KERALA GENERAL INFORMATION
A slender green sliver of land clinging to the south western flank of the Indian peninsula, Kerala is one of the southern states of the Republic of India. It is bounded by Karnataka to the north, Tamil Nadu to the east, and the Arabian Sea to the west.. Though it's roots date back to the early years of the christian era, the modern state of Kerala was created in 1956, when all the states of India were reorganized on a linguistic basis. History was created in 1957, when Kerala became the first state in the world to have democratically elected a Marxist government to power. Things have changed, but politics still continues to dominate conversation, particularly in the numerous wayside tea stalls, where the brew is as strong as the ideology.The state has been in the forefront, in terms of education and health services. It has the highest rate of literacy, lowest rate of infant mortality and the leading female to male ratio, in the country. Kerala is made up of fourteen districts. Each of them have a distinct character. Thiruvananthapuram (also known as Trivandrum) is the capital of Kerala, famous for it's Kovalam beach (rated one of the top ten beaches of the world). Geography is destiny in Kerala with the monsoon winds bringing the gift of life annually. It's monsoons are likened to a battalion of wild elephants.
TOURISM IN KERALA
The entire state of Kerala is a tourist destination and at every corner of this state, one can experience something new. Backwaters, culture, eco tourism, wildlife, hill stations, beaches, and historical monuments, god has perhaps given everything that was beautiful in his own opinion to his own country. Kerala has taken major steps in the recent past to promote its travel products and improve the infrastructure. Every district in Kerala has it's own unique culture and characteristics. Thiruvananthapuram is well known for it's beach- Kovalam, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and various museums and palaces; Alappuzha is famous  for it's backwaters, Thrissur, , Kottayam is famous  for it's ancient churches, Kozhikode for it's old world charm and the entrancing Ponmudi . Kerala, the visitors' paradise, has soul-cleansing centres too. Pilgrim centres of all religions abound this tiny state. Thousands throng such centres with agitated minds and return cool, calm and collected.Hindus, Christians, Muslims and even microscopic minorities such as Jains have their own pilgrim centres where devotees genuflect to bare their mental trauma. Along with wildlife, hill stations and pilgrims  Kerala is having most of India's finest beaches, Kerala offers surf and sand like no other places.Now beaches in Kerala are the major tourist attractions, the serene internationally renowned beaches in Kerala like the Kovalam Beach, Varkala Beach, Sankhumugham Beach, Thirumullavaram Beach are all set to sweep the world with their beauty.
ART AND CULTURE Kerala is a small state and people from many communities and religions living in this state. So Kerala is a melting pot of cultural influences.The Onam Festival, the Temple festival at Thrissur, the annual Snake Boat Races at Alleppey and the festivals of Christmas are some wonderful cultural events of this small state. Kath kali, Kalaripayattu and Mohiniattam are the grate arts which are performed by the people of Kerala  and these arts pay a vital role for the promotion of Kerala,s culture. Kath kali   dance is a beautiful blending of color, dance, music, drama, and expressions. Other dance forms of Kerala are Krishnanattom, Mohiniyattom, Thullal, Koodiyattom, Kolkkali, Thiruvathirakali, Kakkarishi Natakom, Oppanna, and Chavittunatakom. Panchavadyam, Nadanpattu, Omanathinkal Kidavo and many more music forms have evolved over the centuries in Kerala. Onam is a time for sports and festivities and in Kerala - where one third of the area is low lying, covered with canals, lakes and backwaters - the people take to their boats and country crafts to celebrate. This is perhaps the best time to go on a tour of Kerala.
CUISINE
Kerala has a distinctive cuisine, very unusual and different from the rest of India. The cuisine is very hot and spicy . The food is generally fresh, aromatic and flavoured. Keralites are mostly fish-and-rice eating people. Seafood is very popular in Kerala and consumed with every meal. Various fish including sardines, mackerel, tuna, rays and shark are eaten, as are crabs, mussels and oysters. "Karimeen" or fried fish is a popular dish as is fish curry called "Fish Moilee.
State Capital             Thiruvananthapuram (also known as Trivandrum)
Area Covered            38,863 Sq.Km
Language                   Malayalam
Best Time to Visit     October to March