Sunday, February 28, 2010

Alappuzha places to visit -how to reach- Alappuzha kerala beaches and Backwaters

Alappuzha is a district of immense and natural beauty with vast network of lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers crisscrossing it.
Alappuzha is also famous for its boat races, houseboat holidays, beaches, marine products, and coir industry.
Alapuzha borders Arabian Sea on the west.During the past decade Alappuzha has grown in importance as a backwater tourist centre.
Alapuzha is popularly known as the 'Venice of the East' because of the vast network of canals,lakes and lagoons.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The nearest airport is Kochi at a distance of 64 km north.
The Trivandrum airport is located 159 km south of Alappuzha.

BY ROAD - Cities like Cochin, Chennai,Trivandrum, Bangalore and Calicut are well connected to Alappuzha.
National Highway 47 goes through Alappuzha connecting it with almost all the nearby places of South India.

BY WATER -Alapuzha is linked by boat and ferry services through the scenic backwaters to Cochin, Kottayam, Kavalam, Changanassery and Chengannur.
Also Read:

BEST TIME TO VISIT
The temperature ranges from 22 to 35°C in summer and 20 to 32°C during winters. The best time to visit Alappuzha is during the winter season. The months from August-September and February-March are ideal for a visit to this place.

Alapuzha Places and attractions

Alappuzha Beach
Alapuzha Beach is one of the most popular picnic spots in Alappuzha.Entertainment facilities at the Vijaya beach park add to the attractions of the beach. There is also an old lighthouse which is greatly fascination to visitors.

Punnamada Kayal and Boatraces
Punamada Kayal the must-visit place of Alappuzha where the annual Nehru Trophy boat race takes place.
Alappuzha district witness amny boat races every year.Apart from Nehru Trophy boat race the other famous boat races are the Payippad near Haripad, the Thiruvandoor, Neerettupuram, Karuvatta and Thaikkoottam boat race.The special snake boats that are used for these races are called Chundan vallams.

Backwater Cruise
Alappuzha is famous for Backwater Cruise and has lot of house boats and resorts are available.

Kuttanad
A land of lush paddy fields, Kuttanad is also called the Rice Bowl of Kerala and is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level. The boat trip to Changanacherry passes through this beautiful and fertile region.

Krishnapuram Palace

Krishnapuram Palace built during the reign of the Travancore monarch, Marthanda Varma and displays the typical Kerala architecture-gabled roofs, dormar windows, narrow corridors. The largest mural painting, Gajendra Miksham, is displayed in a museum here.
Krishnapuram Palace is 47 kms from Alappuzha.

Pathiramanal
Pathiramanal is a small island in the Vembanad Lake. The island is accessible only by boat from Kumarakom and Muhamma.The island is a Birdwatcher's paradise. It is home to around 91 local species of birds and 50 migratory birds.

Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple
14 kms from Alapuzha.
Constructed in the typical Kerala architectural style, this temple is famous and renowned for the Palpayasam, the daily offering of sweet milk porridge. The temple's main festival occurs in March/April. It was in this temple that the 16th century poet Kunjan Nambiar staged his first Ottan Thullal, a solo dance performance with high social content.

Arthunkal Church
Arthunkal is a small seaside village, about 8 kilometers west of Cherthala and 22 kilometers north of the Alappuzha town.Arthunkal is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Kerala. It is considered as a holy land by hundreds of thousands of devotees, of Christian as well as other faith. The annual feast of St. Sebastian is held here in the month of January. The feast of St. Sebastian in Arthunkal is a grand celebration extending for two weeks.

Edathua Church
Edathua Church Situated 24 kms. away from Alappuzha.
Established in 1810, the church is dedicated to St. George. It is believed that prayers and offerings at this church help to heal all mental disorders and other ailments.Edathua Church celebrates its feast during the month of May (5th, 6th, 7th of May) during which pilgrims from all parts of South India, irrespective of caste and creed, visit the church and seek the blessings of the saint.

Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple
Chettikulangara Kettukazhcha festival at this temple draws large crowds of devotees.The festival is held in Feb./Mar. and colourful procession is taken out.

Punnapra
A short distance from Alappuzha is Punnapra, a village which has gone down in history as the scene of a bitter and heroic fighting between the communists and Travancore State Police in the Punnapra Vayalar Communist uprising of 1946.
The interpretation of this incident is still debated. These are the memorial of the martyrs located in Alappuzha near Kalarcode.

Mararikulam Beach
12 Kms. from Alappuzha.
Mararikulam houses a quiet beach and has an adjoining fishing village. Pool, tennis, water sports and Ayurvedic treatment facilities are available here.

Also Read:
at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Best Places In Kerala :Kerala Tour and Tourism -Best Of Kerala

Kerala is one of the best tourist destination worldwide. Kerala has won many awards like the prestigious Pattaya Awards . The " God...