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 Keralais blessed with unique geographical and cultural features and
the
overpowering tropical landscape, with 41 rivers and countless waterways, fed by
two annual monsoons, seduces every newcomer.
A sliver of dense greenery sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the forested
Western Ghat mountains, the state of Kerala runs down the southwest
coast of India, around 550km long and 120km wide at its broadest point.
Backwaters
 One
of the most memorable experiences for travelers in India - even those on the
lowest of budgets - is the opportunity to take a boat journey on the backwaters
of Kerala. The area known as
Kuttanad stretches for 75km from
Kollam in
the south to
Kochi
in the north, sandwiched between the sea and the hills
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 The coastal
village of Kovalam as Kerala's most developed beach resort it's becoming ever
more distanced from the rest of the state. Each year greater numbers
of Western visitors arrive in search of sun, sea and palm-fringed
beaches.
Thrissur
is best known to outsiders as the
venue for Kerala's biggest festival,
Puram. Introduced by the
Kochi
raja, Shaktan Tampuran (1789-1803), Puram is today the most extreme example of
the kind of celebration seen on a smaller scale all over Kerala, whose main
ingredients invariably include caparisoned elephants, drum music and fireworks.
Bangaram
Island,
Lakshadweep
Bangaram is a
tropical paradise
and a scuba diver's
dream. Beyond the lagoon lies coral reef
and the Technicolor world of
the deep,
home to sea turtles, dolphins, eagle rays, lionfish, parrotfish,
octopus.
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 Kathakali
dance drama, Kerala's most popular theatre
form, is recognized as one of the four major classical Indian
styles. The image of a Kathakali actor in a magnificent costume with
extraordinary make-up and a huge gold crown has become Kerala's
trademark.
Guruvayur's
Punnathur
Kotta Elephant Sanctuary
is the
only one of its kind
in the World.
Pictures of India |
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