Kerala Tourism to net more than 24 K cr this year !

This year, Kerala Tourism, will net in more than 24000 crores. Responsible Tourism, the Government calls it.

Much investment is needed in infrastructure, if India is to make it up to the level of advanced countries. As such, the 6.4% growth of Indian Tourism and the 8% growth of Kerala Tourism seems to be average.

Sargalaya, the Kerala Crafts Village !

A Crafts Village has been set up near Chaliyar River, in Kozhikode, by the Kerala Tourism Department. Sargalaya called, it focusses on bulding a destination for tourists and an interaction between artisans and tourists. 

Kerala's traditional crafts will be made an integral part of the experience of the tourist. Built on a plot of 20 acres, amidst calm, green surroundings, Sargalaya incorporates the beauty of Monsoon Kerala, the Damsel who puts on a Green Silk Saree, as poets describe Kerala. It has 27 cottages, where the artisans can work.

 It has a Crafts Design & Techonology Development Center which imparts training to artisans, encouraging innovation.

Makeeryam Njattuvela ravages India !

Aridra or Thiruvathira Njattuvela, the Solar Transit of Alpha Orionis, begins today. Mrigasira, which concluded tooday, was fraught with devastation. Mrigasira is ruled by the fiery Mars and hence the destruction ! We pray for the victims of Kedarnath tragedy. It is said that the astrologer is wise after the event, even though he can discern the heavenly signs !


Now Aridra is Roudra, another fiery constellation and the destructive aspect of the South West Monsoon can still wreak havoc.

We are de-Anaxagorasing our prayers. May not the SWM wreak destruction and may not the Monsoon Fury affect the overpopulated Indian subcontinent and the whole world !

Kerala Tourism nets 21125 crores in 12 !

Kerala Tourism Takes Off

It was Walter Mendis, the Corporate Creative Director of Mudra, who gave Kerala the name ” God’s own Country”. He meant Kerala is as beautiful as the Lord made it, bearing on every feature the unmistakable stamp of the great Original Creative Artist !

Kerala is amongst the top 40 destinations in the world. National Geographic is of the view that she is amongst the top ten !

More than 21  K cr has come in and more than 8 lk foreign  tourists visited this beautiful state out of a total of 10.8 million tourists.  This 21,125  cr is  8%   of Kerala’s total income.

Kerala is a state fashioned by the Monsoons. The South West Monsoon, the North East Monsoon and the Summer Monsoon always protect Kerala and she is one of the few states which report rains every month and receives more than 3000 mm rainfall per year. With the result, the climate in green Kerala is pleasant !

Kerala has a lot to offer. Houseboat Tourism, particularly in the Venice of the East, Alleppey, Beach Tourism, because of the 586 km coastline, River Tourism, Mountain Tourism &  Monsoon Tourism, because of the heavy rainfalls that grace Kerala !

Kerala is just 1.1% of India ! Yet, she hosts 22% of 47 K plants, 35% of varieties of fish and 210 types of oceanic creatures. She has 700 kms of the Western Ghats & 586 kms of coastline. She receives 2000 mm rains. You will find different types of people belonging to different civilisations as she is multi-cultural and multi-religious. That is how Kerala becomes the Lord’s own country !

The foreigners say that ” well kept beaches, good people, tasty and mouth watering cuisine, spirituality and Ayurveda ” are the hallmarks of Kerala !

Beaches are a fascination for tourists and the four out of the five Districts which receive the influx of tourist have beaches ( Trichur, Trivandurm, Ernakulam, Alleppey and Idukki ).

Some fishing villages have been defined as Fishermen’s Village. Farm Tourism is also on the rise.


Sea plane to link the three  airports of Kerala along with Mangalore

The plan of the Sea Plane project is to provide service initially in the priority circuit, consisting of the three major airports of Kerala and the prime destinations, Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal in the state.

Kerala is the flag bearer of Ayurveda, as a rich ecosystem is housed in the Western Ghats. The W G has been defined as one of the eight biodiversity hot spots, because of the immense medicinal plant reserve. Ayurvedic institutions have been given Green Leaf and Olive Leaf and a tourist, looking for therapeutic treatment can get world class alternative medicinal facilities.


Great traffic was seen at Arthirappilly Waterfalls yesterday, as schools closed for vacation.
Cherai Beach in Vypin Islands also received heavy rush of tourists.

Real estate prices at these places have catapulted, reaching unprecedented heights. Kochi had seen a realty boom and this realty boom was experienced in Trichur Dist, in areas proximate to Kochi, like Azheekode and Kodungalloor. Due to the global meltdown, however, transactions have come down. But then this is a temporary lull and after some years, realty will boom.

I celebrated the Hindu New Year with a trip to Vallarpadam.I was accompanied by my friend, Ajith, who is the Devaswom Auditor.  From High Court Junction, we took a bus to Vallarpadam. First it traversed Bolgatty Island and then we reached Vallarpadam. We went to the Vallarpadam Church, which was neatly maintained. Work is still in progress at the ICTT and then we took a bus to Vypeen Island, where a 60,000 crore investment is in the offing. We took a bus to Munambam harbour and the bus traversed Cherai, Nayarambalam, Jnarakkal etc.These islands are connected by the Goshree Bridges and GIDA ( Goshree Islands Development Authority ) is in charge of all projects.
Along with the 80,000 cr investment in Kochi, another 100,000 cr INR is in the offing.

We had a plan to go to Vypeen Jetty and then take a boat to Ernakulam mainland, but then we abandoned it as we reached Munambam. From Munambam Boat Jetty, we took a boat to Azheekode, which is just 5 kms from Kodungalloor. From Kodungalloor, I came back to Trichur.

Kerala Tourism can revive you to recharge your body and soul, capturing you with her tantalising beauty. Kerala Tourism figures primarily in Indian tour attractions and Kerala Tourism is blessed with attractions like Kerala backwater tour packages, Kerala Wildlife Tourism, Kerala Hill Station Tourism, Kerala Beach Tourism etc. Your experiences will be out of this world, as God's own country captivates you with her exquisite beauty.
   

Pardon this digression. The whole of Kerala is in a holiday, festive mood !

Now you can watch Trichur Pooram Live at http://www.keralaheritages.com
The constellation of Delta Leonis is known as Pubba or Pooram, one of the 27
constellations which tenant the Ecliptic. There are more than one million
temples in Kerala. Several temple festivals occur on the Lunar Asterism of
their inception.

The famous Trichur Pooram occurs on the Pubba day of Mesha or Delta Leonis
in the sidereal month of Aries. More than 500,000 people witness this
Festival of all Festivals. It is of 36 hours duration and it is one of the
most beautiful sights in the world, according to UNESCO.

More than 50 caparisoned elephants pass through the center of Trichur Town ,
the Lord Shiva Temple.

Earlier the Pooram was at Arattupuzha and it so happened that the Chief of
Peruvanam Gramam denied entry to the temples of Trichur. This enraged the
Naduvazhis of Trichur and the then ruler, Shaktan Tampuran, integrated all
the ten temples around the central Lord Shiva Temple, Vadakkunnathan (
situated at a hillock ) and created this Grand Pooram. Tampuran created
two Groups, the Eastern and the Western. The Eastern group was called as
Paramekkavu, consisting in addition to Paramekkavu temple, Karamukku,
Chembukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly. The Western group was
Thiruvambady consisting of Kanimangalam, Laloor, Ayyanthole, Nethilakkavu
and the Thiruvambady temple.

This Pooram is centered around the Lord Shiva temple at the Center, as all
the ten deities pay obeisance to the Shiva, the central presiding deity.
Shaktan Tampuran chalked out the program and the main events of this
Glorious Festival. In Kudamattom, that is changing of colored umbrellas this
year, techonology was used. LED umbrellas were used and it was a glorious
sight at seven pm. 15 caparisoned elephants of the Eastern Group faced the
15 elephants of the Western Group.

The Ten Participating Temples

Along with the main Paramekkavu Temple
& Thiruvambady Temple in Trichur
Kanimangalam Sastha Temple at Kanimangalam, Pookkattikkara
Karamukku Bhaghavathy Temple at Karamukku near Chiyyaram,
Choorakkottukavu Bhagavathy Temple at Choorakkattukara,
Laloor Bhaghavathy Temple at Laloor,
Sree Karthyayani Temple at Ayyanthole,
Nethilakkavu Bhagavathy Temple at Neithilakkavu near Kuttoor,
Chembukkavu Bhagavathy Temple at Chembukkavu and
Panamukkumpally Sastha Temple at Panamukkampilly near East Fort Thrissur