The state is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast, Arabian Sea towards the west and Western Ghats on the East. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city. Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities.
Kerala flaunts the timeless beauty of the palm fringed beaches of Kovalam and Varkala, the undulating hills of Munnar and Vagamon, the serenity of the pristine backwaters of Kumarakom and Kuttanad and the enchanting woods and forests of Thekkady and Silent Valley imparts a mind blowing experience. Kerala is renowned as God’s own country as God has generously bestowed this land with the bounties of nature.
History: Kerala has a history which goes back more than several millennia. Stone Age carving in Edakkal Caves had pictorial writings believed to be dating to at least 5000 BC, from the Neolithic man, indicating the presence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this region. Kerala had established itself as a major spice trade center from as early as 3000 BC.
3rd Century BC- Emperor Asoka the Great rock inscription attests to a Keralaputra.
Around 1 BC- Kerala was ruled by Chera Dynasty, which traded with the Greeks, Romans and Arabs.
14th century- The Tamil Chera dynasty, Ays and the Pandyan Empire were the traditional rulers of Kerala whose patriarchal dynasties ruled
8th century- Adi Shankara was born in central Kerala, who travelled extensively across the Indian subcontinent, establishing institutions of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
1795- Kerala was under British dominion.
1956- Post independence, the state of Kerala was created from the former state of Travancore-Cochin, the Malabar district of Madras State, and the Kasaragod taluk of Dakshina Kannada.
1957- Kerala is the first place in the world to have a democratically elected Communist Party
Culture: Kerala’s culture is a mixture of Tamil-heritage region known as Tamilakam and southern coastal Karnataka. Koodiyattom is the native performing arts which includes a 2000-year-old Sanskrit theatre tradition and is officially recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Kathakali, Kaliyattam, Koothu, Mohiniaattam, Theyyam, Thullal NS Padayani. Kathakali and Mohiniattam are widely recognized Indian Classical Dance traditions from Kerala.
Elephant being the state animal of Kerala is featured on the emblem of the Government of Kerala. Malayalam is the language spoken in Kerala. Vishu and Onam being the New Year and harvest festival respectively are celebrated with great enthusiasm.
Topography and Weather:
Kerala is sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Geographically, Kerala is divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Kerala has 44 rivers and among them the Periyar, Bharathapuzha, Pamba, Chaliyar, Kadalundipuzha River, Valapattanam and the Achankovil are the most important ones.
Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. The winter season sets in during the month of December and continues till end of February. During this season comparatively there is less rainfall especially in the northern parts of the state. Summer starts in February and continues till May. Temperature is very high during this period with occasional showers with lightning. The South West Monsoon begins either in the end of May or in the beginning of June and fades out by September. The North East Monsoon commences in October, dry weather setting in by the end of December. The Kanjirappalli-Peerumedu range and Kuttiyadi area experience the abundance of North East Monsoon.
Places to Visit:
Towns and Cities:
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Munnar
- Thekkady
- Thrissur
- Kasargod
- Kochi
- Alleppey
- Kollam
- Palakkad
- Malappuram
- Kozhikode
- Wayanad
- Kottayam
- Kannur
- Alappuzha Beach
- Fort Kochi Beach
- Kovalam Beach
- Varkala Beach
- Kappad Beach
- Beypore Beach
- Alleppey Backwaters
- Kollam Backwaters
- Kottayam Backwaters
- Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
- Idukki National Park
- Wayanad Wildlife Reserve
- Silent Valley National Park
- Pilgrims:
- Sabarimala
- Jewish Synagogue
- Pathanamthitta
- Guruvayur Temple
Air: Kerala is the only state in India having three International Airports that are located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode. A fourth international airport is proposed at Kannur. The Trivandrum International Airport is the first International airport in a non-metro city in India.
Bus: Kerala has a well connected bus network and is widely used for commutation. Most of Kerala’s west coast is accessible through two national highways, NH 47, and NH 17 and eastern side is accessible through various State Highways. There is also a Hill Highway proposed, to make easy access to eastern hills.
Rail: The Indian Railways Southern Railway line runs throughout Kerala which connects all major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. Railway networks are controlled by three divisions of Southern Railway, namely Trivandrum Railway Division, Palakkad Railway Division and Madurai Railway Division.
To visit these places Bus tickets are easily available online. One can plan trip and do bus booking online in advance. Online bus booking Trivandrum to Chennaiis an easy process which can save your time and price.
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