Kottayam
Places of Interest in Kottayam
KumarakomKumarakom gained national and international importance with the visit of the Hon'ble Prime minister A.B. Vajpayee in 2000 December.
Kumarakom is a small village 14km. west of Kottayam. It is a part of Kuttanad, which is a ' wonder land ', lying below sea level, comprising of a number of islands, in the back waters. Kumarakom Village covers an area of 5166 Ha of which 2413Ha is lake portion, 1500Ha is paddy fields and the remaining portion of 1253 Ha is dry land. Kumarakom is an unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interpersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with white lilies. Situated on the Vembanad Lake, this small water world has plenty of traditional country boats, crafts and canoes which will take you in to the heart of scenic Kerala. The resorts near by offer comfortable accomodation and exclusive leisure options like Ayurvedic massages, Yoga and meditation besides boating, fishing, angling and swimming. In the last Century, Henry Baker, an English man, attracted by the beauty of the place, selected Kumarakom as his residence and built a bungalow, obtaining 104 acres of land from the then Maharaja of Travancore. He also made a beautiful garden. Preserving the old style, the beautiful bungalow of Baker has now been modified into the Taj Garden Retreat, a hotel with modern living facilities. The Kerala State Tourism Development Corporation is converting this place into a Tourist Complex. K.T.D.C. has constructed A.C. Cottages here and it runs a floating restaurant. The Corporation also provides boating facilities. Coconut lagoon is a beautiful resort here.
Vembanad LakeKottayam has a vast nertwork of rivers and canals, which empty into the great expanse of water called the Vembanad Lake, a fast developing backwater tourism destination. Vembanad Lake is having 83.72km. length and 14.48km. Width. Traditional Cargo boats called Kettuvallams are modified into Cruise boats and House boats, with all basic facilities like kitchen, toilet, bathrooms, sit outs etc. These boats gracefully move around the back waters, providing facilities to tourist to enjoy the beauty of the Vembanad Lake in a relaxed pace. The Kumarakom tourist village offers house boat cruises and holiday packages.
In the Vembanad Lake there is a small beautiful island called Pathiramanal or the Midnight sands. This lonely island in the Vemabanad Lake is accessible only by boat.
Boat Races
In the festive months of August and September, the rivers in and near Kottayam are turned into festival centres. The serene lakes come alive during Onam with a spectacular water regatta - the snake boat races. It is amazing to watch oarsmen, at least a hundred in one boat, slice their way through the waters to the fast rhythm of their own full throated singing. In the Kumarakom boat race conducted at Kavanar and Kottathodu rivers, about 50 types of boats viz veppu, ody, churulan and few snake boats participate. Bird Sancturay
An attraction of Kumarakom is the Bird sanctuary spreading over 14 acres of land. Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, the
sanctuary
is a favourite haunt of migratory birds like the Siberian Stork, egret, darter,
heron and teal. Local birds like the water fowl, cuckoo, owl and water hen,
other common varieties like the wood pecker, sky lark, crane and parrots can
also be spotted here. 91 Species of local 50 species of migratory birds are
found here. The best time to bird watch is June-August and migratory birds during
November-February. A cruise along the Vembanad Lake is the best way to experience
the sanctuary.House Boats and motorboats are available on hire for bird watching cruises in the Lake.
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