God's Own Country.

When Anton Chekhov, the Russian author said "The world is wide and beautiful and there are many wonderful places in it", I am sure he was referring to Kerala, which is famously known as "God's own country." 

Tracing back to the history of Kerala, according to the Hindu mythology, it is believed that 

Lord Parasurama who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu threw his axe across the sea to create new land for his devotees to live peacefully. The land he created by doing so was Kerala.  

Unlike in any other state, there are temples, mosques and churches in every nook and corner of Kerala, hence promoting a great deal of communal harmony too. Kerala's wide range of rivers and lagoons, thick forests, exotic wildlife, tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters and a long shoreline of serene beaches make this place heaven, especially for travellers. 

Kerala has a total of fourteen districts on the whole. These districts are categorized into three main groups :

• North Kerala: Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikkod and Malappuram
• Central Kerala: Palakkad, Thrissur, Eranakulam and Idukki
• South Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam                                                                                    

Now what is so special about this place? Why is it called "God's Own Country"? These questions might be arising in the heads of people who haven't visited this paradise yet. So I am going to list out few places in Kerala, that must be visited, especially by people who love travelling and who love to discover and enjoy natures scenic beauty.

1.  Munnar : This place is referred to as the Kashmir of South India, what more do i have to say about this place? It is simply one of the most beautiful hill stations of the state. The Eravikulam National Park, Indo Swiss Dairy Farm,Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary, Tata Tea Museum, etc are some of the main attractions of this place.

2. Thekkady:  If you are an animal person and love the wildlife, then this is where you should come. Thekkady is known for its wildlife. The Great Indian Tiger, Indian Elephant, name it , this place has it all. The Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the main attractions of this place. 

3. Kovalam: This beach town on the Arabian Sea is located, a few km off the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. This extremely beautiful place is known as the paradise of the south. 

4. Wayanad: This magnificent place was formed by carving our areas of Kannur and Kozhikode districts . The scenic beauty if this place cannot be explained in words. There are indigenous tribals in this area. Sulthan bathery, Wildlife sanctuary, Neelimala etc are some of the main attractions.

5. Kochi : Located in Ernakulam district, Kochi/Cochin, is a very important seaport in India.For all the shopaholics, this is the place you are looking for. Jewish synagogue, Cherai beach, Marine drive, Santa Cruz cathedral, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, Athirapally waterfalls, etc are some of the main attractions here. 

Well this is not all of Kerala, but just a small trailer of the bigger picture. Honestly it is called God's own country for a reason. Simple words cannot explain and express what this lovely place has got. The beauty of this place has to be seen through the eyes and felt physically. 

Cruelity and Children are not Synonyms!!!

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children", said Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa.

The recent attack in the school at Peshawar, was really monstrous.

16 December 2014 will always remain a black day in the history of the world and especially for Pakistan. On this fateful day, seven members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or Pakistani Taliban, entered the premises of the Army Public School, in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, disguised in uniforms of the Pakistani paramilitary force and opened fire. Bullets kept getting shot in every direction. Teachers and students, nobody was spared. They fired bullets at the young children, mercilessly. The cries and pleading of the kids were simply ignored by them. Teachers, including the Principal of the school were burnt alive before these kids. A total number of 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren lost their lives in this gruesome attack and several others injured. Students aged between eight and eighteen were prey to these wicked men. 

How could anyone ever think of hurting young and innocent children? These young children went to school with so many dreams, dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, architects and so on. But what did they end up becoming? Mere dead bodies lying on the school premises, lifelessly? This was not what they or their family had dreamt of. Then who were these seven men who decided the future of these young souls? Who permitted them to do so? These men, part of the Pakistani Taliban, claim to have been fighting in the name of religion and God. So then, did God almighty give them the right to take the lives of these children?

"Terrorism has no nationality or religion", said Vladimir Putin. And what are these men fighting for? What are they trying to prove? Attack kids and they wont fight back? Was that their goal? 

They praise God and say that they are doing this for the almighty. When and where did God ever mention that killing the innocent or for that matter, killing anybody is the answer to everything or is a mighty thing to do?

Who will put a full stop to this? When will this ever end? Or will it ever end? Will it only end when there is no man left on the earth to be killed? Lastly, will these questions ever be answered?