INDIA KERALA- THE GREAT BACKWATERS (PART 1)

INDIA KERALA- THE GREAT BACKWATERS

Welcome to a brand new water world. A world where time floats at a relaxed pace where every road is a canal and every home is an island.

The Great Backwaters are a 900 km long water world spread across Kerala. This fascinating geographical feature was formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats mountain range. What make the backwaters unique are its flora and fauna, its people and their lifestyle as well as their customs and traditions.

A world shaped by 44 rivers, 34 lakes and innumerable canals.

The Great Backwaters comprises an intricate network of lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of 44 rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea.The important stretch of this unique water world is the 168 km expanse from Kollam to Kottapuram, declared as a National Waterway.

The gateway to the Great Backwaters is the magnificent eight-armed Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, which connects to the vast Vembanad Lake that flows through Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, before opening out into the sea at the Kochi port.

LAKES

1.       VEMBANAD LAKE

The most beautiful and popular part of the backwaters , the Vembanad Lake spans several districts in Kerala. The longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala, the Vembanad Lake is approximately 14 km wide at its broadest point. The total area drained by the lake is 15,770 sq km which accounts for 40% of the area of Kerala.

Fed by 10 rivers including the 6 major rivers of central Kerala namely Achenkovil, Manimala, Meenachil, Muvattupuzha, Pamba and Periyar, it boasts of a rich bio-diversity.

Home to more than 20,000 water fowls –the third largest such population in India, the Vembanad Wetland System is included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation utilization of wetlands in 2002.

2.       ASHTAMUDI LAKE

So called because of its 8 arms or channels, Ashtamudi Lake is the gateway to the backwaters. This 16 km long lake is the second largest in Kerala, with numerous navigable canals and rivers interconnecting almost all the regions of South Kerala. The Ashtamudi is also home to several endangered marine species.

Ashtamudi is home to 57 species of birds, of which 6 are migratory and 51 residents ; 45 insect species, 26 species of butterfly and 97 species of fish.

3.       KAYAMKULAM LAKE

Spread across the districts of Kollam and Alapuzzha , the Kayamkulam Lake covers an area of 60 sq km and merges with the sea at the Kayamkulam barrage. The lake used to connect to the sea most of the time except during the dry season when a bar like formation separated it from the sea. Now the bar has been opened up permanently for the construction of the Kayamkulam Fishing Harbour.

RIVERS

The rivers of Kerala have played a key role in the formation of the backwaters. Of the 44 rivers flowing in the state, 41 flows to the West and the other 3 flows to the East. The rivers, which originate from the Western Ghats and rush into the Arabian Sea, are all rain fed. Most of them can be navigated up to the midland region and provides an economic means of transport for boats , ferries etc.

1.       PERIYAR RIVER 

The longest and the one with largest discharge potential in Kerala, Periyar is one of the few perennial rivers in the region.The Marthandavarma branch of the Periyar flows southwards, before draining into the Vembanad backwaters at Varapuzha.

2.       PAMBA RIVER

The Pamba originates in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 1650 meters and flows through Ranni, Kozhenchery, Tiruvalla, Chengannur. Kuttanad, Karthikapally, Ambalappuzha taluks and finally empties into the Vembanad Lake. Kuttanad, an important rice cultivating area in Kerala gets water for irrigation from Pamba.

3.       KALLADA RIVER

The Kallada River is one of 2 major rivers that flow through the Kollam district. It travels for 121 km, flowing through Punalur, Pathanapuram, Kunnathur and Kallada before ending at Ashtamudi Lake. The Chalikkari River also joins Kallada a little downstream and the 2 flow westward, before failing into the Ashtamudi Lake.

ISLANDS

Numerous Islands big and small, inhabited and uninhabited dot the backwaters of Kerala. From Vypee in Kochi – one of the most densely populated islands in the world, to Pallipuran in Alappuzha noted for its whitish sand, each islands is unique in its setting and character.

1.       KUMARAKOM

The name “ Kumarakom “ is said to have derived from the words “ KUMINJA” ( Heap) and “ AKAM” ( inside) , referring to a land formed by the accumulation of sediments. The island created by deposition of mud and other materials through natural and man-made methods, is one of the world’s most favourite tourist spots. The island created by the deposition of mud and other materials through natural and man-made methods, is one of the world’s most favourite tourist spots.

Home to a wide variety of flora and fauna , Kumarakom is noted for its bird sanctuary where many species of migratory birds flock to every year.

2.       PATHIRAMANAL

Pathiramanal or Island of Midnight Sand is known as a place where the King of Kochi traditionally made a night halt on his journey to South Kerala.The 19.6 hectares of land supposedly surfaced from the lake after an earthquake, though locals say it was formed when a devout Brahmin Sree Narayan Gurudev, dived in to perform his ritual evening bath and like Moses at the Red Sea, the waters of the Vembanad parted.

3.       BOLGATTY

Bolgatty Island is just a boat ride away from the Kochi harbor mouth. The island is famous for the ancient Bolgatty Palace built by a Dutch trader in the year 1744, which holds the distinction of being the oldest Dutch palace outside Holland.