Home :: South India Travel Destinations :: Alleppey in Kerala

Area: 1414 Sq. Km.
District Population: 1,909,603.
Climate: Tropical Humid.
Altitude: 0 feet Above Sea Level.
Temperature
- Summer : Max: 35°C, Min: 22.5°C
- Winter : Max: 32°C Min: 20°C
Rainfall: 299 cm (annual).
Clothing: Tropical.
STD Code: 0477.

As a centre of trading Alleppey may be on the down turn, but as a tourist centre, Alleppey is gaining in popularity. The town was built as a trading centre in 1762 by Raja Kesavadasa, the Diwan of Travancore. The many canals criss crossing the town built to facilitate the transport of goods promted Europen visitors to dub Alleppey as the 'Venice of the East'. The main tourist attractions are the backwaters and the Snake Boat Race.

Reaching Alleppey
The nearest airport is Cochin 64 km to the north and Trivandrum Airport is 159 km to the south. Alleppey is quite well connected by trains to different cities. A journey by train from Cochin (11/2 hours) passes through some of the most beautiful backwaters and country sides in Kerala. The trip from Trivandrum is equally interesting.

Trivandrum and Cochin are connected to Alleppey by a National Highway (one of the best roads in India). If you are coming from Kollam, an interesting alternative would be by boat which starts from the Kollam boat jetty (near KSRTC bus stand) at 10.30 am and reaching Alleppey at 6.00 pm (the ticket charge is Rs. 150/-) The trip through the backwaters is slow but an interesting experience. There are also boat services to Alleppey from Kottayam & Changanacherry. Kottayam (50 km) and Changanacherry (32 km) are also connected by road.

Places to visit
Temples: Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple (32 km south of Alappuzha): Situated near Harippad, this is a serpent shrine under the patronage of a brahman family, headed by a priestess. The ancient shrine is an internationally renowned pilgrim centre dedicated to the Serpent God Nagaraja. Sarpa Yakshi and Naga Yakshi are the beloved consorts of Nagaraja. It is believed that Nagaraja as the installed diety is endowed with the form of Hari (Lord Vishnu) and the spirit of Lord Shiva. Legend has it that the first priestess of Mannarasala gave birth to a five-headed snake, which is believed to reside in the ancestral house to safeguard the family. At Mannarasala barren women are believed to be blessed with children and a special turmeric paste available at the shrine is credited with powers to cure even leprosy

Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple: The Kettukazhcha festival at this temple draws large crowds of devotees. Processions of tall decorated structures on chariots, brightly decorated effigies of horses and bullocks and cultural performances make a spectacular pageant.

Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple(15 km south of Alappuzha): Built in the typical Kerala architectural style, this temple is famous all over India for the Palpayasam, the daily offering of deliciously sweet milk porridge. It is also in this temple that Pallipana is performed by Velans (sorcerers) once every twelve years. Paintings of the Dasavatharam (the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) are on display on the inner walls of the Chuttambalam. Ottanthullal, a satiric art form originated by the poet Kunchan Nambiar, was first performed on the premises of this temple.

Churches
Edathua Church (24 km from Alappuzha, on the Alappuzha - Thiruvalla Road): Established in 1810, the church is dedicated to St. George. It is believed that prayers and offerings at this church help to heal all mental disorders and other ailments. During the annual feast (5th, 6th and 7th of May) pilgrims from all parts of South India, irrespective of caste and creed, visit the church and seek the blessings of the saint.

Arthunkal (22 km north of Alappuzha): The St. Sebastian's Church here is an important Christian pilgrim centre. Annual festival: Arthunkal Perunnal - the feast of the patron saint

Places
Krishnapuram Palace: The Palace was built in the 18th century during the reign of Marthanda Varma. The palace displays the typical Kerala style of architecture by way of its gable roofs, charmar windows and narrow corridors. There is a museum of antique sculptures, paintings and bronze articles in the palace. On the western end of the ground floor is a large mural called Gajendra Moksha (supposed to be the largest mural in Kerala). The palace pool is also nearby. The palace is 47 kms from Alleppey at Kayamkulam, on the way to Kollam. Kayamkulam is 41 kms from Kollam.

Excursions of Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Lakes: Pathiramanal(11/2 hours by motor boat/30 min. by speedboat from Alappuzha): According to mythology a young brahmin dived into the Vembanad Lake to perform his evening ablutions and the water made way for land to rise from below, thus creating the enchanting island of Pathiramanal (sands of midnight). This little island on the backwaters is a favourite haunt of hundreds of rare migratory birds from different parts of the world. The island lies between Thaneermukkom and Kumarakom, and is accessible only by boat.

Beaches
Punnappra: Punnappra near Alappuzha has gone down into history as the battle ground between the Communists and the erst-while Travancore state police in the Punnappra- Vayalar Communist uprising of 1946. A memorial to the martyrs stands testimony to the event, which the state Government declared as a pat of the freedom struggle

Kuttanad: Kuttanad, called the rice bowl of Kerala because of her wealth of paddy crops, is at the very heart of the backwaters. The scenic countryside of Kuttanad with its shimmering waterways also has a rich crop of banana, cassava and yam. This is perhaps the only region in the world where farming is done 1.5 to 2 m below sea level. Inland waterways which flow above land level are an amazing feature of this region.