According to the popular legend, Lord Vishnu, the Protector in his Avatar (incarnation) as Parashuram waged war relentlessly against the Kshatriyas. A time came when he was overcome by remorse at the ruthless killing and prayed to the Gods for a secluded place to perform penance. He threw his Axe into the ocean, whereupon a crescent shaped land arose from the sea and Kerala the 'God's own country' was born. Lying at the south western tip of India, Kerala the smallest of the four southern states is approximately 560 kms long and only 120 kms and its widest. Its eastern boundary, shared with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is mountainous from where the land slopes down to the Arabian sea. So the State is a mix of cool, mist-filled highlands. On arrival in Kerala, one is struck by a number of things; the seemingly endless green of paddy fields and plant trees, the bright terracotta tiled sloping roofs of the houses, people dressed in white and the relaxed easy going atmosphere.
