In the 1980s Kerala was given the title “God’s Own Country’ by Walter Mendez a creative director of the advertising agency who was commissioned By Kerala Tourism Department for promoting Kerala as a tourism destination. According to mythology, the land was recovered from the sea by Lord Parasurama who threw his axe across the sea and the water moved back as long as the axe reached and the new land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Since the land was filled with salt it was not suitable for habitation so Lord Parasurama called the Vasuki the Snake King who converted the soil into fertile lush green land by spitting holy poison. Vasuki and all snakes were told to protect the land.