Kerala is sandwiched between the Lakshwadeep Sea and the Western Ghats. It is a bustling little green-and-silver, coconuts-and-water state on the west coast of India. It is bounded by Karnataka to the north, Tamil Nadu to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the west. Thiruvananthapuram is its capital. Every district in Kerala has it's own unique culture and characteristics. Thiruvananthapuram is known for it's beach- Kovalam, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and various museums and palaces; Alapuzha for it's backwaters, Trichur, the cultural capital, Kottayam for it's ancient churches, Kozhikode for it's old world charm and the entrancing Ponmudy or Golden valley
History :
In 1723, the East India Company signed a strategic treaty with King Marthanda Varma. For a few decades, Hyder Ali and his son -Tipu sultan proved to be a thorn in the flesh of the British, sweeping down several times into Kerala.Though Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan invaded the country, Malabar finally passed into the hands the British in 1792. In 1947, it was the turn of the British to pack their bags. In November, 1965, i.e. 9 years after Indian Independence, Travancore, Cochin and Malabar were merged into one state and thus Kerala State came into existence. Trivandrum is the capital of Kerala State and it is a sea-side city.
Cities of Kerala
Kovalam,
Kochi / Cochin,
Quilon,
Ernakulam,
Alleppey, Varkala, Munnar, Periyar, Kollam, Kannur, Kasargod more...
Tourist Attraction of Kerala :-
Varkala : beach resort, facilities are on par with any other beach resorts. Janardhana Swami temple , a leading pilgrim centre. Sivagiri is another pilgrim destination.
Fort Kochi :
The first foreign Church in India. Vasco De Gama was buried here; later remains were exhumed out and taken to Portugal. A few interesting sites included in the tour are the Chinese fishing nets along the Vasco Da Gama Square, Santa Cruz Basilica, St.Francis Church, VOC Gate, Bastion Bungalow etc. Apart from these architectural splendors, an array of restaurants serving fresh seafood are also popular among tourists
The Tippu Fort: The Tipu's Fort, also known as Palakkad Fort, stands in the heart of Palakkad town. Palakkad is a small town on the lower edges of the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats, with patches of dense forests and crisscrossed with rivers.
Silent Valley : The Silent Valley contains India’s last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests and it is perhaps the only vestige of a near virgin forest in the whole of the Western Ghats.
Neendakara : A major fishing harbour in Kerala. Centre of Indo-Norwegian Fisheries Community Project, since 1953.
Sasthamkotta : This vast fresh water lake surrounded by hills on three sides is the largest of its kind in Kerala. The ancient Sastha Temple which lends its name to the town, is an important pilgrim centre.
Thenmala : Reservoir, wildlife sanctuary, eco-tourism centre. The area is covered by dense forest, rubber and tea plantations. An Eco Tourism Development Project is under implementation here. Thenmala is also a damsite.
