Kuttanad

Kuttanad and rice fields are kind of synonymous, given the place is named the rice bowl of Kerala. It is from here the majority of the State's staple food comes from. The stretches after stretches of green paddy fields are a major attraction for those who appreciate nature. However, these green fields have a unique secret of their own. The lands which are cultivated include large areas reclaimed from the water bodies around and are actually a few feet lower than the sea level.

The average undulation of this region is from 0.6 metres above to 2.2 metres below the water level. The mechanisms are quite similar to that used in the Netherlands. It is the place with the lowest altitude in India and one of the very few places in the world where such extensive agricultural cultivation is done below MSL. The ideal way to see the rice fields is on a boat ride.

As per historical facts, Kuttanad was under the rule of Chera dynasty over South India. The city of Kuttanad is said to be the seat of power and administration of one of the kings of that dynasty - Cheran Chenguttavan. Around the same time, this region also used to be a famous centre of Buddhism, thus getting the name Buddhanad, which later got changed into Kuttanad, according to many. A mixture of local myth and real facts of history has given birth to many legends about Kuttanad. One of them is that the dense forests of the Kuttanad region were destroyed due to a wildfire. Burnt wooden logs and pieces were unearthed from the paddy fields for a long time until even some years ago. They might still be found somewhere.

Many places in Kuttanad region have their names ending with 'kari' which means burnt charcoal - Ramankari, Putthukari, Oorukkari and many more. For this reason, Kuttanad got the reputation of being the ancient Khandava forest mentioned in the Mahabharata, which the Pandavas visited on their exile and it was burnt down to ashes, as per the story. Another theory is that Kuttanad got its name from the words Kuttan - those who dig soil, as the place was dug out of the water and reclaimed for extensive agriculture.

Kerala is extremely hot with typically humid tropical climate during the summer and monsoon months. If you want to avoid that, it is best to visit Kuttanad from October to March when the weather is pleasant.

Kuttanad can be reached from the nearest airport at Cochin (85 km) or the railway stations of Alappuzha or Changanacherry hiring a cab. However, the best way to reach for the experience of it is by boat-way from Alappuzha. The boats of State Water Transport Department travel to and fro, each side taking a time of around an hour, covering the area of Kuttanad on its way up and down as a part of its passenger-cum-tourist service.

For the upper deck, the charge is INR 40 for one side of the trip and INR 80 for the return trip as well. To enjoy the beauty of Kuttanad, it is ideal to purchase an upper deck ticket.
For regular passenger and locals, the lower deck charge is INR 10 for one side and INR 15 for both. 

The Government boats start from 10:45 AM from Alappuzha and runs till 9:15 PM to Alappuzha.