Travel Information

• A National Geographic Society publication has listed Kerala among "the World's 50 Destinations of a Lifetime." The only other Indian site in the list being the Taj Mahal.
• Thiruvanathapuram, (formerly Trivandrum) the state capital, is known for its temples, mosques and churches. Kovalam Beach nearby, which most tourists visit when they travel to Kerala, India, is rated one of the top ten beaches of the world.
• Kochi - the major port of Kerala - is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea.
• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkady in Idukki District, which nature lovers visit when they travel to Kerala, India, is an important wildlife sanctuary in India.
• Kalamandalam, the renowned Kathakali dance center is located in Thrissur District.
• Sabarimala, abode of Lord Ayyappan is a famous pilgrimage center in Pathanamthitta District where thousands of devotees travel on an annual pilgrimage to Kerala, India.

Different parts of Kerala were ruled by the hereditary Rajas of Travancore and Cochin, Muslim rulers called Zamorins and the British during colonial times. After India gained independence in 1947, the present day state of Kerala was created. Kerala's cities were then known by the British forms of their names. Recently, the names of Kerala's cities have been changed from their British forms, to reflect their original pronunciation in Malayalam, the language you'll hear when you travel to Kerala, India.