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Land and water share an extraordinary kinship in Kerala. This land which is believed to have sprung forth from the sea continues to bask in the tender life giving care of the waters, that lap gently on its coast, cascade down its hills and valleys and rests calmly in exotic backwaters and lagoons.
Kerala
is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty four rivers-41 west-flowing and innumerable tributaries and branches, but these rivers are comparatively small and being entirely monsoon fed, practically turn into rivulets in summer, especially in the upper areas.
The backwaters form a specially attractive and economically valuable feature of kerala. They include lakes and ocean inlets,which stretch irregularly along the coast. The biggest backwater stretch is the Vemband Lake, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin port. The other important backwaters are Veli, Kadinamkulam, Anjengo Edava. Madayara, Paravoor, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, kodungallur and Chetuva. The deltas of the rivers interlink the backwaters and provide excellent water transportation in the low lands of Kerala. A navigable canal stretches from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala,to Tirur in the far North.
It's
an intricate network of innumerable lagoons,
lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of
forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian
Sea. Over 900 km of the labyrinthine water world
is navigable. You will witness the soul of
Kerala along these backwaters, throbbing with
its own unique culture. Cruises along these
tranquil stretches are an experience unique of
Kerala. |
