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Kumarakom Lake Resort Entrance
Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam (), in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala. History Kumarakom was within the jurisdiction of the king of Thekkumkur while that kingdom existed, and it was usual to have fighting and competitions among local kings. Small boats called ''Chundan Vallam'' and '' Kettu Vallam'' were widely used among the local kings for their lightning attacks and fighting in central Travancore. During those days Vembanad Lake was a dangerous area; therefore the king of Thekkumcore kept soldiers in Kumarakom and constructed a fort at the entrance of Kottathodu in Kumarakom. Soldiers were kept in certain areas of Kumarakom for protection against enemy attacks; some of those places still have "pada" (meaning war) in their names, such as Padakkalam and Padanilam. The remains of the fort's wall, six feet broad, can sti ...
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Houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power. ''Float house'' is a Canadian and American term for a house on a float (raft); a rough house may be called a ''shanty boat''. In Western countries, houseboats tend to be either owned privately or rented out to holiday-goers, and on some canals in Europe, people dwell in houseboats all year round. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, Amsterdam, London, and Paris. Africa South Africa There are a few houseboat options in South Africa, including self-drive houseboats on the Knysna, Knysna Lagoon and fully catered luxury houseboats on Pongolapoort Dam, Lake Jozini. There has been a number of serious incidents with houseboat fires in the country. On 19 November 2016, four pe ...
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Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger oceans, they do form part of the Earth's water cycle. Lakes are distinct from lagoons, which are generally coastal parts of the ocean. Lakes are typically larger and deeper than ponds, which also lie on land, though there are no official or scientific definitions. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which usually flow in a channel on land. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams. Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers, where a river channel has widened into a basin. Some parts of the world have many lakes formed by the chaotic drainage patterns left over from the la ...
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Etroplus Suratensis
The green chromide (''Etroplus suratensis'') is a species of cichlid fish that is native to fresh and brackish water habitats in some parts in India such as Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Sri Lanka. The species was first described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1790. This species and other members of the genus ''Etroplus'' are relatively closely related to the ''Paretroplus'' cichlids from Madagascar. Other common names include pearlspot cichlid, banded pearlspot, and striped chromide. In Kerala, it is known locally as ''karimeen''. In Tamil Nadu, it is known locally as the ''pappan'' or ''pappa'' In Goa, the fish is known as ''kalundar''. In Odisha, the local name is ''kundal''. In Sri Lanka this fish is known as ''Mal koraliya''. It has been introduced in various parts of the world outside its native range, including Singapore, where it occurs in estuaries. The Government of Kerala declared pearlspot as the official fish of Kerala. Habitat and behavior The green chr ...
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Pearl Spot
The green chromide (''Etroplus suratensis'') is a species of cichlid fish that is native to fresh and brackish water habitats in some parts in India such as Kerala, Goa, Chilika Lake in Odisha and Sri Lanka. The species was first described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1790. This species and other members of the genus ''Etroplus'' are relatively closely related to the ''Paretroplus'' cichlids from Madagascar. Other common names include pearlspot cichlid, banded pearlspot, and striped chromide. In Kerala, it is known locally as ''karimeen''. In Tamil Nadu, it is known locally as the ''pappan'' or ''pappa'' In Goa, the fish is known as ''kalundar''. In Odisha, the local name is ''kundal''. In Sri Lanka this fish is known as ''Mal koraliya''. It has been introduced in various parts of the world outside its native range, including Singapore, where it occurs in estuaries. The Government of Kerala declared pearlspot as the official fish of Kerala. Habitat and behavior The green chr ...
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Migratory Birds
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by humans, and is driven primarily by the availability of food. It occurs mainly in the northern hemisphere, where birds are funneled onto specific routes by natural barriers such as the Mediterranean Sea or the Caribbean Sea. Migration of species such as storks, turtle doves, and swallows was recorded as many as 3,000 years ago by Ancient Greek authors, including Homer and Aristotle, and in the Book of Job. More recently, Johannes Leche began recording dates of arrivals of spring migrants in Finland in 1749, and modern scientific studies have used techniques including bird ringing and Animal migration tracking#Satellite tracking, satellite tracking to trace migrants. Threats to migratory birds have grown with habitat destruction, especially ...
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Wildlife Sanctuaries Of India
A Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide opportunities for study or research. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for the establishment of Protected Areas in India. Wildlife sanctuaries of India, are classified as IUCN Category IV protected areas. As of 2017, 553 wildlife sanctuaries were established in India, covering . Among these, Project Tiger governs 51 tiger reserves, which are of special significance for the conservation of the Bengal tiger. The oldest bird sanctuary is Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary near Chennai in Tamil Nadu state, and was established in 1796. List of Wildlife Sanctuaries Wildlife Sanctuaries have been established in: Andaman and Nicobar Islands # Arial Island WLS # Bamboo Island WLS # Barren Island WLS # Battimalv Island WLS # Belle Island WLS # Benett Island WLS # Bingham Island WLS # Blister Island W ...
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Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (also known as Vembanad Bird Sanctuary) is situated at Kumarakom in Kottayam taluk of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, on the banks of Vembanad Lake. Set in the Kerala Backwaters, the bird sanctuary is visited by many migratory bird species. History Developed in a rubber plantation as a bird sanctuary by Englishman George Alfred Baker, the sanctuary was formerly known as Baker's Estate.Ayub, Akber (ed), ''Kerala: Maps & More'', ''Kumarakom'', 2006 edition 2007 reprint, p. 53, Stark World Publishing, Bangalore, The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation currently manages the sanctuary. Geography The sanctuary is spread over on the southern bank of the Meenachil River River. Kumarakom is from Kottayam. State Highway No. 1 leads to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in opposite directions. Kochi International Airport at Nedumbassery is from Kumarakom. Neighbouring areas such as Kaipuzha Muttu, Pathirmanal, Narakathara, Thollairam Kayal, and ...
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Fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoologists and paleontologists use ''fauna'' to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess Shale fauna". Paleontologists sometimes refer to a sequence of faunal stages, which is a series of rocks all containing similar fossils. The study of animals of a particular region is called faunistics. Etymology ''Fauna'' comes from the name Fauna, a Roman goddess of earth and fertility, the Roman god Faunus, and the related forest spirits called Fauns. All three words are cognates of the name of the Greek god Pan, and ''panis'' is the Greek equivalent of fauna. ''Fauna'' is also the word for a book that catalogues the animals in such a manner. The term was first used b ...
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Flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. Etymology The word "flora" comes from the Latin name of Flora, the goddess of plants, flowers, and fertility in Roman mythology. The technical term "flora" is then derived from a metonymy of this goddess at the end of the sixteenth century. It was first used in poetry to denote the natural vegetation of an area, but soon also assumed the meaning of a work cataloguing such vegetation. Moreover, "Flora" was used to refer to the flowers of an artificial garden in the seventeenth century. The distinction between vegetation (the general appearance of a community) and flora (the taxonomic composition of a community) was first made by Jules Thurmann (1849). Prior to this, the two terms were used indiscriminately.Thurmann, J. (1849). ''Essai de ...
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Padanilam
Padanilam is a town located in ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district, Kerala. The word ''Padanilam'' means "land of battles" (''pada'' means "battle" and ''nilam'' means "land"). It is located on the banks of river Achankovil. The Padanilam temple is one of the important centres of worship in Kerala. Nooranad is named as the Nandikesha Paithruka Gramam (Heritage village of ''Nandikesha'') by the Government of Kerala due to its importance in ''kettukala'' construction, which is an icon of Onattukara region. The ''Shivaratri'' is the most important festival in Padanilam. It is the biggest ''Shivaratri kettukazhcha'' in Kerala and it is second only to Aluva Shivaratri in terms of crowd gathering. Personalities *Venad Sivankutty (Writer,Drama) *Ajanthalayam Ajithkumar (mangalam TV) *Viswan Padanilam (novelist) *Reji v Greenland (Book review writer,short story,poet) *Rekha R Thankal (poet) *Edappon Ajikumar (Short story) *Subees padanilam (Lyrics writer,music director and Vi ...
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Vembanad
Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Vembanadu Lake in Kottayam, Vaikom, Changanassery, Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, Punnappra, Kuttanadu and Kochi Lake in Kochi. Several groups of small islands including Vypin, Mulavukad, Maradu, Udayamperoor, Vallarpadam, Willingdon Island are located in the Kochi Lake portion. Kochi Port is built around the Willingdon Island and the Vallarpadam island. Kuttanad, also known as ''The Rice Bowl of Kerala'', has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in world where cultivation takes place below sea level. Kuttanad lies on the southern portion of Vembanad. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in a portion of the lake. High levels of pollution have been noticed at certain hotspots of the Vembanad backwaters. The Gov ...
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Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala ( Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts, and some portions of Ernakulam district), and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari district and some parts of Tenkasi district) with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram district, were British colonies and were part of the Malabar District until 30 June 1927, and Tirunelveli district from 1 July 1927 onwards. Travancore merged with the erstwhile princely state of Cochin to form Travancore-Cochin i ...
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