Kuttanad Below Sea Level: Kerala's Rice Belt Beyond the Houseboat Circuit
Aishwarya Kapoor | Times Life Bureau | Oct 14, 2026, 12:48 IST
Kuttanad Below Sea Level: Kerala's Rice Belt Beyond the Houseboat Circuit
Image credit : AI
Kuttanad sits three to four feet below the Arabian Sea, held back by bunds and drained by a network of canals that farmers have managed for centuries. It is not the Kerala of resort jetties and sunset cruises. It is paddy harvested from boats, villages that flood on schedule, and a landscape that only makes sense once you understand the water is not beside it, the water is the infrastructure.
Highlights
- Kuttanad, located in the Alappuzha and Kottayam districts of Kerala, is unique for its paddy fields that exist between one and three meters below mean sea level, making it one of the few places globally where rice is cultivated below ocean surface.
- Visitors can access the interior villages of Kuttanad through local country boats and motorized ferries from Alappuzha town, offering a more authentic experience compared to the popular houseboat circuit on Vembanad Lake.
- Champakulam, a notable village in Kuttanad, features the historic St Mary's Forane Church and hosts the traditional Champakulam Moolam Boat Race, one of Kerala's oldest snake boat races, providing a glimpse into the region's rich culture.