© Lonely Planet Publications 960 KERALA KERALA Kerala Kerala is where India slips down into second gear, stops to smell the roses and always talks to strangers. A strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, its perfect climate flirts unabashedly with the fertile soil, and everything glows. An easy-going and successful so- cialist state, Kerala has a liberal hospitality that stands out as its most laudable achievement. The backwaters that meander through Kerala are the emerald jewel in South India’s crown. Here, spindly networks of rivers, canals and lagoons nourish a seemingly infinite number of rice paddies and coconut groves, while sleek houseboats cruise the water highways from one bucolic village to another. Along the coast, slices of perfect, sandy beach beckon the sun-worshipping crowd, and far inland the mountainous Ghats are covered in vast planta- tions of spices and tea. Exotic wildlife also thrives in the hills, for those who need more than just the smell of cardamom growing to get their juices flowing. This flourishing land isn’t good at keeping its secret: adventurers and traders have been in on it for years. The serene Fort Cochin pays homage to its colonial past, each building whispering a tale of Chinese visitors, Portuguese traders, Jewish settlers, Syrian Christians and Muslim mer- chants. Yet even with its colonial distractions, Kerala manages to cling to its vibrant traditions: Kathakali – a blend of religious play and dance; kalarippayat – a gravity-defying martial art; and theyyam – a trance-induced ritual. Mixed with some of the most tastebud-tingling cuisine in India and you can imagine how hard it will be to leave before you even get here. HIGHLIGHTS Cruise the hydro-highways of Kerala’s back- waters ( p982 ) on a houseboat; an entry in Kannur our top 10 things-to-do-before-you-die list Wayanad Wildlife Kick back on shimmering beaches by day Sanctuary and feast on cliff-side seafood by night at Varkala ( p973 ) Soak in the culture and serenity of captivating Fort Cochin ( p1005 ), a trading-post city Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary echoing hundreds of years of colonial history Fort Cochin Munnar Kumarakom Bird Go elephant spotting at Wayanad ( p1019 ) or Sanctuary Periyar Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary ( p988 ), then grab Wildlife your logbook for some bird-watching Backwaters Sanctuary at Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary ( p987 ) or Varkala Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary ( p1002 ) See an ancient ritual of spirit possession called theyyam around Kannur (Cannanore, p1021 ) Take in a kaleidoscope of green at tea plantations around Munnar ( p999 ) Get oiled, rubbed and treated with the aromatic herbs used in Ayurvedic massage ( p975 ) lonelyplanet.com KERALA 961 KERALA KERALA 0 50 km KERALA 0 30 miles To Mangalore To (15km) Bengaluru (Bangalore) (25km) Krishnaraja Kasaragod Sagar Mandya Kottancherry Bekal Madikeri Kanhangad Nileshwar Mysore W Valiyaparamba E S T E Wayanad R KARNATAKA Iritty Wildlife N Sanctuary Nagu Kannur (Tholpetty) G (Cannanore) H 17 A Mananthavadi T Thalasseri Mahé S (Pondicherry) Sultanbatheri Wayanad Kalpetta Wildlife Sanctuary Vythiri (Muthanga) Udhagamandalam Kappad (Ooty) Bhavani Bhavani Beach Sagar Purakkatri Nilambur Coonoor Mettupalayam Road To Lakshadweep Kozhikode 47 (Calicut) To Silent Valley Puducherry National Park (350km) Malappuram Attappadi Coimbatore Shoranur Ponnani TAMIL Palakkad Cheruthuruthy NADU Pollachi Guruvayur 47 Thrissur (Trichur) Parambikulam 17 Wildlife Sanctuary Chinnar Irinjalakuda Wildlife Cochin International Sanctuary Marayoor A R A B I A N S E A Airport Thattekkad Kodaikanal Kodungallur Bird Anamudi Eravikulam (Cranganore) Parur Sanctuary Vypeen Thattekkad (2695m) National Park Island Aluva Munnar Top W Edapally Kothamangalam Periyar Station Ernakulam E Muvattupula 49 S Kochi Tripunithura (Cochin) T 47 River E Thuravoor Kumarakom R Pala N Bird Idukki Shertallai Sanctuary Ettumanur Kottayam Kumily Kumarakom Peermade G Vembanad Lake 49 Periyar Thekkady H Alappuzha Lake (Alleppey) Changanassery A Periyar T Ambalappuzha Tiruvilla Wildlife Sanctuary S Chengannur Harippad Sabarimala Aranmula Achan Kayamkulam kovil River Amrithapuri Ashtamudi Lake Kottarakara Shencottah Thangasseri Kollam (Quilon) 47 Ponmudi Varkala Bonacaud Anjengo Nedumangad Agastya Malai (1869m) Neyyar Dam & Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Sanctuary (Trivandrum) Chitranjali Kovalam To Kanyakumari Vizhinjam (40km) 962 SOUTHERN KERALA •• Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) lonelyplanet.com Information FAST FACTS Kerala Tourism (%0471-2321132; www.keralatourism Population: 31.8 million .org) is a government tourism promotion body KERALA KERALA with information offices – usually called Dis- Area: 38,864 sq km trict Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) Capital: Thiruvananthapuram or Tourist Facilitation Centres – in most (Trivandrum) major towns. Be aware of places with official- Main language: Malayalam sounding names that are actually private tour companies. When to go: October to March ACCOMMODATION Parts of Kerala – particularly the beachside History towns and backwater hubs – have a distinct Traders have been drawn to the whiff of Kera- high season around November to March. la’s spices and to the shine of its ivory for Around the mid-December to mid-January more than 3000 years. The coast was known peak season, prices creep up again, though to the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Arabs great deals are to be had during the monsoon and the Chinese, and was a transit point for season (April to September). spices from the Moluccas (eastern Indone- sia). It was probably via Kerala that Chinese Getting Around products and ideas first found their way to The Kerala State Road Transport Corpora- the West. tion (KSRTC) runs an extensive network of The kingdom of Cheras ruled much of buses between most Keralan cities. They’re Kerala until the early Middle Ages, compet- not the fastest or most comfortable things ing with kingdoms and small fiefdoms for on earth, but are reliable and nearly always territory and trade. Vasco da Gama’s arrival punctual. Private buses ply the same routes, in 1498 opened the floodgates to European plus some the KSRTC don’t cover, and can be colonialism as Portuguese, Dutch and Eng- more comfortable – though departure times lish interests fought Arab traders, and then are more erratic. each other, for control of the lucrative spice trade. The present-day state of Kerala was created SOUTHERN KERALA in 1956 from the former states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar. A tradition of valuing THIRUVANANTHAPURAM the arts and education resulted in a post- (TRIVANDRUM) Independence state that is one of the most %0471 / pop 889,191 progressive in India. The unpretentious capital of Kerala, Trivan- Kerala had the first freely elected com- drum (many people still call it by this colo- munist government in the world, coming to nial name, understandably) rests upon seven power in 1957 and holding power regularly low hills. You only have to walk a few metres since. The participatory political system has off the fume-filled racetrack that passes for a resulted in a more equitable distribution of main road to appreciate its gentler side, where land and income, and impressive health and much of old Kerala’s ambience remains intact. education statistics (see p965 ). Many Ma- Pagoda-shaped buildings with red-tiled roofs layalis (speakers of Malayalam, the state’s line the narrow, winding lanes, and life slows official language) work in the Middle East, exponentially the further you walk. For most and remittances play a significant part in the visitors it’s just a gateway to the golden-sand economy. resorts of nearby Kovalam and Varkala, but there are some great attractions in and around National Parks town for visitors with time to wander off the All national parks mentioned in this chapter traveller trail. close for one week for a tiger census dur- ing the months of January or February. The Orientation dates differ, so check with Kerala Tourism Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Rd, the traffic-clogged for exact dates. artery of town, runs 4km north–south from lonelyplanet.com SOUTHERN KERALA •• Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 963 KERALA KERALA FESTIVALS IN KERALA Across the state on any night (but especially during festival season from November to mid-May) there are literally hundreds of vivid temple festivals being held, featuring an array of performing arts and rituals, music and the odd elephant procession. Some highlights: Ernakulathappan Utsavam (Jan/Feb; Shiva Temple, Ernakulam, Kochi (Cochin), p1007 ) Hugely significant for residents of Kochi, the climax of this eight-day festival brings a procession of 15 splendidly decorated elephants, ecstatic music and fireworks. Bharni Utsavam (Feb/Mar; Chettikulangara Bhaghavathy Temple, Chettikulangara village, near Kayamkulam, p980 ) This one-day festival is dedicated to the popular Keralan goddess Bhagavathy. It’s famous for its kootiattam (traditional Sanskrit drama) ritual and the spectacular procession to the temple of larger-than-life effigies. Thirunakkara Utsavam (Mar; Thirunakkara Shiva Temple, Kottayam, p985 ) There’s all-night Kathakali dancing on the third and fourth nights of this 10-day festival; on the last two nights there are processions of caparisoned elephants. Pooram Festival (Apr; Asraman Shree Krishna Swami Temple, Kollam (Quilon), p978 ) There are full-night Kathakali performances during this 10-day festival; on the last day there’s a procession of 40 ornamented elephants in Asraman Maidan. Thrissur Pooram (Apr/May; Vadakkumnatha Temple,