Kerala

On the southern part of the Indian Peninsula, you will find the paradise of Kerala. In the north, Kerala is bounded by Karnataka, in the west by the Arabian Sea and in the south and east by Tamil Nadu. The state has a literacy rate of 100% and flaunts world-class health care systems. The state offers the best physical quality of life in India. Cleanliness is something the tourists will find in abundance here.

Demographics

In 1998, the population of Kerala was counted to be 31.8 million and the bulk of the population is from the Malayali ethnicity. The official language of Kerala is Malayalam, with Tamil and other tribal languages spoken by the ethnic minorities.

India is notable for its growing population, but the rate of growth of population in Kerala is the lowest in India. The eastern hills and the mountains at Kerala are sparsely populated, while you will find the coastal regions of the Indian state to be densely populated. 56.1% of the people in Kerala are Hindus, 24.7% are Muslims and 19% are Christians. Unlike the rest of India, you will find that Kerala experiences very little sectarianism.

Geography

Kerala is located amidst the humid equatorial tropics. It has three geographical regions – the eastern highlands of Kerala are cool with a mountainous topography, the central midlands comprise rolling hills and the western lowlands comprise the coastal plains. East Kerala lies in the west of the Western Ghats´s rain shadow area filled with gorges, deep-cut valleys and hills.

Central Kerala has the midland plains where you will find the rolling hills and the valleys all over. The western coastal belt of Kerala is quite flat with lots of estuaries, canals, lakes and rivers, collectively called the Kerala Backwaters. Kerala has 41 west-flowing rivers and 3 east-flowing rivers. Among the most important of the rivers in Kerala are Periyar, Chaliyar, Bharathapuzha, Kadalundipuzha and Achankovil.

Climate

The climate of Kerala is of wet and maritime tropical type. Around 120 to 140 days are rainy days in Kerala. The average rainfall in the state is 3,107 mm annually. In the summers, most of Kerala experiences gale force winds, cyclone-related torrential downpours and storms. The average maximum daily temperature is 36.7 degree centigrade and the minimum temperature is 19.8 degree centigrade.

The ideal time to visit Kerala is during the months of October to April and in the monsoons if you want to go for the Ayurveda rejuvenation programmes.

Flora and Fauna

Visit the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in the eastern hills of Kerala to cherish the biodiversity of the entire state. A fourth of India´s 10,000 plant species are found in Kerala. Among the 4000 flowering plant species that you find here, 900 are much in demand as medicinal plants.

The 3 major forest types in Kerala are:

- The tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the lower elevations
- Tropical moist and dry deciduous forests in the mid-elevations
- Montane subtropical and temperate forests in the high elevations

Kerala flaunts 102 species of mammals, 202 species of freshwater fishes, 476 species of birds, 169 species of reptiles and 89 species of amphibians. You will love to view the majestic beauty of the Asian Elephant, Leopard (Panthera pardus), Bengal Tiger, Nilgiri Tahr, King cobra, viper, crocodile and python – all in their natural habitat.

Major Attractions

Apart from looking at the plants and animals of Kerala is amazing wonder, you can also pay a visit to its other attractions. You can visit the backwaters of Alleppey for its rich natural beauty. For a leisurely walk through a historically significant town, Cochin is the best place to hang out. There are other places like Idukki, Kasaragod, Kannur, Munnar, Kollam, Thekaddy, Palakkad, Trivandrum, Trichur and Wayanad all rich in their traditions and distinctive culture.

Tips

- The banks are open for transaction from 10.00 to 14.00 hrs on all days except the Sundays.
- Remember to bring your umbrellas, cotton outfits, sunglasses, sunscreen lotions and hats when you travel to Kerala in India.
- There are no nude beaches in India, and nudity might offend the local people in Kerala.
- There are certain temple codes that you must know if you are planning a visit to a temple at Kerala.
- In case, you want to visit a wildlife sanctuary, you need to contact The Chief Conservator of Forests, Thiruvananthapuram.