ALAPPUZHA

ALAPPUZHA  FACTS & FIGURESLanguageMalayalam and English 

Best time to visitAugust to March 

STD Code0477 

Instant Hotel Booking for Alappuzha




INTRODUCTION
Alappuzha (Alleppey) is one of the exotic backwater sites of India's southern state Kerala. Washed by the Arabian Sea, interlocked by a number of canals and bridges, this tiny marketplace is also famous for its Nehru Trophy boat race held every year. Alappuzha attracts tourists not only by its natural beauty but also through its locally made coir products that are of a very superior quality.

LOCATION
Separated out from the former districts of Kottayam and Quilon, Alappuzha consists of seven taluks spread over an area of 1414 sq km. It is bounded by Kochi and Kanayannur taluks on its north; Vaikom, Kottayam, Changanassery Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry and Adoor taluks on its east; Kannathur and Karunagappally taluks on its south and the exotic Lakshadweep of the Arabian Sea on its west.

BEST TIME TO VISIT
The climate of this small town is temperate and humid in general and relatively more pleasant in the winter season. The temperature ranges from 22 to 35°C in summer and 20 to 32°C during winters. The best time to visit Alappuzha is during the winter season. The months from August-September and February-March are ideal for a visit to this place. The backwater cruises in the exotic houseboats, which also serve Keralan cuisine delicacies, are an eternal experience. The Nehru Trophy boat race is the major attraction of this place, which is held during Onam festival celebrated in the month of August. The festivities of the Mullakal temple during the month of December are highly recommended as some of India's finest temple musicians perform in the main hall during this festival. Besides these, the locally made coir and carpets of coconut fibers are also attracting tourists these days.

HISTORY
Before the Dutch took over this place, the Portuguese were the predominant rulers of this place. Later Maharaja Marthandavarma came into power and he gave ample importance to the developmental works of the place. Slowly it became a very busy commercial place attracting merchants from all over. This resulted in the establishment of a number of coir factories producing coir-related goods of quality. The first coir factory was developed by an English sea captain and soon others followed suit. The first Anglican Church was built in 1816 by the Christian missionaries whose headquarter was in Alappuzha.






TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS


Punnamada Kayal, the must-visit place of Alappuzha where the annual Nehru Trophy boat race takes place. During the month of August-September, the backwaters become crowded with thousands of spectators and a large number of competitors who come to participate in the famous Nehru Trophy boat race. The long boats, designed to resemble snakes, can accommodate 120 people, making two rows of 60 each. The energy, coordination, and the feeling of getting ahead in the competition make this game quite engrossing. 

Krishnapuram Temple, the two-storied building, displays the typical Keralan style of architecture. The largest mural painting, Gajendra Miksham, is displayed in a museum here.
Ambalapuzha Temple, where Lord Krishna is worshipped, is also an important place to visit. Here one can see the typical temple architecture and culture of Kerala along with the chance to taste the Keralan delicacy, payasam, which is served to the visitors during the festival times of March/April.
St. Andrew's Church, established by the Portuguese missionaries, celebrates the feast of St. Sebastian in a fun-filled, festive way.

Situated in the heart of the town, Mullackal Temple, dedicated to goddess Rajarajeswari, is also a place worth visiting.
Surrounded by thick-green forests, Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple is a holy place where the king of serpents is worshiped. Number of devotees from all over India and abroad visit this place every year.
The Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple is believed to have miraculous powers and hence visited by number of pilgrims every year.
Kottamkulangara Mahavishnu Temple and Devi Temple are the oldest temples of Alappuzha and are sites worth visiting, especially during the time of festivals.

HOW TO REACH
BY AIR - Alappuzha is accessible by all the means of communication. The nearest airport is Kochi at a distance of 64 km north. The Trivandrum airport is located 159 km south of Alappuzha.

BY WATER - This exotic place is also well connected through waterways. It is linked by boat and ferry services through the scenic backwaters to Cochin, Kottayam, Kevalam, Changanassery and Chengannur.

BY ROAD - Cities like Cochin, Chennai, Howrah, Bangalore and Bokaro are well connected to Alappuzha. National Highway 47 goes through Alappuzha connecting it with almost all the nearby places of South India. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
WHERE TO STAY

We offer excellent accommodation facilities in and around Alappuzha.
                                                                                 

Kerala

Kerala is located between north latitudes 8 degree 18' and 12 degree 48' and east longitudes 74 degree 52' and 72 degree 22', this land of eternal beauty encompasses 1.18 per cent of the India. The land area of kerala is about 38,863 sqkm, with a total population of 31,838,619. It is about 3 per cent of the country's population. The population density of the state is about 655 people per square kilometer, About 16 per cent of the people live in the cities. Most of the others live in large, semi-urban villages.
If there is one place in the riveting diversity of India where there is tangible beauty and a phenomenal thing like total literacy, it is in Kerala. Kerala is full of good things. This small State in the southern tip of the Indian peninsula is an easy winner owning to its great mind-blowing landscape and infinity of intriguing customs, high-intensity cultural life and educated public so often dressed in white. From Kasargode to Thiruvananthapuram Kerala is choc-a-bloc with places that attract tourists and travelers from all over the world.
Traditional Hindu temples in Kerala are simple structures made of wood, brick and laterite stone. Often, from afar, the only sign that marks the presence of old temples is a tall, ceremonial flag-mast. The main sanctum hosting the deities -the Sreekovil - is invariably a single storied building of a circular or square plan.
Inside the temples, use of oil lamps in contrast to electrical lights lends an air of serenity and mysticism. Walls of the Sreekovil are rarely left bare, and are instead, covered with intricate, beautiful mural paintings or wood carvings.
The building base is usually of granite and the walls are of laterite stone masonry covered with lime plaster. The inner framework is of wood. This timber framework supports a conical or pyramidal roof covered with copper tiles. These sloping-roof buildings cope very well with the torrential rains that are a hallmark of Kerala's climate.
Evolution of temples in Kerala is closely linked to her social and cultural history.
Almost all of the festivals in Kerala include at least one richly caparisoned elephant. Elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions and ceremonial circambulations in the temples. The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons (nettipattom), bells, necklaces. People mounted on top hold high tinselled silk parasols (muthukuda), swaying white tufts (venchamaram) and peacock feather fans (aalavattom) to the rhythm of the orchestra Like most South Indian cuisine, be it seafood or rice and other cereal dishes, the emphasis is on 'healthy food', less use of oil, sugar, and artificial additives, and more use of natural herbs, spices flavorings, and coconut. Spices that flavor the local cuisine of Kerala give it a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind.
In the Kerala kitchens, be it of any of the various communities living there, simple methods and the locally available foodstuff are used to dish out mouthwatering delicacies. Even the ordinary tapioca root, for example, becomes a main course when boiled and sautéed with coconut and spices, a snack when sliced fine, salted and fried, and a sweet dish when steamed with coconut and jaggery.
Kerala has a rich repertoire of folk dances. They reflect the temperaments and moods of the localities in music and costumes and are highly developed. Religious colouring is mostly seen in almost all of these folk dances, even in those performed in connection with harvests, sowing of seeds festivals etc. Men alone, some exclusively by women, perform many of these dance forms. There are also dances in which men and women perform together. Most of the folk dances are performed to the accompaniment of songs, which are sung by the dancers themselves or occasionally by a group of musicians. Some are performed to the accompaniment of musical instruments only. In several dances the performers form a circle and clap as they dance. Sometimes, instead of clapping they strike small sticks, which they hold in their hands. The costumes and ornaments are peculiar to the places to which they belong. In these folk dances there is no difference between the performers and the audience. Almost all of these dances are simple but beneath this simplicity are a profundity of conception is a directness of expression, which are of a high artistic order.
Mehndi or Hina is the application of henna  as a temporary form of skin decoration, orginated in India it is most popular in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Somaliland as well as expatriate communities from these areas. It is typically employed for special occasions, particularly weddings. It is usually drawn on the hands and feet, where the color will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin, with which the colorant of henna, lawsone, enters a permanent bind

Ecotourism

Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is in the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities