Discover the rare gems of kerala

Ship Building At Beypore
The port at Beypore found an outlet for timber in Kerala. The wood was the choice of many, especially the Arabs, for their ship building. A ship building industry gradually developed around Beypore, especially for the Arab trading ‘Dhows’ and ‘Urus’. the teak even went into the making of Lord Nelson’s fleet at Trafalgar and this practice continued till the first World War, after which steel ships & boats took over. However, recent times have seen a revival of the building of wooden cabin cruisers & pleasure boats, mainly for export.

Mappila Khalasis
Where the state of the art hydraulic crains fail, the 37 men team work wonders with little more than a wodden pole fashioned into a ‘dower’ or winch, leveraged by hawsers and pulleys. Originally employed in launching of the 400 tonnes Arab Dhows built for trading, they now specialise in hauling heavy wrecks. They were involved in completing huge projects like the Idukki Dam, bridge at Feroke, Vadakkumbadu & Kallai, the Mahanadi bridge at Orissa & the Manganese factory at Goa.

Makara Jyothi
On this particular day at Sabarimala, when the Sreekovil opens for ‘deeparadhana‘ , the Lord is seen in all His divine splendor, adorned with the jeweled gold ornaments. At the distant eastern hilly horizon, a light (jyothi) appears to the immense satisfaction of the thousands of devotees who have thronged to the temple to pay obeisance to the Lord. The occasion is also marked by the divine appearance of the ‘star’ in the eastern sky and the hovering ‘krishnapparunthu‘ (eagle) far above the temple.

Cheraman Perumal
Cheraman Perumal, the last of the Perumals who were the earlier rulers of Kerala, embraced Islam in 826 AD. After renouncing Hinduism and partitioning his kingdom among his companions and relatives, he left on a pilgrimage to Mecca. This king’s conversion is believed to have taken place during the lifetime of the Prophet. Since then Islam made significant headway in kerala. The first Mosque in India is situated at Kodungalloor, Kerala.

Edakkal Caves
Located 12 kms south of Sulthan Bethery on the Ambukuthi hills, world famous as one of the earliest centers of human habitation. The walls of the caves are decorated with pictorial writings of the new stone age. The caves can be accessed only after an adventurous trek of 5 Kms from Ambalavayal. At Ambalavayal, you get a chance to see one of the best heritage museums, the exhibits include rare 2nd century artefacts and other curios.

Marayoor
The only place in kerala with natural sandalwood forests. Relics of the Megalithic Age have been unearthed here. The children’s park extending over a hectare of land, under the canopy of a single Banyan tree, is an interesting sight. The sandalwood factory run by the Forest Department is of tourist interest. The ‘Muniyaras'(tombs) found in Marayoor, are believed to date from 200 AD to 1000 BC. Also famous for it’s cave paintings.

Kodanad
Kerala, is famous for its elephants and at Kodanad, is one of the largest elephant capturing camps and training centers in India, it is on the southern banks of Periyar river, amid the beautiful high ranges. The wild elephants captured from the forest are trained and prepared for domestic use. Huge cages have been set up for this purpose. It will be a pleasure to watch an elephant get trained by other elephants. Facility for elephant ride has been arranged to promote tourism.