Kerala.."Gods Own Country..!!"

Come, explore and experience… 

Kerala, also known as God’s own Country for its unique geography, climate and Cultural diversity.  Kerala is a small piece of land on the southwestern tip of peninsular India, lying in North-South direction and occupying 1% of the total land of India. 

Kerala, blessed with some of the most ideal landforms like backwaters, 900 km long coastline on the west and almost equally long hills called Western Ghats with only three passes to connect with neighboring states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the east. Kerala houseboat journey through Kerala backwaters from southern Kollam district through Venice of the East, Alappuzha to commercial capital Ernakulam is the most tranquilizing experience for any Kerala traveler. In that journey one can enjoy the soothing effect of nature. 

Kerala is also home to three National Parks, among them Eravikulam National Park, located in Anamudi, the tallest mountain in India after the Himalayas, where the rare Nilgiri Tahr is protected is the most special treat for travelers. Other National Parks are Thekkady and Silent Valley. 

No other place in the world exhibits as much diversity as Kerala. Food, costumes, festivals, and even language are different at two places separated by just 30 kms. Although Malayalam is the language of Kerala, there are more than a handful of dialects in the 600 km stretch. 

Colorful Kathakali a dance form of Kerala and Kalari Payattu, the martial art form of Kerala boast world acclaim. Another ritual dance form, Koodiyattam is recognized as Human Heritage Art. There are also various dance forms yet to be recognized- Arjuna dance, Nangyar Koothu are two among them. 

Kerala Temple festivals and rituals are also much diverse- from the biggest gathering of women at Attukal for Pongala, Garudan Thookkam, a special ritual in which little children are taken around the temples on a vehicle called ‘Villu’, Nareepooja means worshiping women on a special occasion and much more special rituals are worth the seeing. Thrissur Pooram is one occasion where you can see 100 elephants in two rows with an ocean of people between the two rows, with colourful umbrella transit, thousands of percussionists performing the same tune and full-night display of fireworks. 

Apart from the various seafood delicacies, the daily food items like Poottu, Appam, Dosa, Vada, Pathiri, Upmav and side dishes like sambar are also diverse in various parts of Kerala. 

Among this endless diversity there is something common also. They include the lush greenery, and coconut palms shadowing almost the whole land of Kerala and the pleasant faces and the most literate people of India.

Kerala, also known as God’s own Country for its unique geography, climate and Cultural diversity. Kerala is a small piece of land on the southwestern tip of peninsular India, lying in North-South direction and occupying 1% of the total land of India.

Traveling is good for health and soul

 "Traveling lift the aura of depression"

Normally, when you think of vacations, you think of a way to enjoy your free time, either by yourself or with family and friends. And most of the times, this is just what it is. But in reality, you do so much more than just being relaxing somewhere. Now, some facts have been uncovered, linking the relaxation you experience during this time and your health. Yes, that's right. Vacationing and traveling help you with your health.

Still not convinced? Let's analyze this: Americans get the least amount of vacation time among countries in the industrialized world--an average of 8.1 days after a year on the job and 10.2 days after three years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, reports a survey conducted by the online travel company Expedia. com, U.S. workers will be taking 10 percent less vacation time than they did last year.

Australians, for example, are guaranteed--by law--four weeks of annual vacation time and often receive more in negotiations with their employers. In contrast, 13 percent of U.S. companies now offer no paid leave, up from 5 percent five years ago, says the Society for Human Resources Management. In the state of Washington, 17 percent of workers get no paid leave.

Some reports show that forty percent (40%) of Americans work more than 50 hours a week. Also, 56% of employees will postpone their vacation until business or productivity improves. All of these conditions only serve to increase stress in workers, and stress can lead to serious health hazards, including, but not limited, to heart disease, hyper tension and headaches.

Now, a very effective way to reduce stress is taking a good earned vacation. Studies show that people who take a vacation trip at least once a year, reduce the risk of heart attack by 50%. It's also reported that people who postpone their vacations too often, have twice the chance of developing myocardial infarction or coronary death. Meanwhile, blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of epinephrine - a stress hormone - decline on holidays of only one or two days.

So, as you can see, traveling and vacationing are not only fun for for you, but also very, very good for your health. And it's not just over-worked people who can benefit from vacationing. Women who take more vacations are more satisfied with their marriages. That may be because: At least four out of ten travelers feel more romantic on vacation (42%), and nearly one-third admit to making love more often on vacation (31%). It could also be due to the fact that over half of employed Americans say they come back feeling reconnected with their family after vacation (53%). A clear majority of students who traveled on an international exchange program felt they had become more trusting, open-minded, flexible, confident, and tolerant as a result of their travel experiences. In addition, eight out of ten said that the primary benefit of these travels is a desire for more travel. Patients who had previously appeared isolated and withdrawn at a Midwestern Veteran's hospital were able to have conversations after taking a vacation. In fact, staff reported that vacations appeared to "lift the aura of depression" that was part of the emotional trauma of dealing with prolonged illness.