Alappuzha District

Alappuzha District is one of the district of Kerala State of India which is a widely known tourist destination, and is well known for its coir factories.Alappuzha is also called as Alleppey . Alappuzha is strongly connected by waterways to various other parts of Kerala, including the famous tourist destination, Kumarakom. It is called as Venice of East due ti its extensive water connecting canal to cities .The entire area of the district lies in the low land and the midland divisions, and is the only district in Kerala having no area under the high lands. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala is in Alappuzha district and this is the only region in the state, lying below the sea level. Alappuzha is the most important center in the State for coir industry.Alappuzha, came into being as a district, in the political map of Kerala on the 27th of August, 1957. Before the formation of the district, a major part of this area was of Kollam district and the rest, of Kottayam district.

Alappuzha Map

Alappuzha Details

Alappuzha History

In the early first decade of the 20th Century the then Viceroy of the Indian Empire, Lord Curzon made a visit in the State to Alleppey, now Alappuzha.Kuttanad was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. The early Cheras had their home in Kuttanad and they were called ‘Kuttuvans’ named after this place.In the 17th century the Portuguese power declined and the Dutch had a predominant position in the principalities of this district. It was formed as Alleppey District on August 17, 1957. The name of the district was officially changed to Alappuzha in 1990. The district is a widely known tourist destination.

Alappuzha Geography and Climate

The district is a sandy strip of land intercepted by lagoons, rivers and canals. There are no mountains or hills in the district except some scattered hillocks lying between Bharanikkavu and Chengannur blocks in the eastern portion of the district. There are no forest area in this district.Alleppey is gifted with immense natural beauty with the Arabian sea on its west. The city has a vast network of lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers.

Owing to its proximity to the sea, the climate of Alleppey is humid and hot during the summer. Although the place remains fairly cool and pleasant during the months of October and November.The average monthly temperature is 27C. On the other hand the North-east monsoon rings rain from October to November. The average rainfall received by the region is 2763 mm.

Art and Culture

The art and culture in Alappuzha is almost similar to that of the culture in the rest of the districts of Kerala. During harvesting season and also during sowing the seeds, people sing folk songs. The songs of the Panans and some dance forms are also still seen here during the festivals. Some of the art forms have vanished long back. It is believed that the dance form Ottanthullal was formed by Kunchan Nambiyar from the Ambalapuzha temple. The theme of this dance is social elements and is performed in a satirical manner.

List Places to visit in Alappuzha District

The Backwaters of Alleppey are the most popular tourist attraction in Kerala. A houseboat cruise in these backwaters is a delightful experience.Alappuzha is also the access point for the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race, held on the Punnamada Lake. Some of The famous and hot spot tourist places of Kerala are-

• Pathiramanal
• R-Block
• Karumadikuttan
• Kumarakodi
• Saradha Mandiram, Mavelikkara
• Krishnapuram Palace
• Alappuzha Beach
• Vijay beach park
• Sreekrishna Swamy Temple
• Ambalapuzha temple festival
• Marari-beach
• Vemband Lake
• St Andrew Church
• Kayakulam Lake
• Pandavan Rock
• Chavran Bhawan
• Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple
• Edathua Church
• St Sebastian’s Church
• Champakulam Church
• Mullakkal Rajeshwari Temple
• Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple
• Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Transportation in Alappuzha

Road-National Highway NH 47 passes through the district connecting the city to other major cities like Coimbatore, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kollam, and Trivandrum. The district is well connected by roads.

Railways– One major rail line passes through Alappuzha. The railway station is about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) away from the center of the town. Alappuzha Railway Station is linked by rail to cities like Trivandrum, Cochin, Coimbatore, Chennai, Bokaro and Mumbai.Since Alleppey is a prime destination, many trains from important cities, like Banglore, Manglore, Calicut, and Amritsar, pass through this station.

Airways– Aleppey is one of the important tourist destination of Kerala. It has no airport but Cochin International Airport is the nearest to the Alleppey city