A visit to the kingdom of spices in Kumily
As we strolled in the market of Kumily, scent of freshly cut spices, sold in every nook and corner of this small town increased…
Read MoreThe southern state of Kerala is a land truly blessed by nature. Kerala has enchanting mountains, pristine rainforests, golden sun-sand beaches and unique backwaters that hold their own even in the face of fast developing towns and cities. The coconut palms (that give the state its name) are everywhere, waving a welcome to the place proudly being hailed as Gods Own Country.
Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital and the home of heritage sites such as the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The port city of Kochi and its twin city Ernakulam pulsate with commercial activity, while Thrisshur wears the cultural crown with the temple festival Trisshur Pooram. The richly decorated elephant, as seen during this festival is globally recognised for its association with Kerala.
Kerala has a good network of roads (though crowded) and the Indian Railways connect major towns and cities. There are international airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Malayalam is the local language and Hindi would be understood in major cities.
The state gets a generous share of the eagerly awaited Indian Monsoon and it rains heavily from June to September. Summers are hot and humid while winters are mild. Apart from the monsoon months, Kerala is a paradise for beach holidays. It also provides numerous opportunities for trekking, camping and wildlife sanctuary experiences. Along with these, rejuvenating Ayurvedic spa and Eco tourism vacations make Kerala one of the most popular places on the International Tourism map.
As we strolled in the market of Kumily, scent of freshly cut spices, sold in every nook and corner of this small town increased…
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From wider canals we came to the open lagoons. In the beginning that was a welcome change. Very soon we realized that the cruise was more interesting when we were seeing the human life around us. In open vistas the only relief was the occasional sightings of Kettuvallams.
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Jungle attracts both Jaishree and me. Even during our non-holiday times we hear Jungle calling us. The images of wild terrain float in our…
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In Kerala, the colors we noticed in abundance were Green, Green, Green and occasional Blue. It is a keralite tradition not to build houses taller than the surrounding trees and hence wherever one lives the abundant greenery always surrounds him and even the pristine blue sky is visible only in glimpses.
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Year 2002. Month of October. Same planet, India, Kerala, Varkala but an absolutely magical world. We were on a road trip, Bangalore-Kanyakumari-Bangalore. We touched…
Read MoreWe had just set foot in God’s own country, in search of that elusive stuff called peace. It had rained just then. The sheer…
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