Kerala, a huge speck of land reclaimed
from the sea and the new millennium are made for each other.
Nestled against a quaint backdrop of
Western ghats
and Arabian sea, Kerala is a brilliant kaleidioscope of
natural beauty.
Mere words could never fully translate the
high magic of this land, composed of exotic mixture of Natures
vibrant best, emerald paddy fields, virgin forests, stretches
of serene backwaters and sunkissed beaches. Over the years,
this land has been the melting pot of many cultures, mainly
due to the fact that its bewildering coasts with endless
silver sands attracted many adventurers and traders.
The
Western Ghats form an almost impenetrable wall along Kerala’s
eastern border. The hilly mist covered mountains are either
clothed in the thick green of forests or swathed by vast tea
plantations. Swift flowing rivers wind their way and silvery
water falls stand out against the dark backdrop of the Ghats.
These forests are home to a whole variety of flora and fauna.
Wild animals like Elephants, sloth bear, sambar, mouse-deer,
Gaur, Malabar Squirrel, Nilgiri Tahr,(one of the most
endangered animals on the planet) lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri
langur, tigers and leopards, bisons, wild boars, jungle cat,
wild dog, flying squirrel are found here.
India's last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain
forests and perhaps the only vestige of a near virgin forest
lies in the Western Ghats.
The fertile plains – Emerald green paddy fields and strikingly
tall coconut trees sway gently in the breeze that sweeps the
plains. Quaint and charming little villages line the
backwaters and waterways that cut through the plains. Solitary
thatched huts and tiled houses stand surrounded by the acres
of paddy field. Children play happily in the fields and cool
off in the rivers. Cows and goats casually graze in the
fields.
Backwaters
