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Kerala Travel Guide

Alappuzha
Alappuzha is a Land Mark between the broad Arabian sea and a net work of rivers flowing into it. In the early first decade of the 20th Century the then Viceroy of the Indian Empire, Lord Curzon made a visit in the State to Alleppey now Alappuzha. Fascinated by the Scenic beauty of the place, in joy and amazement, he said, “Here nature has spent up on the land her richest bounties”. In his exhilaration, it is said, he exclaimed, “Alleppey, the Venice of the East”. Thus the sobriquet found its place in the world Tourism Map. The presence of a port and a pier, criss -cross roads and numerous bridges across them, a long and unbroken sea coast might have motivated him to make this comparison.

Ernakulam
Ernakulam is the green commercial capital of Kerala with one of the finest natural harbours in the world. From here, ships set sail for foreign ports with pepper, sea food, rubber and coir. From times immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British and Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to Cochin and left their impression in the town. The harbour is the nucleus around which Cochin has grown to become the Queen of the Arabian Sea

Idukki
This beautiful High range district of Kerala is geographically known for its Mountainous Hills and Dense Forests. For the people of Kerala, Idukki is always associated with Power Generation. About 66% of the State's Power needs come from the Hydroelectric Power Projects in Idukki. Idukki accounts for 12.9 percent of the area of Kerala and only 3.7 percent of the population of Kerala. About 50% of its area is Reserved Forests.

Kannur
Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur Municipality.Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the , deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place)making it the placeof Lord Krishna. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the south eastern part of the present Kannur town.

Kasaragod
Kasargod, the land of seven languages and several cultures. The name, Kasaragod, is said to be derived from the word Kusirakood meaning Nuxvomica forests (Kanjirakuttom). Kasaragod district was formed on May 24. 1984, with the intention of bestowing maximum attention on the development of backward areas that. With the formation of the new district, comprising the erstwhile Kasaragod and Hosdurg taluks, it has become possible to develop this coastal area fruitfully.

Kollam
Kollam or Quilon, an old sea port town on the Arabian coast , stands on the Ashtamudi lake. Kollam, the erstwhile Desinganadu, had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was regarded by Ibn Batuta, as one of the five ports , which he had seen in the course of his travels during a period of twenty four years, in the 14th century.

Kovalam
Along the 600 kilometre length of the Kerala coast, there are many sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut palms. The fishing village of Kovalam lies 10 kilometres south of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Kovalam is the only beach resort of Kerala, and is very popular with the Indian as well as international tourists.

Kozhikode
Calicut is the anglicised form of Kalikut. The Arabic for the Malayalam , Kozhikode. It is also called the Cock Fort. According to the historian, K.V Krishnan Iyer, the term means koyil (Palace) Kodu (Fortified). Anyhow, it is a historical town with a hoary past. From time immemorial, the city attracted travellers, with its charming physical features and prosperity. Even today , the glory that was Calicut has not faded. The political history of Kozhikode is a story of treacherous and ill conceived conspiracies hatched by the Western powers. Vasco De Gama landed at Kappad in May 1498, as the leaders of a trade mission from Portugal and was received by the Zamorin himself.

Palakkad
Palakkad is a part of the erstwhile Malabar district of Madras Presidency. The district accounts for about 11.5% of the total land area of the state of Kerala, with the share of population is 8.20.%. The literacy rate of the district is low than the state. The district has got two types of climates. Ottappalam, Alathur and Mannarkkad are having a climate similar to that of other districts of Kerala , whereas Palakkad and Chittur are having rather a dry climate similar to Tamilnadu. However the average rainfall is good for cultivation. There are five taluks and 163 villages in the district. There are four Municipal towns and Ninety panchayaths in the district. The district is divided into 13 Community Development Blocks for the effective implementation of various developmental activities

Periyar
Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats, in Kerala, is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. The park has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a perennial source of water for the local wildlife. Herds of elephant and sambar, gaur and wild pigs wander down to the lakeside and can be observed from the launches that cruise the lake. In March and April, during the driest period here, the animals spend a lot of time near the lake and the elephants can be seen bathing and swimming in the reservoir.

Thiruvananthapuram
Thiru-v-anatha-puram is a three sylable name meaning the abode of the sacred snake god "Anantha". Lord Vishnu of the ancient Indian mytholgy rests on this huge serpent.

This city and district are also popularly known by its anglicised name Trivandrum

Thrissur
The term Thrissur is the abbreviated anglicized form of the Malayalam word "THRISSIVAPERUR" which means the town of the "SACRED SIVA". The town is built on an elevated ground, at the apex of which is the famous "VADAKKUMNATHAN" Temple. A place of great antiquity, Thrissur was also known as "VRISHABHADRIPURAM" and "TEN KAILASAM" in ancient days.

Wayanad
Nestled among the mountains of the western ghats, lies Wayanad, one of the loveliest hill stations of Kerala. This green paradise, located at a distance of about 76 kms. From the seashores of Kozhikode , lies at a height of 700 to 2100m.above sea level, on the northeastern part of the state. The name Wayanad, is believed to have been derived from the word, Vayalnadu, meaning the land of paddy fields. The present of Wayanad was carved out , from the parts of Kozhikode and Kannur districts and came into being on 1st November 1980 as the 12th district of Kerala. This backward district is, perhaps one of the biggest foreign exchange earners of the state, thanks to its cash crops of pepper, cardamom, coffee, tea, spices and other condiments.

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