 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kumarakom" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | This articlemay havetoo many section headings. Please help consolidate the article.(June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Kumarakom | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Houseboat at Kumarakom lake | |
  Kumarakom Location in Kerala, India | |
| Coordinates:09°35′42″N76°25′49″E / 9.59500°N 76.43028°E /9.59500; 76.43028 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kottayam |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KL-05 |
| Nearest city | Kottayam |
Kumarakom is a tourism destination near the city ofKottayam in Kerala, India.[1] It is near theVembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala.[2] In January 2023The New York Times mentioned Kumarakom's backwater tourism.[3]
Kumarakom has twomonsoons-south west and north east.[citation needed]
Boat races include the Nehru Trophy boat race Alappuzha.[4]
Arundhati Roy'sThe God of Small Things is set in Ayemenem orAymanam village, which adjoins Kumarakom. The explosive success of this novel has given some added tourism impetus to this area. The Taj Garden Retreat hotel complex is centered on a building that is called "History House" in the novel; it was built by British missionary Alfred George Baker, whom the locals called "Kari Saipu" (possibly anelided form of "Baker Sahib"), as in the novel.[5] Four generations of Bakers lived in the house until 1962, speakingMalayalam, and even wearing themundu. The Baker Memorial School, Kottayam, was started by a daughter of this family in 1925. The Baker family's house is in ruins in the novel, as it was in reality before was developed into a hotel and has been restored by the Taj group. The Ayemenem house, where Arundhati Roy spent part of her childhood (like the twins in the story), can also be visited in the village, which can be reached by boat along the Meenachil river that figures prominently in the story.
Kumarakom has been declared a special tourism zone by the Kerala state government, as legislated for by Kerala Tourism Act, 2005.[6]
It had won top honours including the UNWTO Ulysses Award[7] for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance. The Kumarakom initiative had earlier won the National Award for Best Responsible Tourism Project and also the PATA Grand Award for Environment.[citation needed]
Kumarakom travel guide from Wikivoyage