A small state on the southern west part of India , it boasts of several achievements , being the most literate state in India , along with having the most number of suicide cases in India. It’s the only place from India to be marked among 50 places in the world as a Tourist destination. A place which is very exotic even to Indians , she holds a certain kind of mystery about her. A state endowed by the gods with two monsoons in a year, this state is perennially green . Welcome to Kerala !!! This lovely land is accessible by air, sea , land and rail , thus well connected to the rest of India.
Infrastructure
The State has a very well connected rail network, one can easily travel to major towns by rail, however in order to access the remote beauty of kerala one must rely on road. Kerala has a good fleet of buses which touch almost all parts of the state. They have the normal, fast and lightning fast buses , whose fare increase in order of speed. Kerala has airports in some major cities but as the state itself is not very large it does not come across as such a bother. This state has backwater canals and public boats which run on it which are similar to buses ( without the speed variations of course). Autos are aplenty but fleece you as well , so are thoroughly avoidable and can be used for short distances. Tourist taxis especially ambassadors and Indicas are aplenty and are an ideal mode to travel throughout the state, comfortable and quick !!!.
Religion and Medicine
Kerala always holds a certain mystery about her , it’s a land with temples aplenty and an equal number of myths and stories around it. It is also the birthplace of Ayurveda , which is very religiously practiced here. She boasts of many Ayurvedic health spas , these unconventional health centres use herbs and fragrant oil to tone your body and ease out diseases , and mind you they are very much dependable. Any Keralite uses some kind of ayurveda in his normal routine.
Sabarimala, the temple of Lord Ayyappa is situated in this state. Along with this world famous temple are many others including the extremely stringent and pious Krishna temple - Guruvayoor. Here you also find a temple to goddess Parvati at Chengannur, this goddess has her Menstrual Periods , and the same has been scientifically been proved too. You also have a temple for snakes at Mannarsala and a host of Shiva temples like Ettumanur and Vaikom and a Vishnu temple - Padmanabha swamy temple at Trivandrum. The similarity between all the temples is that the menfolk have to discard their upper garment in order to enter and the entrance which is very low.The reason for the former is to impart a sense of equality between the rich and the not so rich and the latter is to ensure that you bow to the lord before entering.
It also houses the ’’Divine Nagar’’ at Pota, wherein you have a catholic Healing centre which attracts pilgrims from near and far, It also houses various Mosques and Synagogues.
Scenic Beauty
Kerala has a mixture of them all , you have Beaches near Trivandrum and Quilon - Kovalam , Shangumugham and many more. The lush green Tea Gardens beckon you at Munnar , a marvelous place for a couple to enjoy. Along with this the other Hill stations are at Wyanad , Thekkady and Ponmudi. There is this wonderful developing Fort resort called Bekal in North West Kerala , this is an extremely beautiful place. For those who have seen Mani Ratnam’s ’’Bombay’’ this would not be new, here is where Arvind Swamy sung Tu hi re .
Now we come to Keralas’s prime attraction the backwaters , stretching from Cochin onwards till Allepey the main stretch is between Kottayam and Allepey wherein it culminates into Lake Vembanadu. The months of June till August and from mid October to January are very beautiful. Especially during July - august with rain poring down a ride between the fresh water canals with coconut and palm trees guarding its sides, greenery compliments the grey clouds , all in all very colorful.
Purchase Attractions
From Vasco Da Gama’s time Kerala has always known as the land of spices. The oh so spicy peppers and wonderful cloves and cinnamon. Once at Wyanad I saw several trees whose bark came off and the place too was smelling heavenly , when asked the bark was cinnamon , it is so freely available here !!! . Kerala is also famous for its Coir industry , one can get anything made in Coir , from necklaces to mats to showpieces.
Tea is the best after Darjelling at Kerala , its more strong with an enchanced flavor , not for the weak hearted. Coffee too is in abundance though the natives prefer having Tea as a drink.
For the Connoisseurs , we have wonderful Chips ( dry fried delicacies) made out of Raw Banana , partly ripe Banana, Tapioca , Jackfruit all in pure Coconut oil. Well that’s a taste you cant get anywhere.
Culture
Kerala has a culture seeped in myth and is reflected in its traditional art form Kathakali which has male dancers who paint themselves and dress in bright clothes and perform a play related to ancient mythology. Mohini Attam is a slow graceful art form performed by ladies.
It also boasts of having the worlds most ancient martial arts form Kalaripayyatu, the fight is almost like a well choreographed dance with swords and armour. It also has a very dangerous weapon a name which I cannot recollected but it resembles a thin whip, , the only difference being instead of leather or rope we have thin malleable razor sharp steel blades.
Onam the harvest festival and Vishu the new year along with the annual boat race are major festivals in this land whose primary crops are Rice, Rubber , Spices , Tea and Coffee.
That’s Kerala for you folks , do enjoy this paradise on earth right in our beautiful country !!!