Kuttanad

Kuttanad is the major rice granaries of Kerala, where vast stretches of verdant paddy fields are interlaced with enchanting backwaters create some of the unforgettable sights.Kuttanad is a village in Kerala, India. It is 1329 miles (2140km) south of New Delhi and in the south east part of Alappuzha. Kuttanadu in Kerala, India, is the region with the lowest altitude in India, with 500 square kilometers of the region below sea level. Its elevation ranges from 0.6 m above to 2.2 meters below sea level. Most of the area is covered with water throughout the year. The Greater Kuttanad region spread across the districts of Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam.

Kuttanadu has a long history and it is an important site in the history of South India.There is reference to Kuttanad in the epic Mahabharata of ancient India. During their exile, the five Pandava princes are said to have traveled through this land. Kuttanadu is the land made by Kuttans, who formed the land by digging the soil below the surface of water .It is said that about 23,105 ha land has been reclaimed from the lake and was converted into vast paddy fields .

Kuttanad Weather and Best Time to Visit

The summers in the city with temperature ranges from 20-32°C and winter temperature ranges from 16-32°C.The city can be best visited throughout the year

Kuttanad is located meters below sea level; hence most of its area is rivers, lakes, canals and backwaters; people live in narrow patches of land reclaimed from lakes.Vast expanse of backwaters, big lakes, interconnecting channels ; slow flowing rivers; all bordered with lines of coconut trees etc are just some the unique features of Kuttanad.Kuttanad has much to offer for a tourist; its vast backwaters, fresh water lakes (known as ‘kayal’); thousands of houseboats (known as kettuvallam); moving along the slow flowing rivers that merge with the still waters of lakes; pristine country life that exists in the lakeshores that enables a tourist to view a world that is quite different from the rest of India.