Sasthamkotta / Sasthamcottah

Kollam district in Kerala State has been known to the outside world, by the time-honored proverb, “Once you have seen Kollam you would no more need your illam (home)”. This proverb is truly because of the beauty of the place. The Lord Ayyappa/ Dharmasastha/Sastha is prefixed to Kotta (Fort) and thus the name Sasthamkotta was born. Sasthamkotta, the attractive village situated in Kollam district. It is a beauty spot, a health resort and a centre of pilgrimage. The extensive freshwater lake, DB College, Sasthamcottah, and the Sastha Temple are the major attraction of Sastamcottah.

Location

The Lake is located at a distance of around 30km from Kollam, which is on the left bank of Ashtamudi Lake . from Thiruvanantapuram International Airport, at 103 km, is the nearest airport to Kollam. Karunagappally a distance of 12 km, is the closest town to the lake. A ferry service across the lake transports people between WestKallada Sasthamkotta.

Places of Interest

1. Sasathamcottah Lake “Queen of lakes”- Largest fresh water lake in Kerala

2. Sastha Temple/ Sasathamcottah Temple

3. D.B College, Sasthamkotta

4. Manovikas,Help Mentally Handicapped childrens (Special Schools for Mentally Handicapped http://www.manovikas.com/)

Sasthamkotta Lake “Queen of lakes”- Largest fresh water lake in Kerala

Sasthamkotta lake, also categorized as a wetland, is the largest fresh water lake in Kerala. The lake is named after the ancient Sastha Temple/Ayyappa Temple (a pilgrimage centre) located on its bank. It meets the drinking water needs of half million people of the Kollam district and also provides fishing resources. The purity of the lake water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of large population of larva called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water. The lake is a designated wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention November 2002.

Water Quality

The Lake water is reported to be free of common salt or other minerals and metals. The quality for surface water, interstitial water and sedimets by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India are briefly as noted below.

Quality for Surface Water (average values):

Surface water: PH 7.25; EC 63.00 Millimhos/cm; PO4 – P 4.93 Micro gm. / l ; Ca 7.01Micro gm. / l; Na 4.33 Micro gm. / l; Fe 41.57 Micro gm. / l and Mn 12.11 Micro gm. / l.

Interstitial water:PH 7.20; PO4 – P 1.11 Micro gm. / l; Fe 59.1Micro gm. / l and Mn49.00 Micro gm. / l

Sediments:Organic C 8.95 %; PO4 – P 1690.00 Micro gm. / l; Fe 17724.27 Micro gm. / l and Mn 86.36 Micro gm. /l

Water quality test results indicate that the lake water conforms to standards of drinking water prescribed by regulatory bodies.

Hydrology :- There are no visible tributaries feeding the lake but springs at the bottom of the lake are stated to be one of the source which supply water throughout the year; volume of water in the lake is estimated to be of the order of 22.4 million cum. A thick 10–20 m mantle of Kaolinite (derivative of literate) soil around the lake is stated to check flow into the lake and the theory is now that the Lake is also rain fed; the lake water level is recorded to be higher at the end of the monsoon season. The average annual rainfall in the area is 2398 mm and mean annual temperature varies between 26.7⁰ C and 29.16⁰ C. Ground Water table in the area is reported at depth of 3.89 m. After accounting for estimated evaporation loss of 5 Mm³ and water utilized for domestic use of 8 Mm³ (at a pumpage rate of 22 MLD), the two together account for about two-thirds of the inflow.

DB College, Sasthamkotta

Devaswom Board College, Sasthamcotta was established in the year1964 by the honourable Travancore Devaswam Board. This institution is stand for higher education in a rural area of the Kollam district in Kerala.

Contact Details :
D.B College,
Sasthamcotta, Kollam, Kerala
Phone 91476 2830323, 2831323, 2833323. Fax : 91476 2833323
e-mail: principal@dbsasthamcotta.ac.in
Site : http://www.dbsasthamcotta.ac.in/

Dharmasastha Temple

The temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and the surroundings of the temple are covered by Sasthamkotta lake. The Dharmasastha here is said to have the same powers as that of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala the place derives the name from the God, the former name being Kota. The temple was built by Pandalam family. The highlight of this temple is the ten-day annual festival. During the festival, the colourful Kettukazhcha ritual procession, along with various folk arts such as Mayilattam, Kaala (Bull Motif), Kuthira (Horse Motif), Ammankudam are performed. The festival concludes with the Arattu ceremony, five caparisoned elephants take part in a procession held at midnight.

Manovikas---Help Mentally Handicapped childrens (Special Schools for Mentally Handicapped--- http://www.manovikas.com/)

Manovikas Special School, Sasthamcotta . Head quarters of Manovikas.
Started in the year 1994 with 15 children in a rented building. Today 132 children are give services in regular classes and another 38 home based individual services. Ten years in not small for a special school. Academics, other teaching activities and extra curricular activities have improved well, making Manovikas one of the best schools in Kerala. We give special attention to every child individually. All our services to the children are totally free. Noon meals are given to all children on all working days and many of our well wishers sponsor food for these children on their special occasions. We give admission to children between the age 3 & 18 and they are divided in to 6 groups, Care Group, Pre - primary, Primary, Secondary, Pre - Vocational & Vocational. Each class consist of 6 to 8 children and they are given services by a trained teacher having Diploma in Mental Retardation with the help of an Asst. teacher….

Today Manovikas is giving service to over 400 children through its 14 centres with the help of 52 trained staff members, without collecting any fees from them. Its CBR programme is one of the best CBR programme for the intelectually disabled, in the state of Kerala.

All donations to ManoVikas are exempted under 80G and 35AC of Income Tax Act 1961. Manovikas is Registered under FCRA Registration No:052930213, to receive Foreign Contibutions.

Honeymoon at Kerala

Perfect honeymoons don't just happen. They have to be carefully planned. The more you do your honeymoon homework, the more romantic - and the more fun-your honeymoon will be. Here are some of the most common, indispensable and unforgettable things, which if taken care of, would go a long way in making your honeymoon a most memorable and unforgettable experience.

In fact Kerala is also one of the famous among honeymooners or newly-wedded couples from all over the world. Celebrating honeymoon in Kerala seems to be celebrating honeymoon in paradise. It is rightly said that Kerala is Honeymooners' Paradise. The beautiful landscapes and favorable geography of Kerala make it a prime a honeymoon destination and provides romantic ambiance for honeymooners or newly-wedded couples. They are several options to enjoy Kerala honeymoon in more and more memorable ways. Backwaters, houseboats, hill stations, rich flora & fauna, cultural heritage, exotic beaches, etc make it a perfect romantic honeymoon destination.

Hill stations of the state are very popular among honeymoon couples and adventure tourists due to their copious nature beauty, cool climate and delightful ambiance. Hill regions of the state also provide thrilling experience of wildlife. Munnar, Ponmudi, Echo Point, Wayanad, etc are some popular hill stations of the state. Munnar is favorite destination among honeymoon couples and provides them truly romantic and delightful honeymoon holiday ambiance. Munnar is also famous for tea garden

Best honeymoon places in Kerala

Munnar, Kovalam, Vembanad , Vembanad, Kuttanad and Cochin.

Major Beaches in Kerala :

1. Kovalam,
2. Varkala,
3. Fort Kochi,
4. Alappuzha Beach,
5. Kappad, and
6. Bekal.

Kovalam :-

Location :Just 16 km from Capital city of Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram).

Best time to visit: September to March, though it is an all year destination

Nearest railway station :Thiruvananthapuram central,about 16 km

Nearest airport :Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, about 10 km

Kovalam Beach is the most popular beach in Kerala and is situated on the Malabar Coast along the shores of Kerala in the small Kovalam village, which is about an hour from Trivandrum. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. The crescent shaped beach is divided into 3 parts namely the Lighthouse beach in the south, Samudra in the north and Hawah beach in the center which acts as a base for fishing activities. Five star accommodations such as the Samudra Hotel and the Ashoka Hotel provide facilities for a luxurious stay in these beachside resorts. The beach is also popular for Ayurvedic Massages along with swimming and sunbathing.

Many people come to the beachside resorts in this place for relaxing and rejuvenating themselves by availing of the popular and traditional Ayurvedic Beauty Treatments.

Varkala :

Location : 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city and 37 km south of Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram south Kerala.
Attractions: Beach, mineral water springs, the Sivagiri Mutt and a 2000 year old Vishnu temple.
Nearest railway station : Varkala.
Nearest airport : Thiruvananthapuram international airport, nearly 57 km away.

Varkala wears two hats: one is that of a seaside tourist resort and spa and the other, completely opposite, is that of a Hindu religious centre. A two thousand year old shrine the Janardhanaswamy Temple, stands on the cliffs overlooking the beach,a short distance away. The Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great Hindu reformer and Philosopher Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) is also close by.The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - 30th December to 1st January. Sree Narayana Guru propagated the ideology:"one caste, one religion and one god",in a society torn by the taboos of caste system.

Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi Beach is a wonderful beach situated in Cochin. The beach offers a scenic view to its visitors. Every year, a fest is organized in the last week of December. This Beach of Kerala gives an ample scope to try out various thrills.Adventure sports on Kerala Fort Kochi beach is the most sought out thing. Visitors can enjoy water sports like Canoeing, Catamaran Sailing, Kayaking, Para Sailing, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling and Wind Surfing. Cochin is one of the best known tourists destination of Kerala.

Alappuzha Beach

Nearest railway station : Alappuzha, about 5 km from the beach.
Nearest airport : Cochin International Airport, about 85 km from Alappuzha town.

Alappuzha Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Kerala. It is formed by the shores of the Arabian Sea. The beach is located in the beautiful district of Alappuzha. The Alappuzha district is also known for its backwaters and is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Due to its proximity to the sea, the town has always enjoyed a unique place in the maritime history of Kerala. The Kuttanad region also comes under this district, which is known as rice bowl of Kerala. It is one of the few places in world, where rice farming is done below the sea level. The Alappuzha beach is also known as Alleppey beach. The pier, which extends into the sea here, is around 140 years old.

Kappad

Nearest railway station: Kozhikode, about 16 km.
Nearest airport: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode about 23 km from Kozhikode town.

Today, Kappad attracts a whole lot of visitors desirous of knowing more about the Portuguese and the native Indians of that time. Also, the unblemished beauty and serenity of the beach is something that is intact despite increasing tourism.For the people of Kerala, this pleasant stretch of rock studded beach is Kappakkadavu. To the tourist it is one of the most charming of Kerala's beaches. Kappad finds mention in history and geography texts as the gateway to the Malabar coast. Here, 501 years ago, 170 men led by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) sailed in and stepped into Kerala. This marked the beginning of a new era and new relationship between the Indians and the Portuguese which lasted for 4 to 5 centuries later. The story of a long and tumultuous socio-political relationship between India and Europe. It was the spices and wealth of Malabar that first brought the Arabs, the Phoenicans, the Greeks, the Romans, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English to Kerala. Kappad has witnessed many such landings.

Bekal.

The nearest airport to Bekal Beach is Mangalore in Karnataka, India, which is 50 Km away

The Bekal Beach is located near Bekal Fort. This fort is one of the best-maintained historic forts in Kerala. Situated on a headland that extends for 35 acres and reaches into the Arabian Sea. On this rocky beach stands a Fort Worth visiting. Long palm-fringed give this beach an additional beauty. As you visit the fort, you can feel the depth of deep blue Lakshdweep Sea. Once you go to the top of the tower you will have a wonderful experience of viewing the entire beach at one glance. Kozhikode, an old fashioned town with fisherman community is also worth a visit.

Other beaches :

Vallikunnu Beach :- A beach resort set in the middle of a coconut grove is the main attraction here. The Kadalundi bird sanctuary is just a short distance away.

Valiathura :- (10 km from Thiruvananthapuram) Located near Shankhumugham, this was once the only port along the South Kerala coast. During monsoons, fishermen carry their catamarans to the edge of the Valiathura Pier which is 703 ft long, throw them into the sea, then jump in and swim to it.

Valapattanam :- about 7 km from Kannur town, Kannur district, north Kerala.
The largest wood-based industry in South East Asia, a beautiful fishing harbour etc

Thiruvambady Beach :- 1 km from Thiruvambady Road) Calm and serene, this solitary beach is adjacent to the North Cliff. Thiruvambady or the Black Sand Beach is an ideal place for those seeking peace and solitude and can be easily reached by climbing down the cliff or driving down a kilometre.

Shankhumugham Beach : - Just 8 km from the city, this is a favourite haunt of sunset watchers. The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport and Veli Tourist Village. An indoor recreation club, the matsya kanyaka (a gigantic, 35 m long sculpture of a mermaid) and a restaurant shaped like a starfish are some of the attractions here. Chacha Nehru Traffic Training Park here provides opportunity for children to learn the traffic rules.

Poovar :- (12 km south of Kovalam) An isolated but spectacular beach, Poovar is situated close to the Neyyar River estuary. A trading port in its early days, it is today an important tourist destination.

Papanasham Beach :- (10 mts from Varkala) A dip in the Papanasham sea is considered holy. A remarkable feature here is the long stretch of red laterite cliffs fringing the beach. The cliff-top is an ideal place to watch the spectacular sunset. A natural spring, said to have curative properties, originates from the cliff.

Must see places in Kerala

1. Alappuzha- “Venice of the East”.

Alappuzha is a Land Mark between the broad Arabian sea and a net work of rivers flowing into it. 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. Fascinated by the Scenic beauty of the place, in joy and amazement, he said, “Here nature has spent up on the land her richest bounties”. In his exhilaration, it is said, he exclaimed, “Alleppey, the Venice of the East”. Thus the sobriquet found its place in the world Tourism Map. The presence of a port and a pier, criss -cross roads and numerous bridges across them, a long and unbroken sea coast might have motivated him to make this comparison.

2. Ernakulam – “commercial capital of Kerala”

Ernakulam is the green commercial capital of Kerala with one of the finest natural harbours in the world. From here, ships set sail for foreign ports with pepper, sea food, rubber and coir. From times immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British and Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to Cochin and left their impression in the town. The harbour is the nucleus around which Cochin has grown to become the Queen of the Arabian Sea.

Idukki
This beautiful High range district of Kerala is geographically known for its Mountainous Hills and Dense Forests. For the people of Kerala, Idukki is always associated with Power Generation. About 66% of the State's Power needs come from the Hydroelectric Power Projects in Idukki. Idukki accounts for 12.9 percent of the area of Kerala and only 3.7 percent of the population of Kerala. About 50% of its area is Reserved Forests.

Kannur
Kannur district derived its name from the location of its headquarters at Kannur town. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. According to one opinion, 'Kannur' is a derivation from Kanathur, an ancient village, the name of which survives even today in one of the wards of Kannur Municipality.Another version is that Kannur might have assumed its name from one of the , deities of the Hindu pantheon, a compound of two words, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place)making it the placeof Lord Krishna. In this context, it is worth mentioning that the deity of the Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was originally installed in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the south eastern part of the present Kannur town.

Kasaragod
Kasargod, the land of seven languages and several cultures. The name, Kasaragod, is said to be derived from the word Kusirakood meaning Nuxvomica forests (Kanjirakuttom). Kasaragod district was formed on May 24. 1984, with the intention of bestowing maximum attention on the development of backward areas that. With the formation of the new district, comprising the erstwhile Kasaragod and Hosdurg taluks, it has become possible to develop this coastal area fruitfully.

Periyar
Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats, in Kerala, is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. The park has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a perennial source of water for the local wildlife. Herds of elephant and sambar, gaur and wild pigs wander down to the lakeside and can be observed from the launches that cruise the lake. In March and April, during the driest period here, the animals spend a lot of time near the lake and the elephants can be seen bathing and swimming in the reservoir.

Thiruvananthapuram
Thiru-v-anatha-puram is a three sylable name meaning the abode of the sacred snake god "Anantha". Lord Vishnu of the ancient Indian mytholgy rests on this huge serpent. This city and district are also popularly known by its anglicised name Trivandrum.

About Kerala

The beauty of Kerala cannot be just written or explained, it has to be experienced. Fringed with coconut palms that carpet the land from hills to shores, Kerala, the south-western state of India, is a land of many enchantments. Emerald green backwaters drench every pockets of this leaf-shaped country. Sun-kissed golden sands sprawled on the pristine Kerala beaches snatch every emotion of a solitary traveller. Dark, deep forest reserves carrying spicy aroma houses many exotic species in their sleeves. And above all, it is the magic of Ayurveda, that refreshes you again and again for a more exhilarating journey and you continue to do so in this God's Own Country.