Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, a state situated on the tropical

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast () is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. It generally refers to the West Coast of India, western coastline of India stretching from Konkan to Kanyakumari. Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regio ...

of southwestern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Named as one of the ''ten paradises of the world'' by ''

National Geographic Traveler ''National Geographic Traveler'' is a magazine published by National Geographic Partners, NG Media in Armenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Latin America, Israel, Poland, Romania, Slov ...

'', Kerala is famous especially for its

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

initiatives and beautiful backwaters. Kerala has unique culture and traditions coupled with its varied

demography Demography () is the statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration. Demographic analysis examine ...

. Several international agencies ranging from

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

have recognised the state's tourism potential. Kerala was named by

TIME magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

in 2022 among the 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in its list of the World's Greatest Places. In 2023, Kerala was listed at the 13th spot in

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

' annual list of places to visit and was the only tourist destination listed from India. Munnar Top station

Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum- Morning view

Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination, with most tourism circuits concentrated around the north of the country. Aggressive marketing campaigns launched by the

Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is a Public sector undertakings in Kerala, public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities in the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvananthapur ...

—the government agency that oversees tourism prospects of the state—laid the foundation for the growth of the tourism industry. In the decades that followed, Kerala Tourism was able to transform itself into one of the niche holiday destinations in India. The tag line '' Kerala – God's Own Country'' was adopted in its tourism promotions and became a global superbrand. Kerala is regarded as one of the destinations with the highest brand recall. In 2010, Kerala attracted 660,000 foreign tourist arrivals. Kerala is a popular destination for both domestic as well as foreign tourists. Kerala is well known for its beaches, backwaters in

Alappuzha Alappuzha (, आलप्पुळ) or Alleppey is a municipality and town on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvana ...

and

Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...

, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries. Other popular attractions in the state include the

beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

at Kovalam, Muzhappilangad, Bekal and Kappad; backwater tourism and lake resorts around Ashtamudi Lake,

; hill stations and resorts at

Munnar Munnar () is a town located in the Idukki district of the southwestern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. Munnar is situated at around above mean sea level, in the Western Ghats mountain range. This ancient plantat ...

Wayanad Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...

, Nelliampathi, Vagamon and

Ponmudi Ponmudi (the Golden Peak) is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram City, ...

; and national parks and wildlife sanctuaries at

Periyar Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 187924 December 1973), commonly known as Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician. He was the organizer of the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam and is considered the architect o ...

, Parambikulam, Silent Valley National Park and Eravikulam National Park. The " backwaters" region—an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that centre on Vembanad Lake, also see heavy tourist traffic. Heritage sites, such as the Padmanabhapuram Palace, Hill Palace, and Mattancherry Palace, are also visited. To further promote tourism in Kerala, the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival was started by the

Government of Kerala The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...

in 2007. Since then it has been held every year during the December–January period. The state's tourism agenda promotes ecologically sustained tourism, which focuses on the local culture, wilderness adventures, volunteering and personal growth of the local population. Efforts are taken to minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. The state has also made deep inroads into MICE Tourism mainly centered at

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

Historical context

Since its incorporation as a state, Kerala's economy largely operated under

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

-based

democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing economic and political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-mana ...

principles. This mode of development, though it resulted in a high

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

and

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...

among the people, led to an

economic stagnation Economic stagnation is a prolonged period of slow economic growth (traditionally measured in terms of the GDP growth), usually accompanied by high unemployment. Under some definitions, ''slow'' means significantly slower than potential growth as ...

in the 1980s (growth rate are 2.3% annually).. This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—led to a large number of educated unemployed seeking jobs overseas, especially in the Gulf countries. Due to a large number of expatriates, many travel operators and agencies set up shop in the state to facilitate their travel needs. However, the trends soon reciprocated, with the travel agencies noticing the unrealised potential of the state as a tourist destination. The first travel agency in Kerala, Kerala Travels, was founded by Col G.V. Raja of the Travancore royal family along with P.G.C. Pillai. By 1986, tourism had gained an industry status. Kerala Tourism subsequently adopted the tagline ''God's Own Country'' in its advertisement campaigns. Aggressive promotion in print and electronic media was able to invite a sizable investment in the hospitality industry. By the early 2000s, tourism had grown into a full-fledged, multi-billion-dollar industry in the state. The state was able to carve a niche for itself in the world tourism industry, thus becoming one of the places with the "highest brand recall". In 2003, Kerala, became one of the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world. In 2012,

's Traveller magazine named Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime". Travel and Leisure also described Kerala as "One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century". In 2012, Kerala overtook the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India. CNN Travel listed Kerala amongst its '19 best places to visit in 2019.

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

picked Kerala among 50 ‘extraordinary destinations’ across the globe to explore in 2022. The state was ranked ninth in the ‘World's Greatest Places' and was described as an ‘eco-tourism hot spot'. In 2023,

selected Kerala as one of the 52 must-see tourism destinations in the world. Kerala was selected as thirteenth in the list and was the only state in the list from India.

Major attractions

Beaches

Flanked on the western coast by the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

, Kerala one of the long coastline of ; all of which is virtually dotted with sandy beaches. Kovalam beach near

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

was among the first beaches in Kerala to attract tourists. Rediscovered by back-packers and tan-seekers in the 1960s and followed by hordes of

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

s in the 1970s, Kovalam today is one of the most visited beaches in the state.Ayub, Akber (ed), ''Kerala: Maps & More'', ''Coastal Circuit'', 2006 edition 2007 reprint, pp. 96-112, Stark World Publishing, Bangalore, Other popularly visited beaches in the state include those at Kappad,

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

Beach, Marari Beach (Mararikulam, Alappuzha), Thumpoly (thumpoly beach ) Alappuzha, Alappuzha , Nattika (Thrissur), Vadanappilly beach (Thrissur), Cherai Beach, Ponnani beach, Bekal, Kappad Beypore beach, Marari beach, Fort Kochi, and

Varkala Varkala is a major coastal municipality and a northern suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. In legends and myths related to Kerala, texts like the Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam describe the Varkala reg ...

. The Muzhappilangad Beach at

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the maj ...

and Thikkodi Beach at

are the only two drive-in beach in India. Marari beach was rated as one of the world's top five Hammock Beaches by the National Geographic survey and has been cited in the international press.

Backwaters

The backwaters in Kerala are a chain of

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the

coast (known as the

). ''Houseboat'' or ''Kettuvallam'' rides in backwaters are a major tourist attraction in kerala. Backwater tourism is centered mostly around of

like Alleppey, Kumarakom, Ashtamudi Lake,

Ponnani Ponnani () is a Nagar Palika (Municipality), municipality in Ponnani Taluk, Malappuram District, in the state of Kerala, India. It serves as the administrative center of the Taluk and Block Panchayat of the same name. It is situated at the est ...

, Kavvayi Backwaters, Vembanad and Bekal. Boat races held during festival seasons are also a major tourist attraction in the backwater regions. The backwater network includes large lakes such as the Ashtamudi Lake, the largest among them, linked by 1500 km of canals, both man-made and natural and fed by several rivers, and extending virtually the entire length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low

barrier island Barrier islands are a Coast#Landforms, coastal landform, a type of dune, dune system and sand island, where an area of sand has been formed by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of an ...

s across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.

Hill stations

Eastern Kerala consists of land encroached upon by the Western Ghats; the region thus includes high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut valleys. The Western Ghats is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

and is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The wildest lands are covered with dense forests, while other regions lie under tea and coffee plantations (established mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries) or other forms of cultivation. The Western Ghats rise an average to 1500 m elevation above sea level. Some of the popular hill stations in the region are

, Vagamon, Paithalmala,

, Nelliyampathi,

Nilambur Nilambur () is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiri Mountains, Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is ...

, Elapeedika, Peermade,

Thekkady Thekkady () in Idukki district is a town near Periyar National Park, an important tourist attraction in the Kerala States and territories of India, state of India. The name Thekkady is derived from the word "thekku" which means teak and "adi ...

and Kalvary Mount.

Wildlife

Most of

, whose native habitat consists of wet evergreen

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

s at lower elevations and

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

and semi-

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

forests in the east, is subject to a humid tropical climate. However, significant variations in terrain and elevation have resulted in a land whose

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

registers as among the world's most significant. Most of Kerala's significantly biodiverse tracts of wilderness lie in the evergreen forests of its easternmost districts. Kerala also hosts two of the world's

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...

-listed

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s: Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands are noted as being wetlands of international importance. There are also numerous protected conservation areas, including 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In turn, the forests play host to such major

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living ''Elephas'' species. It is the largest living land animal in Asia and the second largest living Elephantidae, elephantid in the world. It is char ...

(''Elephas maximus''),

Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies and the nominate tiger subspecies. It ranks among the largest wild cats alive today. It is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent since the Late ...

(''Panthera tigris tigris''),

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

(''Panthera pardus''),

Nilgiri tahr The Nilgiri tahr (''Nilgiritragus hylocrius'') is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the only species in th ...

(''Nilgiritragus hylocrius''), and grizzled giant squirrel (''Ratufa macroura'').. More remote preserves, including Silent Valley National Park in the Kundali Hills, harbour endangered species such as the lion-tailed macaque (''Macaca silenus''), Indian sloth bear (''Melursus (Ursus) ursinus ursinus''), and

gaur The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ) is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 ...

(the so-called "Indian bison"—''Bos gaurus''). More common species include Indian porcupine (''Hystrix indica''), chital (''Axis axis''), sambar (''Cervus unicolor''),

gray langur ''Semnopithecus'' is a genus of Old World monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent, with all species with the exception of two being commonly known as gray langurs. Traditionally only the species ''Semnopithecus entellus'' was recognized, but si ...

flying squirrel Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe (biology), tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family (biology), family Squirrel, Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight i ...

, swamp lynx (''Felis chaus kutas''),

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

(''Sus scrofa''), a variety of catarrhine

Old World monkey Old World monkeys are primates in the family Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons (genus '' Papio''), red colobus (genus '' Piliocolob ...

species,

gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

(''Canis lupus''), and common palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''). Many reptiles, such as

king cobra The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', i ...

viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

, python, various turtles and crocodiles are to be found in Kerala—again, disproportionately in the east. Kerala's

avifauna Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...

include endemics like the Sri Lanka frogmouth (''Batrachostomus moniliger''), Oriental bay owl, large frugivores like the great hornbill (''Buceros bicornis'') and

Indian grey hornbill The Indian gray hornbill (''Ocyceros birostris'') is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The hor ...

, as well as the more widespread birds such as

peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

, Indian cormorant,

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

and hill myna, Oriental darter, black-hooded oriole, greater racket-tailed and

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

drongoes,

bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropic ...

(''Pycnonotidae''), species of

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

and

woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family (biology), family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme ...

, jungle fowl, Alexandrine parakeet, and assorted ducks and migratory birds. Additionally, freshwater fish such as ''kadu'' ( stinging catfish—''Heteropneustes'' fossilis) and brackishwater species such as ''Choottachi'' ( orange chromide—''Etroplus maculatus'', valued as an

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

specimen) also are native to Kerala's lakes and waterways.

Historical monuments

Historical monuments in Kerala include palaces, forts, and religious institutions. Notable forts include Bekal Fort, Arikady fort, Chandragiri fort, Hosdurg Fort, Palakkad Fort,

Thalassery Thalassery () (also called Tellicherry) is a city and municipality on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe and Kozhikode. Thalassery municipality has a population of just under ...

Fort, '' Fortaleza da São Tomé'', Fort Kochi, St Thomas Fort, East Fort and Anchuthengu Fort. Notable palaces include Padmanabhapuram Palace, Kanakakkunnu Palace, Kowdiar Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Arakkal Palace, Shakthan Thampuran Palace, Hill Palace etc. The

is also home to some of the oldest temples, oldest mosques, oldest churches, and oldest synagogues in

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

. The historic trading food streets in Kerala include the S. M. Street (Sweetmeat street) at

. Mappila Bay harbour at

is home to both fort and palace. Thalassery Cuisine, a traditional style of cuisine originated in Northern Kerala due to its historical trade relations, also attracts tourists.

Events

Festivals

The major festival in Kerala is

Onam Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. H ...

. Kerala has also a number of religious festivals. Thrissur Pooram, Attukal Pongala, Beema Palli Uroos, and Chettikulangara Bharani are the major temple festivals in Kerala. The Thrissur Pooram is conducted at the Vadakumnathan temple, Thrissur. The Sivarathri is also an important festival in Kerala.

Aluva Sivarathri festival Aluva Sivarathri Festival is the Sivarathri celebrated in Aluva Mahadeva Temple in Aluva, Kochi in the state of Kerala, India The celebration of Sivarathri in Aluva is very famous in Kerala. The month of Kumbham is noted for the Sivarathri fest ...

is the most famous festival related to Sivaratri. Festivals like

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

and

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

are observed by the Christians. ''Parumala Perunnal'', '' Manarkadu, Arthunkal, Thumpoly,

Edathua Edathua is a small village in Kuttanad, Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is located 12 km from Thiruvalla city center, National Highway 183 and the Thiruvalla railway station. Pilgrim Center St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Ch ...

Perunnal'' are the other regional festivals of Christians.

Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...

and

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

are celebrated by the Muslim community. The annual festival Thirayattam is conducted in the village shrine of the south Malabar region in Kerala.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Kochi-Muziris Biennale is the largest art exhibition in the country and the biggest

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

festival in Asia conducted every year in the city of

. The first Biennale in India was conducted in Kochi from 12 December 2012 till 13 March 2013.

Medical tourism

Medical tourism Medical tourism is the practice of traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment. In the past, this usually referred to those who traveled from less-developed countries to major medical centers in highly developed countries for treatment unavaila ...

, promoted by traditional systems of medicine like

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

and

Siddha ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of perfection of the intellect as we ...

, is widely popular in the state, and draws increasing numbers of tourists. Kerala is popularly known as hub of Ayurveda. The medical tourism segment of Kerala is known for its reputation.

Culture

Kerala's culture is mainly

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

in origin, deriving from a greater Tamil-heritage region known as

Tamilakam Tamilakam () also known as ancient Tamil country as was the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, La ...

. Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated on through centuries of contact with overseas cultures.. Native

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

include '' koodiyattom'', ''

kathakali ''Kathakali'' (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kathakaḷi ) is a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance, and one of the most complex forms of Theatre of India, Indian theatre. It is a play of verses. These vers ...

''—from ''katha'' ("story") and ''kali'' ("play")—and its offshoot '' Kerala Natanam'', ''

koothu Koothu, or Therukoothu, is an ancient Tamil art form, where artists enacted scenes from epics and folklore with dance and music. It is a form of storytelling art that originated in the early Tamilakam, and served as an entertainment and a mediu ...

'' (akin to stand-up comedy), '' mohiniaattam'' ("dance of the enchantress"), '' thullal'', '' padayani'', '' thirayattam'', and ''

theyyam Theyyam is a Hindu religious ritual practised in the North Malabar Region of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is a ritual performance involving extended chanting of mantras and ceremonial preparations that typically span 8 to 10 hou ...

''. Other arts are more religion- and tribal-themed. These include '' chavittu nadakom'', '' oppana'' (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ''ishal'' vocalisations. However, many of these art forms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites, who look to more contemporary art. Several ancient ritualised arts are Keralite in origin; these include ''

kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (), also known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art that originated on the southwestern coast of India, in what is now Kerala, during the 3rd century BCE. Etymology Kalaripayattu is a martial art which developed out of co ...

'' (''

kalari A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word ''kalari'' comes from Tamil. In the past, village schools in Tamilnadu, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were k ...

'' ("place", "threshing floor", or "battlefield") and ''payattu'' ("exercise" or "practice")). Among the world's oldest martial arts, oral tradition attributes ''kalaripayattus emergence to Parasurama. Other ritual arts include '' Thirayattam'', ''

'', '' poorakkali'' and ''

Kuthiyottam ''Kuthiyottam'', sometimes spelled Kutiyottam, is a ritual youth dance, and in some cases of mock blood sacrifice, found at annual Pongala festival celebrations at some Hindu temples in Kerala dedicated to Bhadrakali or Durga – a warrior godde ...

''. Thirayattam is a ritual performing folk art form of South Malabar region. Processions often include traditional music such as Panchari melam or

Panchavadyam Panchavadyam (Malayalam: പഞ്ചവാദ്യം), literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four — timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idak ...

. In respect of

Fine Arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

, the state has an abounding tradition of both ancient and contemporary art and artists. The traditional Kerala murals are found in ancient temples, churches and palaces across the State. These paintings, mostly dating to between the 9th to 12th centuries AD, display a distinct style, and a colour code which is predominantly ochre and green. Kerala is known for its religious diversity. The major religions are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

and Buddhism have smaller followings. The state's historic ties with the rest of the world have resulted in the state having many notable temples, churches and mosques. Kerala is home to the Kottakkavu church, one of the first churches in India founded by

Thomas the Apostle Thomas the Apostle (; , meaning 'the Twin'), also known as Didymus ( 'twin'), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of ...

when he reached Indian shores, Cheraman Mosque, the first mosque in India, which is considered to have existed even before the death of the

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

and Paradesi Synagogue, which is the oldest active synagogue in the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

. Recognising the potential of tourism in the diversity of religious faiths, related festivals and structures, the tourism department launched a "Pilgrimage tourism" project. Major pilgrim tourism attractions include Guruvayur, Sabarimala, Malayatoor, Paradesi Synagogue, Arthunkal, Thumpoly church, St. Mary's Forane (Martha Mariam) church, Kuravilangad built in 105 A.D, Attukal Pongala (which has the Guinness record for being the largest gathering of women in the world), and Chettikulangara Bharani. Here are a few Kerala-based tour operators that played a significant role in boosting tourism in the state: * Golden Triangle India Tours * Wanderful Holidays LLC * World Travel Experiences * Payless tours india * Swastik India Journeys * Kerala Tour Packages https://www.keralatourpackages.com/ * Bamba Travel * Explore!

Gallery

File:Jatayu Earth's Center Nature Park.jpg, Jatayu Earth's Center Nature Park File:Bekal 1.jpg, Bekal Fort File:Kannurfort9a.jpg, St. Angelo Fort File:Edakkal Caves - Interior.jpg, Edakkal caves File:Pookode Lake - snap - dec 2011 0117.JPG, Pookode Lake File:Sargaalaya Arts & Crafts Village, Iringal views (5).jpg, Sargaalaya Crafts Village File:Kottakkunnu, Malappuram municipality.jpg, Kottakkunnu File:Malampuzha dam in Palakkad, Kerala. 32.jpg, Malampuzha garden dam File:Malampuzha Yakshi - മലമ്പുഴ യക്ഷി 03.JPG, Yakshi File:Thrissur pooram aanachamayam.jpg, Vadakkunnathan Temple File:Athirapally Waterfalls after the Monsoons.jpg, Athirapally Waterfalls File:Edappally Church at night 03.jpg, St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church, Edappally File:Chinese Fishing Nets Cochin.jpg, Chinese fishing nets in

File:Kochi International Marina, Bolgatty Island, Kerala, India.jpg, Kochi International Marina File:Kochi Skyline.jpg,

Marine Drive, Kochi Marine Drive, officially the APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, is a promenade in Kochi, India. It is built facing the Kerala Backwaters, backwaters. Despite its name, no vehicles are allowed on the walkway. With several shopping malls it is as an important ...

File:Bolgatty Palace Hotel by Augustus.jpg, Bolgatty Palace File:Kuravan kurathi statue, ramakkalmedu.jpg, Ramakkalmedu File:Munnar Top station.jpg,

File:009262022 Vaikom Mahadeva temple aerial view, Kottayam Kerala 012.jpg,

Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple The Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hinduism, Hindu god Shiva in Vaikom, Kottayam, Kerala, India. The temple, along with the Ettumanoor, Ettumanoor Shiva Temple and the Kaduthuruthy, Kaduthuruthy Shiva Temple is con ...

File:House Boat in morning, Alappuzha, Kerala.jpg,

File:009232022 Ambalaphuzha Shri Krishna Swamy Temple Kerala 08.jpg, Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swamy Temple File:Sabarimala temple during Periyar butterfly survey at Sabarimala, 2014 (3).jpg, Sabarimala File:Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple Thiruvananthapuram,.jpg, Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Notes and references

External links

Official Website of Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala !

Click on this link to know more about Kerala tourism !
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourism in Kerala