Alleppey:venice of the east

Submitted by prasanna prabhu on Mon, 2006-10-30 21:45. Tourist_places

Alleppey is also known Alappuzha, a town with an area of 1,414 Sq.Km.having an unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams and canals blessed with coconut palms is part of kuttanadu,which is well known as the rice bowl of Kerala . It had long history of trade with different nations through the sea and hence it was called the "venice of the east"
by many.
Alleppey district was formed on 17th of August 1957. This district had a prominent role in the freedom struggle of the country. Punnapra,In which thousands of peole were killed in army firing is an evidence of that.After India became independent, a popular Ministry was formed in Travancore on March 24, 1948 and on July 1, 1949 Travancore and Cochin states were integrated and the position continued till the formation of Kerala State on Ist November 1956. Today Alleppey, has a literacy of 93.66% with a population of 2,105,349.

Alleppey now is the hub for backwaters tourism in Kerala. House boats locally called "kettuvallam" are available on hire on a daily basis as well as for longer duration to take visitors on the old waterways. These traditionally constructed house boats which measures up to 80 feet in length in general have 2 bed rooms and attached bath rooms. Some of the boats have the bedrooms fitted with airconditioners. A routine trip includes food cooked on board with special items,in the traditional Kuttanad style. The leisurly cruises show a minature of life on the water side with breath taking scenaries .Aleppy is also a centre for coir production in kerala .Various coir mats and other products are widely available in alleppy.

The unique significant traditional event in Alleppey is the Snake boat race . Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India during a visit to Kerala in 1952 was escorted and was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey, by the huge snake-boats. after experiencing the excitement nehru jumped into the winner snake boat and sailed on it.A trophy called nehru trophy in his memory is awarded to the winner of the race. These spectacular regattas are usually held between August and October, and involve long thin boats powered by up to 120 oarsmen. Famous kerala dance forms such as kathakali are still performed in various parts of aleppy.The world famous writer thakazhi sivasankarappilla was born in aleppy district.Aleppy have also supplied many eminent persons to kerala and india. Many chief ministers of kerala hail from aleppy district.The following are some of the important tourist venues in Alleppey:-

Alappuzha Beach:- This is one of the most popular picnic spots in Alappuzha. The structure built on posts extending from land out over water, which extends into the sea here, is over 137 years old. An old light house which is also a great captivity to the visitors.

The church located at Kokkomangalam or Kokkoth- amangalam was one of the seven churches founded by St Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.
Champakulam Church - One of the oldest churches in Kerala, the St. Mary's Church is believed to be one of the seven established by St. Thomas.
Edatuva Church:- This church was Established in 1810, and was dedicated to St George It is situated about 24 km to from Alappuzha, on the Thiruvalla Road.. It is believed that prayers and offerings at this church help to heal all mental disorders and other ailments. Pilgrims from all parts of South India visit this church during the annual festival held in the first week of May

Karumadikuttan- Many fascinating legends are associated with this 11th century statue of Lord Buddha.

Krishna puram Palace – This palace is situated 47 km from Alleppey on the way to Quilon Krishnapuram is easily accessible by bus from either town This palace was built by Marthandavarma, at Karthikappally in Kayamkulam in the 18th century. This is a double-storied structure which displays typical characteristics of Kerala architecture-gabled roofs, dormer windows, narrow corridors and is also famous for its a large painted picture depicting the story of Gajendramoksham which measures 14 feet by 11 feet and is at the western end of the ground floor, a walking distance from the palace pool. This exquisite piece of art is one of the largest in Kerala. Antique sculptures, paintings and bronzes are kept in the mueseum for visitors.

Pathiramanal:- Pathiramanal, is a small island of a mind blowing scenic beauty measures 10 acre located on the backwaters and is a home to many rare varieties of migratory birds from different parts of the world. The name 'Pathiramanal' means 'Sands of night' which derives from the mythology that a young Brahmin dived into the Vembanadu lake to perform his evening rituals and the water made way for land to rise from below, thus creating the enchanting island The island is located in the Vembanad Lake. This little island on the backwaters is a favorite haunt of hundreds of rare migratory birds from different parts of the world. The island is in the backwaters and boat rides are availble from Kumarakom,at reasonable rates.

QST & R- Block. Situated in Kuttanad popularly known as the rice bowl of Kerala, QST & R Block Kayals (backwaters) remind the visitor of the famous channels of Holland. One can see how the home-grown agricultural engineering where cultivation and habitation are made possible at four to ten feet below the sea level. Extensive land has been reclaimed from the backwaters and is protected by dike built around it for this purpose. It is here majority of the rice boat & houseboat cruises are scheduled.

Saradha Mandiram, Mavelikkara - AR Rajaraja Varma was a great poet and grammarian,who is also known as kerala panini.His residence is converted to his memorial by the Kerala Government.

The Sri Krishna Temple- The Sri Krishna Temple at Ambalapuzha, 14 kms from Alleppey is one of the most important temples in kerala. Ambalappuza palpayasam - a sweet milk porridge offered to the deity is very famous.

How to access
By air: Nearest airports are Thiruvananthapuram (150 km); Nedumbassery (85 km).
By rail: Alappuzha railway station is a major railway station in kerala
By road: THe national highway Connecting cochin and Trivandrum passes through alappuzha.
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