Back Waters of Kerala, the best tourism of India

 Backwaters - Lakes that are formed when the sea water collects closer to the beach by the to and fro motion of waves from the sea. These not only form lakes - whcih are fresh water lakes, but also form low barrier islands which are natural beauty. The manmade and natural backwaters help in and water flowing back into the land mass. Though these are formed by the motion of waves, these backwaters have either little or no current.  

Pic from Indian Holiday

In Kerala there are lots of backwater lakes and they are called as Kayals. The land in and around these Kayals are rich in flora and fauna. Backwaters in Kerala are a network of 1500km of canals that are both natural and manmade. There are 38 rivers and 5 big lakes in this network.  

The  backwaters of Kerala are either stretch of canals and lagoons and lakes that are located parallel to the coast of Arabian sea. These backwaters are the major tourist attractions of Kerala state and is one of the kind in the entire world. Cruising in these backwater is a wonderful experienceand they are safe even for the solo travellers. The house boats have crews to help the travellers.  Apart from the cruise, these backwaters also attract tourists for the annual Snake Boat race held between the months of June and September. Swimming is prohibited in most backwaters as they are not safe due to the incoming water into these.

Apart from the tourism support these back waters also form an economical means of transport and are helpful in local trades as they are easy to navigate than land. The industry that surrounds the back water are fishing and fish curing. Agriculture also thrive and survive around these backwaters. 

Different back water destinations in Kerala, India. 

Alleppey Backwaters.

Kozhikode Backwaters.

Kuttanad Backwaters.

Ashtamudi Backwaters.

Thrissur Backwaters.

Kavvayi Backwater.

Padanna Backwaters.

Sasthamkotta Backwaters.

Niranjanam Rental Cottage, Palakkad, Kerala

 The city of Palakkad in the State of Kerala is quite famous for many ancient Hindu temples in the region. Hence, religious tourism is quite a big feature in visiting the place. On top of that, the region is lush green with natural beauty. 

Niranjanam Rental Cottage is a two-storeyed homestay that provides a very homely, calm and pleasing stay in its 5 double rooms with all 3 star hotel like facilities and comforts. Yet the ambience is just like home with good and tasty homemade 100 % vegetarian meals. The decor is tasteful and elegant and the colour scheme bright and cheerful. 

Additionally they have started a unique opportunity that includes a Chartered Temple Tour for its guests for a minimum stay of 4 days where the top 18 temples will be covered with their history, importance and worship rituals explained. No wonder the place has a google review rating of 4.9 

Here are a few more details about the place.

 

Number of Rooms - 5 

Tariff - ₹ 2000 / Double Room

Extra Guest - ₹ 600 each

Mode of Payment - Cash / Online 

Mode of Booking - via email and / or whatsapp

Uniqueness - Rental Homes with pure vegetarian meals for religious pilgrims visiting the many ancient and important temples in the region

Nearest Railway Station - Palakkad Junction at a distance of 4 kms ( Approximately )

Facilities and Amenities

Double rooms with AC in each 

Free Parking 

Vegetarian Meals 

Tea / Coffee

Toiletries 

Hot Water 

En - Suite 

Separate Dining Area 

Room Service 

Laundry 

Free Wi-Fi

Contact Person - Sivaram Sundar

Contact Number - +91 9962851499

Email Address - homeinnathithi@gmail.com

Address -

Niranjanam, 

P.V.R Nagar, 

23, 23/48

Pallipuram, 

Palakkad, 

Kerala 678006, 

India

A few places to visit in Palakkad include

Sri Ramaswamy Temple, Karimpuzha

Kalpathy Heritage Temple Complex

Kava Reservoir View Point 

Sree Chinmaya Guruvayurappan Temple

Thiruvalathur Randu Moorthy Temple

Malampuzha Dam

Malampuzha Snake Park 

Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir

Images - Via Whatsapp 

Thrissur, Kerala's Cultural Capital

 Formed on July 1,1949 the city of Thrissur dons innumerable hats. It being not only the cultural capital of the state of Kerala, but also a gold capital having the flagship stores of all the leading gold jewelry houses, textiles hub, real estate hub, cultural center, pilgrimage site, center for healthcare for central Kerala, ayurvedic drug manufacturing hub, financial and banking hub having the headquarters of major banks, spiritual capital with some of the oldest temples, mosques and churches, various sports clubs and a couple of football stadiums, home to many national and international body building stars and also the chess prodigy, Nihal Sarin. 

Thrissur, anglicized named Trichur, historical name being Thrissivaperoor has a rich and varied historical and political importance. Often popularly referred to as The land of Poorams due to the celebration of Thrissur Pooram, a 36 hours long festival held at the temple Vadakkunnathan  Temple of Lord Shiva in the Malayalam month of Medam ( mid April to mid May as per Gregorian calendar ) it is again a unique destination being the most visited in Kerala by the domestic tourists for the many pilgrimage places and various fairs and festivals held here.

Vadakkunnathan Temple, being the first temple built by Lord Parasurama and the first among the 108 Lord Shiva temples in Kerala. No wonder the place has so much historical and cultural heritage not only for the Hindu religion but also for the Christians and the Muslims.

Asia's tallest church Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica and the first and oldest mosque in the country Cheraman Juma Mosque are located here.

Apart from the man made edifices, the city is endowed with natural beauty with beaches, hillocks, forests and waterfalls aplenty. In terms of food, it offers much variety in both vegetarian and non vegetarian fare that includes traditional dishes ranging from Appam, Puttu, Kadalakkari, Idiyappam, veg and non veg stew to cooked rice of Choru, curries, buttermilk, Vellayappams to name a few.

Here are more details for the visitor to plan a trip to this must-visit town on a trip down south to the state of Kerala

How to reach 

1. By Roadways - KSRTC runs various buses all connecting the place with other cities all over the State 

2. By Railways - Thrissur Railway Station is one of the most connected with places all over the Stats and the Country 

3. By Airways - Cochin International Airport, at a distance of 50 kms

Places, Events And Festivals To Visit include the following -

1. Shivratri

2. Onam

3. Eid

4. Diwali

5. Easter

6. Christmas

7. Vadakkunnathan Temple

8. Our Lady of Dolours Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica 

9. Cheraman Juma Mosque

10. Aanayoottu, the world's largest elephant feeding festival

11. Chettiyangadi Hanafi Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Kerala

12. Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple, being the largest in the country

13. Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple, one of the largest ones in the country

14. Buon Natale, Christmas celebration

15. Puli Kali ( Karakali ) held on the festival of Onam

    
    
    

A visit to Thrissur  brings joy not only to the physicalnsenses with natural and architectural beauty and cuisine that satisfies the palate but also to the soul which overflows with emotion and worship for the supreme in the temples and rituals that seem to be as old as time itself.

Pictures from - 

Wikipedia 

www.keralatravels.com

www.keralatourism.org

Alappuzha ( Alleppey ) - Venice of the East

 Alleppey, the hub of Kerala backwaters was rightly proclaimed as the Venice of the East by Lord Curzon.

It is also one of oldest planned cities in the country along  with the distinction of being judged the cleanest town in the country by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in the year 2016. 

Teeming with hundreds of canals, lagoons, lakes and the backwaters, Alleppey ( Alappuzha ) is one of the most visited tourist destinations not only in the state but also the country. 

The uniqueness of the Backwaters is that they run parallel to the Arabian sea coast and its unparalleled and unmatched natural beauty lures millions of visitors every year. 

The Backwaters are what intice the visitors to partake in leisurely glides in a variety of houseboats ranging from the budget friendly ones to those having top class amenities that include beautiful and stately air conditioned bedrooms, living rooms, rooftops, kitchens for self cooking the local seafood fare, if so inclined. The tourism built around this place is mind boggling and includes every luxury imaginable and that too in what can rightly be described as nature's gift to a state that is already bursting with beauty in spades. 

 

Here is some more information to help the visitor while choosing Alleppey for a visit -

District - Alappuzha

State - Kerala 

When to visit - Winter months from October onwards till the month of February

How to reach - 

1. By road -

National Highway, both NH 47 and NH 66 which connect Panvel - Kanyakumari passes through the city. 

8 State Highways connect it to the rest of the state and the country.

2. By Railways - 

Ernakulam - Kayamkulam Coastal Railway Line connects Alleppey Railway Station to major cities in the state and the country such as Amritsar,Bangalore, Bokaro, Coimbatore, Cochin, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Kollam, Mangalore, Mumbai, Trivandrum among others

3. By Airways - 

1. Cochin International Airport, at a distance of 78 kms

2. Thiruvananthapuram Airport, at a distance of 159 kms

3. Calicut Airport, at a distance of 236 kms

4. By Waterways

SWTD boat jetty which connects the village to places that include Chengannur,

Changanassery, Kochi, Kolla m, Kumarakom, Kottayam 

Alleppey is Famous for - 

Alleppey Lighthouse and Museum

Backwater Cruises 

Houseboat Cruises 

137 year old pier 

Alleppey Beach

Marine products and Seafood

Largest lake in the country, Vembanad

Snake Boat Races that include the prestigious Nehru Trophy Boat Race 

Places to stay - 

House boats, village home stays, budget hotels, high end resorts and hotels 

Things To Do -

Cycling,Trekking and Walking along the Marari Beach and the Backwaters

River Rafting 

Beach Combing 

Watching the Scenic Sunsets 

Photography

Climbing the 105 steps of the Lighthouse 

Visiting the Alleppey Museum 

Going for a One - day tour of the town

Ferry rides to the nearby places 

Houseboat Cruises

Ocean view meals 

Savor the village home lunches that include non veg, veg and fresh seafood options 

Drink Toddy, Coconut - Rum 

Cook seafood in the guest house and houseboat kitchens 

Leisurely walk to the village market and the village center

Partake in adventure sports like Kayaking, Canoeing, Camping, Boating 

Get the very famous Ayurvedic treatments for a number of ailments 

Relax and rejuvenate with authentic kerala massages

Picture sources - wikipedia 

www.keralatourism.org

The State of Kerala

 The privilege of being called God's own country , rightly belongs to the Indian state, Kerala. 

It is appropriately named for it is truly a marvel of unimaginable natural beauty, be it the undulating  

landscape, lush green forests, serene backwaters, tranquil sea shores, picturesque hill stations, quaint little towns and villages, fertile fields, majestic rivers, rich and diverse flora and fauna. 

The belief that it was made by an axe thrown by Lord Parsuram in the sea for his devotees to have a place to reside in peacefully seems quite believable on seeing such intense beauty all in one place. Home to the country's largest lake, Vembanad, here are a more few facts about this culturally rich southern state lying along the Malabar coast.

Kerala - India's 21st largest State as per area 

and the 13th as per population

Population - 34,630,192 as in 2018

Sex Ratio - 1084 Females / 1000 Males 

Geographical Size  - 38863 sq.km 

Date of Formation  - November, 1 1956

How - Reorganized from the State of Madras with Malayalam speaking regions of Cochin, Travancore, South Canara, Malabar as per the States Reorganization Act, 1956

Geographical borders - 

West - Lakshadweep Sea 

East - Western Ghats 

South and Southeast - Tamilnadu

North and Northeast - Karnataka

State Emblem - Two elephants with their trunks raised that are saluting and guarding the national emblem of India along with the conch of Shri Padmanabhaswamy

Climate of the State - Humid Tropical Rainforest 

Major Rivers - Pamba, Periyar, Ponnani, Chalakudi 

State Flower - Golden Shower Tree

State Tree - Coconut

State Fruit - Jackfruit

State Bird - Great Hornbill

State Animal - Indian Elephant

Major Religions followed are Hinduism, Christianity, Islam

Festivals - Thiruvonam, Cochin Carnival, Navarathri, Feast of Vallarpadathamma, Various Boat races like Payippad, Aranmula, Champakulam, Feast of Holy Cross Shrine etc

Administrative Divisions - 

Number of Districts - 14

Number of Cities - 93

Number of Villages - 1760

Capital City - Thiruvananthapuram

Language of Administration - Malayalam and English

Language Spoken in the State - Malayalam

GDP  - 11th in the country

GSDP -  ₹ 11.32 lakh crores

Major Primary Occupations - Fishing, Forestry and Agriculture

Major Crops - Tea, Coffee, Cashew nuts, Areca nuts,Rubber, Pulses, Rice, Spices like pepper, cardamon etc 

Oilseeds - Sunflower, Mustard, Castor 

Trees - The major trees in the State of Kerala are various varieties of Teak and Bamboo 

International Airports - Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram 

Railway - Southern Railway Zone 

Waterways - Ports, canals and rivers 

Tourism - Forts, Museums, Monuments, Pilgrimage Centres, Ayurvedic Centres, Forests, Waterfalls and Wildlife, Mountains, Hill stations, Beaches, Coffee plantations etc 

Some Major Tourist Centres - Alleppey, Beypore, Chingoli, Kottayam, Kochi, Kumarakom, Kollam, Malappuram, Marayoor, Munnar, Sabarimala, Trivandrum, Wayanad etc 

Tourist Activities - Ayurvedic treatments, Temple visits, Houseboat cruises, Adventure sports like paragliding, scuba diving, canoeing, swimming, nature walk, treks, kayaking, mountain biking, enjoy feast of Sadya, Experience village life, Bird watching, Elephant rides, Visit coffee plantation, Laze around on the beaches etc 

Kerala cuisine includes a wide variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian fare such as Idli, Dosa, Uttapam, puttu and kadala curry, Noolappam, Erachi varutharacha curry, Nadan Kozhi Varuthathu along with various other meat and fish dishes.

Unique Arts and Crafts - 

Kalaripayattu, martial art form

Kathakali, classical dance form

Pictures source - 

Wikipedia

www.kerala.gov.in