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.
