BHARAT DESH MAHAAN: Kerala

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Kerala _ 2

55 km from Kottayam, Ilaveezhapoonchira is another picnic spot located in the midst of the beautiful hillocks near Kanjar. It is easily accessible from Palai in Kottayam district. Surrounded by three enchanting hillocks - Mankunnu, Kodayathoormala and Thonippara - makes this place ideal for trekking.

Arattupuzha Pooram, a festival that takes place with the Sree Sastha Temple, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, as the nerve centre is celebrated today. It is believed that during the festival period, Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity at the Sree Sastha Temple is visited by gods and goddesses of the neighbouring villages! To read more visit:http://bitly.com/ArattupuzhaPooram

The Cherai beach fringes the Vypeen Island on the Kochi harbour mouth where one can stand here and watch closely the passing ships. Close to the beach is a typical Kerala village with thatched cottages, coconut groves and paddy fields. The beach is also ideal for swimming!

Edakkal Caves are situated about 16 km from Sulthan Bathery and tourists have to trek up the Ambukuthi Hill to reach the caves. The trek up the hill, peppered with coffee plantations, is worth an experience and it takes almost 45 minutes to climb the hill. The lush greenery and scenic landscape around and the cool breeze that carries the aroma of coffee will surely make your journey an unforgettable one

The Bekal beach encompasses a grassy park and a long, beautiful stretch of sand that turns into a circus on weekends and holidays when local families descend here for rambunctious leisure time.

The Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, the archaeological museum in Wayanad, has one of Kerala's largest collections of the remnants of an era dating back to the 2nd century A.D. The exhibits here are evidences of an advanced civilisation that existed in the mountains of Wayanad. The articles on display are a fascination for the historian, the archaeologist and the ordinary man alike. At the museum you can see articles as varied as clay sculptures, ancient hunting equipments like bows and arrows, stone weapons and other curios.

Walking northwards from the Loafer's corner, you come across Santa Cruz Basilica, the historic church built by the Portuguese and elevated to a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. which now preservces many artifacts from the different eras in Kochi and a striking pastel-coloured interior!

The Portuguese built St Angelo Fort in 1505 from brilliantly red laterite stone on a promontory a few kilometres south of town. It has a serene garden and excellent views of nearby palm-fringed beaches.

A scenic freshwater lake in the Wayanad district of Kerala, the Pookot Lake is surrounded by forests! Panamaram, the rivulet which becomes Kabani river orginates from here. Boats are available for rent and the best thing to do is to take a walk around the lake!

Set in the idyllic backdrop of the Brahmagiri hills, Thirunelli charms you not only with its pristine, scenic beauty and the chattering streams of the Papanasini spring, but also the serene, calm ambience of the Vishnu temple in the valley. It is believed that Lord Brahma, the Creator, himself installed the idol of the presiding deity of the temple - Sree Vishnu, the Preserver and the second member of the Trinity in Hindu mythology.

12 kms south east of Ernakulam enroute Kottyam, the Hill Palace Museum at Tripunithura was formerly the residence of the Kochi Royal family. It is an impressive 44 storey building palace complex which now houses the collections of the Royal families as well as the 19th centuary oil paintings, old counts, sculptures and temple models.

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary is a serene park, home to over 270 species, including Malabar grey hornbills, jungle nightjar, grey drongo, darters and rarer species like the Sri Lankan frogmouth.

10km past Marayoor and 60km northeast of Munnar, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary hosts deer, leopards, elephants and the endangered grizzled giant squirrel. Trekking and tree house or hut stays are avaialble within the park! River trekking, cultural visits and waterfall treks are some attractive ecotour programs!

Visit scenic Kuttanad, the interior of backwater district, Alappuzha which is also known as the rice bowl of Kerala and enjoy the glamour of lush green paddy fields!

Chembara peak, Wayanad district is an ideal spot climb up a mountain, get a bird's eyeview, commute with nature!

Fulfill your desire to be with nature; stay in tree-house at Thekkady or in any wildlife sanctuary. The sweet scent of forest flowers will refresh your nerves and mind!

Set out on a glorious trip to one of the most sacred temples of art forms in Kerala - Kalamandalam. Located on the banks of River Nila in Cheruthuruthy, Kalamandalam has a legacy of decades of being a well acclaimed residential center of learning of art forms and dances of Kerala. The Kalamandalam and its surroundings reflect the simple, pure and ethnic atmosphere in which these arts have survived for centuries!

At the junction of Veli Lake and the Arabian sea, the Veli Tourist Park has strikingly oversized scluptures made by local artist Kanai Kunhiraman! 8kms west of Trivandum, it the well designed artwork makes it an interesting backdrop for a picnic or a stroll.

A generous gift presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veer Kerala Varma, built by the Portuguese in 1555, the Mattancherry Palace used to secure trading privileges. The Dutch eventually renovated the palace in 1663 and has been also known as the Dutch Palace ever since.

Mannar is one town in Kerala that rose to stardom due to its intimacy with metals. It doesn’t mean that one would be greeted with the incessant clanging sound of metals as soon as one enters Mannar, which has been famous for quite some time as the bell metal town of Kerala. Renowned for its craftsmanship and outstanding feats, the smiths of this town are the most sought after group, when it comes to exquisite creations in brass, bronze and silver. Bet it art pieces or those with utility, metal products from Mannar over the years have crossed the seas and reached different parts of the world.

Situated on the Kollam - Shenkottai Road, Ariankavu is famous for the shrine dedicated to Sree Sastha. Mandala Pooja and Trikalyanam celebrated in the month of December are the main festivals here.

free counters http://www.espnstar.com/live/#.Tzd-J6-iT9o.blogger Visit My Website

LOKAKSHEMA TRUST

Visit this group

View all

Get your own

Subscribe box for your web page Google Groups Subscribe to LOKAKSHEMA TRUST Email: Visit this group

Subscribe to LOKAKSHEMA TRUST

Email:

Visit this group

Click to join lokakshema

Powered byIP2Location.com

Submit link http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/60zW28Bt0yMKF4esQAoxlg?feat=directlink
website counter

Inspirational Quotes [URL=http://travel.webshots.com/album/235131548KwTcMk][IMG]http://thumb8.webshots.net/t/20/20/3/19/32/235131932tzJfHq_th.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Embed as slideshow in MySpace, your blog or website Post as thumbnail in MySpace, your blog or website Post in a forum Search Engine Submission - AddMe http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/category/index.php http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/category/shraddha