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Kerala
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Fast Facts |
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Area: 38,864 sq km
Population: 33 million
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Climate
Summer
(Mar to June) - Warm
Monsoon
(August to September) - Warm
Winter
(November to February)-
Mildly Warm and Pleasant
Clothing
Summer - Light Cottons
Winter - woollens.
Languages spoken
Malayalam
Best Time to visit
October to March |
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Kerala, a narrow, fertile strip on the south-west coast of India,
is sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats, whose
dense forests and extensive ridges have sheltered Kerala from many
mainland invaders. At the same time, the state's long coastline has
encouraged maritime contact with the outside world. Such contact has
resulted in an intriguing blend of cultures. With foreign influences
as disparate as Chinese, Portuguese, Arab and Dutch, Kerala's multitude
of faiths - Islam, Judaism, and a host of sects of Christianity and
Hinduism - all coexist harmoniously in a state that is known for its
Marxist inclinations! Christianity has been in Kerala for as long
as it has been in Europe.
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Kerala is the spice coast of India. Edged by a thread of unbroken
beachline, the state's heart is composed of intensely green paddy
fields and a unique network of rivers and lagoons that comprise its
famed "backwaters". The landscape is dominated by rice fields,
mango and cashewnut trees, and coconut palms. Upland Kerala, relatively
less visited, is composed of hills thickly wooded with teak and rubber.
It is here that Kerala's most precious spices - cardamom, pepper and
nutmeg - are grown in carefully nurtured plantations. |
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The present-day state of Kerala was created in 1956 from Travancore,
Kochi and Malabar (formerly part of Madras state). Kerala is one of
the most progressive and literate states in India. To visitors, Kerala
really is "God's own country", offering exquisite beaches,
lazy trips along peaceful lagoons and canals, hill stations, wildlife
sanctuaries, and healing via the ancient Indian medical system, Ayurveda. |
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