Kovalam Beach, only International Beach in India

Kovalam is a region in the city of

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination.

Etymology

Kovalam means "

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

grove," after the coconut trees which are common there.

History

Kovalam first received attention when the Regent Maharani

Sethu Lakshmi Bayi Pooradam Thirunal Sethu Lakshmi Bayi CI (5 November 1895– 22 February 1985) was the monarch, though designated as the Regent due to British policy, of the Kingdom of Travancore in southern India between 1924 and 1931. She, along with her yo ...

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 ...

constructed her beach resort,

Halcyon Castle ] Halcyon Castle (now called The Kovalam Palace) was built in 1932 in the princely state of Travancore, in the modern-day state of Kerala, India. It was constructed by M.R.Ry Sri Rama Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran, the consort of Maharani Sethu Lak ...

, here towards the end of the 1920s. Thereafter the place was brought to the public eye by her nephew the

Maharaja of Travancore The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was annexed into Indi ...

. The European guests of the then

kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. In the early 1970s many

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

s came on their way to

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

in the

Hippie Trail Hippie trail (also the overland) is the name given to the overland journey taken by members of the hippie subculture and others from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s between Europe and South Asia, mainly from Turkey through Iran, Afghanistan ...

, beginning the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into a significant tourist destination.

Geography

Beaches

Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the crescent of the Kovalam beach. * Lighthouse Beach :The southernmost beach, the Lighthouse Beach, is the one most frequented by tourists. It got its name due to the old Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on top of the Kurumkal hillock, 35 metres high. The lighthouse is built using stones, is colored in red and white bands and stands at a height of 118 feet (36 m). * Hawah Beach :Eve’s Beach, more commonly known as Hawa Beach, ranks second, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen setting out for sea. It consists of a high rock promontory and a bay. * Samudra Beach :A large promontory separates this part from the southern side. The local fishermen ply their trade on this part. Detour past Kovalam junction to land on Samudra Beach which is to the north of Ashoka Beach. One has the option to walk along the sea-wall too, where the sea can be sighted above the rocks. Shallow waters stretching for hundreds of metres are ideal for swimming. The beaches have steep palm covered headlands and are lined with shops that offer a variety of goods and services. 01KovalamBeach&Kerala

Places to visit

* Karamana River - Karamana River originates from the southern part of Sahyadri Range. The river predominantly flows through an outskirt region of Kovalam called Karmana, hence the nomenclature. * Vellayani Lake * Halcyon Castle * Kovalam Art Gallery * Valiyathura Pier * Neyyar Dam * Aruvikkara Dam * Thiruvallam Parasurama Temple * Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave Temple Kovalamsunset

Tourist facilities

There are a large number of beach resorts in and around Kovalam. The sea port of

Vizhinjam Vizhinjam is a region located in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala in India. It is located 16 km south west from the city centre and 17 km south of Trivandrum International Airport along NH66. Adani Por ...

is about 3 km away and famous for its special varieties of fish, old Hindu temples, churches and a mosque. The Proposed International Trans shipment Terminal at

is also close to Kovalam. Kovalam was among the most prominent

tourist spot Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

s in India during the

hippy A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

era. It still has a high status among tourists, who arrive mostly from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and Israel. Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several

Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists. Kovalam Beach Resort Leela Hotel Balcolnies

Kovalam Beach Resort Leela Hotel Balcolnies

One of the first hotels to open there was the Kovalam Beach Resort, which was designed by

Charles Correa Charles Mark Correa (1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban poo ...

from 1969–74.

Transport

The nearest train station is

Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station Thiruvananthapuram Central, formerly Trivandrum Central (also known as Thampanoor railway station) (station code: TVC), is a major railway station which serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), capital of Kerala state, In ...

, about away. The nearest airport is

Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...

, about away.

Politics

Kovalam assembly constituency is part of Trivandrum (Lok Sabha constituency). In 2016 Kerala Assembly elections, M Vincent of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

defeated incumbent Jameela Prakasham by over 2,500 votes.

Gallery

Image:Lighthouse Kovalam.jpg, Kovalam Light House Image:Kovalam Beach (TUI) - 2016.JPG, Kovalam Light House beach Image:Kovalam Lighthouse Beach.JPG, Lighthouse beach Image:Kovalam Hawah Beach.JPG, Hawwah beach (Eves beach) Image:Kovalam Samodra Beach.JPG, Samudra beach Image:Kovalam - view from the lighthouse.jpg, Kovalam beach - view from lighthouse File:Kovalam2011.JPG, Kovalam Beach - View from lighthouse (other side) Image:Kovalam Leela.JPG, Kovalam beach with Leela Kovalam in the background Image:FishingBoat-KovalamBeach-Kerala-India-May2002.jpg, Fishermen and bystanders bringing a fishing boat ashore on Kovalam (Lighthouse) beach (May 2002)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Beaches of Kerala Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram Villages in Thiruvananthapuram district Populated coastal places in India