Kerala is truly the undiscovered India. It is God's own country and an enchantingly
beautiful, emerald-green sliver of land. It is a tropical paradise far from
the tourist trial at the southwestern peninsular tip, sandwiched between the
tall mountains and the deep sea. Kerala is a long stretch of enchanting greenery.
The tall exotic coconut palm dominates the landscape.

Kerala
is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. It has
only 1.1 8 per cent of the total area of the country but houses 3.43% of the
the country's population.
Kerala houses all major world religions. From early recorded days ,Kerala had
been forthcoming towards newer faiths from alien cultures. According to the
1991 census, 60% of the state population is Hindus. Muslims and Christians constitute
20 % each.
Kerala, the visitors' paradise, has soul-cleansing centres too. Pilgrim centres
of all religions abound this tiny state. Thousands throng such centres with
agitated minds and return cool, calm and collected.
In 1956, when the states were reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying the
princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras
state.
Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers (41 west-flowing
and 3 east-flowing} criss-cross the state physique along with countless runlets.
During summer, these monsoon-fed rivers will turn into rivulets especially in
the upper parts of Kerala.
Backwaters are an attractive, economically valuable feature of Kerala. These
include lakes and ocean in lets which stretch irregularly along the Kerala coast.
The biggest among these backwaters is the Vembanad lake, with an area of 200
sq km, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin port.
The Periyar, Pamba, Manimala, Achenkovil, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers
drain into this lake.The other important backwaters are Veli, Kadhinam kulam,
Anjengo (Anju Thengu),Edava, Nadayara, Paravoor. Ashtamudi (Quilon)
Flora:
Kerala has over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species. Among them include endangered
and rare species, flowering plants, fungies, lichens and mosses. The state's
forest wealth include tropical wet evergreen, semi-green and tropical most deciduous.
Teak, Mahagoney, Rosewood and Sandalwood are common, the forests abound with
orchids, anthirium, balsam, and medicinal plants. banyan figs, bamboo as well
as 40,000 years old grasslands. Mangroves are seen in coastal areas and low,
morass lands. So fertile is the state, thanks to rivers and dams that are replenished
by copious rain in Western Ghats.
Kerala, India's most advanced society: A hundred percent literate people.
World-class health care systems. India's lowest infant mortality and highest
life expectancy rates. The highest physical quality of life in India. Peaceful
and pristine, Kerala is also India's cleanest State.
History of Kerala
There is a persistent legend which says that Parasuram, the 6th incarnation
of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu Trinity, stood on a high place in
the mountains, threw an axe far in to the sea, and commanded the sea to retreat.
And the land that emerged all from the waters became Kerala, the land of plenty
and prosperity.

Kerala
is a 560-km long narrow stretch of land. At the widest, Kerala is a mere 120-km
from the sea to the mountains. Gracing one side of Kerala, are the lofty mountains
ranging high to kiss the sky. And on the other side the land is washed by the
blue Arabian Sea waters. The land is covered with dense tropical forest, fertile
plains, beautiful beaches, cliffs, rocky coasts, an intricate maze of backwaters,
still bays and an astounding 44 glimmering rivers. Kerala's exotic spices have
lured foreigners to her coast from time immemorial. Earlier, Kerala was made
up of three distinct areas. Malabar as far up the coast as Tellicherry, Cannanore
and Kasargode with the tiny pocket-handkerchief French possession of Mahe nearby
(it was returned to India in the early 1950 's and is now administratively part
of Pondicherry). This area belonged to what was once called the Madras Presidency
under the British. The middle section is formed by the princely State of Cochin;
the third comprises Travancore, another princely State.
Early Inhabitants of Kerala
Archaeologists believe that the first citizens of Kerala were the hunter-gatherers,
the ting Negrito people. These people still inhabit the mountains of southern
India today, consequently, they had a good knowledge of herbal medicine and
were skilled in interpreting natural phenomena. The next race of people in Kerala
were believed to be the Austriches. The Austric people of Kerala are of the
same stock as the present-day Australian Aborigines. They were the people who
laid the foundation of Indian civilizations and introduced the cultivation of
rice and vegetables, which are still part of Kerala scene. They also introduced
snake-worship in Kerala. Traces of such worship and ancient rites have been
found among the Aboriginal tribes of Australia. Austric features can still be
seen fairly and clearly among the people of Kerala today. Then came the Dravidians
(The Mediterranean people). Dravidian absorbed many of the beliefs of the Negrito
and Austric people, but they were strongly inclined to the worship of the Mother
Goddess in all her myriad forms: Protector, Avenger, Bestower of wealth, wisdom
and arts.