page_title: Kerala backwaters
section_title: Estuaries of Paravur
hierarchical_section_title: Kerala backwaters / Backwater regions / Kollam / Estuaries of Paravur
caption_attribution_description: English: Paravur has two estuary. One is in Pozhikara and the other one in Thekkumbhagam.
context_page_description: The Kerala backwaters are a network of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala state in southern India, as well as interconnected canals, rivers, and inlets, a labyrinthine system formed by more than 900 kilometres of waterways, and sometimes compared to American bayous. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range. In the midst of this landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which serve as the starting and end points of backwater cruises.
  The backwaters have a unique ecosystem: freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. A barrage has been built near Thanneermukkom, so salt water from the sea is prevented from entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
context_section_description: Paravur Estuaries lie near to the south-western coast of Kollam. The place is world-famous for its natural beauties, backwater locations, white-sand beaches and concentration of temples in every square kilometer. The peninsula of Paravur is one of the most visited in Kollam district. Both north and south tips of Paravur town have both peninsula and estuary. Pozhikara is north and Thekkumbhagam is south of Paravur. One more estuary mouth in Pozhikara, which is very close to Pozhikara Devi Temple, which has breached in 2014 under the supervision of Water Resources Department (WRD), after a long gap of 14 years.
caption: Estuary at Paravur Thekkumbhagam
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