TROPICAL PARADISE OF INDIA

The holy land with stunning beauty offers pleasant weather which is neither too hot nor too cold. Friends let's purify our soul and refresh our mind.

Arabian Sea at one side and the Western Ghats on the other, Kerala has an equable and tropical climate offering a pleasing atmosphere throughout the entire year. God's Own Country with around 120-140 rainy days per year, has a wet and maritime tropical climate. It is influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the Southwest Summer Monsoon and Northeast Winter Monsoon. According to the Southwest Monsoon, the rainfall occurs from June to August and corresponding to Northeast Monsoon the rest from September to December. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest Monsoon on reaching the southernmost point of Indian Peninsula divides into two branches because of its topography:

1. The Arabian Sea Branch
2. The Bay of Bengal Branch

Making Kerala the first Indian state to receive rain from the Southwest Monsoon, the Arabian Sea Branch first hits the Western Ghats. During the Northeast Monsoon, the distribution of pressure patterns are reversed. The cold winds from North India pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and precipitate on the east coast of Peninsular India. In the state of Kerala, the influence of the Northeast Monsoon is only seen in southern districts. Annually, Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in) and some of drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm (49 in). Highest in the State, the mountains of the Eastern Idukki district receives more than 5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation. A drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails in the eastern part of Kerala.



The summer of the state extends from April to June and during the season the land doesn't have to undergo any dry period with the heat of scorching sun like other parts of the Country. The temperature reaches a maximum of 37-degree centigrade which is considered less when compared to other states of India and minimum remains around 20-degree centigrade. The coastal state has a slight chill climate which lasts from November to January or February. During this winter there is a drop in the temperature and is truly enjoyable.
The Land of Coconuts is situated between Northern latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and Eastern longitudes 74°52' and 77°22' and hence experiences humid tropical rainforest climate. This beautiful land has a coast of 590 km and width varies between 11 and 121 kilometres.




Geographically, the State can be divided into three climatically distinct regions :

1. The Eastern Highlands
2. The Central Midlands
3. The Western Lowlands

The Eastern Highlands are rugged and cool mountainous terrain. The Central Midlands consists of rolling hills and The Western Lowlands are coastal plains.
The Eastern region of Kerala is made up of high mountains, gorges, and deep-cut valleys west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow. Out of 44 Rivers of Kerala, 41 of west-flowing and 3 of east-flowing ones originate in this region. The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains in the Eastern part of the land and the mountain chain is interrupted only near Palakkad hence known as Palghat. The average height of Western Ghats above the sea level is 1,500 metres (4,900 feet). While Anamudi in the Idukki district, the highest peak in South India is at an elevation of 2,695 metres (8,842 ft). Also, the Western Ghats is recognised as one of the World's 'Hottest Hotspots' of Biological diversity and it is listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The forests of the region are considered to be older the Himalayan mountain ranges.

The Spice Garden of India's coastal belt is flat compared to the eastern region and it is crisscrossed by a network of interconnected canals, lakes, estuaries, rivers and known as the Kerala Backwaters. The lake 'Vembanad' which lies between Alappuzha and Cochin is the largest lake of Kerala.