Kumarakom

Kumarakom is a tourist village in Kottayam district. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a cluster of islands located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake and is an ornithologist's paradise. The Vembanad Lake is the largest backwater in Kerala and is habitat for many marine and freshwater fish species and it teems with 'Karimeen' which is a Pearl Spotted Fish, shrimp and prawns. The Kumarakom sanctuary is spread across 14 acres and is a favourite haunt of migratory birds like the Siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal. Other common varieties like the woodpecker, skylark, crane, water hen and parrots can also be spotted here. A cruise along the Vembabad Lake is the best way to experience the sanctuary.

A must visit site at Kumarakom is Pathiramanal which means sands of midnight. It is an enchanting island on the lake and can be accessed only by boat from Kumarakom. It is a 10 acre island on the backwaters and is home to many rare varieties of migratory birds from different parts of the world. According to mythology a young Brahmin dived into the Vembanad Lake to perform his evening ablutions and the water made way for the land to rise from below. The main attractions are local birds like the waterfowl, cuckoo, owl, egret, heron and the water duck, as well as the migratory Siberian cranes. Parrots, teal, larks, flycatchers, wood beetle, and other birds are seen here during their respective migratory seasons.