Kerala a small state tucked away in the south west of    India, looks almost insignificant on the map of India. But it is one of the  most beautiful states of India with the greenery of Switzerland, the canals of Venice, the beaches of Brazil all packed into this tiny  strip of land.                 Kerala with slightly more than 1% of Indian landmass  has    about  3% of its population. In fact it is so densely populated that it   is often considered as one big metropolis. Kerala has always set the    standard for the rest of the country in many a social index. It is the   first (and only ) state in the country to be 100% literate, no mean feat in a  country where the average literacy rate is only 52%. Kerala also has the lowest birth ,death , growth and infant mortality rates in the country. The 2nd state in the country to be 100 % electrified, Kerala also has one of the highest communications coverage in the country. Kerala had the first democratically elected communist government   in the world in 1957.         The history of Kerala extends back to about 1000 B.C.  Legend has it that Kerala rose from the sea , when Parasurama , an incarnation of the

         Kerala has a rich religious tradition. It has one of the oldest Synagogues in the country. Christianity and Islam reached its shores within a few years of their founding. Both these religions have contributed in no small way towards the cultural vibrancy of the state.  Despite a heavy religious mixture , Kerala has displayed high religious tolerance and has enjoyed a level of  communal harmony that is the envy of   many other regions of India.
 

The capital of  Kerala is the small, beautiful sleepy city of  Thiruvananthapuram, also know as Trivandrum. The southern most  district of Kerala , Trivandrum is famous for its Kovalam beach,rated one of the best in the world. A very elegant city ,Trivandrum is one of the cleanest in the country. The Napier museum, Zoo , Padmanabha Swani Temple , Kanakakunnu Palace and the resort of Ponmudi are the other places of  interest in Trivandrum. Being India's 5th international airport and an important railway junction , Trivandrum is well connected and is easily accessible from anywhere in the world.

 

Kerala is rich with a variety of art forms. Perhaps the most     famous is the dance form of Kathakali . There  are other famous art forms like      theyyam,    thullal,   krishnanattam,  oppana, thiruvathirakkali,   mohiniattam,   margamkali and   panchavadyam.             Kerala has also produced world famous painters like Raja     Ravi Varma and famous exponents of Carnatic Music like     Shadkala Govinda Marar and Swati Tirunal.  Kerala literature, both ancient and contemporary, has produced some gems. Kerala has  produced a Booker  prize winner in Arundhati Roy. Along with Bengal, Kerala produces some of the most critically acclaimed  films in India and directors like Aravindan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and  Shaji Karun are well known names  in the world cinematic stage.To explore deeper into this  beautiful place, please visit my links page, which offers a number of links to various sites about Kerala.