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  The members of Vannar Sangham belong to the Vannan community families who have been working here since 1720. The Dutch government brought the ancestors of this community from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Malabar to Fort Kochi for washing the Dutch army's uniforms. The Dutch allotted 13 acres of land and set up around 80 traditional sand bored ponds for laundry purpose.   Dhobi Khana was constructed in 1976 as compensation for providing 10 acres of land for a public playground. travel.learn.more.cosmin

Dating back to 1939, Galle Lighthouse stands 26.5 metres (87 ft) high on the ramparts of Galle, which withstood the 2004 Christmas tsunami that hit badly the coast of Sri Lanka. The fort was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and it was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage List for its cultural value of 'an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries'. travel.more.cosmin

The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade 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. travel.more.cosmin

It's late afternoon on a Sunday, in south Mumbai's Colaba fishing village. The boats are resting, kids are playing and the crows are looking for an easy meal. travel.more.cosmin