ABOUT KERALA

The most advanced society in India with the highest physical quality of life index, no place on earth is perhaps as naturally green as breathtakingly endowed, green Kerala. The land of lush greenery, the swaying palms, surf-washed beaches, breath-taking high ranges and the tranquil backwater make this land a paradise-on-earth. Nurtured by the benevolent monsoon showers, Kerala is the dreamland in South India. This small, emerald crescent of land contains jungles, beaches, mountains, lakes and some of the most romantic natural resources in the world.

There is a myth which goes like this - Parasuraman, the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the Hindu Trinity, stood on a high place in the mountains of the Western Ghats, threw his axe far into the sea and commanded the sea to retreat. It did and the land that emerged dripping from the waters became Kerala. The history of the region stretches back to ancient times when the scent of its spices attracted to its silver shores traders from all over the world -the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Chinese, the Arabs and the Jews. The same scent of seduction brought in later centuries the Dutch, the Portuguese, the French and the British. Even in the midst of these diverse influences, Kerala has retained in all these centuries, its ethnic identity. Kerala has an amazing mixture of religions - Hindus, Christians and the Muslims. Communal harmony and religious toleration are an essential part of Kerala’s culture and heritage. The sacred being of these realm are worshipped in many Christian churches, in a magnificent old Jewish synagogue, in the beautiful artistic mosques and the elegant temples in the state. Different religions co-exist with a harmony that is unusual in most other parts of the country.

If you are sea-friendly, then the choice of beaches is staggering. One can swim in the tranquilant blue sea at Kovalam, float through the most beautiful backwater lagoons. So opt for one of the well-developed, cozy beach resorts where you can swim, surf or get initiated into the age-old powers of yoga. If you are tired - you can experience ayurvedic massage. It is a rare and very agreeable thing to find a hill resort and a beach resort served up together for you in the same holiday package. But that is Kerala in essence, a land of unexpected bounties, a veritable basket of tightly packed goodies that burst out at you even as you open the lid.

Kerala’s cuisine is a mouth-watering story. The food habits of Malayalees are as secular as their culture. Variety is the spice of life and you will find varieties here and you are surely to get lost in the charm of this unique vacationland.

When the day is done lie back on the sand and relax to the lullaby of the wind and the waves, for tomorrow the sights to see are many………….