Kumarakom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message.
This article has been tagged since September 2006.

The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake in Kerala, a state in India. Geographically, it is located at 9d35' North and 76d26' East.

Houseboat at Kumarakom lake

1 Environment
2 Income
3 Modes of access
4 Things to do
5 Notable People From Kumarakom
6 External links

[edit] Environment

Kumarakom is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is a noted bird sanctuary where many species of migratory birds visit. The Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater in Kerala is habitat for many marine species and it teems with 'Karimeen' (Pearl Spotted Fish ), shrimp (chemmeen in local language)and prawns. The bird sanctuary spreading over 14 acres (57,000 m²), came into existence following preservation efforts from the government. It is a major tourist attraction now.

[edit] Income

Kumarakom has agriculture apart form the tourism business to generate income. The place has expanses of mangrove forests, paddy fields and coconut groves. This rich agricultural environment is mainly irrigated using interspersed waterways and canals. Kumarakom's perfectly balanced tropical climate is conducive to cultivation.

[edit] Modes of access

One can access Kumarakom by many means:

By air: via Cochin International Airport and the Trivandrum International Airport
By rail: via Kottayam (16 kilometres)
By boat: From Muhamma (near Alappuzha) to Kumarakom Jetty.
By road: Buses and taxis are easily available at all times of the day from Kottayam.

[edit] Things to do

There are several things you can do at Kumarakom depending on how much time, money and local language skills you have. Here are some of things possible if you are by yourself and plan to spend a few hours there.

Get off at the entrance of the Bird Sanctuary. Speak to the local fishermen and see if they can arrange for a boat ride for a couple of hours (costs about INR 200-250). Pack something to eat while you are on the row boat. Evenings and early mornings are a good time to take these boat rides because you can avoid the afternoon sun.
The house boats or speed boats can cover longer distances and would cost more for hire.

[edit] Notable People From Kumarakom

Bishop Alexander Chulaparambil (1877-1951), second bishop of the Knanaya Kottayam Archdiocese

John Abrabam Illikkalam (1929 - 1988) - Was a Known Agriculturist at Kumarakom, made study & writings about Environmental & Ecological issues of Kuttanadu Region.