GOD’S OWN COUNTRY
Kerala, endlessly vivid.
Water, mountains, spice, art, wildlife, and a culture carried proudly across the world.
A place you can see, taste, hear, and feel.
For IMA families, Kerala is more than a place on a map. It lives in celebrations, language, music, meals, memories, and the traditions shared with each new generation in Indiana.
For IMA families, Kerala is more than a place on a map. It lives in celebrations, language, music, meals, memories, and the traditions shared with each new generation in Indiana.
Scroll through a living portrait of home.
Scroll through a living portrait of home.
WHERE KERALA SITS
KERALA AT A GLANCE
KERALA AT A GLANCE
A slender green state between mountains and sea.
Kerala runs along India’s southwestern coast, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Its highlands, midlands, beaches, rivers, and backwaters create remarkable variety within a compact state.
Kerala runs along India’s southwestern coast, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Its highlands, midlands, beaches, rivers, and backwaters create remarkable variety within a compact state.
CAPITAL
Thiruvananthapuram
STATE FORMED
November 1, 1956
DISTRICTS
14
AREA
38,863 km²
LANGUAGE
Malayalam
LANDSCAPE
Coast · Backwaters · Ghats
A SHORT HISTORY
The spice coast that connected worlds.
Kerala’s history is shaped by maritime trade, powerful regional kingdoms, religious and cultural exchange, European colonial competition, social reform, and the formation of the modern state.
01 · ANCIENT KERALA
Pepper, ports, and the global spice trade
Pepper, ports, and the global spice trade
Kerala’s coast welcomed traders from the Mediterranean, Arabia, and Asia. Spices made ports such as ancient Muziris part of long distance commercial networks and brought languages, faiths, and ideas into contact.
02 · KINGDOMS AND PORT CITIES
Chera heritage and a cosmopolitan coast
Chera heritage and a cosmopolitan coast
Regional powers including the Cheras shaped political and cultural life. Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, and other ports became important meeting points for Arab, Chinese, Jewish, Christian, and local communities.
03 · EUROPEAN ARRIVALS
Competition for the Malabar spice coast
Competition for the Malabar spice coast
Vasco da Gama’s arrival in 1498 opened a new phase of European competition. Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British influence left visible traces in forts, churches, palaces, trade centers, and coastal towns.
04 · MODERN KERALA
Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, and statehood
Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, and statehood
Modern Kerala brought together the historic regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Travancore and Cochin joined in 1949, and the present state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956.
LAND AND WATER
LAND AND WATER
Three landscapes.
One unforgettable journey.
Kerala rises from the Arabian Sea through fertile midlands into the Western Ghats. Rivers, forests, wetlands, plantations, and coastlines sit remarkably close to one another.
Kerala rises from the Arabian Sea through fertile midlands into the Western Ghats. Rivers, forests, wetlands, plantations, and coastlines sit remarkably close to one another.
Coast and Beaches
A long tropical shoreline with famous beaches at Kovalam, Varkala, Marari, and beyond.
Rivers and Backwaters
Forty four rivers and an intricate network of lakes and canals shape daily life and agriculture.
The Western Ghats
Rainforests, tea and spice hills, wildlife reserves, and cool mountain escapes rise in the east.
LIVING CULTURE
LIVING CULTURE
Ancient forms, living voices, open hearts.
Malayalam is Kerala’s principal language, and English is widely understood in visitor areas. Cultural life blends classical art, ritual performance, martial traditions, literature, cinema, music, and celebrations shared across religious communities.
Malayalam is Kerala’s principal language, and English is widely understood in visitor areas. Cultural life blends classical art, ritual performance, martial traditions, literature, cinema, music, and celebrations shared across religious communities.
Art and performance
Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Kutiyattam, percussion traditions, and Kalaripayattu.
Festivals and gathering
Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, boat races, Theyyam season, church feasts, and community celebrations.
Ayurveda and wellbeing
A long tradition of herbal knowledge, massage, diet, and seasonal wellness practiced through qualified centers.
PLACES TO VISIT
PLACES TO VISIT
Choose a region. Discover a different Kerala.
Kerala has 14 districts, each with its own landscapes and culture. These three regional routes are a simple starting point for a first visit.
Kerala has 14 districts, each with its own landscapes and culture. These three regional routes are a simple starting point for a first visit.
SOUTH KERALA
Capital, cliffs, beaches, and sacred journeys
Thiruvananthapuram · Kovalam · Varkala · Kollam and Ashtamudi · Thenmala · Jatayu Earth’s Center · Pathanamthitta
CENTRAL KERALA
The classic first Kerala journey
Kochi and Fort Kochi · Alappuzha · Kumarakom · Munnar · Thekkady and Periyar · Thrissur · Athirappilly · Palakkad
NORTH KERALA
Wild hills and the cultural north
Wayanad · Kozhikode · Kannur and Theyyam country · Muzhappilangad · Bekal Fort · Kasaragod · Malabar food trails
CELEBRATION AS MEMORY
CELEBRATION AS MEMORY
A calendar written in flowers, rhythm, fire, and water.
Kerala’s festivals cross faiths and regions. They fill courtyards with pookalam, temples with percussion, village shrines with ritual performance, and waterways with racing chundan vallams.
Kerala’s festivals cross faiths and regions. They fill courtyards with pookalam, temples with percussion, village shrines with ritual performance, and waterways with racing chundan vallams.
Onam
Kerala’s harvest celebration brings together pookalam, sadya, music, dance, games, and the homecoming story of Mahabali.
Vishu
The Malayalam new year tradition begins with Vishukkani, an auspicious arrangement first seen at dawn, followed by family rituals and fireworks.
Thrissur Pooram
A spectacular temple festival known for orchestral percussion, ceremonial parasols, illuminated grounds, and immense public energy.
Theyyam
In northern Kerala, painted faces, towering headdresses, fire, drums, and sacred storytelling transform local shrines into powerful ritual theatres.
Vallam Kali
Long snake boats move as one to the cadence of hundreds of oars and boat songs.
Attukal Pongala
Thousands of women gather across Thiruvananthapuram to cook pongala offerings side by side, in one of the world’s largest gatherings of women.
Pulikali
Painted tiger dancers fill the streets of Thrissur during Onam, moving to heavy drums in a bold and playful street carnival.
Kathakali
Classical dance-drama told through sculpted costume, layered makeup, and precise expression drawn from Kerala’s temple tradition.
Christmas in Kerala
Star lanterns, midnight mass, carol rounds, and shared feasts light up churches and homes through December.
Eid · Perunnal
Families gather for prayer, new clothes, biryani, and open houses as Kerala’s Muslim communities mark Eid together.
Palli Perunnal
Parish feast days bring processions, drums, decorated churches, and shared community meals to towns across Kerala.
THE WESTERN GHATS TO THE ARABIAN SEA
THE WESTERN GHATS TO THE ARABIAN SEA
Wild by design.
Kerala compresses extraordinary ecosystems into a narrow state: tropical coast, interconnected backwaters, rainforest, tea country, waterfalls, and protected habitats along the biodiversity rich Western Ghats.
Kerala compresses extraordinary ecosystems into a narrow state: tropical coast, interconnected backwaters, rainforest, tea country, waterfalls, and protected habitats along the biodiversity rich Western Ghats.
Wildlife and protected landscapes
Periyar, Eravikulam, Silent Valley, Wayanad, and other protected areas shelter elephants, Nilgiri tahr, lion tailed macaques, hornbills, and rich plant life.
Mountains and tea
Munnar, Wayanad, Vagamon, and Thekkady reward slower journeys.
Backwaters, rivers, falls
Explore Alappuzha and Kumarakom, then trace rivers inland toward Athirappilly and forest waterfalls.
KERALA, INFLUENTIAL BY NATURE
Ideas travel far from Kerala.
Kerala is widely known for strong education and health outcomes, an influential public sphere, celebrated literature and cinema, and a global Malayali community.
38,863
38,863
square kilometres
14
14
districts
44
44
rivers
580 km
580 km
Arabian Sea coastline
Education
Education
High literacy and a deep reading culture shape everyday civic life, publishing, newspapers, libraries, and public debate.
High literacy and a deep reading culture shape everyday civic life, publishing, newspapers, libraries, and public debate.
Healthcare
Healthcare
Kerala’s public health story is frequently studied for the relationship between social development, access, local institutions, and community participation.
Kerala’s public health story is frequently studied for the relationship between social development, access, local institutions, and community participation.
Cinema and art
Cinema and art
Malayalam cinema is admired for strong writing and performance. Kerala also sustains mural art, contemporary practice, music, theatre, and the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
Malayalam cinema is admired for strong writing and performance. Kerala also sustains mural art, contemporary practice, music, theatre, and the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
Literature
Literature
Writers such as Kumaran Asan, Vallathol, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Thakazhi, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and O. N. V. Kurup helped shape modern Malayalam literature.
Writers such as Kumaran Asan, Vallathol, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Thakazhi, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and O. N. V. Kurup helped shape modern Malayalam literature.
People
People
Sree Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal, Ayyankali, K. R. Narayanan, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, and many artists, scientists, athletes, and entrepreneurs have influenced India and the world.
Sree Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal, Ayyankali, K. R. Narayanan, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, and many artists, scientists, athletes, and entrepreneurs have influenced India and the world.
Sports
Sports
Football has a passionate following, while athletics, cricket, badminton, rowing, and traditional contests connect school grounds, clubs, and international competition.
Football has a passionate following, while athletics, cricket, badminton, rowing, and traditional contests connect school grounds, clubs, and international competition.
TEN PLACES, TEN MOODS
TEN PLACES, TEN MOODS
Choose a Kerala that feels like you.
Kerala rewards a journey built around contrasts: contemporary cities and quiet waterways, pilgrimage routes and creative districts, surf towns and mountain mornings.
Kerala rewards a journey built around contrasts: contemporary cities and quiet waterways, pilgrimage routes and creative districts, surf towns and mountain mornings.
01
Kochi
Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, art, food, harbour history, and a global city energy.
02
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala’s capital, museums, heritage, technology, and an easy gateway to Kovalam.
03
Kozhikode
Malabar food, beaches, trade history, and a warm northern Kerala character.
04
Thrissur
A cultural capital of percussion, festivals, performing arts, and institutions.
05
Alappuzha
Houseboats, canals, paddy country, coir heritage, and life close to the water.
06
Munnar
Tea estates, cool air, mountain viewpoints, and Eravikulam National Park.
07
Wayanad
Forests, caves, wildlife, plantations, and Indigenous communities in the north east.
08
Thekkady
Periyar, spice gardens, forest edges, lake views, and cooler highland evenings.
09
Varkala
Red cliffs, beach days, pilgrimage, wellness, cafes, and dramatic Arabian Sea sunsets.
10
Kumarakom + Kovalam
Two classic escapes: Vembanad backwater calm and a southern beach landmark.
TRUSTED PLANNING
TRUSTED PLANNING
Start with official Kerala resources.
Travel rules, festival dates, opening hours, and local conditions can change. Check official sources close to your trip.
A VISUAL JOURNEY
Eight windows into Kerala.
Backwaters
Backwaters at Dawn
Alappuzha
Houseboats, coconut palms, and quiet waterways reveal Kerala at its most serene.
Mountains
Munnar in the Mist
Munnar
Rolling tea gardens climb through the Western Ghats beneath soft mountain clouds.
Beaches
Varkala Cliffs
Varkala
Red cliffs, palms, and the Arabian Sea create one of Kerala’s most dramatic coastlines.
Food
The Kerala Sadya
Across Kerala
A generous vegetarian feast served on banana leaf, made for celebration and sharing.
Wildlife and Tradition
Festival Heritage
Kerala
Elephants, ceremonial color, and percussion are part of Kerala’s powerful festival imagery.
Performing Arts
Kathakali
Kerala
Expression, costume, music, and mythology come together in Kerala’s iconic classical art form.
Beaches
Tropical Coast
Kovalam and the Kerala Coast
Warm water, fishing villages, palms, and long horizons define Kerala’s coastal rhythm.
Food and Farms
Tropical Abundance
Kerala
Banana, coconut, spices, and fresh produce shape the colors and flavors of everyday Kerala.
Carry Kerala forward, together in Indiana.
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY
Kerala, endlessly vivid.
Water, mountains, spice, art, wildlife, and a culture carried proudly across the world.
A place you can see, taste, hear, and feel.
For IMA families, Kerala is more than a place on a map. It lives in celebrations, language, music, meals, memories, and the traditions shared with each new generation in Indiana.
Scroll through a living portrait of home.
WHERE KERALA SITS
KERALA AT A GLANCE
A slender green state between mountains and sea.
Kerala runs along India’s southwestern coast, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Its highlands, midlands, beaches, rivers, and backwaters create remarkable variety within a compact state.
CAPITAL
Thiruvananthapuram
STATE FORMED
November 1, 1956
DISTRICTS
14
AREA
38,863 km²
LANGUAGE
Malayalam
LANDSCAPE
Coast · Backwaters · Ghats
A SHORT HISTORY
The spice coast that connected worlds.
Kerala’s history is shaped by maritime trade, powerful regional kingdoms, religious and cultural exchange, European colonial competition, social reform, and the formation of the modern state.
01 · ANCIENT KERALA
Pepper, ports, and the global spice trade
Kerala’s coast welcomed traders from the Mediterranean, Arabia, and Asia. Spices made ports such as ancient Muziris part of long distance commercial networks and brought languages, faiths, and ideas into contact.
02 · KINGDOMS AND PORT CITIES
Chera heritage and a cosmopolitan coast
Regional powers including the Cheras shaped political and cultural life. Kozhikode, Kochi, Kollam, and other ports became important meeting points for Arab, Chinese, Jewish, Christian, and local communities.
03 · EUROPEAN ARRIVALS
Competition for the Malabar spice coast
Vasco da Gama’s arrival in 1498 opened a new phase of European competition. Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British influence left visible traces in forts, churches, palaces, trade centers, and coastal towns.
04 · MODERN KERALA
Travancore, Cochin, Malabar, and statehood
Modern Kerala brought together the historic regions of Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. Travancore and Cochin joined in 1949, and the present state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956.
LAND AND WATER
Three landscapes.
One unforgettable journey.
Kerala rises from the Arabian Sea through fertile midlands into the Western Ghats. Rivers, forests, wetlands, plantations, and coastlines sit remarkably close to one another.
Coast and Beaches
A long tropical shoreline with famous beaches at Kovalam, Varkala, Marari, and beyond.
Rivers and Backwaters
Forty four rivers and an intricate network of lakes and canals shape daily life and agriculture.
The Western Ghats
Rainforests, tea and spice hills, wildlife reserves, and cool mountain escapes rise in the east.
LIVING CULTURE
Ancient forms, living voices, open hearts.
Malayalam is Kerala’s principal language, and English is widely understood in visitor areas. Cultural life blends classical art, ritual performance, martial traditions, literature, cinema, music, and celebrations shared across religious communities.
Art and performance
Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Kutiyattam, percussion traditions, and Kalaripayattu.
Festivals and gathering
Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, boat races, Theyyam season, church feasts, and community celebrations.
Ayurveda and wellbeing
A long tradition of herbal knowledge, massage, diet, and seasonal wellness practiced through qualified centers.
PLACES TO VISIT
Choose a region. Discover a different Kerala.
Kerala has 14 districts, each with its own landscapes and culture. These three regional routes are a simple starting point for a first visit.
SOUTH KERALA
Capital, cliffs, beaches, and sacred journeys
Thiruvananthapuram · Kovalam · Varkala · Kollam and Ashtamudi · Thenmala · Jatayu Earth’s Center · Pathanamthitta
CENTRAL KERALA
The classic first Kerala journey
Kochi and Fort Kochi · Alappuzha · Kumarakom · Munnar · Thekkady and Periyar · Thrissur · Athirappilly · Palakkad
NORTH KERALA
Wild hills and the cultural north
Wayanad · Kozhikode · Kannur and Theyyam country · Muzhappilangad · Bekal Fort · Kasaragod · Malabar food trails
CELEBRATION AS MEMORY
A calendar written in flowers, rhythm, fire, and water.
Kerala’s festivals cross faiths and regions. They fill courtyards with pookalam, temples with percussion, village shrines with ritual performance, and waterways with racing chundan vallams.
Onam
Kerala’s harvest celebration brings together pookalam, sadya, music, dance, games, and the homecoming story of Mahabali.
Vishu
The Malayalam new year tradition begins with Vishukkani, an auspicious arrangement first seen at dawn, followed by family rituals and fireworks.
Thrissur Pooram
A spectacular temple festival known for orchestral percussion, ceremonial parasols, illuminated grounds, and immense public energy.
Theyyam
In northern Kerala, painted faces, towering headdresses, fire, drums, and sacred storytelling transform local shrines into powerful ritual theatres.
Vallam Kali
Long snake boats move as one to the cadence of hundreds of oars and boat songs.
Attukal Pongala
Thousands of women gather across Thiruvananthapuram to cook pongala offerings side by side, in one of the world’s largest gatherings of women.
Pulikali
Painted tiger dancers fill the streets of Thrissur during Onam, moving to heavy drums in a bold and playful street carnival.
Kathakali
Classical dance-drama told through sculpted costume, layered makeup, and precise expression drawn from Kerala’s temple tradition.
Christmas in Kerala
Star lanterns, midnight mass, carol rounds, and shared feasts light up churches and homes through December.
Eid · Perunnal
Families gather for prayer, new clothes, biryani, and open houses as Kerala’s Muslim communities mark Eid together.
Palli Perunnal
Parish feast days bring processions, drums, decorated churches, and shared community meals to towns across Kerala.
THE WESTERN GHATS TO THE ARABIAN SEA
Wild by design.
Kerala compresses extraordinary ecosystems into a narrow state: tropical coast, interconnected backwaters, rainforest, tea country, waterfalls, and protected habitats along the biodiversity rich Western Ghats.
Wildlife and protected landscapes
Periyar, Eravikulam, Silent Valley, Wayanad, and other protected areas shelter elephants, Nilgiri tahr, lion tailed macaques, hornbills, and rich plant life.
Mountains and tea
Munnar, Wayanad, Vagamon, and Thekkady reward slower journeys.
Backwaters, rivers, falls
Explore Alappuzha and Kumarakom, then trace rivers inland toward Athirappilly and forest waterfalls.
KERALA, INFLUENTIAL BY NATURE
Ideas travel far from Kerala.
Kerala is widely known for strong education and health outcomes, an influential public sphere, celebrated literature and cinema, and a global Malayali community.
38,863
square kilometres
14
districts
44
rivers
580 km
Arabian Sea coastline
Education
Strong literacy, libraries, publishing, and public debate shape everyday civic life.
Healthcare
Kerala’s public health model links access, local institutions, and community participation.
Cinema and art
Malayalam cinema, theatre, music, murals, and contemporary art carry Kerala’s creative voice.
Literature
Writers from Kumaran Asan to Vaikom Muhammad Basheer helped define modern Malayalam literature.
People
Sree Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal, Ayyankali, K. R. Narayanan, E. M. S. Namboodiripad, and many artists, scientists, athletes, and entrepreneurs have influenced India and the world.
Sports
Football has a passionate following, while athletics, cricket, badminton, rowing, and traditional contests connect school grounds, clubs, and international competition.
TEN PLACES, TEN MOODS
Choose a Kerala that feels like you.
Kerala rewards a journey built around contrasts: contemporary cities and quiet waterways, pilgrimage routes and creative districts, surf towns and mountain mornings.
01
Kochi
Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, art, food, harbour history, and a global city energy.
02
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala’s capital, museums, heritage, technology, and an easy gateway to Kovalam.
03
Kozhikode
Malabar food, beaches, trade history, and a warm northern Kerala character.
04
Thrissur
A cultural capital of percussion, festivals, performing arts, and institutions.
05
Alappuzha
Houseboats, canals, paddy country, coir heritage, and life close to the water.
06
Munnar
Tea estates, cool air, mountain viewpoints, and Eravikulam National Park.
07
Wayanad
Forests, caves, wildlife, plantations, and Indigenous communities in the north east.
08
Thekkady
Periyar, spice gardens, forest edges, lake views, and cooler highland evenings.
09
Varkala
Red cliffs, beach days, pilgrimage, wellness, cafes, and dramatic Arabian Sea sunsets.
10
Kumarakom + Kovalam
Two classic escapes: Vembanad backwater calm and a southern beach landmark.
TRUSTED PLANNING
Start with official Kerala resources.
Travel rules, festival dates, opening hours, and local conditions can change. Check official sources close to your trip.
A VISUAL JOURNEY
Six windows into Kerala.
Backwaters
Backwaters at Dawn
Alappuzha
Houseboats, coconut palms, and quiet waterways reveal Kerala at its most serene.
Mountains
Munnar in the Mist
Munnar
Rolling tea gardens climb through the Western Ghats beneath soft mountain clouds.
Beaches
Varkala Cliffs
Varkala
Red cliffs, palms, and the Arabian Sea create one of Kerala’s most dramatic coastlines.
Food
The Kerala Sadya
Across Kerala
A generous vegetarian feast served on banana leaf, made for celebration and sharing.
Wildlife and Tradition
Festival Heritage
Kerala
Elephants, ceremonial color, and percussion are part of Kerala’s powerful festival imagery.
Performing Arts
Kathakali
Kerala
Expression, costume, music, and mythology come together in Kerala’s iconic classical art form.