Must see places in Kerala, God's own country

Kerala, located in the south-west tip of India on the Malabar coast, is famous for its alluring natural beauty.

It  is named as one of the ten Paradises of the World and Fifty Places of a Lifetime by the National Geographic Traveler Magazine. 

The alluring serenity of this place leaves every tourist spell bound, making them come back year after year.  

Kerala’s beaches, backwaters, mountain ranges and wildlife sanctuaries are the major attractions for both domestic and international tourists. 

Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination to other states of the country. 

It was in in 1986  when the government of Kerala declared tourism as an industry  here and it was the first state in India to do so. 

Today it has also been accepted as one of the best honeymoon destinations in India.

This is not a place just to read about if you are a nature lover and have not yet made a trip to Kerala then you are yet to honour your love.

Here is the list of some of the must see places during your trip to this beautiful creation of God:

Munnar – The Kashmir of South

It is a beautiful hill station, because of  its cool climate and amazing scenery it has been stated as Kashmir of South . It has some of the amazing wildlife, rarely seen in other parts of India. November to March is the best time to visit this beautiful hill station in Kerala.

Alleppey-  The Venice of the East

One of the most classical tourist destinations in Kerala, Alleppey is known for its backwaters and houseboat tourism. The houseboat sale is one of the most unforgettable experiences which tends you to visit this place again and again. Backwaters contribute much to the beauty of Alleppey . It is also known as the Venice of the east.

Kochi- The Queen of Arabian Sea

Known as the “Queen of Arabian Sea”.  It  is a beautiful city which attracts a lot of tourists every year.  It is commercial hub of Kerala. Jewish Synagogues, Chinese Fishing Nets, Backwaters, Churches, Ancient Palaces etc are some of the beautiful attractions, which make it one of the hot tourist spot in Kerala. This is one of the best shopping destinations in Kerala. 

Kovalam

Kovalam is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the Capital city of Kerala. This small place is famous for the Kovalam beach, which is considered to be one of the best vacation beaches in India. It is one of the most safest beaches in India.

Thekkady

Located  in the Idukki district of Kerala, This hilly area is well known for its natural beauty, pleasant climate and unique wildlife animals. Apart from wild animals, Thekkady has got some of the best and rare plant species which makes it a paradise for nature lovers. 

Thekkady is also well known for wildlife adventures such as trekking, bamboo rafting hiking etc. 

Wayanad

This  district has the highest number of tribal settlements in Kerala. It  lies at an altitude varying from 700 - 2100 metres above the sea level . It is very rich in flora and fauna. The management lays emphasis on scientific conservation with due consideration for the general lifestyle of the tribals and others who live in and around the forest region.

Book your Wayanad Tour here...

Kumarakom

It is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and  a small water world in the Kuttanad region. It is famous for its rich  bird sanctuary , which is spread across 14 acres and is  a favorite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist’s paradise.
Source: http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/must-see-places-in-kerala-god-s-own-country--19606.html

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EoIs invited for feeder airport at Wayanad

Wayanad

Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has invited expressions of interest for consultancy for a proposed feeder airport at Wayanad in northern Kerala.

This follows invitation of EoIs for a similar project in Idukki district, and in keeping with the policy that envisages an airport at the headquarters of each of the 14 districts in the State.

FASTER MODES

The proposed international airport in Kannur and private sector KGS Aranmula International Airport in Pathanamthitta have already got ‘in-principle’ approval from the Centre.

Expression of Interest is now invited for ‘techno economic feasibility and environmental impact assessment’ for proposed airport at Wayanad, sources said.

Demand for faster modes of passenger transportation to Wayanad has been on the rise, thanks to steadily increasing domestic and international tourist flow, and rapid growth of business/ trading commuters.

Feeder Aircraft 

Feeder aircraft services to Wayanad and back from the present domestic and international airports in the State and from important centres such as Mysore and Bangalore have been conspicuous by absence.

SITE IDENTIFIED

As per preliminary feasibility study by Airports Authority of India, the site identified at Panamaram, Wayanad, has been found suitable for the project.

It is envisaged to operate aircraft of capacity up to 50-60 passengers such as ATR-72, to start with, and those of capacity equivalent to Airbus 320, at a later stage.

CENTRAL POLICY

It is part of the Centre’s policy to build small airports across the nation to connect small towns to main air routes and airports, sources said.

Small airports and regional airlines are also the core theme of State Perspective Civil Aviation Plans (SPCAP) the Centre had asked State Governments to prepare a year ago.

At the behest of the Civil Aviation Ministry, many States have already started setting up small airports. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh ahead in this respect.

At least 11 small airports are at different stages of implementation in Gujarat, sources added.

See How to Reach Wayanad

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/eois-invited-for-feeder-airport-at-wayanad/article4307248.ece

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New prehistoric rock art site found in Wayanad

Special ArrangementA rock engraving discovered from the new site that similar to one in Edakkal cave.

The engravings resemble the ones at Edakkal caves

A new prehistoric rock art site has been discovered at Kappikunnu near Pulppally in Wayanad district, the others being the Edakkal caves and Thovarimala, all in Kerala.

The petroglyphs (rock engravings) bear a close resemblance to those on the walls of the Edakkal caves on Ambukuthy hills. Four figures — one of two deer facing each other, and three abstract ones — have been found engraved on a huge chunk of rock. Other lines on a smaller rock that could have dislodged itself from the main rock, resemble a headgear. The rocks were found in the precincts of the Sree Veliyambam Kotta Siva temple, an apsidal temple (semicircular or polygonal in shape) believed to have been built in the 12th century AD, inside the South Wayanad Forest Division.

The petroglyphs probably date back to the Neolithic period, Gira Gratier, a scholar from Belgium, toldThe Hindu. Ms. Gratier, who was here as a part of her research project on the tribesmen of South India, visited the site after she was told of it by the local people. The site might be a ‘cosmic area’ where ancient people performed rites, she said.

The rock engravings might have been part of a huge structure in the past, she said. A recent exploration by the State Archaeology Department yielded a Neolithic celt from the area, K. Krishnaraj, Archaeology Department’s Officer in-charge of the Edakkal Caves, said.

The style of depiction of the anthropomorphic figure and some other figures at Edakkal resemble the figures at the new site, he said.

He also said that a stone inscription from the 9-10 century AD related to the Jain faith was discovered from the area some years ago.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/new-prehistoric-rock-art-site-found-in-wayanad/article4302337.ece

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Sher Khan’s last run

THE END: The tiger shot dead near Moolamkavu in Wayanad.

Events preceding the killing of a male tiger, aged around 12 years, on a coffee plantation in a village outside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on December 2 would show how difficult the task of tiger conservation would be in the absence of enlightened public support.

This sanctuary, spreading over 344.4 sq. km in Kerala’s hill district of Wayanad, lies adjoining the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. To its southeast is the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. It is a tiger country.

A four-month ‘capture-recapture’ camera trapping programme, undertaken by the Kerala Forest Department and World Wildlife Fund in the first half of 2012, had indicated that there could be as many as 67 adult tigers and 11 cubs in the Wayanad sanctuary, (although some of them may be having their roaming territories extending into the adjoining Nagarahole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves). This finding had set off media reports projecting Wayanad sanctuary as a fit candidate for being declared as a tiger reserve. 

Wayanad had been the hotbed of human-animal conflict in the recent decades. Within the sanctuary itself there are 107 tribal settlements and on the boundaries are villages inhabited by settler cultivators. Wild elephants and boars destroying cultivation and leopards and tigers lifting cattle occur quite frequently in these settlements.

There were 63 cattle kills in the settlements within and outside the sanctuary in 2010-11, 115 in 2011-12 and 71 till November in 2012-13. The Forest Department had been promptly compensating the villagers concerned whenever there are cattle kills and the Wayanad people had been taking this problem more or less in their stride. However, with rumours rife about Wayanad soon becoming a tiger reserve, unrest had been building up among the villagers following a political propaganda about possible restrictions on their activities once the sanctuary attained the status of a tiger reserve. This took the form of open agitations when, in the first week of November, the tiger that was later killed, started lifting cattle in Panavally village close to the sanctuary.

Major political parties in the district began vying with one another in taking up the “people's cause,” organising road blocks and public meetings crying for action to “protect the people from tiger.” The wildlife officials finally trapped the animal in a cage on November 14. The Forest Department’s office was picketed, an official was beaten up and, later, as the tiger in its cage was being taken to another part of the sanctuary for being released, an unruly mob detained the officials on the way for nearly two hours.

The release of the tiger deep in the forests was followed the next day by a 12-hour hartal in the town of Sultan Bathery and villages of Noolpuzha, Pulpally and Mullenkolly close to the sanctuary. Between November 15 and December 1 (which is the day before it was shot dead), the tiger attacked 10 cows in the villages closest to the place it was released after capture, killing four of them without getting an opportunity to eat any of the cows. It also attacked eight goats, eating two of them.

As these attacks occurred one after the other, organisations and groups stepped up their cry for the killing of the tiger, blocking national highway 766, which passes through the district, each day a new attack on cattle occurred. On November 20, besides blocking the national highway, the protesters detained top Forest officials who were camping at the Forest Inspection Bungalow in Sultan Bathery demanding that the tiger be shot.

The scale of the operation to capture the tiger changed drastically from November 20, with more than 200 people, including forest officials, personnel of a ‘rapid action force,’ another ‘rapid response team,’ a ‘special tiger protection force’ from Karnataka, an elephant squad, veterinary doctors, daily wage forest trackers and even members of the local public joining the hunt for the tiger. The tiger was tracked and sighted repeatedly, but it managed to keep out of range of tranquiliser shots.

Forest Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, who visited Sultan Bathery on November 29, was greeted with protest marches by parties. The next day, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, too, stayed in Wayanad meeting officials and people’s representatives. Both assured the agitated people that effective steps to capture the tiger were taken and Wayanad sanctuary would not be declared a tiger reserve. Local leaders wanted a clear assurance from the Ministers that the tiger would be killed.

Around 1.15 a.m. on December 2, the tiger attacked a cow at Kaithavally, a village just a km away from the sanctuary boundary, alerting villagers. Twenty minutes later, with the tracking team behind it, the tiger attempted to lift a goat from its shed in a house nearby. A church nearby tolled its bell, warning the villagers.

The patrolling team was reinforced early in the morning. The tiger trail showed that the animal had not left a coffee plantation it had entered after attacking the goat. An official who participated in the operation said it was sighted by the patrolling team around 8 a.m. and an attempt to tranquilise made at 8.20 a.m. The shot hit the tiger, but it continued to move and at one point “tried to charge towards the tracking team.” A big crowd had gathered to witness the action. Another tranquiliser shot was fired at the tiger around 9.50 a.m.

On receiving the second shot, the tiger turned towards the tracking team and stood on its hind legs, and one official in the team took aim and pulled the trigger of his rifle. The bullet hit the animal in the head region. The mob following the tracking team began celebrations.

An officer of the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests is inquiring into the circumstances that led to the killing. A team of experts from the National Tiger Conservation Authority is making a separate inquiry.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/sher-khans-last-run/article4277194.ece

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Panel takes 20 years to hear complaint over death of rare black panther

Indian Black Panther

The state legislative committee on environment took a whopping 20 years to turn up for an enquiry into a complaint regarding the death of a rare black panther snared and caged by the forest department in Wayanad in 1992.

The members of the Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshna Samithi, who are currently waging a fight against the alleged official lapses in the recent shooting down of a stray tiger in Wayanad, were in for a surprise when they saw the 1992-dated item listed in the agenda of the committee sitting held in Wayanad in December last.

The legislative committee had, after two decades, scheduled the hearing of the samithi's petition that the ill treatment of the black panther, snared by the forest department from the Beenachi Estate near Sultan Bathery in February 1992, at the Thrissur Zoo was responsible for its death. The samithi had complained that the lack of care and awful conditions at the zoo was responsible for the death of the big cat.

Annoyed by the absurdity of holding a hearing after a two-decade-long delay, the samithi told the three member legislative committee that they have no complaints on the particular issue as the black panther has long become history.

Thomas Ambalavayal, secretary of the samithi, who had filed the complaint, said the only purpose served by the sitting was that it exposed the tardiness with which the authorities addressed the environmental issues in the state.

"This shows how alert and fast we are in responding to conservation issues. We had waylaid the vehicle of the forest department which was taking away the panther to the Thrissur zoo and demanded that the animal be released in a tiger reserve. But, the forest officials told us that the animal had suffered some injuries while being caged and that it would be released into the wild soon after it is given some treatment in the zoo. But within a year we heard the news that the animal died of respiratory infection," Thomas said.

He added that even the forest officials at the sitting could not provide further details on the incident. The committee has asked the department to file the details within 15 days.

P C Vishnunath MLA, a member of the legislative environment committee who attended the sitting, said the complaint about the black panther death was listed for hearing after the committee decided to take up all the environment issues lying unresolved till date. "The subject committee on environment is reconstituted every five years once the new assembly gets elected. But I don't know the reasons for such a long delay," said Vishnunath.

N Badusha, president of the samithi said the issue reflected the legislature bodies' lack of concern for such issues. "We told the committee that though the black panther can be consigned to history, similar issues dealing with man-animal conflict were still a burning topic in Wayanad and warranted timely response from the government and legislative bodies, at least in the future," he said.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-14/kozhikode/36330898_1_black-panther-forest-officials-man-animal-conflict

Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary

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