally-(1550 A.D),
Cheriapally(1579 A.D) and St.Mary's Church, Manarcad (1585). Bharananganam
is another important christian pilgrimage centre. It houses the mortal remains
of Sister Alphonsa (1916-1946). Situated in the heart of Kottayam town is the
picturesque Thirunakkara Mahadeva Siva Temple.Ettumanoor,13 km away is famous
for it's legendary 16th century Shiva Temple.Agriculture forms the livelihood of
the majority in the district. It is also the main factor influencing the
economy. Food crops as well as cash crops are cultivated here. Rubber is
the major cash crop. It is grown in 1.07 lakh hectares; the largest area under
Rubber cultivation in the state and its production is going up gradually. It was
the first town in Kerala to achieve total literacy in India.
Allapuzha Alappuzha, a centre for
coir and carpet industries is an ideal headquarters for backwater touring. The
large network of canals provide Alleppey its lifeline. It has a long sandy beach
which is spectacular. At one end are the dense palm groves that are so
characteristic of Kerala's landscape.Interlocked with a large number of canals
and bridges, this waterlocked district has immense potential for backwater
tourism. Alappuzha district can be proud of being the cradle of boat races. all
the important boat races, namely the Nehru Trophy boat Race at Punnamada.
It is in the months of August and September that the
moist, rain-drenched earth and the glorious everflowing backwaters burst into
song together, as over hundred thousand men and women gather on the banks to
witness a spectacular water regatta - the SNAKE BOAT RACES. The
interesting places of attraction for the tourists are Punnamada Kayal where
Nehru Trophy Boat takes place every year and Pathiramanal which is a beautiful
Island in Vembanad lake. The 18th century Krishnapuram Palace built
during the reign of the Travancore monarch, Marthanda Varma, is a double storied
structure which displays typical characteristics of Kerala architecture-gabled
roofs, dormar windows, narrow corridors. It houses one of the largest mural
paintings in Kerala called the Gajendra Moksham.
Pathanamthitta The district area is
about 2462 sqkm. Sabarimala the best known pilgrimage destination in
Kerala, this holy shrine located high up in the sahyadri mountains is dedicated
to Lord Ayyappa (Dharma Sastha) and attracts pilgrims from all over India.
Situated near the western ghats and bordered by the hills, Pathanamthitta
district is a treat to eyes with its vast unending stretches of forests, rivers
and rural landscapes. Blessed by nature, the district is famous for its scenic
beauty, fairs and festivals. Aranmula a small town, 10 km from Chengannur famous
for it's expensice hand made mirrors of polished metal called the "Aranmula
Kannad" and for the annual Aranmula Boat races during Onam. Kadammanitta a
village only 8 kms. Away from Pathamamthitta is famous for padayan, which is an
important ritual art performed in the premises of the Kadamanitta Devi Temple.
The river Pamba flows through this land. A large portion of this distrist, then the eastern part of Kollam district, was set apart for the Idukki
Hydroelectric Project as well as for ex-servicemen, harijans and tribals.
Kollam (Quilon) An ancient sea
port dating back to the 9th Century ad, Kollam lends it's name to the malayalam
era Kollavarsham in 825 AD. That was the year the town was founded by
Persian immigrants, having received a charter of privileges by the Raja of Venad. The district Area is about 2491
sqkm. Two rivers, Kallada and
Ithikkara, flow through this district. The Sasthamcotta lake, the only major
fresh water lake in the State, is here. Two other major lakes are the Ashtamudi
kayal and the Paravoor kayal, Edava and Nadayara kayals lie partly in this
district. In addition to the traditional past times like Kathakali, Koothu,
Ottamthullal, Pattakam, Harikatha, Kaikottikkali, Thiruvathirakkali, Kolattam
etc.., there are certain amusements and festivites which are unique to Kollam
district. They are held in connection with festivals in temples. The mock
sword-fight -Oachirakkali, is one of the most important of such
festivals. Oachira has been famous for long as one of the sacred places of
Kerala. In Kottamkulangara Temple in Chavara, there is a peculiar custom of men
dressing up as women and carry lighted lamps (Thalappoli) The Uriati is a
typical festival associated with krishna Temple. The Kettukazhcha (exhibition of
effigies) festival held at Mahadevar Temple, Thrikkadavur in February March
every year is one of the colourful festivals of the district.
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) The
word ' Thiru Ananthapuram' means the city of Anantha or the abode of the
sacred thousand headed serpent Anantha, who forms the couch on which reclines
Lord Vishnu, the preserver in the Hindu trinity. Built on seven hills, it was
the capital of the Venad chieftains. The city has grown as a tourist and
commercial center, with the International airport becoming the main gateway into
Kerala.  Being the
state capital, it also throbs with political activity. Veli Tourist
Village(11km) and Akkulam Lakeside Boat Club  are other popular recreational centers
for the locals. For shopping, try the SMSM Institute, the handicrafts
emporium of the Handicrafts Development Corporation of Kerala. Kovalam,
the world renowned beach, is about 16km away. There are several hotels and
restaurants including the five-star Kovalam Ashok Beach resort. Sri
Padmanabhaswamy Temple Dedicated to Padmanabha or Lord Vishnu, it is
according to legend, was built in stages , to house an idol discovered in the
forest by a devotee. Akkulam is a place of great scenic beauty with a
picturesque lake. There is a boat club with over dozens of boats, available for
joy riders. The city area is about 74 sqkm.
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