KERALA – A GREEN CULTURAL PARADISE

IT’S GOD’S OWN LAND

Kerala, popularly known as God’s Own Country is one of the most popular tourist destinations in our country. Flanked by the Arabian Sea in the West, the Western Ghats in the East, sandwiched by green paddy fields in the plains and networked by 44 interconnected rivers, Kerala is blessed with a unique set of geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world. Kerala is blessed with a long shoreline with serene beaches, tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters, lush hill stations with panoramic tea gardens, exotic wildlife with rare flora and fauna, innumerable festivals with caparisoned elephants, accompanied by a musical ensemble with traditional musical instruments, colourful array of folk, temple and classical dance forms are just a few of the wonders that await you once you crossover to the other side.

The Malabar Coast, the northern part of Kerala is very popular in ancient times throughout the world as a land of spices and Black Gold. Many traders from the Arabian and Persian peninsula along with Portuguese, Dutch, finicians, and Englishmen landed in this great coast to explore the spice treasure of the world. This land has fired the imaginations of intrepid travelers and explorers like Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo, Fa Hien, et al among others.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, A “MUST-SEE” DESTINATION

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala has been chosen as a “must-see” destination by National Geographic Traveler. Mahatma Gandhi described Thiruvananthapuram city as the “Evergreen city of India”, due to its vast greenery and architectural beauty of the building situated in every part of the city. The famous Padmanabhaswamy temple, one of the richest temple in the world is located in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala has more than 100 beautiful destinations from south to north, includes Kovalam, one of the most beach destination in India; Kollam, the cashew town of India; Alappuzha or Alleppey, the Venice of the east; Kumarakom, one of the iconic tourist destination of our country; Kochi, the queen of the Arabian sea; Munnar, the Scotland of India; Thekkady, the roaring wildlife paradise of India; Guruvayur, the temple town of South India; Thrissur or Trichur, the Cultural Capital of the state; Palakkad, the granary of Kerala; Kottakkal, the birthplace of Ayurveda, the ancient traditional medical system of our country; Nilambur, the famous teak town of the world; Kozhikode, the spices town of India; Wayand, the tribal paradise of western Ghats and Bekal, the village with an ancient fort and religious harmony.

Kerala & Himachal Pradesh, are the pairing states of Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat campaign. The Prime Minister propounded that cultural diversity is a joy that ought to be celebrated through mutual interaction & reciprocity between people of different States and UTs so that a common spirit of understanding resonates throughout the country. Himachal Pradesh is already on the ‘must see’ list of many travellers from Kerala. Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat scheme has manifested the idea of a sustained and structured cultural connection between people of different states.

Kerala has everything to be explored by tourists, except the snow-capped mountains, but the vast greenery and hospitable people of this beautiful land offer you an unmatchable holiday experience with its mouth watering dishes, with its rich heritage and cultural experiences.