Chottanikkara temple is an ancient temple located near Ernakulam and is dedicated to Bhagawati - the mother Goddess, one of the most popular deities in Kerala. The Devi is worshipped along with Lord Vishnu and together, they are known as Lakshminarayana. The annual festival here is celebrated in the month of Kumbha (February - March).
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is a thorny scrub forest with xerophyte species and is the habitat of the endangered Giant Grizzled Squirrel of India. Located in the Western Ghats, Chinnar has only 48 rainy days in a year. Dry deciduous forests, high sholas and wet grasslands are also found in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary . It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984. The undulated terrain with rocky patches adds to the scenic splendour of the sanctuary. It is one of the major tourism destination of Kerala and is situated in Idukki district. It is connected to the other places by road and the nearest airport is at Cochin, which is 150 kms away.
The unexpected rain in Kerala has been a major set back for the Keralites, as it has caused conern over their Christmas celebration. There is also some factors that would affect the tourism industry in Kerala. Usually December is one of the best time to travel to Kerala and this month usually has a pleasant climate. But heavy rain in the month of December has brought severe problems to the tourism industry.
Kerala is considered to be the cradle of Christianity in India and Christmas is major festivals of Kerala Christians. This festival is celebrated with a religious harmony, i.e all the religions take part in this celebration. All the houses will be decorated with electric stars from the first week of December and it is really a sight to behold. This period also attracts a lot of tourists to Kerala.
