Petti Para

             In the Kuttanad region, during the Masons heavy rains flood the fields. By September, indigenously designed 50- HP pump set empty them, throwing the water back in to the lake. Called Petti Para, these farms are crafted mainly from wood, except for a large bore steel cylinder and impellor encased in wood. Netting, in the box like delivery end, snare fish jettisoned along with the water.

R Block

             It is one of the best managed private farms (at 850 acres) among the reclaimed land in the Kuttanad region, a process that started nearly hundred years back. By 1920, due to the scarcity of rice, locals were allowed to reclaim as much land as they wanted on the condition that they grow paddy. A fisherman, Joseph Muriekkan was among the first to own reclaimed land. These rights continued even after independence, the Govt. assisting the people with technical help from the Netherlands. It is covered in coconut, areca nut and banana plantations .The fields lend themselves to fish farming and duck breeding while awaiting the next sowing season.

The Beach

            Alapuzhas beach is a sedate and rather plebeian, echoing the spirit of the town. The southern end of the beach has a large statue of a fisher woman cradling a baby in her arms while at the northern end the century-old pier extends in to the sea. The light house , in banks of red and white , soars into the sky just behind the beach front buildings , unchanged since its construction in 1862.Even the high compound wall around it and the domed entrance , streaked with grime and tinged black with age , remain the same . There is also the ‘Thykkal Beach’ near Cherthala , doted with fishing boats and famous for the relics of an old wooden boat at ‘Kadakkarapally’ excavated a couple of years back. The site is enclosed and the protected boat is on view only during summer.

Boat Races

             In July to September ‘The Chundan Vallom’ (long slender wooden boats) is take part in a regatta inVembanad Lake. Decorated with brass embellishments and colorful regalia, these long slender crafts, made of teak and a hard wood called ‘Anjili’, are propelled by over hundred rowers whose hands work in unison to the feverish rhythms of folk songs belted out cheerleaders. The helmsman, who controls the proceedings, positions himself on the ‘Amaram’ and wields specially made extra long oars. Timing and team work is essential. The crews practice months in advance for D-day   when spectators throng the banks of the lake. A multi tiered spectator’s gallery, perched on a spur of land in the middle of the waters at ‘Punnamada Lake’ is a unique feature

Thakazhi Museum and Smrithimandapam

            This Museum cum hall is the commemoration of the great Thakazhi Shivasankara pillai; (1912-1999) who won the Njanapeeda Puraskaram in 1984.His ancestral home, where the writer spend hours conjuring up stories, was turned into Museum in 2001. Four rooms house his personal belongings that include awards, gifts, certificates, books, chairs, walking sticks, pens spectacles, typewriter and clothes used by the man