Kerala is probably one of the greenest places you will ever see: palm trees, paddy fields and plantations. Additional colour is provided by traditional red tiled houses, golden beaches and azure lakes and rivers. Kerala is a narrow strip of land located on the south western edge of the Indian subcontinent. With a coastline of 375 miles, the state is half the size of Scotland, but with over 6 times the population.

Geologists are of the view that Kerala was formed much later than the rest of the subcontinent. Submarine earth movements probably pushed up the land against the curve of the Western Ghats to form this wonderful land. It is possible that early inhabitants could have witnessed this geological event leading to the creation of the myths and legends concerning the birth of the state now known as Kerala.

The name Kerala itself dates only from the creation of the political state, and is thus quite new. It literally means the 'land of coconut' derived from the ancient Sanskrit word for coconut 'nalikera'. In more recent years, it has also been known as 'God's Own Country'.