India Festival Souvenir Book-2008 (Part 2)

Kerala backwaters...Continued from page 37jungles. The wild life sanctuary, lies on theWestern Ghats and is approximately 4000-5000 ft above sealevel,60 km fromIdukki, 190 km fromCochin and 114 kmsaway from Kottayam.It is open throughoutthe year, but the bestseason is fromSeptember to March.Thekkady recollects the images of elephantsand enchanting spice hills scentedplantations. Periyar forest in Thekkady is oneof the finest wild life reserves in India. Thesanctuary is centered on the large (24 sq km)artificial lake formed by a dam across thePeriyar River. The main attraction is a boattrip over this man-made lake of Thekkady.The forest departmentwould alsoarrange elephantrides and trekkinginside the sanctuary.One can seedeers, monkeys,and tigers, herdsof elephants andother exotic flora and fauna here. For themore adventurous, trekking into the junglewould be an exciting thing to do. There areregular bus services from the major townsand cities in Kerala to Thekkady. PlantationEco-Tours are arranged from the DistrictTourism Information Office at Thekkady inKumily. Tours cover cardamom, pepper, coffeeand tea plantations, tea factories, tribalsettlements and the surrounding hill regions.Pepper still remains the king of Kerala'sspices, but the state also has a very rich producein cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerand turmeric. The pepper plant growsbest in a warm and humid climate. Berriesmature and are ready for harvest in about 180to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sundrying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5days after they are separated from the spikesby threshing and white pepper by rettingmature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days,removing the outer skin and drying the seedafter thorough washing. The state is the spicecapital of the world. Over twelve varieties ofspices including ginger, garlic, cardamom,vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, cloveand nutmeg is cultivated in Thekkady and itsneighboring villages.Thekkady: Facts: State: Kerala, District:Idukki, Language: Malayalam, Tamil, Hindiand English, Best time to Visit: September tomarch. Altitude: 4000- 5000ft. above sea levelNearest Airport is Madurai (Tamil Nadu)140 kms, Kochi (Nedumbassery - 185 km),Thiruvananthapuram (265 kms). Nearest railwaystation is Kumarakom 114 kms. Maduraistation is about 136 kms. An excellent roadnetwork from kumily (4 kms) links tothe all major towns and cities inIndia.MunnarMunnar is situated at the confluenceof three mountain streams -Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni andKundala, 1600 m above sea level. Munnaralso has the highest peak in south India,Anamudi, which is over 2695 meters tall.Breathtakingly beautiful, a haven of peaceand tranquility, Munnar is the idyllic touristdestination in Kerala. Set at an altitude of6000 ft. in Idukki district, Munnar was thefavorite summer resort of British rulers incolonial days. Munnar offers unendingexpanse of tea plantations, pristine valleys andmountains, exotic spices of flora and fauna inits wild sanctuaries and forests and aroma ofspice scented cool air. Visiting Tea factory willexpand knowledge of Tea making and one canContinued on page 41“To serve is my religion” 39