KERALA, INDIA:

Area:

39 000 sq km; inhabitants 33 mio; located at the southwestern tip of India, The country measures 500 km in length and between 10 and 40 km width, the mountain range of the West Ghats
(a steep escarpment which reaches from central India to the southernmost tip of the country) divides the hinterland of the Deccan from the low country. It offers shadowy valleys, rice paddys, cocoa– , rubber–, tea– and banana plantations, palm studded canals, wonderful recreative beaches like Kovalam, Varkala and Cochin. It is the country of rivers and lagoons, tropical rain forests also known as "God´s own country". The capital is Thiruvananthapuram with about 1 mio inhabitants.

Some people claim the name Kerala originates from the word "Kera" = coconut. This has no historical background, the term stems however from the word "Cheras", an ancient kingdom, which was known already in the 3rd century B.C. The language Malayalam generated around the 10th century A.C. from Tamil and local dialects.

The Kollam (Quilon) district:

measures 2579 km² and 2,6 mio. inhabitants. The harbor of the city of the same name lies 70 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, formerly an important trade centre for European trade as well as for the trade between China and the Arabian world, nowadays has however lost its importance. The corresponding district of Kollam is bordered in the west by a 37 km long sea shore and in the east by the West Ghats. An interior waterways system consisting of lakes and canals, the back waters, supplies since ancient times convenient transport facilities.
Kollam city is an ancient christian center and domicile of a catholic bishop. According to historic tradition the apostle Thomas landed in the year 52 a.C. in the present day Kerala and founded along the Malabar coast seven christian parishes, of whom Kollam was the southernmost. In thisn trade and seaport settlement St. Thomas first evangelized.

The Ashtamudi Lake:

The scenically attractive lake is surrounded by red cliffs and coconut trees and extends north of the city of Kollam over an area of 52 sq. km (approx. 13 000 acres). The name Ashtamudi stems from the eight arms of the lake in which it branches. On all shores one finds the traditional chinese fishing nets. The direct connection to the Arabian sea means that the lake consists of salt water and is fairly clean. The lake is part of the historic water ways (back waters), which were used parallel to the sea shore for all transport. Today the transport of goods and people takes place mostly on road and rail. Many of the formerly used boats are today converted to luxury houseboats which provide a tourist attraction.

Culture:

Examples are the centuries old dance theatre Kathakali, traditional temple dances, Kalarippayat, the ancient fighting and healing art, the ancient healing art of Ayurveda as well as Yoga. All these originate from Kerala.