"Welcome to my " GOD'S OWN COUNTRY".....KERALA" ushar's Profile

Kerala is blessed with a large number of water bodies, including lakes, rivers and back waters. Sandy beaches, lush green forests and verdant hills add to the luster of this land.

A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power.

The houseboats in Kerala, south India, are huge, slow-moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips. They are a reworked model of Kettuvallams (in the Malayalam language, Kettu means "tied with ropes", and vallam means "boat"), which, in earlier times, were used to carry rice and spices from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. Kerala houseboats were considered a convenient means of transportation.
The popularity of Kettuvallams has returned in the function as major tourist attractions.
Such a houseboat is about 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m) long and about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide at the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by ropes of coconut fiber; the usual wood is 'Anjili'. The roof is made of bamboo poles and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew nut oil.

In Kerala, house boats are available for staying purpose in all back waters of kerala, however i felt the best are at Kumarakam & Alleppey.

A post monsoon trip to Periyar lake (Thekkaday ) and Munnar was a funtastic experience.
We started our drive from Trivandrum stayed with my parents at my ancestral home at Thiruvalla (pathanam thitta dist ) nostalgia
for a day..
Next day morning we started our Journey to Thekkady Via Karukachal and Kumily. The drive was a memorable with never ending green carpets on either side of the road. After reaching Thekkady \periyar lake we were taken byr a surprise. The Periyar lake was full with water after 20 years gap thanks to this years heavy monsoon in kerala.
Experienced eyes say that , 2 years ago the old boat on the shore was in the middle of a field. ...
Read more about Periyar in my travel page...Periyar
Our Next destination was Munnar. After having a beautiful drive thru the tea gardens and seeing many water falls we hav reached at Munnar in the evening.
Read more
Munnar

Near to my Home

Yes i was born here, a small State in India called KERALAM. ..The name KERALAM means the land of 'KERA VRIKSHAS'Kerala is a beautiful state in the South-western corner of India. This divine land stretches from the gigantic Western Ghats to the Arabian Sea with its luscious tropical forests, paddy fields and evergreen coconut grooves. The everflowing rivers with its tributaries, the backwaters and lagoons are indeed a sight of this 'God's Own Country'. Kerala, rich in spices is also a land of colourful avenue of rich culture, heritage and people.
.. ..it is a paradise for travellers..no doubt..

Me in KATHAKALI costume

Kathakali is a form. A total theatre art assimilating acting, dancing, music, literature and even the plastic arts like painting and sculpture with a tradition of over a thousand years. It has evolved into its present form undergoing many modifications at the hands of great artistes. The stories enacted are generally from the great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. The characters are typified in to six different costumes and makeups. The dancers, musicians and even the makeup man go through a grueling training regime for at least eight to ten years before they participate in a stage performance.

Two singers narrate the story in musical form accompanied by percussion instruments, cymbals and a gong. On the stage, actors interpret the song with their facial gestures, torso and limb movements and virile dancing. The eyes play a very important part in the interpretation.

Coconut Tree

In my Trianadrum home I get up every day morning looking at these ornage coloured coconuts....beautiful isnt it?
Our planet earth is full of wonders..dont u think so?..

MOHINIYATTAM

I am in full costume of famous dance form called MOHINIYATTAM. A treditional classical dance form originated in KERALA. Earlier it was known as the dance of Deva Dasi's. ( Devadasi Nirtham).

Arappuravathil

This is a door you will see inside a typical treditional house in kerala. Most of walls in the house are made of woods. (Mahagony, Devatharu or Jack fruit..)
The house is called NALU KETTU ot ETTU KETTU..according to the number of 'ANGEN' inside the house...

VTians- Mr Avraham, Dr Kiran and Mr Sunil

Pic shows ...Mr Avraham (fruit lover)

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/a43ef/

Dr Kiranlal & Mr Sunil

Other VTians I have met so far are..

4. Vinitha
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/93450/

5. shaolinmonk
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7d548/

6 Swades
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/b465c/

7. dsantosh
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/79b4/

8. Anand1560
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/9de06/

9. DaDrifter
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/845df/

10. radz
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/614f9/