Kerala---the land of coconut trees, backwaters, elephants, Kathakali, Kalaripayattu, Onam, pookalam, banana chips, avial and much more! When you visit Kerala, your eyes feast on the colour green all the time. White clothes sported by the local people and red tiled roofs of houses and buildings present a beautiful contrast. I returned from a short visit that took me to the port city of Kochi, to the mountains of Munnar and Thekkady and to the backwaters of Kumarakom. Sharing a few images here.
The Chinese fishing nets are one of the tourist attractions in Kochi. We got to see them being operated on a warm Sunday morning not very far from the St. Francis CSI Church in Fort Kochi. The horizontal nets that were held in place by huge rocks used as counterweights were being pulled out of the water by a group of several fishermen hoping for a good catch. They did get some catch part of which was promptly snatched by the birds hovering nearby!
Fishermen enjoying a break on a routine working day!
St. Francis CSI Church is the oldest European Church in India. It was originally built in 1503. When the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524, he was laid to rest in this Church. His remains were moved to Lisbon 14 years later. Hordes of foreign and Indian tourists flock to this Church because of the historical importance attached to it.
A doll resplendent in Kathakali finery in one of the street shops in the Jew Town in Kochi.
Typical Kerala cotton sarees in cream and gold! Very elegant!!
From the coast to the hills! Mattupetty (1700 metres) is just a short distance away from the hill town of Munnar. Blessed with tea estates, treks, forests, a dam and a lake...Mattupetty offers a lot to nature lovers.
The tree estates in Munnar are simply stunning. As far as the eye can see, the earth is covered with a lush green carpet of rich velvet. The smoky blue hills in the distance and the mist in the atmosphere add a dreamy look to the landscape. As you stare out of your bus window, you are treated to this lovely spectacle. And you wish the bus ride would never end!
Eravikulam National park...the first national park in Kerala. It is home to Nilgiri Tahr. Offers spectacular views of clouds, valleys and hills.
Another view from the park!
A tranquil moment in the expanse of the sprawling Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.
A submerged tree in the Periyar lake. You see many of them when you take a boat ride in the huge lake.
Another submerged tree with pretty colours in the trees along the shore.
The scene changes from the hills and the lake to the backwaters. We are in Kumarakom!
A boatman trying to earn some money by offering rides to tourists in the bird sanctuary in Kumarakom.
Daily life along the backwaters. Houses, small boats, clothes hung out to dry. What looks exotic to us is routine for the locals.
As if the greenery all over is not enough, the boats are painted in green too! In Kumarakom.
A ride along the picturesque backwaters in Kumarakom!
A hurried parting shot of the last of Kerala landscape before reaching Kochi to return home!
The Chinese fishing nets are one of the tourist attractions in Kochi. We got to see them being operated on a warm Sunday morning not very far from the St. Francis CSI Church in Fort Kochi. The horizontal nets that were held in place by huge rocks used as counterweights were being pulled out of the water by a group of several fishermen hoping for a good catch. They did get some catch part of which was promptly snatched by the birds hovering nearby!
Fishermen enjoying a break on a routine working day!
St. Francis CSI Church is the oldest European Church in India. It was originally built in 1503. When the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524, he was laid to rest in this Church. His remains were moved to Lisbon 14 years later. Hordes of foreign and Indian tourists flock to this Church because of the historical importance attached to it.
A doll resplendent in Kathakali finery in one of the street shops in the Jew Town in Kochi.
Typical Kerala cotton sarees in cream and gold! Very elegant!!
From the coast to the hills! Mattupetty (1700 metres) is just a short distance away from the hill town of Munnar. Blessed with tea estates, treks, forests, a dam and a lake...Mattupetty offers a lot to nature lovers.
The tree estates in Munnar are simply stunning. As far as the eye can see, the earth is covered with a lush green carpet of rich velvet. The smoky blue hills in the distance and the mist in the atmosphere add a dreamy look to the landscape. As you stare out of your bus window, you are treated to this lovely spectacle. And you wish the bus ride would never end!
Eravikulam National park...the first national park in Kerala. It is home to Nilgiri Tahr. Offers spectacular views of clouds, valleys and hills.
Another view from the park!
A tranquil moment in the expanse of the sprawling Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.
A submerged tree in the Periyar lake. You see many of them when you take a boat ride in the huge lake.
Another submerged tree with pretty colours in the trees along the shore.
The scene changes from the hills and the lake to the backwaters. We are in Kumarakom!
A boatman trying to earn some money by offering rides to tourists in the bird sanctuary in Kumarakom.
Daily life along the backwaters. Houses, small boats, clothes hung out to dry. What looks exotic to us is routine for the locals.
As if the greenery all over is not enough, the boats are painted in green too! In Kumarakom.
A ride along the picturesque backwaters in Kumarakom!
A hurried parting shot of the last of Kerala landscape before reaching Kochi to return home!
