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The god who made Kerala, according to a popular Malayali saying, had a green thumb. Indeed, India’s most verdant state—rated by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world’s 50 must-see destinations— is a paradisiacal landscape of palm-lined beaches, steamy jungles, plantation- covered hills, and tropical rivers and lakes. Visitors come here primarily to unwind and indulge; this is, after all, where succumbing to a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage is as mandatory as idling away an afternoon aboard a slowly drifting kettuvallam, or sipping coconut water under a tropical sun before taking in a wonderfully ritualized Kathakali dance. Eastward, the spice-scented Cardamom Hills and wild elephants of Periyar beckon, while a short flight west takes you to the little-known but sublime tropical reefs of the Lakshadweep islands. All of which make Kerala not just a must-see on your India itinerary, but a major destination in its own right.
A thin strip on the southwest coastline, sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the forested Western Ghats that define its border with Tamil Nadu to the east, Kerala covers a mere 1.3% of the country’s total land area, yet its rich resources have long attracted visitors from across the oceans—it is in fact here that the first seafarers set foot on Indian soil. Legend has it that King Solomon’s ships traded off the Malabar coast between 972 and 932 B.C., followed by the Phoenicians, Romans, Christians,stock up on Malabar’s monkeys, tigers, parrots, timber and, of course, the bundance of spices that were literally worth their weight in gold. Seafarers not only brought trade but built synagogues and churches in the emerging port cities, while an entirely Muslim population set up shop on the islands of Lakshadweep. Despite its religious cosmopolitanism (many locals will tell you they subscribe to both Hinduism and Christianity), Kerala’s Hindu tradition is deeply engrained in daily life. Most temples do not permit non-Hindus to enter, but almost every month brings magnificent temple processions involving chanting devotees and squadrons of elephants adorned in flamboyant caparisons.
Contemporary Kerala was created in 1956 from the former princely states of Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar. Largely ruled by benevolent Maharajas who introduced social reforms emphasizing the provision of education and basic services, Kerala remains one of the most progressive, literate, and educated states in post-independence India. In 1957, it became the first place in the world to democratically elect a Communist government, and the first Indian state to introduce a family-planning program. Despite its high population density, Keralites have the country’s highest life expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rates. Kerala is considered one of the cleanest and most peaceful parts of India, a claim substantiated by its prosperity— the state remains a major source of India’s bananas, rubber, coconuts, cashews, and ginger. While much of Kerala retains an untouched charm, this prosperity has a downside: A highly educated population has meant that many are unwilling to do menial jobs, creating extensive unemployment. Others head for the Gulf to seek their fortunes, returning with sufficient cash to tear down the traditional carved wood dwellings that so greatly characterize the region and replace them with “modern” status symbols. Many of these traditional homes have been bought and reassembled at top-notch resorts like native Arundhati Roy in her Booker Prize–winning The God of Small Things. Others applaud their preservation. For visitors, a stay in these tharavadu cottages is one of the most charming aspects of a trip to Kerala.
If you’re interested in ancient history and grand temples, you should include a visit to neighboring Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, but if all you need is rejuvenation, head straight for Fort Cochin, then south to cruise the backwaters and wash up on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. “God’s Own Country” is one tourist slogan that really does deliver.
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