Kettuvallam

[2][failed verification] The history of such boats in Kerala goes back to Uru, a large Dhow-type wooden ship made by the carpenters in Beypore, south of Kozhikode port.

[4] Boats in a variety of shapes and sizes have traditionally been the main means of transport of men and materials in the Kerala backwaters since olden days.

The hull is a series of wooden planks, long cut and carved, tied together using coir with coconut fibers stuffed in between.

A plank was laid all through the length for ease of walking and comfortable seating, to reduce the disadvantages of the curved shape of the hull.

These bacteria feed upon human excreta and produce a harmless germ free colourless byproduct.

The water for use is stored in a plastic tank kept at the top portion of the main body connecting to the kitchen and toilets.

Kerala was placed among the '50 destinations of a lifetime' by National Geographic Traveler in a special collectors' issue released just before the turn of the millennium.

With a cruise along the palm-fringed waterways turning to be part and parcel of holidayers' itinerary, the traditional kettuvallam has emerged as the mascot of Kerala Tourism.