Kerala
Back Water
Kerala's backwaters is the most popular tourist attraction of
Kerala. The palm-fringed, tranquil backwaters were once just the
state's trade highways. Kerala is her backwaters and lakes. They
have dictated her history, shaped her present and promise a future
by virtue of offering incomparable beauty and unique experiences.
The
state's palm-fringed backwaters are inland lakes connected by
a network of canals. With 41 west-flowing rivers, the backwaters
stretch to almost 1,900 kilometers. The backwater routes date
back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation
needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices.
Today, these waterways link remote villages and islands to the
mainland and nerve centers of the coastal area.
The
most interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region,
called the rice bowl of Kerala. The area is probably the only
place in the continent where farming is done below sea level,
using a system of dykes and bunds.
The
largest backwater stretch is the Vembanad Lake, which opens out
into the sea at the Kochi port and flows through three districts-Alappuzha,
Kottayam and Kochi. The Ashtamudi Lake has eight 'arms' covering
a major portion of Kollam district in the south, and is the second
largest lake in the state.
Alappuzha
is one of the major centers for backwater boat trips. The intricate
network of canals through this town has earned it the sobriquet
"The Venice of the East". Small but long country boats
are the taxies of the water. The coir workers present an interesting
sight as they soak coconut fiber in pools, beat them and wind
the strands on long spindles stretched between an endless lines
of coconut trees.
A
short distance from Thiruvananthapuram is the Veli Aakulam lagoon.
Water sports, a floating restaurant, an amusement park, speedboats
and other facilities make this spot a tourist attraction. The
east end of the lake is flanked by two scenic hillocks.
The
charming old port city of Kollam on the banks of the Ashtamudi
Lake is known as the center of the cashew industry. It is one
of the oldest ports of the backwaters, with the ferry to Alappuzha
taking more than 8 hours. A small village 12 kilometer west of
Kottayam town, on the banks of the beautiful Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom
is 14-acre bird sanctuary known for local varieties of water fowl,
cuckoo, water ducks, and migrating Siberian storks. The best months
to visit it are June-August. Just 80 kilometres from Cochin, this
area has unique kettuvalloms (houseboats), boat racing, motorboat
and water sport facilities. The houseboats, plied by local oarsmen,
are simply furnished with a living room, bedroom with attached
bath and a raised central deck for lazing on cushions while watching
the world go by.
In
north Kerala, the cool backwaters of Kozhikode lie waiting to
be explored. This old commercial town attracts travelers for its
history, wonderful backwaters and leisure sports.
Alumkadavu,
in the town of Karunagapally hardly 20 kilometers north of Kollam,
is where kettuvalloms are built. These huge, long and tapering
barges were traditionally used to carry tones of goods, with a
portion covered with bamboo and coir servicing as a rest room
and kitchen for the crew. Gliding down the calm and serene backwaters
in a kettuvallom, embraced by green leaves and palm, see a rural
Kerala preserved through the ages, completely hidden from the
road, and it is not surprising that this is called God's Own Country.
Famous
for its natural harbor, one of the best in the world, Kochi has
earned the sobriquet "Queen of the Arabian Sea". All
the islands that make up Kochi are well connected by ferry. The
Chinese fishing nets, a method of fishing established in Kochi
during the times of Kubla Khan line the waterfront.
Besides
these backwaters, other equally beautiful water bodies elsewhere
are Veli (in South Kerala), Kadinamkulam, Edava, Anjengo, Madayara,
Peravur, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Kodungalur, Chetuva and Valiyaparamba
(in North Kerala).
In
the monsoon months, the backwaters reverberate with the sound
of the traditional snake boat races, featuring the 130-feet-long
chundan boats. Up to 16 of them, with over a hundred rowers each,
compete for the honors during the races. The most important of
these races is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday
of August. The Aranmula Boat Festival of the Parthasarathy temple
of Aranmula on the banks of the holy river Pamba is the more traditional
race. The boat carnival starts on the day of Thiruonam, the most
auspicious day of the Kerala festival, Onam.
Whether
by Kettuvalloms or by a simple vallom, the experience of gliding
through the backwaters is an experience that is undeniably unforgettable.
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