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 Alappuzha
city built during the9th century on the edge of the great
Ashtamudi lake. Surrounded by cashew and coconut groves,
Quilon is the gateway to the spectacular backwaters of
Kerala. A boat trip to Alleppey through these placid
stretches of water filled with lotus and lilies and the
water-birds flapping their wings as though to greet you is
an out of the world experience. You can have a picnic to the
huge lighthouse at Thanaserri, 3 km away too. The
cantilevered Chinese fishing nets used in the waterways add
the right touch of colour to the scerinity of this place.
Nehru Trophy Boat Race,
the most colourful water sport in Kerala, is conducted at
PUNNAMADA LAKE in Alappuzha on the second saturday of every
August. This prestigious cultural event of Kerala has been
attracting people from all over the world. Nehru Trophy Boat
Race is a festival for the people of Alleppey the main
attraction of which is the sportive sprits among the
participants of the race.
This trophy named as NEHRU TROPHY was donated by the late
Prime Minister of INDIA Jawaharlal Nehru to the winners of
the first boat race which was an impromptu one conducted in
1952 in honour of Panditji who visited Alappuzha
This aquatic festival fosters a sense of unity and
fraternity and sports man spirit event and attaching foreign
tourists also.
In the year 1952, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the
erstwhile Travancore-Cochin. On his way to Alleppey from
Kottayam he was given a roaring reception by the people of
Alleppey, escorted by the huge snake-boats. Having gone
through the tremendous excitement of sailing in a snake-boat
popularly known as Chundan, Jawaharlal Nehru donated a
rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner.
The trophy is a replica of a snake-boat in silver, placed on
wooden abacus on which the following words of Panditji are
inscribed above his signature.
Kuttanad
Kuttanad, called the rice bowl of Kerala, because of her
wealth of paddy crops is at the very heart of the
backwaters. The scenic countryside of Kuttanad with its
shimmering waterways also has a rich crop of bananas. Yams
and cassava which accompany the rice bowl as "side dishes".
This is one of the places in the world where farming is done
below sea level. Inland waterways which flow above land
level is an amazing feature of this unique land.
Pathiramanal (14 kilometers from Alappuzha)
This little island on the backwaters is a favorite haunt of
hundreds of rare migratory birds from different parts of the
world. This island is accessible only by boat.
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