NOVEMBER 2007 E-Magazine - Pravasi Today
NOVEMBER 2007 E-Magazine - Pravasi Today NOVEMBER 2007 E-Magazine - Pravasi Today
COVER STORY ity life is maddening at times. Grappling with the Csapping. daily chores itself is energy Criss-crossing this vast city amidst a rainbow of traffic to attend to various commitments often takes its toll. And when an opportunity comes your way to escape from the drudgery of routine, who would say no. It was one such offer I could not put aside. Blessed are those who have committed friends. It was one such friend with the spirit of a Marco Polo who invited me to Kerala. I had been to Kerala about ten years ago. But then it was just another state – a 24 Pravasi Today ✦ November 2007 distant sounding state of South India, far away from being God’s Own Country. I had no idea when I packed my bags that I was going to perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of India, nee, world. Acres of vivid palm trees, golden beaches, celestial backwaters, cascading rapids and waterfalls …. You name it and it’s there. Kerala has everything except snow! The most significant thing about Kerala holiday is that the experience is uniquely enjoyable in the tourist season as well as in the non tourist season. Kerala is one of the four states of South India on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. To its east and northeast, Kerala KERALA NATURE’S POT POURRI ��Dr. ��Dr. Maithili Ganjoo Ganjoo Choudhary Blessed Blessed are are those those who who have have committed committed friends. friends. It It was was one one such such friend friend with with the the spirit spirit of of a a Marco Marco Polo Polo who who invited invited me me to to Kerala. Kerala. I I had had been been to to Kerala Kerala about about ten ten years years ago. ago. But But then then it it was was just just another another state state – – a a distant distant sounding sounding state state of of South South India, India, far far away away from from being being God’s God’s Own Own Country. Country. I I had had no no idea idea when when I I packed packed my my bags bags that that I I was was going going to to perhaps perhaps one one of of the the most most beautiful beautiful parts parts of of India, India, nee, nee, world. world. borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka respectively; to its west and south lie the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. First settled in the 10th century BC by speakers of Proto – South Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by the Mauryan empire of the East. Later, the Cheran kingdom and feudal Namboodiri Brahaminical city-states became major powers in the region. Early contact with overseas lands culminated in struggles between colonial and native powers. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood. Social reforms enacted in the late 19th century by Cochin and Travancore were expanded upon by postindependence governments, making Kerala one of the most longest-lived, healthiest, gender-equitable, and literate regions of the world. Even
more remarkably a survey conducted i n 2 0 0 5 b y T r a n s p a r e n c y International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state of India. Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (mountainous terrain), the central midlands ( hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Eastern Kerala lies immediately west of the Western Ghats's rain shadow and it consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys. 41 of Kerala’s west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. Here, the Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad, where the Palakkad Gap breaks through to provide access to the rest of India. The Western Ghats rise on an average to 4920 ft. above sea level, while the highest peaks reach to 8200 ft. Just west of the mountains lie the midland composing central Kerala where rolling hills and valleys dominate. Generally rising to 3300 ft, the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include formations such as Agastyamalai and Anamalai. Kerala’s western coastal COVER STORY belt is relatively flat, and is crissc r o s s e d b y a n e t w o r k o f interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the K e r a l a B a c k w a t e r s . L a k e Vembanada, Kerala’s largest body of water dominates the Backwaters. It lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is more than 200 sq.km in area. With 120 to 140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon. Kerala is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Named as one of the "ten paradises of the world" by the National Geographic Traveller Magazine, Kerala is especially known for its ecotourism. The influx of tourists started from 1995 onwards when they started coming from the western countries in droves. Popular attractions in the state include the beaches at Kovalam, Cherai and Varkala; the hill stations of Munnar, Nelliampa t h i , P o n m u d i a n d Wayanad; and national parks and wildlife sanctuaries at Periyar and Eravikulam. The "backwaters" which comprises an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that centre on Alleppey, Kumarakom and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), also see heavy November 2007 ✦ Pravasi Today 25
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COVER STORY<br />
ity life is maddening at<br />
times. Grappling with the<br />
Csapping.<br />
daily chores itself is energy<br />
Criss-crossing this vast city<br />
amidst a rainbow of traffic to attend to<br />
various commitments often takes its<br />
toll. And when an opportunity comes<br />
your way to escape from the drudgery<br />
of routine, who would say no. It was<br />
one such offer I could not put aside.<br />
Blessed are those who have<br />
committed friends. It was one such<br />
friend with the spirit of a Marco Polo<br />
who invited me to Kerala. I had been<br />
to Kerala about ten years ago. But<br />
then it was just another state – a<br />
24<br />
<strong>Pravasi</strong> <strong>Today</strong> ✦ November <strong>2007</strong><br />
distant sounding state of South India,<br />
far away from being God’s Own<br />
Country. I had no idea when I packed<br />
my bags that I was going to perhaps<br />
one of the most beautiful parts of<br />
India, nee, world. Acres of vivid palm<br />
trees, golden beaches, celestial<br />
backwaters, cascading rapids and<br />
waterfalls …. You name it and it’s<br />
there. Kerala has everything except<br />
snow! The most significant thing<br />
about Kerala holiday is that the<br />
experience is uniquely enjoyable in<br />
the tourist season as well as in the non<br />
tourist season. Kerala is one of the<br />
four states of South India on the<br />
Malabar Coast of southwestern India.<br />
To its east and northeast, Kerala<br />
KERALA<br />
NATURE’S<br />
POT POURRI<br />
��Dr. ��Dr. Maithili Ganjoo Ganjoo Choudhary<br />
Blessed Blessed are are those those who who have have committed committed friends. friends. It It was was one<br />
one<br />
such such friend friend with with the the spirit spirit of of a a Marco Marco Polo Polo who who invited invited me me to<br />
to<br />
Kerala. Kerala. I I had had been been to to Kerala Kerala about about ten ten years years ago. ago. But But then then it<br />
it<br />
was was just just another another state state – – a a distant distant sounding sounding state state of of South<br />
South<br />
India, India, far far away away from from being being God’s God’s Own Own Country. Country. I I had had no<br />
no<br />
idea idea when when I I packed packed my my bags bags that that I I was was going going to to perhaps perhaps one<br />
one<br />
of of the the most most beautiful beautiful parts parts of of India, India, nee, nee, world.<br />
world.<br />
borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka<br />
respectively; to its west and south lie<br />
the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.<br />
First settled in the 10th century<br />
BC by speakers of Proto – South<br />
Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by<br />
the Mauryan empire of the East.<br />
Later, the Cheran kingdom and feudal<br />
Namboodiri Brahaminical city-states<br />
became major powers in the region.<br />
Early contact with overseas lands<br />
culminated in struggles between<br />
colonial and native powers. The<br />
States Reorganisation Act, 1956<br />
elevated Kerala to statehood. Social<br />
reforms enacted in the late 19th<br />
century by Cochin and Travancore<br />
were expanded upon by postindependence<br />
governments, making<br />
Kerala one of the most longest-lived,<br />
healthiest, gender-equitable, and<br />
literate regions of the world. Even
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