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| Cities of Kerala |
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| About Delhi |
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| Travel Destinations Guide |
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| Adventure Tours India |
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Biking Tours |
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Paragliding |
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Skiing |
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Safari Tours |
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Water Rafting |
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Trekking Tours |
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Camel Safari |
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| Temples of Delhi |
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| Know more about Kerala |
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 Kerala House Boats
Kerala offers a unique mini - canvas to the traveller; the backwaters, which consist of a complex network of lagoons, lakes & canals. Life on the backwaters is entirely different; water being the key to everything. There are no roads here, only waterways. On the banks one can see lush green rice fields spreading away into the distance and coconut groves with the occasional temple or church.
 These canals or waterways, vary in dimension from being wide enough to be dubbed lakes, rich with marine bounty. To being nothing but snaking silvers of freshwater. And are mainly concentrated around the townships of allepey, kumarakom, kottayam, quilon and cochin.
The backwaters are best experienced while slowly punting down the labyrinth of canals in a traditional thatch-roofed houseboat, known as 'kettuvallam'. An experience you will savour for a long time.
The houseboats are renovated cargo boats… kettuvallams… and are provided with all modern conveniences and comforts to make your stay a pleasant experience. To complement the traditional way of rowing using large poles, outboard engines are also provided. The boats are designed to facilitate a most eco-friently functioning.
A wide selection of beautiful routes are available for the cruises and you can choose one that suits your budget and time frame. Each route is comprehensive, serene and enjoyable in itself, extending to you a complete experience of kuttand.. The unique waterland of kerala.
HOLY SITES IN KERALA
 Sabarimala : The Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, 80 kms. from the Pathanamthitta district head quarters, is a National Pilgrim Centre. This famous shrine of Lord Ayyappa is surrounded by hazardous hills like Karimala and Neelimala. Devotees visit Sabarimala after undergoing 41 days of ‘Vritha’ i.e., self-imposed devotional penance. They, with irumudikettu (bundle with offerings to Ayyappa) on their head, climb the mountain ranges and cross the forest bare footed repeatedly chanting ‘Saranam Ayyappa’ which means we seek refuge in Ayyappa. This is probably the only famous temple in Kerala, which does not restrict anybody from visiting it for not being a Hindu.
Aruvikkara Pilgrimage :Another important pilgrim center in Trivandrum is the Aruvikkara pilgrimage. This pilgrimage is located at a distance of 16 kilometers from Trivandrum. Aruvikkara pilgrim center, Kerala is a serene picnic spot and many tourists visit this place for peace of mind.
 Malayattoor : Malayattoor Church, a Christian pilgrim centre situated 52 kms from Kochi beside the Periyar River at the top of a hill. The pilgrims can reach the place only by foot. This church which was established in AD 900 is believed to have been blessed by St.Thomas, one of the Apostles of Christ.
Sivagiri and Aruvippuram : Aruvippuram of Thiruvananthapuram district is famous through the consecration of the 'Siva Idol' by Sree Narayana Guru. Sivagiri is a major pilgrim centre that attracts not only the local tourists but also travellers from abroad.
Ochira: A unique pilgrim centre in Kollam district known for its Advaita Philosphy. Here there is no temple or idol for the presiding deity ‘the Parabrahma’. The ritual performance ‘Ochirakali’, which is usually held in June gathers a huge crowd.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple :The 16th century shrine of Lord Vishnu as Sri. Padmanabhaswamy is the most conspicuous landmark of the Tiruvanandapuram city. This is one of the most important Vaishnava temples in India. This temple in its present form is built by Maharaja Marthanda Varma. Padmanabhaswamy temple located by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham ( the lotus spring). The temple is well known for the Mural paintings and stone carvings. The major event to this temple is Arattu festival, which is headed by the royal family of Travancore.
The temple is one of the oldest and largest among the Kerala Temples. This is a classical example of Kerala style of architecture with beautiful murals delineating graphically, various episodes from the Mahabharata and wood carvings and art pieces of immense historical value.. This is one of Kerala's most ancient shrines. It preserves and respects an amazing Mahalingam concealed under a huge mound of ghee. Pouring of ghee on the idol is the main ritualistic offering in the sanctum sanctorum. Miraculously the ghee never melts even though it gets heat from the atmosphere and the burning wicks. Parts of ghee mound are said to be over thousand year old.
Pathanamthitta : Every year for centuries, thousands of pilgrims have made their way up the sacred slopes of the Sabari Hills to the abode of Ayyappa in Pathanamthitta. But beyond its religious reputation, Pathanamthitta also has something that very few people know. It is the only place on earth where metal-mirrors are still painstakingly handcrafted and where a heritage village practises the 'vaastu shastra' (ancient Indian occult way of home designing) in its purest form. It is the place that affords Asia's largest Christian gathering, upon a river bed, that dry up every February to stage the venue. Pathanamthitta is surely a place which needs to be discovered, explored and known. One cannot just believe what is so special about this trivial town of Kerala. For one, it is home to the only temple in Kerala where Kathakali is performed as an offering to God.
KERALA WILDLIFE
 Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve : Periyar, a nature reserve of Kerala is one of the most noted wildlife sanctuary in India. The park is famous by the name thekkady also. It has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. This sanctuary formed with the building of mullaperiyar dam in 1895. Boat cruises on the lake are the best way of viewing animals at close and to explore the park. There are boat services, which will take you around the lake. The sanctuary is well known for herds of Asian elephants, having about 50 members. In addition, bonnet monkeys, porcupines, nilgai (Indian antelope), langurs, gray jungle fowl, sloth bears, tigers, leopards, barking deer, kingfishers and great Indian hornbills are found in the preserve. Trekking and elephant rides are also possible in the sanctuary.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary : Located in the rain shadow region of the western ghats, the sanctary occupies the forested region on either side of the Marayoor - Udumalped road. This is the second habitat of the endangered giant grizzled squirrel of india. The location of sanctuary offers the unique advantage of watching its fascinating wildlife at close quarters from the road without venturing deep into the jungle. The Marayoor sandal forest and the beautiful Thoovanam waterfalls are located here.
IDUKKI (ERAVIKULAM) WILDLIFE SANCTUARY : The famous wildlife attractions in Idukki national park is colassal. From the main road, a smaller estate road leads you 5 km to the Rajamallay Checkpost, gateway to the Eravikulam National Park. After getting an entry ticket, one can walk along the road, keeping an eye open for the famous Tahr. The whole route is bedecked with wild flowers and green creepers, that provide a grand vista to the beholder. At one time, the tahr would be baited in the reserve with salt, but fortunately, they have now became so ubiquitous that their fearlessness has become a cause of concern for the forest department. The mere sight of terrestial orchids by the road and a couple of green imperial pigeon and emarald doves playing with them, is enough to transform a weary soul into an alcove of imagination.
Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary : The Neyyar reservoir is easily navigable and extends 9.06 sq. km. The vegetation varies from tropical wet evergreen to grasslands. The Agasthyakoodam hill, 1890 metres high, lies in the premises of the sanctuary. Elephants, gaur, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr, jungle cat, wild boar, Nilgiri langur etc. are seen. A crocodile rearing centre, deer farm and lion safari park are the main attractions.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary : Parambikulam has one of the largest population of gaur (bison). Sambar, spotted deer, jungle cat, lion-tailed macaque, common otter, sloth bear etc. are the other inhabitants. There are also a few tigers and leopards. Facilities for boarding and lodging are available at the sanctuary. There are forest rest houses at Thunacadavu, Thellikkal and Elathode. Motor transport and boat cruise can be arranged on request. The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu lies adjacent.
Silent Valley National Park :
The Silent Valley National Park is one of the very few unexplored tropical evergreen rain forests. Situated in the western ghats, this park offers a very soothing atmosphere. Elephants, tigers, wild dog, flying squirrel and lion-tailed macaque are found here.
This place is at 75 km from Palghat. Vehicular traffic is allowed upto Mukkali from Mannarghat. From Mukkali, one has to cover 24 km on foot to reach the source of river Kuntipuzha, which flows the valley.
Fairs in Kerala
In kerala, life is a celebration. A close look at the kerala calendar will reveal that this is a land where the festivals never end, adding to the magnificance of the festivals of kerala are fleets of caparisoned elephants, mounted by men holding white plumes swaying in the air the - most breathtaking of kerals's visual wonders.
Onam :
Onam the national festival of Kerala, is the most important Kerala Festival and it is popular and colourful. The Keralites (Malayalies) are celebrating Onam all over the world in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August-September).
Onam is celebrating, irrespective of religion, in memory of the golden era of King Mahabali (Maveli) whose spirit is supposed to visit Kerala at the day of Thiruvonam, to enquire about people's wellbeing. People have been celebrating Onam from the very old age. The earliest record of the festival is found during the reign of Kulasekhara Perumals around 800 AD.
Monuments & Temples in Kerala
 Bekal Fort : Bekal fort, which is the largest and the best-preserved fort in Kerala is the most important monument of the region. This fort, located on the highway, is believed to have been built in the 1650's by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty. Later it was transferred to Hyder Ali of Mysore and then to the British.
The sea bastions, underground tunnels and the observation tower are impressive. An old mosque is situated very near the fort, which is believed to be built by Tipu Sultan. History sleeps here among the lonely battlements of the Bekal Fort by the sea shore.
Edakkal Caves : Situated on Ambukuthi Hills, Edakkal caves are 10 kilometers from Sultanbathery, in Wayanad district. Formed by a large split in a huge rock, the two natural rock formations represent the world's richest pictographic gallery of its kind. The two caves located at a height of 1000m on Ambukutty Mala near Ambalavayal can be accessed only by a 1 km trek trail from Edakkal. Edakkal literally means 'a stone in between'.
It is a prehistoric 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 rock engravings stand out distinct among the magnitude of prehistoric visual archives of paintings and graphic signs all over the world.
Guruvayoor Temple : Guruvayoor, where the famous Sree Krishna Temple is situated, is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of kerala. The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are inlaid with exquisite mural paintings and carvings. In Kerala, this is probably the only temple that hosts the maximum number of marriages and rice feeding ceremonies (the ritual first meal for infants).
Napier Museum :An architectural splendour, the Napier Museum combines traditional Kerala style with the Chinese and Mughal influences much evident in its architecture. The 19th century English architect, Chisholm, designed the building, which houses a rare collection of archaoelogical and historical artifacts. The museum housed in a whimsical building dating from 1880, displays an assortment of bronzes, historical and contemporary ornaments, temples carts, ivory carvings and life size figures of Kathakali dancers in full costumes.
Religion in Kerala
 Kerala hailed, as God's own country, by many, deserves this accolade because of many features geographical and sociological. A long coastline in the west and mountains on the east forming clear natural boundaries. Religion has played a crucial role in Kerala's culture. There are mainly three religions in Kerala - Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. As far as the religion of Kerala is concerned, the origins could be traced to Hinduism.
Then came in the Islamic faith and Christianity with its various sects. The other Indian religions like Buddhism; Jainism had some influence among the Hindus and was found scattered with their migration to Kerala.
According to the 1991 census 57.38% of the population of Kerala are Hindus, 23.33 Muslims and 19.32 Christians. The earliest settlers of Kerala were the Proto-Australoids, the Mediterranean, Dravidians, and the Aryans in 321-297 BC.
Climate in Kerala
Winter : The winter season sets in during the month of December and continues till end of February. During this season comparatively there is less rainfall especially in the northern parts of the state.
Summer : Winter is followed by the summer season. Its tarts in February and continues till May. Temperature is very high during this period. Occasional showers with Lightning is a characteristic of this season. Kottayam receives the highest rainfall during this season.
South West Monsoon : The South West Monsoon begins either in the end of May or in the beginning of June and fades out by September. Moving towards north, this seems to gain intensity. During this period Peerumedu in Idukki and Vaithiri-Kuttiyadi range in Malabar receive the highest rainfall. The rainfall is comparatively low in the Lakshadweep islands. In the southern areas the monsoon is around 40-50% and in the northern areas it is around 80%.
North East Monsoon : The NorthEast Monsoon commences in October, dry weather setting in by the end of December. The Kanjirappalli-Peerumedu range and Kuttiyadi area experience the abundance of NorthEast Monsoon. The northern parts of the state account for a mere 10% of the annual rainfall.
Temperature
The annual range of temperature is comparatively low in Kerala. The coastal areas record a maximum temperature of 32oc and a minimum of 22oc. The interiors record a maximum of 37oc during summer. In the coastal area it is hot and humid during April-May while cool during December-January.
Best Time to Visit Kerala
 Kerala experiences pleasant weather throughout the year. It is a paradise for tourists. If you were thinking about the ideal time to visit Kerala, then the best time to visit Kerala would be in the months of October to March. These months are usually the peak season for Kerala visit. Though this period is age old, now Kerala is thronged with tourists all year around.
Usually people used to avoid June and July due to heavy monsoons. But now, coming to Kerala during monsoons is considered as an experience in itself. Monsoons are also an ideal time to go for nice and warm massages. The whole atmosphere looks like it has been cleaned spic and span. There is not a speck of dust in the air. The trees look lush green and the hills can't look less mystified. It seems as if entire Kerala has been dipped in water and taken out.
Kerala does not have very harsh weather conditions. That is all the more reason for visitors to come here during any time of the year. Summers and winters are pleasant with very slight variations in temperature. Thus, Kerala can be visited any time of the year. |
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