Halo Backwaters

A silver of dense greenery sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the forested    Western Ghat mountian,the state of Kerala stretched for 550 km along India's   southern  coast,and is just 120 km wide at its broadest point.It's blessed with  unique geographical features and the lush tropical landscapes,fed by    two annual monsoons,together with            the        beautiful           backwaters,   intoxicate   every newcomer.Equally,Kerala's       arcane       rituals and spectacular    festivals stimulate even the most jaded imagination,continuing centuries of       tradition    that has never strayed far from the realms of magic.It's      not surprising       that the state       tourism department have coined the phrase "God's own Country" to adverise Kerala,as there's a definite hint of paradise hereabout.

Small scale and relatively relaxed, Kerala’s   cities and towns   are all within easy reach of each other. The most popular tourist destination is    undoubtedly     the great port of Kochi   (formerly Cochin ), where Kerala’s extensive history of    Mattancherry and Fort Cochin – hubs of a still – thriving tea  and spice trade. The capital,Thiruvananthapuram     (aks Trivandrum),   almost as far south as you can go, and a gateway to the nearby palm –  fringed beaches of  Kovalam,provides varied opportunities to sample Kerala’s rich cultural and artistic life.

More so than anywhere  else in India, the greatest   joy of   exploring Kerala    is    actually   in    the    traveling     itself  ,   especially   by boat.Ferries,cruises, wooden longboats and even houseboats ply the backwaters,  slowly meandering through    the spellbinding  Kuttanad region near historic  Kollam (Quilon) and Alappuzha (Alleppey),on the southern tip of the huge Vembanad  lake that stretches northwards to Kochi.Drifting between swathes of palm trees and past tiny villages in the humid heat, you cannot fail to be lulled by the unhurried pace of life.

The only way to escape the humidity of the lowland is to head for the hills. Roads   wind through     landscapes   dotted with churches and temples    past  spice, tea,  coffee and rubber plantations, as well as natural     forest,   en route to wildlife reserves such as Tholpetty and Periyar,     where sightings of wild elephants are virtually guaranteed. The former British hill station of    Munnar,   surrounded by endlessly rolling fields of tea,    Palakkad    with its spice   plantations  and the beautiful      forested   district of Wayanad    with its indigenous tribal population are further highland options.

Kerala   is short on   the historic monuments   prevalent elsewhere in India , and furthermore the ancient temples tat remain today are still in use, and usually  closed to non – Hindus. Following an unwritten law, few buildings in Kerala whether   palaces, houses or   temples, are higher than the trees, often creating the illusion of clean and   green cities. Typical features of both domestic and temple architecture include long, sloping  tiled and gabled roofs that minimize the excesses of both   rain and  sunshine, and pillared verandas. The definitive example of such architecture is Padmanabhapuram Palace ,  just   over   the border    in Tamil Nadu, and   easily   reached from Thiruvananthapuram.

Theatre     and dance   styles abound in Kerala;not only the region’s own    female classical   dance form,   Mohinyattam   (dance  of the enchantress),but also  the martial – art – influenced Kathakali dance – drama,    which has    for four centuries brought gods and demons from the Mahabharata    and Ramayana to   Kerala villages. Its 2000 year old     predecessor, the    Sanskrit    drama   Kutiyattam,is still performed     by a handful of artists, while localized rituals known as Theyyattam       or Teyyattam,in   which dancers wearing tall masks become    ‘possessed’     by temple deities,    contine   to be potent ingredient of  village life in   northern Kerala.Few visitors ever witness these extraordinary all    night performance   first  hand, but between November and       May it is possible to  spend weeks traveling between colorful village festivals, experiencing a way of life that has altered little in centuries.

Phenomenal   amounts of money are lavished upon many, varied and often all night  entertainment based in Kerala’s temples. Fireworks fill the   sky,   while    processions   of gold -   bedecked   elephants are accompanied by some of the loudest   (and deftest) drum orchestras in the world.  The famous   Puram festival   of   Thrissur   is the most ectravagant, but smaller events take place throughout the Kerala.

Traveling around   is  relatively easy as the Kerala is so    compact -   Kerala amounts to just     over     one    percent   of India ’s total landmass.    There    are efficient rail services from the main coastal towns to the rest of the country,    but   local passenger trains are not necessarily the      most efficient    method of traveling    within the Kerala iself.Most visitors will use local    ferries, buses   and the taxi to get   around.   Although a bus journey doesn’t have the   charm of a  Kuttanad boat ride, you will remember   it  all the same - Kerala’s bus drivers, both private   and state employed, are very    competitive    and offer reach sickening speeds   in   the   most  improbable of places along as the coastal highway.

The  Best Time to Visit  Kerala  is  between December and April and during during August and Septemebr, when the skies are clear and humidity   at  its least debilitating. From May, the humidity   becomes uncomfortable  in the pre – monsoon  buildup, and the rains usually hit the coast in early June. This is considered the   auspicious   time   to begin a   course in Ayurvedic   treatment   if   you   want to really experience   the benefits, but a beach holiday is out as the sand often disappears under the high tides and   crashing   waves. The second annual   monsoon  that sweeps through Tamil Nadu   from   October   to   December  leaves Kerala overcast, a definite problem  if working on a golden tan is your main priority.