Alappuzha

Tourism

Alappuzha is Kerala's houseboat capital — 800+ Kettuvallam houseboats on Vembanad Lake and the Kuttanad backwaters — hosts the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race (2nd Saturday of August) at Punnamada Lake, and includes 4 major beach-and-canal towns: Alleppey, Marari, Cherthala and Ambalapuzha.

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Punnamada Lake, held on the 2nd Saturday of every August since 1952, is Kerala's premier snakeboat (Chundan Vallam) race, drawing 60+ boats up to 120 feet long with 100+ rowers each. The Kuttanad backwaters (part of Vembanad-Kol Ramsar wetland) are one of only three GIAHS-recognised Below Sea Level Farming Systems in the world (FAO, 2013). Marari beach north of Alleppey town is Condé Nast Traveller-listed as one of the world's "top 5 hammock beaches".

Source: Indias.com · Alappuzha

Nature & wildlife — Kerala

Kerala protects 30% of its land as forest (Forest Survey of India 2021), including 6 national parks, 18 wildlife sanctuaries, 2 tiger reserves and 3 UNESCO World Heritage-listed Western Ghats clusters — home to about 4,700 flowering plant species and 450 bird species.

Kerala's forest cover is 11,309 km², or 29.10% of geographical area, per the India State of Forest Report 2021 — well above the national average of 24.6%. The Western Ghats, running the length of the eastern state boundary, hold the state's biodiversity hotspots; five Kerala clusters (Silent Valley–New Amarambalam–Karimpuzha; Kalakkad–Mundanthurai; Periyar; Anamudi Shola; and Kudremukh partial) are inscribed in the UNESCO Western Ghats World Heritage list (2012). Kerala has 2 tiger reserves — Periyar (925 km²) and Parambikulam (391 km²) — 6 national parks (Silent Valley, Eravikulam, Periyar, Mathikettan Shola, Anamudi Shola, Pambadum Shola) and 18 wildlife sanctuaries. Notable species: Nilgiri tahr (Eravikulam holds ~50% of the world population, 2020 census 3,122 individuals), Malabar giant squirrel, Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque. Kerala reported 190 tigers in the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation.

• UNESCO Western Ghats World Heritage cluster
• 6 national parks + 18 sanctuaries
• Eravikulam holds ~50% of world Nilgiri tahr
• 11,309 km² (29.10%)

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

Culture & festivals — Kerala

Kerala's cultural identity is shaped by classical Kathakali and Mohiniyattam dance, the vernacular Malayalam literary tradition led by writers from Ezhuthachan to O. V. Vijayan, and syncretic temple, church and mosque festivals that punctuate the year.

Kerala's cultural corpus rests on classical performing arts recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi: Kathakali, a highly stylised dance-drama; Mohiniyattam, a solo female classical form; Koodiyattam, the world's oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2001); and Ottamthullal, the satirical performance form of Kunchan Nambiar. Traditional martial art Kalaripayattu, referenced in Sangam texts, is regarded as one of the world's oldest fighting systems. Malayalam literature stretches from Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (16th c., considered the father of the language) through Kumaran Asan, Vallathol and Ulloor — the modern "triumvirate" — to contemporary figures O. V. Vijayan and M. T. Vasudevan Nair; six Jnanpith Awards have been won by Malayalam writers. Landmark festivals include Onam (10-day harvest festival, statewide) and Vishu (Malayalam New Year). Kerala's cinema industry (Malayalam cinema, based largely at Kochi) is one of the four principal southern Indian film industries and has produced 3 Best Feature Film National Awards in recent years.

• Koodiyattam — UNESCO Intangible Heritage
• Kalaripayattu — among the world's oldest martial arts
• 10-day Onam harvest festival
• Six Jnanpith Awards for Malayalam writers

Source: Indias.com · Kerala state guide

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