Kerala
is truly the undiscovered India. It is God's own country and an enchantingly
beautiful, emerald-green sliver of land. It is a tropical paradise far from
the tourist trial at the southwestern peninsular tip, sandwiched between the
tall mountains and the deep sea. Kerala is a long stretch of enchanting greenery.
The tall exotic coconut palm dominates the landscape.
There is a persistent legend which says that Parasuram, the 6th incarnation
of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu Trinity, stood on a high place in
the mountains, threw an axe far in to the sea, and commanded the sea to retreat.
And the land that emerged all from the waters became Kerala, the land of plenty
and prosperity.
Kerala is a 560-km long narrow stretch of land. At the widest, Kerala is a mere
120-km from the sea to the mountains. Gracing one side of Kerala, are the lofty
mountains ranging high to kiss the sky. And on the other side the land is washed
by the blue Arabian Sea waters.
The land is covered with dense tropical forest, fertile plains, beautiful beaches,
cliffs, rocky coasts, an intricate maze of backwaters, still bays and an astounding
44 glimmering rivers. Kerala's exotic spices have lured foreigners to her coast
from time immemorial.
Earlier, Kerala was made up of three distinct areas. Malabar as far up the coast
as Tellicherry, Cannanore and Kasargode with the tiny pocket-handkerchief French
possession of Mahe nearby (it was returned to India in the early 1950 's and
is now administratively part of Pondicherry).
This area belonged to what was once called the Madras Presidency under the British.
The middle section is formed by the princely State of Cochin; the third comprises
Travancore, another princely State.
Kerala Backwaters :- It's an intricate network of innumerable lagoons,
lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into
the Arabian Sea. Over 900 km of this labyrinthine waterworld is navigable. The
largest backwater stretch in Kerala is the Vembanad lake which flows through
three districts and opens out into the sea at the Kochi port.
The Ashtamudi Lake (literally, having eight arms), which covers a major portion
of Kollam district in the south, is the second largest and is considered the
gateway to the backwaters.
The Ketturvallom: Showcasing a unique heritage The kettuvalloms (houseboats)
of Kerala are giant country crafts, measuring up to 80 feet in length. It took
great skill and meticulousness to construct these giants by tying huge planks
of jack wood together, without the use of a single nail.
Today, these goods carriers have been adapted to make the most exciting tourism
product in India, the luxurious furnished houseboat. A kettuvallom usually has
one or two bath attached bedrooms, an open lounge, deck, kitchenette and a crew
comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide.
Destination Kerala, South India
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