by The state of south India is known for its amazing natural beauty and a historical legacy of much valord and is referred to as God’s own country. Famous for its green lush, Backwater, beach, spices, and traditions, Kerala is actually a heavenly location, usually featured as the beauty spot of the tropics. More than 2000 years ago, with the Dravidian Aryan mix, Kerala has been able to carve an identity that is distinct from elsewhere in the country.
History of Kerala
The roots of the history of Kerala are nested even in paleolithic period; archaeologists found evidence for the presence of early man in the region dating back to 3000 BC. Anciently, there was rule of the Tamil dynasties of Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas in turns and they were subjugated by the Mauryas. Intermittently the Kalabhras overpowered Kerala and soon it again came under the rule of the Venad kingdom during the 9th to the 12th century AD. The region was brought the religion of Islam by Arabs, while Europeans such as the Dutch and Portuguese established trading stations during the 1600s.
In the eighteenth century, the king of Travancore vanquished the Dutch and entered into a treaty with the British East India Company. Travancore and Cochin had the status of princely states when India became independent in 1947 and the state of Kerala was formed in the year 1956. The Kerala of the present day empowers therefore a syncretism of Aryan/Indo-Aryan and Dravidian superimposition with all the thousands of years of influence of sea traders and foreign invaders.
Tourist destinations on dream tour in Kerala
Palm-lined beaches, surreal backwaters, charming hill stations, and wildlife sanctuaries give Kerala an ideal destination for every kind of traveler.
Beaches: Kovalam, Varkala, Kappad, and Bekal are some of the best beaches in India where you can just lodge yourself at the sea-breeze or indulge in water sports (swimming, snorkeling, etc.).
Backwaters: The most visited destinations are backwaters Aliyppally, Kumara-koram, and Kollam having long Action-packed houseboat cruises across pretty canals and a lake network of interconnecting.
Hill Stations: There are beautiful hill stations located on the Western Ghats, such as Munnar, Thekkady, Ponmudi, and Wayanad located amidst tea gardens and spice gardens.
Wildlife: Periyar National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Eravikulam National Park are some example parks with varieties of flora and fauna including tourist attractions animals such as elephants, tigers, and lions, and also Nilgiri tahr which are endangered.
Kerala Dress and Food
Kerala has a tropical climate, and this characterizes the sort of dressing code as well as the sort of food that is associated with the people of Kerala. The traditional dress of women of Kerala is the mundu and neriyathum combination where mundu is the lower garment and neriyathu is an upper garment. The mundu is a very basic ‘skirt’ like garment tied around the waist and the neriyathu is actually a blouse along with a piece of cloth covering the shoulder. Traditional dresses also include Kerala off-white and gold Kasavu saree, and the black and gold Percentil saree. The male normally put on a mundu that covers their lobes with a shirt above the waist on their upper body.
Rice is what Keralites eat most often with breakfast specialties including puttu, appam and idli. Fish, prawns, and mussels are the most used seafood including fish molly, pearl spot fish, and karimeen pollichathu prepared along the long coastal area. Most Kerala curries like avial, loan, and kaalan use coconut milk besides pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, etc. Fresh bananas and plantains both are commonly used along with coconut water and yogurt based preparations. The Keralites take their banana chip as a snack and payasam as a sweet dish.
Here are 15 top places to visit in Kerala:
1. Alleppey – This is one of the best-known tourist destinations famous for backwaters, houseboat cruises, and rural settings.
2. Mummar – This hill station Munnar has tea estates, hills, valleys, and cardamom gardens all over this place.
3. Thekkady – One of the most famous National Parks of the country – Periyar and famous wildlife like tigers, elephants, and so on, Thekkady provides jungle trekking and bamboo rafting.
4. Kochi – The cultural capital of Kerala and a cosmopolitan port city Kochi offers options that include a Jew Synagogue, Dutch Palace, Fort of Kochi, Marine Drive, and seafood cuisines.
5. Varkala – Home to a medicinal thermal water spout, breathtaking beaches, and red cliffs looking out on the Arabian Sea, Varkala has the potential to be a different place altogether.
6. Kumarakom – Scenic Kumarakom is the place of fascinating backwater cruises, the famous bird sanctuary, and sumptuous houseboats, and beautiful villas surrounded by coconut lagoons.
7. Wayanad – The mountainous district with features of Waterfalls, Trekking, a Tea Garden, Caves, and tribal culture.
8. Kozhikode – Gain a historical experience after going to Kozhikode century-old mosques, temples, and colonial buildings.
9. Vagamon- Offbeat Vagamon charms tourists with its lush green meadows, pine trees, misty climatic conditions, views of tea gardens, and comparatively low temperature.
10. Bekal: With the record of housing the biggest fort of Kerala they covet the eye of beautified palm hued shorelines and backwaters.
11. Silent Valley National Park Tour – Walk through the picturesque trails of the Tropical Rainforest rich with avifauna and wag le rare species.
12. Athirappilly Waterfalls – See the beautiful and highly filmed Athirappilly Falls.
13. Thiruvananthapuram – Discover ancient temples, museums, zoological parks, storied palaces, andDescr: of architecture in the capital city of Kerala.
14. Kannur – This place enthralls them with its beautiful sandy coastline, Theyyattam rituals, fort, and the spice of Kerala.
15. Kovalam – popular among tourists for its beautiful crescent-shaped beaches, Ayurvedic resorts, nightclubs, and restaurants, Kovalam gives you upbeat or restful days depending on which you want.
Conclusion
Apart from the natural beauty and the beautiful performing arts, the spicy food, living history, and culture of assimilation, one can run out of ideas while touring Kerala. The people are friendly, casual, and well –read with a higher per capita income than other parts of India. The tourist who gets to breathe the sweet scent of the air on palm lining backwaters or while cruising through the undulating terrains of the hill estates and spice plantations calls it ‘God’s own country’.
