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| MY HOME STATE KERALA |
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| Kerala is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. It has only 1.1 8 per cent of the total area of the country but houses 3.43% of the the country's population. |
| A big, spreading tree purifies as much air as a room air-conditioner. And the former is never switched off. The rolific, bustling, vegetation acts like a massive, biological, air-filtration plant working round the clock, round the year. Hence spending days in Kerala countryside is as if spending in an air- purified environs; some times better than it. So is the rejuvenating effect of the lush greenery of the state. Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers (41 west-flowing and 3 east-flowing} crisscross the state physique along with countless unlets. During summer, these monsoon-fed rivers will turn into rivulets especially in the upper parts of Kerala. |
| Kerala boasts of a rich tradition and a deep historical background. Enclosed within is a criss cross of mossed backwaters, abundant wildlife, paddyfields, a rich land burstling with cashew, coconut and rubber plantations and a variety of spices like cardamom, pepper, turmeric and ginger, making Kerala the spice capital of world. Kerala has been mentioned as one of the 50 greatest places of a lifetime in the world by national geographic magazine. |
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| Kerala Places to Visit & Attractions |
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Kovalam Beach |
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| Kovalam, more popular among backpacking travelers, is a western cultural dot on a traditional and orthodox Kerala physique. |
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| Location |
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to May |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at Valiyathura |
| Rail |
Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station, Thambanoore |
| Road |
State owned Transport Corporation runs buses from its major depot. at Thampanoore to all major cities in Kerala and Tamilnadu. |
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Sasthamkotta |
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| The biggest freshwater lake in Kerala and picturesque Sasthamkotta temple. |
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| Location |
Kollam, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport, Thiruvananthapuram, 72km away. |
| Rail |
Kollam station, enroute Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore line. Stop for all services. |
| Road |
N H 47 goes via the district, touching Kollam town. MC road, parallel to the National Highway connects Kollam with Kottayam. |
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Sabarimala, Maramon, Cheukolpuzha, Manjanikkara, Parumala |
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| Sabarimala, Maramon, Cheukolpuzha, Manjanikkara, Parumala are places of religious importance. |
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| Location |
Pathanamthitta, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Nearest airport – Nedumbassery, Cochin, 152 km away. |
| Rail |
Rail link at Tiruvalla, 30 kms. away. |
| Road |
M C road, an important state highway passes via Pathanamthitta district. |
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Kumarakam |
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| 10 km away from Kottayam. |
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| Location |
Kottayam, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Nearest Airport – Nedumbassery, Cochin. (76 km). Thiruvananthapuram Airport (152 km.) |
| Rail |
Kottayam Railway Station 2 km., away from the KSRTC Bus Station and is connected with major cities and tourist centers. |
| Road |
Private buses for intra-district service. KSRTC operates buses to all major cities in the state. Kottayam-Kumali road leads Tamilnadu state. M C road cuts through the town. |
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Thekkady Wild Life Sanctuary |
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| and lake. The lake was formed in 1895 when the then Madras government constructed a reservoir across periyar. The wildlife sanctuary was declared Tiger Reserve in 1978. |
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| Location |
Kottayam, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Nearest Airport – Nedumbassery, Cochin. (76 km). Thiruvananthapuram Airport (152 km.) |
| Rail |
Kottayam Railway Station 2 km., away from the KSRTC Bus Station and is connected with major cities and tourist centers. |
| Road |
Private buses for intra-district service. KSRTC operates buses to all major cities in the state. Kottayam-Kumali road leads Tamilnadu state. M C road cuts through the town. |
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Aleppy Vallamkali |
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| the famous Snake Boat Race are spectacles enacted on the onset of the Onam season. The backwaters of Alleppey come alive with the rivers becoming flush after the rainy season. |
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| Location |
Aleppy (Alappuzha), Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport at Nedumbassery, Cochin, 64 km.
Thiruvananthapuram Airport is 159 km. |
| Rail |
Connected to Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin. |
| Road |
NH 47 passes via Alappuzha. Alappuzha-Changanassery road links the district to M C road. |
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Cochin |
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A city tucked in the beauty of coconut palms and endless blue waters is one of the important towns in South India, with a natural harbour. It is the commercial hub of Kerala. Kochi is a dynamic city with soaring land prices and rapidly industrialising suburbs. A trading port since Roman times, it lies on the main trade route between Europe and China.
The town has three main parts- Fort Cochin, Willington Island and Ernakulam. Fort Cochin (Fort Kochi) occupies the South promontory on the sea ward side of the Bay. In 1920, Willington Island was created by dredging the bay to increase the depth of the entrance to the harbour. Across the causeway from Willington Island is Ernakulam. The Bolghatty Island, a long narrow peninsula, is situated at the opposite side of Ernakulam jetty. The Vypeen island is another peninsula situated beyond the Bolghatty island
Kochi can be regarded as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala. Kochi earned a
significant position on the world trading routes after the world famous port at Kodugallur . Being situated very close to the sea, Kochi has a moderate climate. The commercial capital of Kerala and the most cosmopolitan of Kerala’s cities, Cochin is a fascinating blend of cultures. |
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| Location |
Ernakulam, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to May |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The Nearest airport in at Nedumbassery |
| Rail |
North Railway Station and North Railway Station |
| Road |
NH 47 passes via Ernakulam |
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Attractions at Cochin |
| Mattancherry |
It is situated 10 km. away from Ernakulam and there are frequent buses and ferry services. |
| DutchPalace: |
| This palace was built by the Portuguese and presented to Raj of Cochin in 1555 A.D. Though build by the Portuguese, it is popularly know as the 'Dutch Palace' as the Dutch renovated it during their short lived reign here. The Palace is well know for its mural paintings representing scenes from the epics "Ramayana" and "Mahabharatha". The paintings cover a wide range of themes from the 'Puthra Kameshtiyagam' to Ram's return to Ayodya after vanquishing king Ravana of Lanka. They cover nearly 300 sq. feet of wall surface. In the central courtyard of the palace is the temple dedicated to Pazzhayannur Bhagavathi. In the Coronation hall, there is a display of dresses and palanquins used by the rulers of Kochi. The Palace is open from 10 a.m to 5 p.m on all days except Fridays and national holidays. |
Jewish Synagogue |
Situated In MATTANCHERRY the Synagogue was built in 1568 AD. The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament, the copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the Kochi rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are of interest.
Timing: 1000 hrs to 1200 hrs and 1500 hrs to 1700 hrs. Closed on Saturdays and Jewish Holidays |
| St. Francis Church |
| Located at Fort Kochi this Protestant church was originally built by the Portuguese in 1510 AD and is believed to be the oldest church built by the Europeans in India. lt is here the remains of the inveterate traveler, Vasco da Gama were initially buried and 14 years later, his mortal remains were taken to Portugal |
| Santa Cruz Basilica Church |
St.Francis Assissi church popularly knows as Naduvileppalli,the most beautiful and old church in Ernakulam city,the blend of Portuguese and Kerala style of architecture.The unique feature churche's roof is that the entire hyper bolic para bloid shell roof rests only on the centre pillars on the either sides.It has completed 179th year existence....Hundreds of people come here at odd times to sit in the quiteness of the church to commune with god. |
Chinese Fishing Nets |
| Fort Kochi- The Chinese Fishing nets that line the sea-front and exhibit a mechanical method of catching fish by local fishermen in Fort Kochi. Said to have been brought from China by traders of Kubala Khan's Court, they are used at high tide. |
BOLGHATTY PALACE |
| Bolghatty Palace is situated in Bolghatty Island a narrow palm-fringed Island easily accessible from the mainland. The Palace was built by the Dutch in 1744. Later, it became the seat of the British Resident and today this has been converted into a hotel run by the KTDC |
Vallarpadam Church |
The Basilica of Our Lady of Vallarpadam adds another landmark to its growing reputation with the completion of 20 stations that will depict the 20 mysteries of the rosary. The 20 stations will features the mysteries that are celebrated by Catholics all over the world. These include the Joyous Glorious, Sorrowful Mysteries and the Mysteries of Light that were added to the original by Pope John Paul II. The Vallarpadam Church, which was already a national pilgrim centre, was raised to the status of a Basilica on the basis of a request submitted by Archbishop Daniel Acharuparampil of Varappuzha in December 2003.The Vallarpadam church was bestowed a special status by Pope Leo XIII in 1888. In 1951, it was declared a pilgrim centre. |
HILL PALACE MUSEUM (Tripunithura) |
Hill Palace Museum is situated 12 km away from Eranakulam on the Eranakulam Chottanikkara route.Different types of sculptures, collection of rare coins,old weapons, manuscripts in ancient scripts and collection from Kochi Royal Family are exhibited here. Tourist may also visit the Deer Park situated there. Horse riding facility is also available. The Parishith Thampuran Musueum situated at the Durbar Hall Ground together with its collection were transferred to Hill Palace Museum in 1997.
Timings: 9:00 hrs to 12:30 hrs and 14:00 hrs to 16:30 hrs. Closed on Mondays & National holidays. |
WILLINGDON ISLAND |
A man-made island created from the material dredged while deeping Kochi Port. Situated between the main land Emakulam and the old town Mattancherry and separated by the backwaters. Willingdon Island is an important part of Kochi. The Govt. of India Tourist Office, the Southern Naval Command Headquarters, the Seaport, Naval Airport, Railway terminus, Customs House, Kochi Port Office etc are all located in this island. |
MUSEUM OF KERALA HISTORY (Edappally) |
| Situated at Edappally 10 km on the National Highway from Eranakulam on the Alwaye route. Presents one hour light and sound spectacles of life-size sculptures in concrete, of the makers of Kerala history, together with the background music and commentary with glimpses of the vastness and diversity of Kerala's history over the centuries. |
Marine Drive |
| It is situated in a place called Menaka. |
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Athirappally, Vazhachal |
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South India's most fascinating waterfalls, 32 km from Chalakkudy on N H 47. Thrissur pooram, the spectacular spectacle, is an annual festival on May 1 |
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| Location |
Thrishur, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport Cochin, 78 km away. |
| Rail |
Thrissur Railway station is a major one on Thiruvananthapuram-Mangalore and Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai routes |
| Road |
KSRTC Thrissur station operates buses to all district quarters and major towns in the state. |
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Silent Valley National Park , Malampuzha, Tippu’s Fort etc |
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Silent Valley National Park , Malampuzha, Tippu’s Fort, Nelliyampathy, Parambikulam Wild Life Santuary |
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| Location |
Palakkad, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to February |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport Coimbatore, 55kms. away. Cochin Airport, 16Okms. away. Calicut airport 180 km away. |
| Rail |
Palakkad and Shornoore are major railway stations. |
| Road |
Bus service to all parts of Kerala and major cities in Tamilnadu, more so Coimbathore. |
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Kappad Beach, Baypore |
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| Location |
Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to May |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Calicut airport 29 Km from Kozhikode city. |
| Rail |
Kozhikode Railway station. All Kerala-bound trains on Konkan line stops in Kozhikode. |
| Road |
Three National Highways connect Kozhikode with destinations elsewhere in the country. N H 17 on Western coast connects the city with Mumbai, Mangalore and Goa. N H 213 (Kozhikode-Palakkad) gives a fast track to Tamilnadu. N H 212( Kozhikode- Kollegal, Mysore) winds its way through Wayanad district before entering the stipulated Mysore- Bangalore Express Highway in Mysore. KSRTC operates round- the-clock services to Southern Kerala, Wayanad district, Mysore and Bangalore. A few services to Kannur, Kasargode, Mangalore, Coimbathore and Ootty. |
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Kottakal (Famous Ayurveda Hospital), Palur – Tippu’s Fort |
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| Location |
Malappuram, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
September to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
Calicut airport is at Karippur, 36 kms. away from district headquarters. |
| Rail |
Major railway stations are Thirur, Kuttippuram. Local passenger service on Shornore- Nilambur line. |
| Road |
Manjeri is the main city in the district, Malappuram has a KSRTC station which operates bus services to all parts of the state. |
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Wild Life Sanctuaries, Pakshipathalam (natural nest for birds), Edakkal Caves |
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| Location |
Wayanad, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to May |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport is Calicut. 109 km from Kalpetta, district headquarters. |
| Rail |
No service |
| Road |
N H 212 (Kozhikode-Mysore) passes via Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery. KSRTC Bus Station in Sulthan Bathery operates round-the-clock services to Kozhikode sector. |
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Ezhimala, Thalassery |
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| Location |
Kannur |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport at Karipur, Kozhikode 120 km away., Mangalore airport 170 km away. |
| Rail |
Kannur railway station on Mangalore- Shornore Sector. A major station in north Kerala. |
| Road |
N H 17 goes via Kannur, Thalassery- Virajpetta route is another Kerala-Karnataka route from Kannur. |
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Bakkel Fort and Beach |
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| Location |
Kasargode, Kerala |
| Best Time To Visit |
August to March |
| Conveyance |
| Air |
The nearest airport at Mangalore, 73 km away. |
| Rail |
Kasargode, a major stop between Mangalore and Kannur. |
| Road |
N H 17 goes through Kasargode. Kasargode-Puthoor( Karnataka) road leads to Madikkery, Mysore and Bangalore. KSRTC operates buses to Mangalore and several parts of Kerala. |
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