State of Kerala Things to Do

  Where the beaches meet
by tim07
 
  • Where the beaches meet
      Where the beaches meet
    by tim07
  • Wood craft at Echo Point
      Wood craft at Echo Point
    by mary2u99
  • Nilgiri Tahr
      Nilgiri Tahr
    by mary2u99
  •   Things to Do
    by ashafruddin
  • Fishermen at the Harbour
      Fishermen at the Harbour
    by PierreZA
 
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Kovalam Beach- A Beautiful Place for Beach Lovers

by kmohandas

KOVALAM means a grove of coconut trees in the native language Malayalam. This wonderful beach indeed offers an endless sight of coconut trees. This crescent-shaped beach has three parts viz. Samudra, Hawa and Light House. The southernmost beach, Light House Beach is the most popular amongst the three. It offers an amazing sight of Vizhinjam mosque. The northern most Samudra is a laidback one and time seems stands still here. The middle one, Hawa, is a busy acivity centre with fishermen setting early in the morning to sea for fishing and tourists thronging the beach. With a high rocks and calm blue waters, this beautiful beach creates an amazing night on a full Moon day. This is an ideal place for swimming and sea bathing. Also, there are beautiful patches of coral reefs. The underwater views, which are visible during snorkelling. Excellent accommodations are available around Kovalam ....

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House Boats Kerala

by Babumohanan

HOUSE BOATSA house boat is about 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet in the middle. The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is "Anjili". The house boats have fully furnished single and double rooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room for the crew. Traditional lanterns are used as lights. The crew includes a chef and two oarsmen. The cuisine is traditional Kerala flavour with the local specialities; delicious fish and prawns. There are single bedroom houseboats for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people.Our craftsmen have created a unique atmosphere on board, a luxurious, self contained world from which to observe rural Indian life flowing gently by. The...

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AYURVEDIC HOLIDAYS

by Babumohanan

Rejuvenation Massage: In the Ayurvedic textbooks, rejuvenation has been termed as Rasayana. A definition of Rasayana in Ayurveda is described as: "That which destroys the old age and disease is called Rasayana." Rejuvenation Therapy ('Rasayana Chikitsa') tones, rejuvenates and strengthens all the tissues so as to achieve ideal health and longevity. Increases 'Ojas' (Primary Vitality), improves 'Sattva' (Mental Clarity) and thereby increases the resistance of the body.

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Snake Boat Races in Kerala

by Justin_goa

If you think English Football is the most electrifying event in the world, try Kerala snake Boat races.Boats manned by four helmsmen, 25 singers and 100 - 125 oarsmen who row in unison to the fast rhythm of the vanchipattu (song of the boatman). Thousands of people crowd the water's edge to cheer the huge black crafts as they slice through the waters to a spectacular finish.....It's a spectacular event not to miss while you are anywhere close to Kerala..

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Kathakali- The Characters....... the rest!

by suvanki

Katti (knife shape worn on forehead)Demons and villains. Usually nobles similar to pacca group.They wear similar make up/costumes,but their characteristics are the complete opposite.Teppu - This group may represent humans, animals or objects, many different performers.MinnukkuThis is the servant class.Make up is more subtle and costumes are less ornate

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Kathakali - The narrator

by suvanki

Prior to the dance performance, the narrator gives a brief outline of the expected performance, and demonstrates the 9 facial emotions (mukhabhinaya) and various eye movements and their meanings.Kathakali also has a language of hand gestures which has 24 alphabets (in Sanskrit they are known as Mudras)these too are demonstrated.Typed handouts are usually provided, with a brief outline of the performance, plus the hand movements etc.The narrator at Art Kerala is also the director of the centre. Mr. T. Radhakrishnan, who was a disciple of the late Guru Gopinath who was a leading exponant of Kathakali.Although he is in his 70's he can't retire as there is no one to take over his work.

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Kathakali - The Musicians

by suvanki

In Cochin, live music accompanies the performance, tho' the performance I saw in Kovalam was to tape recorded music. ( which was a problem with the frequent power cuts!)The musicians are usually illuminated by a single lantern or candle flame, which adds to the atmosphere.The main instrument is the drum, a long barrel shaped instrument (sudda mandalam) It is beaten at both ends, producing a resonant rythym.Singers accompany the drummer, the sounds they produce and the drum beat alters to portray the emotions the dancers are acting.The musicians are highly skilled professionals.The dancers don't speak or sing, but rely on the accompanying musicians, together with their facial expressions/hand gestures etc to portray moods and emotions to tell the story

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Kathakali

by suvanki

Kathakali means story play. It is a classical dance- drama , derived from a form of yoga, that is believed to have its beginnings in the 2nd century BC, with the contempory form dating from the first half of the 17th Century AD. Many elements of art form are combined into a Kathakali performance.There are about 30 plays in existance,(originally there were about 100) based on stories from the Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha, where common themes of good v evil, weakness & courage, wealth & poverty, War & Peace are dramatised.Attakatha (the script) is a sanskrit form of Malayalam, vocalised by singers or musicians. The dancers narrate the story through intricate facial expressions and gestures, with sudden leaps, spins and freeze balances. Each wearing fantastic costumes and elaborate make up.Dancers usually begin a disciplined training at around age 10 or 12, lasting for about 8...

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Kathakali - A revived artform

by suvanki

Kathakali traditionally took place in temple grounds, with performances lasting 4 hours or longer. During Temple festivals the performance starts at 9pm and continues through the night until early morning.This artform was in danger of becoming extinct, but had a revival about 40 years ago.Tourism keeps the performance alive today, but concessions have been made. Performances are shorter, and many now take place in indoor halls, restaurants and hotels. The music (Geetham) and musical instruments (Vadhyam) form an integral part of the art performance, with highly trained artistes. Some performances are now accompanied by taped recordings. (The performance I saw in Kovalam was done this way, but suffered as a result of a few power cuts that night!)I'd read that lower castes and women are now allowed to perform, but when I asked our guide about this he denied it.Although Kathakali has rigid...

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Kathakali - The Characters - The Bad Guys!

by suvanki

Thadi or Tati (Beard) characters.Demon characters such as The Hunter Wears a red beard and false nose, with an outsized crown. He also is seen as a comic character.Face paint is black, representing evil.Other tati characters may have black or white beards as does Hanuman the monkey god

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Fun things to do in State of Kerala

Top 3 Hotels in State of Kerala

Kumarakom Lake Resort  State of Kerala

 387 Opinions

 Hotels in State of Kerala

Old Harbour Hotel  Kochi

 1 Review and 427 Opinions  It took our breath away when we first arrived. Stunning. Beautifully restored, it gives the illusion... 

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Beach and Lake Ayurvedic Resort  Thiruvananthapuram

 1 Review and 88 Opinions  The Beach & Lake is a privately owned Ayurvedic Resort, 8 kms south of Trivandrum International... 

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354 Hotels in State of Kerala
 
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Reviews and photos of State of Kerala attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for State of Kerala sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in State of Kerala
  1. Munnar Things to Do
  2. Thiruvananthapuram Things to Do
  3. Kochi Things to Do
  4. Kovalam Things to Do
  5. Alappuzha Things to Do
  6. Calicut Things to Do
  7. Ernakulam Things to Do
  8. Periyar Sanctuary Things to Do
  9. Cannanore Things to Do
  10. Irinjalakuda Things to Do
  11. Varkkala Things to Do
  12. Quilon Things to Do

More Cities in State of Kerala

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  I am travelling to Kearal for 7 days. We are a family of five including 2 kids. Pl. advise 1. After covering Munnar I want to... 

qaminari profile photo

A: Just to help your research e.g. on google: spelling is TRIVANDRUM, not Trivendram (or Tiruvananthampuram). 1. It's perfectly possible, e.g. around Alappuzha, see e.g.... 

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