Tag: Kerala

Central Government to test new possibilities in tourism in India. As part of this, lighthouses in India will be turned into tourist destinations. The 65 lighthouses selected in the country will be converted into tourism hubs. The Central Government has already started efforts for this. After covid, the project aims to attract world tourists to India. The lighthouses in different states will be brought under a single scheme by the government. The list includes 13 lighthouses from Gujarat, 11 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Kerala, 9 from Andhra Pradesh, 5 from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Odisha, 2 from West Bengal, and ... Read more

Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Temple devoted to Lord Mahavishnu is located near the northern end of Kerala, in Ananthapura near Kumbla in Kasaragod District. The temple is known as the moolasthanam, the original source, of the Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala State, which is in the far south. The Landscape on the way to the temple opens a vast panoramic scene with ranges of sprawling hillocks in the background. An aura of peace and solitude permeates the whole region. In the midst of a vast grassland remains in splendorous charm Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, ... Read more

Koothu is a socio-religious art performed in the Koothambalam or the Koothuthara of temples, either independently or as part of Kutiyattam. It is a solo narrative performance interspersed with mime and comic interludes. The Chakkiar does the role of ‘Vidushaka’or the wise jester. Through his inimitable narration of stories from the epics (The Ramayana and The Mahabharatha), the Chakkiar satirises the manners and customs of the time. No one is above the butt of his ridicule. His wit ranges from innocent mockery to veiled innuendoes, barbed pun and pungent invectives. Koothu is intermittently accompanied by the percussion instrument Mizhavu. One of the most revered places for the traditional art ... Read more

Czech well-known Actor Jiri Dvorak visits Kerala all the way from Goa to experience the cultural tradition and arts of Kerala with his crew members to cover the major destinations of Kerala, he is now staying at Uday Samudra Beach Hotel Kovalam, to visit interesting spots of Trivandrum to explore the arts and crafts life of the villages nearby, and also to experience the local cuisines and meet people who are having the traditional background of heritage and culture. The main aim is to promote Kerala tourism and its amazing spectacular landscapes of the state, where one can also experience ... Read more

Kerala has birthed and nurtured a plethora of art forms over a thousand years. Our shores have watched them evolve and flourish in various shapes and forms. Paana or Pallippaana, as it is sometimes called, is a ritual art to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakaali. Also known as Paanakali, the art form is popular in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. Paana is part of a three-day festival. A canopy is supported by 64 posts cut out from the Paala tree ( Alstonia scholaris) and adorned with tender palm fronds is erected near the shrine of the goddess. A stump ... Read more

In yet another endorsement of the globally-renowned Responsible Tourism project of Kerala as a path-breaking model, the community-driven initiative has bagged the coveted gold in the “Best Future Forward State” category at the sixth edition of the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards held at Konark in Odisha. Odisha received the Silver in this segment. For Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Mission, this is the 11th award since its launch in 2017. The honors amassed by the RT Mission within the short period included six international awards like WTM’s Gold, Gran, Highly Commented and Outstanding Achievement awards, PATA Gold, World Sustainable Tourism Award for ... Read more

On the course of becoming the country’s museum hub, Kerala is all set to unveil heritage repositories that chart a thematic narrative of global appeal and function as interactive spaces attracting people from different walks of life especially the youth. Kerala’s new museum movement strives to challenge old-fashioned norms about the conservation of cultures, replacing them with revolutionary concepts that are gaining popularity and demand in other parts of the world. Dr Venu V, the Additional Chief Secretary said that a key element of the New Museum Movement is to promote mini-museums across Kerala in a big way. Venu also ... Read more

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated 520 km of the first phase of the National Waterway, marking a new chapter in the transport and tourism sector of Kerala. Simultaneously, the initial work of the second phase began. Inaugurating the project, the Chief Minister said that since the coming to power of this government, there has been a huge growth in the transport sector. That change is reflected not only in road transport but also in the air and water transport sectors. At the same time, with the setting up of the National Waterway, new possibilities are opening up. With the provision ... Read more

The surge in the inflow of domestic tourists to Kerala during the Christmas-New Year festive season brought some cheer to Kerala tourism stakeholders, even as quarantine norms are keeping away guests who generally stay put in the State for 2 weeks. The pandemic has not just hit the hospitality stakeholders but also the Ayurveda and wellness sectors, which combined together contribute a major chunk of income from tourism. Most guests hence prefer short vacations lasting less than a week. The Ayurveda Promotion Society (APMS) has recently submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Kerala, explaining the present situation of ... Read more

There is a huge demand still for Kerala as a sunshine destination when the winters actually start in Britain and the rest of Europe and with some practical and logical changes Kerala can make a huge impact to tap this demand says Phil Frampton. All they have to do is to cash in on the existing demand in the UK through some aggressive marketing strategies and importantly stay ahead of the competitors. Phil Frampton is the author of the noted travel guide book named “Hidden Kerala” Sharing some insights on the current economic scenario in Britain and answering to some ... Read more

With the opening of the tourism industry in Kerala, medical and wellness tourism has gained tremendous momentum. Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy are the key contributors injecting a new life to the hospitality industry which has itself been on life support system for a long time now. Yoga as well as Ayurveda has been seen as natural ways of boosting immunity, improving quality of life and wellbeing of both mind and body. The fact that both don’t pose any harmful effects adds to the advantage. Both are believed to have great significance in building immunity for the body, and also help ... Read more

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a fresh set of mandatory rules for expats wanting to return to the state from other countries. Expats returning from countries with provisions for COVID-19 testing are expected to take the tests and carry the certificates with them. The tests should be taken no earlier than 72 hours before boarding the flight, said the Chief Minister. The passengers returning from the UAE need to carry their pre-flight COVID-19 test certificates with them. Those returning from Oman and Bahrain need to wear N-95 masks, face shield, gloves and use sanitizers frequently. However, all ... Read more

The Kerala government has said it is in talks with India’s central government on mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing for expats. A decision in this regard is expected shortly. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said while the state is looking at enforcing the pre-flight testing from June 25 for chartered and private flights, a final decision on the same will be taken only in consultation with the central authorities. Of the 2,711 positive cases since May 4, 2,595 cases are of people who returned to Kerala from either abroad or other parts of the country. The Chief Minister had earlier written ... Read more

Medical testimonials are going to be a must to fly to Kerala from June 20. All passengers have to carry certificates stating that they are Covid-19 free, for the flights to get operational clearance. The policy applies to government sponsored Vande Bharat Mission and chartered flights equally, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at a news briefing on Wednesday. Significantly, the chief minister said the state would have no issues in providing no-objection certificates to special flights comprising wholly of passengers who had tested positive at the port of departure. Kerala would receive them and treat them in State-run or commandeered ... Read more

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to prime minister Narendra Modi to consider arranging flights, exclusively for bringing COVID-19 infected Malayali patients from other countries. The move comes amid the controversy over the state government’s decision to make COVID-19 negative certificates mandatory for all expatriates coming from the Gulf countries on chartered flights. In the letter, Pinarayi Vijayan said the central government could ensure the availability of test kits in countries having large Indian diaspora. The embassies should be entrusted with the responsibility of holding tests for those unable to undergo tests at their own expense, he said. “If ... Read more