Kerala - The Land of Coconuts

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. An equable climate. A long shoreline with serene beaches. Tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters. Lush hill stations and exotic wildlife. Waterfalls. Sprawling plantations and paddy fields. Ayurvedic health holidays. Enchanting art forms. Magical festivals. Historic and cultural monuments. An exotic cuisine... All of which offer you a unique experience. And what's more, each of these charming destinations is only a two hour drive from the other - a singular advantage no other destination offers.

1. KERALA the land of coconuts ARJUNP VIII.C KVS.A.P

2. Kerala - at a Glance With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. An equable climate. A long shoreline with serene beaches. Tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters. Lush hill stations and exotic wildlife. Waterfalls. Sprawling plantations and paddy fields. Ayurvedic health holidays. Enchanting art forms. Magical festivals. Historic and cultural monuments. An exotic cuisine... All of which offer you a unique experience. And what's more, each of these charming destinations is only a two hour drive from the other - a singular advantage no other destination offers. Kerala, India's most advanced society: With hundred percent literacy. World-class health care systems. India's lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates. The highest physical quality of life in India. Peaceful and pristine, Kerala is India's cleanest state.

3. Districts For administrative purposes the State is divided into 14 revenue districts: Thiruvananthapuram , Kollam , Alappuzha , Pathanamthitta , Kottayam , Idukki , Ernakulam , Thrissur , Palakkad , Malappuram , Kozhikode, Wayanadu , Kannur and Kasaragod . On the basis of geographical, historical and cultural similarities, the districts are generally grouped into North Kerala ( Kasaragod , Kannur , Wayanad , Kozhikode, Malappuram ) , Central Kerala ( Palakkad , Thrissur , Eranakulam , Idukki ) and South Kerala ( Thiruvananthapuram , Kollam , Alappuzha , Pathanamthitta , Kottayam ).The districts have the same name as the important town or city in the district, the exception being Wayanad district. The 14 districts are further divided into 21 Revenue divisions, 63 Taluks and 1453 Revenue Villages. There are 14 District Panchayats , 152 Block Panchayats , 978 Grama Panchayats , 60 Municipalities, 5 Corporations and 1 Township.

4. Culture Kerala's culture is mainly Hindu in origin, deriving from a greater  Tamil-heritage  region known as  Tamilakam . Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated on through centuries of contact with overseas cultures.Native  performing arts include  koodiyattom , kathakali —from   katha   and  kali   and its offshoot  Kerala Natanam ,  koothu  (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam    thullal ,  padayani , and  theyyam . Other arts are more religion- and tribal-themed. These include  chavittu nadakom ,  oppana   , which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and  ishal vocalisations . However, many of these art forms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites , who look to more contemporary art and performance styles, including those employing mimicry and parody. Additionally, a substantial Malayalam film industry effectively competes against both  Bollywood  and Hollywood .

5. History Kerala's history is closely linked with its commerce, which until recent times revolved around its spice trade. Celebrated as the Spice Coast of India, ancient Kerala played host to travellers and traders from across the world including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Almost all of them have left their imprint on this land in some form or the other - architecture, cuisine, literature.

6. Geography With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by forty-four rivers, Kerala enjoys diverse geographical features. Kerala is divided into three geographical regions: Highlands, which slope down from the Western Ghats onto the Midlands of undulating hills and valleys into an unbroken coastline with many picturesque backwaters, interconnected with canals and rivers. The Western Ghats are nowhere more than 120 kms from the sea.

7. Festivals The major festival in Kerala is Onam . Kerala has a number of religious festivals. Thrissur Pooram and Chettikulangara Bharani are the major temple festivals in Kerala. The Thrissur Pooram is conducted at the Vadakumnathan temple, Thrissur . The Chettikulangara Bharani is another major attraction. The festival is conducted at the Chettikulangara temple near Mavelikkara . The  Sivarathri  is also an important festival in Kerala. This festival is mainly celebrated in  Aluva  Temple and  Padanilam Parabrahma Temple.  Padanilam  Temple is situated in  Alappuzha  district of Kerala, about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from  Mavelikkara   town. Parumala Perunnal ,  Manarkadu   Perunnal  are the major festivals of Christians. Muslims also have many important festivals.

8. Wildlife Most of  Kerala , whose native habitat consists of wet evergreen rainforests at lower elevations and highland  deciduous  and semi-evergreen forests in the east, is subject to a humid tropical climate. However, significant variations in terrain and elevation have resulted in a land whose biodiversity registers as among the world’s most significant. Most of Kerala's significantly biodiverse tracts of wilderness lie in the evergreen forests of its easternmost districts. Kerala also hosts two of the world’s  Ramsar Convention - listed  wetlands: Lake Sasthamkotta  and the  Vembanad-Kol wetlands are noted as being wetlands of international importance. There are also numerous protected conservation areas, including 1455.4 km 2  of the vast  Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In turn, the forests play host to such majorfauna  as Asian elephant  ( Elephas maximus ), Bengal tiger  ( Panthera tigris tigris ), leopard ( Panthera pardus ),  Nilgiri tahr  ( Nilgiritragus hylocrius ), and grizzled giant squirrel ( Ratufa macroura ).  More remote preserves, including Silent Valley National Park in the Kundali Hills, harbour endangered species such as the lion-tailed macaque ( Macaca silenus ), 

9. Beaches Flanked on the western coast by the Arabian Sea, Kerala has a long coastline of 580 km (360 mi); all of which is virtually dotted with sandy beaches. Boating at  Paravur  Lake  nearKollam Kovalam  beach near  Thiruvananthapuram  was among the first beaches in Kerala to attract tourists. Rediscovered by back-packers and tan-seekers in the 1960s and followed by hordes of  hippies in the 1970s, Kovalam is today the most visited beach in the state . Other popularly visited beaches in the state include those at  Kappad ,  Alappuzha , Nattika ( Thrissur ), Vadanappilly beach ( Thrissur ),  Cherai Beach,  Beypore beach, Marari beach, Fort Kochi, and  Varkala . The  Muzhappilangad Beach  beach at  Kannur  is the only drive-in beach in India.

10. Backwaters The backwaters in Kerala are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the  Malabar Coast ).  Houseboat  or  Kettuvallam  rides in the backwaters are a major tourist attraction. Backwater tourism is centered mostly around  Ashtamudi Lake,  Kollam . Boat races held during festival seasons are also a major tourist attraction in the backwater regions. The backwater network includes large lakes such as the  Ashtamudi Lake, the largest among them, linked by 1500 km of canals, both man-made and natural and fed by several rivers, and extending virtually the entire length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

11. Hill stations Eastern Kerala consists of land encroached upon by the Western Ghats; the region thus includes high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut valleys. The wildest lands are covered with dense forests, while other regions lie under tea and coffee plantations (established mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries) or other forms of cultivation. The Western Ghats rise on average to 1500 m elevation above sea level. Some of the popular hill stations in the region are  Munnar,Vagamon ,  Paithalmala ,  Wayanad ,  Nelliyampathi ,  Elapeedika ,  Peermade  ,  Thekkady  and  Ponmudi .

12. Seasons Bestowed with a pleasant and equable climate throughout the year, Kerala is a tropical land with the coast running down its entire length and the Western Ghats forming a protective barrier against the dry winds from up north. The monsoons (June-September & October-November) and summer (February-May) are the seasons markedly experienced here, while winter is only a slight drop in temperature from the normal range of 28-32°C.

13. People and Life Kerala is one of India's most progressive states in terms of social welfare and quality of life. The State boasts of one of India's highest literacy rates, highest life expectancy and lowest child mortality rates . The literacy rate for women is one of the highest in all of Asia. Enjoying a unique cosmopolitan viewpoint, the people of Kerala, at all levels of society, have greater access to services and opportunities - as well as a greater say in their governance.

14. MAJOR CITIES AND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Major Cities Thiruvananthapuram Kollam Kochi Thrissur Kozhikode Airports Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Cochin International Airport (CIAL), Nedumbassery Calicut International Airport