The second Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) will be kicked off on December 1, 2008.

The first which had been a tremendous success, saw the active participation of more than 2100 institutions. This year, more than 5000 institutions are expected to participate in the festival, which focuses on turning the state into a commercial trade hub and attracting more business opportunities.

The feedback derived from different sources after the first GKSF has been thoroughly studied and the productive comments are included in chalking out the plan. For the successful conducting of the festival, committees have been formed with the respective district collectors in the lead. The assistance and co-operation of the trade and industrial organizations will also be sought, said Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism.

There are three separate membership plans for the GKSF. Corporation and municipal regions and selected tourist as well as pilgrim centres will be the hubs of the festival. The registration will commence on August 15, 2008. Many gift offers, including scratch and win cards, will be among the attractions to woo the customers. The special fetes held as part of GKSF will add colour to this much-awaited season of shopping.

• Create employment
• Create world-class infrastructure
• Accelerate economic growth
• Increase revenue
• Boost local trade and commerce
• Develop traditional develop centers
• Make Kerala an ‘International Shopping destination’.
• Launch Shopping Tourism

So, curtains raise on yet another shopping bonanza of Kerala this December, with many wonderful offers in its bounty. Watch Out!

Grand Kerala Shopping Festival
Department of Tourism
Park View, Thiruvananthapuram -33
Phone : 0471-2328790
Fax : 04712322279

Another festival season has arrived and Kerala Tourism is all set to add to the colour and pomp of Onam, the state festival of Kerala, with an array of festivities. This year’s Onam celebrations are scheduled to commence on September 10. The state level celebrations will be held from September 10 to 16 in Thiruvananthapuram and the district-level festivities are scheduled from September 11 to 14.

There are about fourteen venues, including the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, the main venue, which will host a number of cultural events, including the traditional art forms of Kerala. Mega shows in association with TV channels have also been organized. A colourful procession will be carried out on the concluding day. A major attraction of this year’s celebrations will be those village sports items related to Onam, which are on the verge of extinction, said Dr. Venu, V., Secretary, Kerala Tourism. Many traditional as well as folk art forms representing different districts will be another attraction.

Known as Dwaraka of the South, Guruvayoor Sri Krishna Temple is one among most sacred and important pilgrim centers of Kerala is 29 Kms North-West Of Thrissur, Kerala

Guruvayoor, where the famous Sree Krishna Temple is situated, is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centers of Kerala.

The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are inlaid with exquisite mural paintings and carvings.

In Kerala, this is probably the only temple that hosts the maximum number of marriages and rice feeding ceremonies (the ritual first meal for infants).

It was also the hub of the ‘Guruvayoor Sathyagraha’ , a historic movement demanding temple entry rights for the ’so called’ lower castes.

The temple dates back to the 16th century is dedicated to Krishna known here as Guruvayurappan or the Lord of Guruvayoor, and the idol is said to have been worshipped by Lord Brahma himself at Dwaraka. It is at this temple that Melpatur Narayan Bhattathiri composed his well-known Sanskrit devotional poem ‘Narayaneeyam’. The temple is renowned for its healing powers. Several offerings are made to the deity here from the simple ‘Archana’ offering of flowers to the expensive and elaborate ‘Udayastamana’ pooja or ‘Thulabharam’ where a devotee is weighed against offering of bananas, sugar, jaggery or coconuts.

The walls of the sanctum sanctorum are inlaid with exquisite mural paintings and carvings. In Kerala, This is
probably the only site for several weddings and ‘Annaprasanam’, the first feeding ceremony of child

The historic temple is shrouded in mystery.

According to local belief, the temple was created by ‘Guru’, the ‘preceptor of the gods’ and ‘Vayu’, the ‘god of
winds’. The eastern ‘nada’ is the main entrance to the shrine.

In the ‘Chuttambalam’ (outer enclosure) is a 33.5-m tall gold-plated ‘Dwajastambham’ (flag post).

There is also a 7 m high ‘Deepastambham’ (pillar of lamps), whose thirteen circular receptacles provide a truly brilliant spectacle, when lit.

The square ‘Sreekovil’ is the sacred sanctum sanctorum of the temple, housing the main deity.

Within the temple, there are also the images of Ganapathy, Sree Ayyappa and Edathedathy Kavil Bhagavathy.

Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.

Punnathoorkotta, which is at a distance of 2 kms from Guruvayoor is home of 50 temple elephants, offers unusual spectacles of the gentle pachyderm.

The most important gift for Onam is Onakkodi- New apparels. On the day of Onam, everybody in Kerala wear new clothes. Head of the family gifts Onakkodi to others. It is a wide tradition that Onakkodi is gifted to near and dear for Onam.

So, if you are planning an Onam gift to somebody, the most appropriate gift would be an apparel especially, a traditional Kerala apparel.
Also, it is usual that a valuable item is gifted to the near and dear or a new gift is purchased for home.

Sending Onam gifts through MaEbag.com
MaEbag.com is popular for its additional focus on Items from Kerala. We ship the items including Onam gifts across the world. Within India, items are shipped in all locations including remote villages and small towns.

MaEbag_com- Send Onam Gifts and Onakkodi for Onam 2008

Onam is the biggest festival in the Indian state of Kerala.

Onam Festival falls during the Malayali month of Chingam (Aug - Sep) and marks the homecoming of legendary King
Mahabali.

Carnival of Onam lasts for ten days and brings out the best of Kerala culture and tradition.

Intricately decorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadya, breathtaking Snake Boat Race and exotic Kaikottikali dance are
some of the most remarkable features of Onam - the harvest festival in Kerala.

A short video created by Sooraj Dominic on the Culture and Festivals of Kerala

TRAVEL GUIDELINES TO THOSE VISITING KERALA FROM OUTSIDE INDIA

(These are some consolidated information from various pages of the award winning super brand website of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation @ www.keratrourism.org)

Visa
We request you to carry your visa for entry to India/Kerala on your holiday.For clarification please contact the Indian High Commision/Embassy.For visa registrations and extensions,contact the Commisioner of Police (in cities) and the District Superintendent of Police (in districts).

Money
There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that visitors can bring.

Banks
Banks are open for transaction from 10:00 - 14:00 hrs on week days and from 10:00 - 12:00 hrs on saturdays.

Credit cards
Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centres honour major credit cards.

Time
(Hours fast (+), slow (-) on IST)
USA: -10.30, Germany: - 4.30, Canada: - 10.30, France: - 4.30, Australia: + 4.30, Spain: -4.30, UAE: - 1.30, uk:-5:30

Best time to visit
High season: December - May
Monsoon Rejuvenation programmes: June - November

Travel Kit
Cotton outfits, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion etc.

Drugs
Heavy penalities including imprisonment for possession of narcotic drugs.

Ayurveda
Go only to those Ayurveda centres that are classified/approved by the Department of Tourism

Food
All standard restaurants offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian and typical Kerala fare.

Water
Tap water is purified and quite safe to drink. It is not advisable to drink water from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Bottled water is also available.

Emergency numbers
Police control room: 100
Fire station: 101
Ambulance: 101

Temple codes
Some temples do not permit entry to non-Hindus. Strict dress codes are followed in most of the temples. Footwear is banned inside the temple premises

Nudity
Nudity is not allowed in any Kerala beach.

Smoking
Smoking is banned in public places

Footwear in houses
Visitors to most Kerala houses leave their footwear outside before entering the house.

Demonstrativeness in public
Behaviour demonstrating affection in public like hugging or kissing is not an accepted practice in Kerala.

Wildlife sanctuaries
To visit a wildlife sanctuary, prior permission has to be taken from the concerned authority of the sanctuary.

For further enquiries, contact:
The Chief Conservator of Forests,
Thiruvananthapuram 695014.
Ph: ++ 91-471-2322217
 

Meenkunnu Beach, is a beach in Kannur district of Kerala, India. It is endowed with vast stretch of golden sand and coconut trees.

Meenkunnu beach is 10 km away from Kannur town and is located in Azhikode village. It is an extension of Payyambalam beach.

The name meenkunnu is is a combination of two Malayalam words meen and kunnu. Meen literally means fish and kunnu a small hill.

Alappuzha or Alleppey is a small and beautiful district in Kerala. Alappuzha is gifted with canals, backwaters, lagoons and beaches.

Alappuzha town was described in the history as Venice of the East. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of kerala with large paddy fields is located in Alappuzha district.

Alleppey is the center of backwater tourism in Kerala. Many high class hotels are resorts are avaiable here. House boats or kettuvallams is a main attraction here.

Alappuzha also famous for its snake boats. Main towns are Chengannur, Mavelikkara, Kayamkulam, Haripad, Ambalappuzha, Alappuzha, Cherthala, Thakazhy, Aroor etc

Kerala has immense tourism potential. But its tourism revenue has been greatly affected by frequent political strikes. Do the perpetrators have an answer to this economic tragedy? Or they just love to stick to their vested interests?.

The Left-ruled Kerala has been going through a bad economic phase for the past six months as the state has so far witnessed 80 strikes. Whenever a strike is called by either the ruling Left party or any other political party, Kerala relishes it. But the strikes gradually take this coastal state backward. The recent nationwide strike, convened by the Left parties on Wednesday last (August 20), received spontaneous support from the other two Communist-ruled states of India, viz., West Bengal and Tripura. Though the ‘bandh’ ideology has caught on in West Bengal, Kerala also seems to swear by this ideology. That’s why West Bengal stood by Kerala when the ’hartal’ call was issued on August 20.

It was the 80th strike that Kerala witnessed in the last six months. In July, 2008, the Sangh Parivar and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) jointly called for a nationwide strike to protest against the Centre’s soft attitude to the Jammu-Kashmir imbroglio and the burning Amarnath land issue. The most striking fact is that the two saffron parties, which enjoy political clout in Gujarat, could not muster much support in Kerala. The saffron outfits are yet to prove their strength in Kerala through the electoral route. The day-to-day life of the Keralites was crippled by the strike.

According to statistics collected from sources, shutdowns are more frequently resorted to in Kerala, compared to its neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. To hinder the entry of a world-famous food retail chain in the land of the Malayalees, the local traders forced a shutdown on the entire state a few months ago. A State-wide ’bandh’ to protest the execution of the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussain, was observed in Kerala during Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

Kerala is referred as ’God’s own country’ because of its natural beauty. The tourism industry that helps the state earn considerable revenue is being affected by frequent strikes. It is home to world-class and serene beaches which attract foreign as well as domestic visitors every year. Its natural beauty lures them time and again. But, the bandhs enforced for political reasons inflict severe economic loss on the tourism industry.

Kerala now faces tough competition from established and emerging tourist hotspots like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Only a handful of private tourism sponsors have a soft corner for this state because of the state governments’ pro-Communist policy. On the other hand, the few government-owned tourism bodies that function are inadequate to generate significant revenues for the state. But, a majority of the people depends on tourism- related activities for their survival. If foreigners and Indian tourists also start avoiding the state, how the sponsors and supporters of bandhs will make up the loss that reduced tourist arrivals will inflict on the state?

Kerala, also popularly known as God’s Own Country”, is a beautiful state of India. It is predominantly famous for its beautiful sun-kissed beaches dotted with palm coconut groves and breathtaking backwaters blessed with exceptional nature beauty. Kerala has some of finest beaches of world that can be visited on Kerala tour to India.

Cherai Beach, Varkala Beach, Alappuzha Beach, Fort Kochi Beach, Fort Bekal Beach, Kappad Beach, Kovalam Beach, etc are some of world famous beaches of Kerala. Tourists, honeymooners, beach-lovers, etc tour to Kerala to explore these breathtaking beaches.

One of the most popular and famous beaches of Kerala is Kovalam Beach. It is internationally known for its unique charm. It is developed as the world class beach resort. It has three adjacent crescent beaches that add to charm. A massive rocky cape on the beach has created a beautiful inlet of tranquil water that is ideal for swimming and sea bathing.

The Kovalam beach offers a plenty of and diverse options like swimming, sunbathing, ayurveda, herbal body massaging, cruising, cultural programs, sunset watching, etc. Surly spending few days on Kovalam beach will be a unique and pleasant experience that will last forever.

In ancient times, the beautiful Kovalam was a fishing village and a favorite hippy haunt. It has also been a favorite haunt for foreigners especially for Europeans since 1930s. Today, Kovalam is developed as one of the most beautiful and finest beaches of the world. Travellers from all around the world visit Kovalam to spend their holidays in memorable ways. Azure water and pleasant climate of Kovalam create magical ambiance for pleasant and memorable holidays.

Kovalam beach is great place for sun-bathing and swimming. There are lots of water funs and activities that can be enjoyed at Kovalam beach. They are sun-bathing, sea-swimming, kayaking, surfing, skiing, cruising, etc. You too will love to indulge in these enjoyable activities on your Kovalam beach tour to Kerala South India.

Kovalam beach is also known for ayurvedic treatment and every year a large gathering of people come here especially for ayurvedic treatment. In this way people take double enjoyment – ayurvedic treatment as well as tourism. There are several ayurvedic treatment & massage and yoga centers. You will too love to get rejuvenated and freshen up at these centers on your tours in Kerala, South India.

Kovalam is located at the very short distance of 16 km from Trivandrum – the capital of Kerala, South India. Trivandrum is also a worth visiting city where you can visit several interesting places like Napier Museum, Sri Chitra Art Gallery, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Ponmudi Hills, etc.

Kovalam beach is dotted with several world class resorts and cottages. So, you can find here well accommodation. In other way, Kovalam beach is perfect for spending holidays whether they are family holidays or honeymoon holiday or sightseeing tours or just for beach fun and activities.

There are several Kerala tour packages for Kovalam beach in the market made available by various tour operators and travel agents. You can book on of them and get start you Kerala tours. Well, visit Kovalam Beach and take with you a pleasant and lifetime experience.

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