INDIA KERALA -THE GREAT BACKWATERS ( PART 3)

A WORLD WHERE MARKETS COME FLOATING BY

Discover a world where life is centre around water. Where children learn to swim even before they walk. Where the skiff is the family vehicle and markets and malls come drifting by.

Life on the Great Backwaters is a synergy between man and nature and the chief occupations of the people are closely associated with nature.

1.       PADDY CULTIVATION

The history of paddy cultivation can be traced back to centuries. Its evolution was correlated to the technological advancement of this place. Large farming areas near Vembanad Lake were actually reclaimed from the lake.

2.       COIR-MAKING

Coir making is one of the primary occupations of the people living in the backwaters. Entire villages engaging in coir making can be seen along the waterside.

3.       TRADITIONAL FISHING

Freshwater prawns, lobsters , crabs, clams and oysters , which find a ready market overseas, are caught from these backwaters. The fishermen use small canoes for fishing.

4.       DUCK REARING

Duck farming is a way of life for the people living by the backwaters as there is no dearth of paddy fields and canals. The people of the backwaters have their own mode of transport. Here, the waterways replace roads for all practical purposes.

5.       HOUSEBOATS

The houseboats ( kettuvalloms) have been a part of backwaters from time immemorial. Once a popular mode for transporting goods, they are the best mode of transport to enjoy the unhurried pace of life in the Great Backwaters.

6.       SNAKE BOATS

These boats vary from 100 to 138 ft in length. With the rear portion towering to a height of about 20 ft and a long tapering front portion, it resembles a snake with its hood raised. Its hull is built of planks precisely 83 ft in length and 6 inches wide. Today, snake boat races are the largest team sport in the world. The boats are oiled with a black mixture of fish oil, coconut shell, carbon and egg shells, which keeps the wood strong and the boat slippery in water.

7.       CANOES ( COUNTRY BOAT)

Country boats are made using sustainable and local materials like jack wood, woven together with coir (a coarse fibre found on the outside of a coconut shell) and sealed with fish oil. The boasts last for up to 50- 60 years, with a yearly application of fish oil)

8.       BOAT BUILDING

Kerala is home to some of the finest boat builders in the world. Snake boats, which are 100 ft long and seats over 90 oarsmen are built without using even a single nail.