Tweet
Introduction to Kerala
The State of Kerala was created from the former states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar in 1956. The language of Kerala is Malayalam although many speak English. The population is currently over 31 million and the State is densely populated, especially in the coastal areas, compared with the rest of India. The capital city is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) although the largest city and business centre is Kochi/ Ernakulam (Cochin).
Climate
Kerala lies in the Tropical Zone to the North of the Equator and has a tropical monsoon climate with high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Kerala has 3 seasons:
?Summer ? hot and dry, temperature range 24?C ? 33?C (February ? May)
?Southwest Monsoon ? warm, heavy rains, peaks July, 22?C ? 28?C (June ? September)
?Northeast Monsoon ? warmer with some rains, 22?C ? 32?C (October ? January).
Geography and Wildlife
Kerala is on the Southern tip of India with Karnataka to the North and Tamil Nadu to the South and East. On the West it is bordered by the Arabian Sea and on the East by the Western Ghats mountain range. The State is 575km long and has a size of 1.04% of the total area of India.
The coastal areas of Kerala have numerous interconnecting waterways, rivers, estuaries and lagoons collectively known as the ?backwaters?. The largest water body in this system is Lake Vembanad. The southern starting point for the main backwater route running to Alappuzha is at Kollam, on Ashtamudi Lake, which is 20km from Fragrant Nature Resort travelling North.
Kerala?s rich landscape of sandy beaches, lakes, rivers and mountains combined with very high rainfall and high temperatures supports an abundance and diverse range of flora and fauna.
The Western Ghats have been identified as one of the world?s 25 ?biodiversity hotspots? ? areas rich in number of species but threatened with destruction. Kerala has 11 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 1 Bird Sanctuary and 2 National Parks. Animals found in the forests include tigers, leopards, wild elephants and the Nilgiri tahr. The remote areas of Kerala are also home to endangered species such as the sloth, lion-tailed macaque and Indian bison.
Fragrant Nature lies in one of the populated coastal regions of Kerala and is home to less exotic species. Animals found here include the possum, gheko, chameleon, and the (harmless) rat-snake. Aquatic animals of the ponds and lake next to the resort include toad, frog, terrapin, Karimeen (Pearl Spot), catfish, prawn, crab and at some times of the year jellyfish. Birds include the Brahminy Kite, Common Myna, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Indian Treepie, Golden-Backed Woodpecker, Small Blue Kingfisher, Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Purple Sunbird, Red-Whiskered Bulbul, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Small Bee-Eater, storks and several egret and heron species.
Social Indicators
The physical quality of life in Kerala is high compared with the rest of India. This is partly explained by the fact that income in Kerala is supplemented by money sent over from migrant workers in the Gulf countries ? estimated at 20-25% of the State domestic product.
Census figures from 2001 indicate that Kerala is socially advanced compared with India as a whole and has a similar demographic profile to many Western countries. Literacy for the State is the highest in India at over 90% (India = 65%) while population growth is the lowest at 9% (India = 21%). Women?s position in society is generally better in Kerala than other parts of India owing to higher literacy, education and fewer children.
The State has the lowest infant mortality rate and long life expectancy, reflecting the investment it has made in the health services. Kerala is, however, also noted for its statistics on social problems ? it has high crime rates, the highest rate of unemployment and highest consumption of alcohol per head in India. Kerala also sells the most psychiatric drugs and has the highest suicide rate in India.
Politics
Kerala has a single democratically-elected parliamentary chamber, the Legislative Assembly, which sits in Thiruvananthapuram. Local matters are governed by Panchayaths made up of elected members.
Politically, Kerala is predominantly Socialist and Communist and is one of the most left-wing States in India. In 1957 Kerala became the first place in the world to have a democratically elected Communist Government. The people of Kerala are visibly politically active and there are numerous demonstrations, marches and strikes.
Political power in practice operates through two political alliances. The UDF (United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress Party) and the LDF (Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist). In the 2001 Assembly Elections the UDF gained 49%, the LDF 44%, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 5% and Others 2%. The Member of the Legislative Assembly for our local area is currently G. Prathapa Varma Thampan of the Indian National Congress Party. Kerala has a Chief Minister, who is currently Oomen Chandy also of the Indian National Congress Party.
Religion
Kerala is mainly Hindu (56.1%) with significant numbers of Muslims (24.7%) and Christians (19%). There is good religious tolerance in Kerala compared with the rest of India. One person who has been influential in promoting this tolerance is the reformer Sree Naryana Gurudev who taught: ?whatever be the religion it suffices if it makes a better man? and ?One Caste, One Religion, One God for mankind?. The shrine of Sree Naryana Gurudev is at Sivagiri near Varkala.
Culture
The people of Kerala respect and actively support their indigenous traditions and art forms.
It is the richness and authenticity of the culture that attracts many visitors to Kerala.
Ayurveda, an ancient system of healing and health promotion based on medicinal herbs and massage therapy, is very popular in Kerala with both Malayalees and tourists alike. The martial art of Kalarippayattu has been practised in Kerala over many centuries and it continues to have a dedicated following for body conditioning and health promotion.
Kathakali, the traditional dance-drama of Kerala, re-enacts scenes from the Hindu myths and is traditionally performed in the temple. The distinctive elaborate costumes and colourful makeup of Kathakali have, however, made it a natural icon for recent marketing of tourism to Kerala and displays are now also staged as tourist attractions.
The classical dance form of Kerala is Mohiniattam, a graceful and expressive dance performed by women wearing cream and gold saris. The classical music of Kerala is of Carnatic style with plaintive vocals and traditional instrumental accompaniment.
Kerala?s Hindus are devout and temple worship, pooja and offerings are all part of the normal daily pattern. Temple festivals are frequent, colourful, noisy and celebrated energetically ? many involving elephants, processions and decorated floats. The main festival season is from January to March/ April. Kerala also has its own unique ten-day festival of Onam to celebrate the annual revisit of the legendary King Mahabali and the justice and happiness associated with the time of his rule. This is the most important event of the year and is held in August/ September each year.
During Onam and at other set times of the year annual boat races are held on the backwaters, especially in and around Alappuzha. The most famous is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday of August at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha. Locally, Paravur Lake hosts its own boat race in February but this is on a much smaller scale.
Industry
Kerala has little in the way of heavy industry or manufacture and relies mainly on the service industries for its income ? including Tourism, Information Communication Technology, Business Process Outsourcing and Banking and Finance. Other major industries include Fishing, Agriculture, and related industries such as Coir Production. Kerala has a small Mining industry.
In the higher areas of Kerala, neighbouring the Western Ghats, tea, coffee, rubber and spices such as pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla are all grown. In lower and coastal areas crops include coconut, cashew, rice, arecanut, tapioca, banana and sugar cane.
Fragrant Nature Resort is close to Kollam which is at the heart of the cashew industry. In addition to cashew, local produce includes coconut, rice, tapioca, banana, mango, pepper and vanilla. Other local industry nearby includes coir processing and making coir products, sand mining, brick making, granite quarrying, fishing and prawn farming. Average per capita income for Kollam District is about Rs.26,000 per year (about ?340 per year).
Water and Energy Supply
Over 50% of people in Kerala rely on wells for their water supply and Fragrant Nature is served by two surface wells. Traditional sources of energy in Kerala are firewood, petroleum products and electricity. Firewood (often dried coconut fronds) is still used in many households for cooking, although in urban areas and modern houses some have switched to LPG. Recently some households have been installing biogas composters to provide gas for cooking.
Most of the State?s electricity power production comes from hydro-electric power stations supplemented by fossil-fuelled thermal stations. Kerala is in the process of exploring ?greener? energy sources and proposes to generate energy from waste and sewage, small-hydel units, solar photo-voltaic units, wind, tidal and wave power and by geothermal means. Kerala has so far identified 16 sites for wind-powered stations mainly in the high land of Palakkad and Idukki near the Western Ghats. The increasing demand for electricity in the State is also being tackled by power-saving and energy-efficiency initiatives to encourage the use of low-energy appliances. Some houses and businesses are also installing solar-powered water units.
The State of Kerala was created from the former states of Travancore, Cochin and Malabar in 1956. The language of Kerala is Malayalam although many speak English. The population is currently over 31 million and the State is densely populated, especially in the coastal areas, compared with the rest of India. The capital city is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) although the largest city and business centre is Kochi/ Ernakulam (Cochin).
Climate
Kerala lies in the Tropical Zone to the North of the Equator and has a tropical monsoon climate with high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Kerala has 3 seasons:
?Summer ? hot and dry, temperature range 24?C ? 33?C (February ? May)
?Southwest Monsoon ? warm, heavy rains, peaks July, 22?C ? 28?C (June ? September)
?Northeast Monsoon ? warmer with some rains, 22?C ? 32?C (October ? January).
Geography and Wildlife
Kerala is on the Southern tip of India with Karnataka to the North and Tamil Nadu to the South and East. On the West it is bordered by the Arabian Sea and on the East by the Western Ghats mountain range. The State is 575km long and has a size of 1.04% of the total area of India.
The coastal areas of Kerala have numerous interconnecting waterways, rivers, estuaries and lagoons collectively known as the ?backwaters?. The largest water body in this system is Lake Vembanad. The southern starting point for the main backwater route running to Alappuzha is at Kollam, on Ashtamudi Lake, which is 20km from Fragrant Nature Resort travelling North.
Kerala?s rich landscape of sandy beaches, lakes, rivers and mountains combined with very high rainfall and high temperatures supports an abundance and diverse range of flora and fauna.
The Western Ghats have been identified as one of the world?s 25 ?biodiversity hotspots? ? areas rich in number of species but threatened with destruction. Kerala has 11 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 1 Bird Sanctuary and 2 National Parks. Animals found in the forests include tigers, leopards, wild elephants and the Nilgiri tahr. The remote areas of Kerala are also home to endangered species such as the sloth, lion-tailed macaque and Indian bison.
Fragrant Nature lies in one of the populated coastal regions of Kerala and is home to less exotic species. Animals found here include the possum, gheko, chameleon, and the (harmless) rat-snake. Aquatic animals of the ponds and lake next to the resort include toad, frog, terrapin, Karimeen (Pearl Spot), catfish, prawn, crab and at some times of the year jellyfish. Birds include the Brahminy Kite, Common Myna, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Indian Treepie, Golden-Backed Woodpecker, Small Blue Kingfisher, Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Purple Sunbird, Red-Whiskered Bulbul, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Small Bee-Eater, storks and several egret and heron species.
Social Indicators
The physical quality of life in Kerala is high compared with the rest of India. This is partly explained by the fact that income in Kerala is supplemented by money sent over from migrant workers in the Gulf countries ? estimated at 20-25% of the State domestic product.
Census figures from 2001 indicate that Kerala is socially advanced compared with India as a whole and has a similar demographic profile to many Western countries. Literacy for the State is the highest in India at over 90% (India = 65%) while population growth is the lowest at 9% (India = 21%). Women?s position in society is generally better in Kerala than other parts of India owing to higher literacy, education and fewer children.
The State has the lowest infant mortality rate and long life expectancy, reflecting the investment it has made in the health services. Kerala is, however, also noted for its statistics on social problems ? it has high crime rates, the highest rate of unemployment and highest consumption of alcohol per head in India. Kerala also sells the most psychiatric drugs and has the highest suicide rate in India.
Politics
Kerala has a single democratically-elected parliamentary chamber, the Legislative Assembly, which sits in Thiruvananthapuram. Local matters are governed by Panchayaths made up of elected members.
Politically, Kerala is predominantly Socialist and Communist and is one of the most left-wing States in India. In 1957 Kerala became the first place in the world to have a democratically elected Communist Government. The people of Kerala are visibly politically active and there are numerous demonstrations, marches and strikes.
Political power in practice operates through two political alliances. The UDF (United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress Party) and the LDF (Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist). In the 2001 Assembly Elections the UDF gained 49%, the LDF 44%, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 5% and Others 2%. The Member of the Legislative Assembly for our local area is currently G. Prathapa Varma Thampan of the Indian National Congress Party. Kerala has a Chief Minister, who is currently Oomen Chandy also of the Indian National Congress Party.
Religion
Kerala is mainly Hindu (56.1%) with significant numbers of Muslims (24.7%) and Christians (19%). There is good religious tolerance in Kerala compared with the rest of India. One person who has been influential in promoting this tolerance is the reformer Sree Naryana Gurudev who taught: ?whatever be the religion it suffices if it makes a better man? and ?One Caste, One Religion, One God for mankind?. The shrine of Sree Naryana Gurudev is at Sivagiri near Varkala.
Culture
The people of Kerala respect and actively support their indigenous traditions and art forms.
It is the richness and authenticity of the culture that attracts many visitors to Kerala.
Ayurveda, an ancient system of healing and health promotion based on medicinal herbs and massage therapy, is very popular in Kerala with both Malayalees and tourists alike. The martial art of Kalarippayattu has been practised in Kerala over many centuries and it continues to have a dedicated following for body conditioning and health promotion.
Kathakali, the traditional dance-drama of Kerala, re-enacts scenes from the Hindu myths and is traditionally performed in the temple. The distinctive elaborate costumes and colourful makeup of Kathakali have, however, made it a natural icon for recent marketing of tourism to Kerala and displays are now also staged as tourist attractions.
The classical dance form of Kerala is Mohiniattam, a graceful and expressive dance performed by women wearing cream and gold saris. The classical music of Kerala is of Carnatic style with plaintive vocals and traditional instrumental accompaniment.
Kerala?s Hindus are devout and temple worship, pooja and offerings are all part of the normal daily pattern. Temple festivals are frequent, colourful, noisy and celebrated energetically ? many involving elephants, processions and decorated floats. The main festival season is from January to March/ April. Kerala also has its own unique ten-day festival of Onam to celebrate the annual revisit of the legendary King Mahabali and the justice and happiness associated with the time of his rule. This is the most important event of the year and is held in August/ September each year.
During Onam and at other set times of the year annual boat races are held on the backwaters, especially in and around Alappuzha. The most famous is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday of August at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha. Locally, Paravur Lake hosts its own boat race in February but this is on a much smaller scale.
Industry
Kerala has little in the way of heavy industry or manufacture and relies mainly on the service industries for its income ? including Tourism, Information Communication Technology, Business Process Outsourcing and Banking and Finance. Other major industries include Fishing, Agriculture, and related industries such as Coir Production. Kerala has a small Mining industry.
In the higher areas of Kerala, neighbouring the Western Ghats, tea, coffee, rubber and spices such as pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla are all grown. In lower and coastal areas crops include coconut, cashew, rice, arecanut, tapioca, banana and sugar cane.
Fragrant Nature Resort is close to Kollam which is at the heart of the cashew industry. In addition to cashew, local produce includes coconut, rice, tapioca, banana, mango, pepper and vanilla. Other local industry nearby includes coir processing and making coir products, sand mining, brick making, granite quarrying, fishing and prawn farming. Average per capita income for Kollam District is about Rs.26,000 per year (about ?340 per year).
Water and Energy Supply
Over 50% of people in Kerala rely on wells for their water supply and Fragrant Nature is served by two surface wells. Traditional sources of energy in Kerala are firewood, petroleum products and electricity. Firewood (often dried coconut fronds) is still used in many households for cooking, although in urban areas and modern houses some have switched to LPG. Recently some households have been installing biogas composters to provide gas for cooking.
Most of the State?s electricity power production comes from hydro-electric power stations supplemented by fossil-fuelled thermal stations. Kerala is in the process of exploring ?greener? energy sources and proposes to generate energy from waste and sewage, small-hydel units, solar photo-voltaic units, wind, tidal and wave power and by geothermal means. Kerala has so far identified 16 sites for wind-powered stations mainly in the high land of Palakkad and Idukki near the Western Ghats. The increasing demand for electricity in the State is also being tackled by power-saving and energy-efficiency initiatives to encourage the use of low-energy appliances. Some houses and businesses are also installing solar-powered water units.
I LoVE ShAkEELA MAMi 
Comment