Alleppey Backwaters

Kerala is blessed with one of the most hyped tourist destinations; the city of Alleppey or Alappuzha, which successfully satisfies the thirst of a nature lover.

Located 62kms to the south of Kochi and surrounded by the Lakshadweep Sea on its west,lies Alleppey, comprising of several canals,rivers,backwaters and lagoons,through which one can take a boat ride; and hence the city is popularly known as the "Venice of the East'. This name was given by Lord Curzon;thus Alappuzha is called the "Venetian Capital" of Kerala.Malayalam is the most spoken language.Hindi,English and Tamil are also widely spoken by the people here.

The sole purpose of visiting Alleppey is to experience a relaxing and soothing boat ride through the backwaters of Kerala. The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes which are separated from the main river by small islands.Here the water remains stagnant as there is no current.These backwaters are a network of rivers, canals,lakes,etc. which has formed a system of waterways.The freshwater from these backwaters meets the seawater of the Arabian Sea.

If you want to spend your vacations with the green beauty surrounded by different waterbodies,then you must take the boat ride of the Alleppey backwaters. The serene journey through river canals provides a picturesque of the isolated islands,paddy fields and coconut trees along with a wide variety of birds like kingfisher,waterfowl,cuckoo,water duck as well as Siberian cranes. On either side opf the backwaters,there are simple dwellings,eateries,shops and stores; where one can have a cup of tea or buy some articles as souvenirs to take home.

One can also see the lifestyle of the village people from the boat or enjoy a walk through the paddy fields and have some cocconut water.. ;) 

You can either hire a canoe,country boat,launch for the water ride of stay in the Kerala houseboats or Kettuvallams.The country boats are relatively cheaper and provide a 2 to 3hours ride with sitting arrangements both at the lower and upper decks.The houseboats,on the other hand, provide a lavish experience with all the modern amenities. 

For accommodating tourist,these houseboats have been converted into floating cottages with a sleeping area,western-style toilets,a dining area and a sit-out on the deck. Food is cooked by the accompanying staff and has a flavour of Kerala.

Regular ferry services are also available for both passengers and tourists,connecting most locations of the backwaters. 

Another popular attraction near Alleppey is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race,held in the Punnamada Lake,which is conducted on the second Saturday of August every year. It is the most popular of the boat races in India.

Other tourist destinations include the long stretched peaceful beach of Alleppey,which has an old pier of 150 years old extended over the sea. The view of sunrise from the beach complements the tranquility of the place.

 The beach also offers views of the Laccadive Sea, Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple, St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal, Mannarasala Temple, Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple, Thakazhy Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Mullakkal Temple, Edathua Church, Alappuzha CSI Christ Church (oldest Anglican church in Central Kerala) and Champakulam Valia Palli. Krishnapuram Palace Kalavam kodam temple where Sree Narayana Guru installed Mirror is at about 30 km north of Town. The tasty ambalappuzha payasam is a popular dessert.

The Cochin International Airport, located at a distance of 75 kms is the nearest airport to Alleppey. From the Cochin International Airport, one can book a taxi or a cab to get to Alleppey.The Alleppey Railway Station lies within the city limits and is well connected by rail to Cochin and Trivandrum. From the railway station, one can board a bus, hire a taxi or get in an auto-rickshaw to reach the main city. Alleppey is accessible by National Highway-47, which goes through Ambalapuzha and Cherthala cities. Alleppey is well connected to other cities such as Kochi, Kottayam, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore and Coimbatore by road.

Travel agencies generally devote only a day and half for Alleppey along with other places in the 14days long Kerala tour. But one must spend atleast two or three days here to have an alluring experience of houseboat cruise amidst the backwaters and have the real essence of the nature's beauty of Alleppey.

For information related to booking details of houseboat or canoe,go to the link below:

http://keralacanoetourism.com/

For more photos click on:

https://plus.google.com/collection/QChekB
For backwater videos go to the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXwbZGbax-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-D-MpUnHdY

Mattancherry,Kochi

How splendid it would be to experience the blend of different cultures in a single town!

Located at a distance of about 10 kms from Ernakulum, surrounded by the backwaters of Arabian Sea, this colorful town of Kochi is known to be the melting pot of various cultures since the time of sea invasions.It had been an important commercial hub of Ernakulam due to its trade on turmeric,pepper and tea.But gradually it became more of a tourist destination when traders shifted to continue their business in Ernakulam. People from various parts of Goa,Tamil Nadu,Gujarat came and settled here for trade,which had built up the cultural amalgamation of the town.

Where does the name come from?It is said that the streets of the town were filled with mutton butchers,thus it was named Mattancherry,where cheri refers to streets.Some are also of the opinion that the name comes from "Ancherry-Muttom", which the foreign traders used to pronounce Matt-Ancherry; from which the name Mattancherry became popular.

The famous “Jew Town” in Mattancherry shows the culture of the ancient Jews who migrated and settled in Kochi for trade.It has many antique showrooms and shops  from where one can have an idea about the antiques of carved wooden furniture and vessels, handicraft and garment which the Jews used and the kind of lifestyle they led.These Kochi Jews, also known as Malabar Jews are the oldest group of Jews in India of the time of King Soloman,during the 12^th century. It has been mentioned in the Itinerary of the Jewish traveller  Benjamin of Tudela, that the islands of Malabar Coast were inhabited by thousands of  Israelites who later came to be known as the Malabari Jews.  They are known to have developed Judeo-Malayalam, a dialect of Malayalam language. They also built many synagogues in Kerala during the 12^th and 13^th centuries. 

Other Places to Visit: Mattancherry consists of the oldest active synagogue of Asia in the Jew Town, which is popularly referred to as the Paradesi Synagogue , was constructed in 1567. It is one of the seven synagogues of the Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin .The synagogue was built by Spanish speaking Jews, hence the name Paradesi Synagogue. It is also called Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is open every day except Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Timings are from 10 am to 12 noon; and again from 3 pm to 5 pm.The township around the synagogue is known for spice trade and curio shops dealing in antiques as well as rare glass and beads.

The Dutch Palace in Mattancherry is another notable place to visit which was built by the Portuguese and presented to the King of Kochi, Veera Verma in 1555; but later it was taken over by the Dutch. The palace has fine wall paintings depicting scenes and stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. It also exhibits the royal costumes, palanquins and other antiques of the royals.

Another great historical place near Mattancherry is the St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi, originally built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars, is the oldest European church in India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon.

The Chinese Fishing Nets in Kochi are the landmark of Malabar Coast. The nets were introduced by traders from the courts of Kublai Khan of China. The Vasco Da Gama square affords the best view of the fishing nets during the sunset.

Other popular destinations near Mattancherry are Vypin Island which has some longest beaches in Kerala. One can also visit the city of Ernakulum, the Commercial Capital Of Kerala.

Want to go on a shopping spree?? The antique shops on Jew Town store every possible antique items like jewellery, crockery, wooden pillars, curios, wooden and metal figurines, statuettes, carved wooden furniture and handicrafts like wooden elephants, mirrors, wall hangings,

 paintings .There are also lamps, Chinese urns, door frames, vintage photographs, and glass and porcelain ware that were once part of churches or homesteads of noble families. Apart from these antiques, one can find sculptures, handmade toys, embroidered garments, floral oils, and chandeliers in many other shops along the street.  A big vaarpu (bronze vessel with handles on both sides) almost three metres in diameter is one of the major attractions on Jew Town. And you can end it with the varieties of traditional Kerala cotton sarees. ;-)

How to Reach? There are frequent bus and boat services available from Ernakulum to Mattancherry. The boat starts from main boat jetty near Subhas Park at Ernakulum.

Mattancherry has gradually transformed from a trade hub to a popular tourist destination.Ever since the ages,it had embraced the migrants of different cultures, languages and ethnicity and has helped them flourish under her warmth. It binds all the religions together as is evident from the co-existence of churches, temples, mosques and synagogues in the same area and thus has grown herself into a beautiful town of cultural amalgamations
Go to the link below for the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOhgSJNTXVE