ABOUT KERALA:

• Colourful Kerala, the land of the Kera (coconut palm) is an enchanting kaleidoscope of deep rooted cultures, traditions and delightful sensations.
• Narrow strip of land at the south-western tip of India is about 560 kms long and just 120 kms at its widest.
• An exotic blend of nature’s very best – cool, mist shrouded highlands, fertile plains, dense tropical forests, palm-fringed sandy beaches and a complex maze of backwaters.
• State is flanked by the high ranges of Western Ghats on the east and Arabian Sea on the west.
• Thus, the beaches and backwaters, wildlife sanctuaries and hill stations are all located in close proximity, providing a unique experience to the travellers visiting this land of great beauty.
• Kerala also unfolds a vibrant cultural canvas unseen anywhere else in the world.
• Rich cultural heritage is very well exhibited in its frenzied tempo of snake boat races, classical dignity of Kathakali, lyrical beauty of Mohiniyattam, the satirical wit of Ottan Thullal, martial skills of Kalaripayattu and the exquisite workmanship of Kerala handicrafts.
• Antiquity of the State can be traced as early as 5000 to 3000 BC.
• People have been sailing to Kerala is search of spices, sandalwood and ivory for at least 2000 years.
• Its coasts were known to the Phoenicians, Romans and later on to the Arabs and Chinese, long before Vasco da Gama came to India.
• Christianity and Islam were introduced to Kerala much before the rest of India.
• Kerala, ‘God’s own country’ is also an epitome of secularism and a masterpiece of unity in diversity.
• Entire landscape is dotted with temples, churches, mosques and synagogues.
• Land of valuable cash crops also has the distinction of having heights literacy, life expectancy and lowest infant mortality among Indian States.
• Today, Kerala has emerged as a major tourist destination and is ranked among the ten paradises of the world by the ‘National Geographic Traveller’.

INFORMATION:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Area: 38,863 sq. kms.
• Population: 3,34,06,061 (2011)
• Languages: Malyalam
• Best Season: November to April
• Famous For: Backwaters, Snake Boat Race, Kathakali Dance, Onam Festival, Coir Goods, Cashewnuts.
• Climate (Temperature):
  • Winter (January and February): 22⁰ C to 30⁰ C
  • Pre Monsoon (March, April and May): 25⁰ C to 31⁰ C
  • Monsoon (June, July, August and September): 24⁰ C to 28⁰ C
  • Post Monsoon (October, November and December): 23⁰ C to 28⁰ C