god's own country

Kerala – God’s Own Country is one of the most beautiful places; blessed with its landscape of palm-lined beaches, the splendid backwaters, rivers and lakes, plantations, thick jungles and wildlife and the numerous hills and hillocks. Kerala has been acclaimed as one of the ten paradises of the world and it has been accepted as a Partner State by the World Travel and Tourism Council. The National Geographic traveller guide has named Kerala to be among the 50 places that one must visit in a lifetime.

Kerala is a state situated on the southwestern part of India. Kerala has Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to the east and northeast and to the west and south it has the Indian Ocean and islands of Lakshadweep and Maldives. The state lies between 80 18’ and 120 48’ north latitude and 740 52’ and 770 22’ east longitude. The climate here is tropical and due to the close proximity to the sea, the temperature of Kerala remains equable for most part of the year. The native language in Kerala is Malayalam, however most of the people speak and understand English.

The pristine environment, the rich and distinctive culture and the high quality of life of the people of Kerala has been brought about by the dedication of the state in the field of education, health care, institutions of democracy, social justice etc after independence. The state is also blessed with an unique natural, cultural and social resources.

The state capital is Thiruvananthapuram and being the capital it is the hub of political activity in Kerala. The word Thiruvananthapuram has a sacred meaning and it means the city of Anantha or the abode of the sacred serpent Anantha, on whom Lord Vishnu reclines. Lord Vishnu is the preserver in the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara according to the Hindu mythology.

The state capital is built on seven hills and it was the capital of the Venad chieftains. The city has the International airport which is the main gateway into Kerala. There are many places of interest and worth visiting in Thiruvananthapuram.