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Vembanad Lake

This enormous freshwater lake stretches from Cochin to Alleppey. Separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow strip of land, it is fed by rivers and streams running down from the Western Ghats. Its banks are dripping with exotic vegetation, making it a wonderful birding destination, and the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is on its eastern shore. The lake forms a crucial part of the complex system of the Kerala Backwaters and an artificial mud barrier divides it into two sections - brackish and fresh water - to protect low-lying farmland from the seawater. More than 1.6 million people live on or near its banks and its waters are constantly criss-crossed by boats, including the traditional thatch-roofed boats known as kettuvallam.

Vembanad Lake South India 2
Vembanad_lake.jpg
Vembanad Lake South India
Vembanad_lake.jpg
Vembanad Lake South India
Vembanad Lake South India 2
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