SOUTH INDIA TOURISM

MUDUMALAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY NILGIRI | MUDUMALAI NATIONAL PARK | TIGER RESERVE FOREST TAMILNADU

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Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary is an ideal adventurous place, located in Nilgiri Hills, Tamilnadu where the offshoot of the Western Ghats meet the Eastern Ghats. Area :32,155 hectares. Along side the adventures of the sanctuary, you will also find a varied mixture of flat land, open grassland, swamp, valley and nullas at this place. The Famous Mudumalai wild life Sanctuary is situated at an elevation of 1000 metres and extending over an area of 321 sq.mts lies this sanctuary between Kerala and Karnataka states.

The protected area is home to several endangered and vulnerable species including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, gaur and Indian leopard. Langur, bonnet macaque, tiger, leopard, wild dog, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, Indian muntjac, mouse deer, wild boar, rodent ,flying squirrel and There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary.

Mudumalai wildlife reserve was the first sanctuary in south India. Within the sanctuary is an elephant camp called "Theppakkadu", where there is a rest house. Accommodation is also available at TTDC's Youth Hostel and rest houses in Masinagudi, Abhayaranayam and Kargudi and the Bamboo Banks Farm that is 18-km away.

THUMBICHI MOUNT | THUMPACHI MALA | THUMBICHI KURISUMALA | THUMPACHI CALVERI SAMUCHAYAM | THUMPACHI CALVERI MOUNT

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Thumpachi kurisumala (thumbichi mount) is an interesting view point. and a wonderful ecotourism spot filled with captivating scenes. It is located in Arakkalam on moolamattom kulamavu high way in Idukki district.

it offers you a calm and quiet atmosphere which can energies the body and mind. From the top of the Mount, one can experience the panoramic view of high range hills and valleys and the Idukki reservoir, moolamatom.

panoramic view of moolamattom from thumpachi mount

Visitors can enjoy the wildlife of Idukki and can have a glimpse of the wild elephants in the forests. The atmosphere here is simple and elegant with an excellent composition of sky and greenish nature. Kurisumala has been derived from two Malayalam words ‘Kurisu’ and ‘Mala’. The word meaning of ‘Kurisu’ is Cross and ‘Mala’ is mountain.

How to reach thumpachi mount.

By road- Calvary is well connected with road to places as Moolamattom and kulamavu. from kulamavu - 7.6 km, from thodupuzha - 28 km.

By rail- the nearest railway station is located at Kottayam at a distance of about 133km
By air- the nearest airport is the Cochin international airport

ILAVEEZHA POONCHIRA MELUKAVU KOTTAYAM | BEST TREKKING DESTINATION | THE BEST LOCATION IN KERALA TO ENJOY SUNRISE AND SUNSET

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Ilaveezha Poonchira the delightful tourist destination located in the midst of beautiful hillocks Mankunnu, Kodayathoormala and Thonippara.
located in melukavu village in Kottayam district near Kanjar. it spread over thousands of acres. and the place is ideal for trekking.to enjoy the sunrise and sunset this is the best place in kerala.

During the monsoons when the valley fills up to form a scenic lake, this place unveils yet another beautiful slice of nature. Ilaveezhapoonchira means 'the pond of flowers where the leaves do not fall' and is named so because the place has no trees. This is also one of the best places in Kerala to enjoy both the sunrise and sunset. It is easily accessible from Thodupuzha, idukki

HISTORY
According to a legend, the Pandava had a sojourn here during their life incognito. Their wife, Draupadi, came to take a bath at a lake, which was present at that time. Some devas, bewitched by her beauty, tried to satisfy their voyeuristic itch. King of devas, LordIndra, came to know about what was going on, and built screens or hills heaping flowers and prevented them from indulging in such a practice. And the pond thus became a dam isolated by floral hills. Since there were no trees around the bund, it was always free of leaves and so it was called Ila-veezha-poonchira.

Some say that the name comes from the fact that it is always windy at the place and hence the leaves are carried away. poonjira's myth is closely related to Agastya and his hermitage,he lived here and the native people believes that he still lives here,his hermitage is hidden in somewhere here.In puranas and our myths there is no evidence for the death of GURU AGASTHYA.Another important attraction is the ancient krishna temple, that was founded by panjaly herself.the mass belief is that panjaly's akshayapatra is hidden here and it is protected by agastya.The myth is also associate with ramayana his vanavasa popularly believes that he lived here with lakshmana for few months

BEST SEASON TO VISIT

September to May

HOW TO REACH THERE

By Road : 8 km from kanjar and 17 km from thodupuzha

By Rail : Nearest railway station: Kottayam, about 55 km
By Air : Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 76 km

WHERE TO STAY

A DTPC Rest house is there it offers comfortable stay

ENQUIRY
Tourist information centre,
DTPC Kottayam
Ph: +91 481 2560479

NJANDIRUKKI WATERFALLS POOMALA-THODUPUZHA-IDUKKI-KERALA | POOMALA WATERFALLS

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Njandirukki waterfalls is a hidden or unexplored beauty in the depths of forest. Though not steep and direct, the stream falls from over a height of 200 ft. The stream originating from Cheppukulam hill slips and sidles crab like across a treacherous rock at the foothill of Poomala-Methotty forest area. Hence the name Njandirukki. it is located near poomala town in idukki district. of kerala. it is also a shooting location for song scenes.

HOW TO REACH THERE

From thodupuzha take poomala bus it is about 18 km
from poomala town ask to anyone it is about 200 metre far

MARAYOOR SARKARA | MARAYOOR JAGGERY | MAKING OF MARAYOOR SARKARA | SHARKKARA

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Marayoor Sarkkara (Marayoor Jaggery) is one of the sweetest jaggereis in the world, Marayoor and the nearby Kanthalloor are famous for the special variety of solid molasses 'Marayoor sarkara’ produced here. When this jaggery undergoes a laboratory analysis it was found that the jaggery is one of the best having 97 % sugar in it. Marayoor falls in the rain shadow region and the quality of the molasses is attributed to the specialty in temperature and the ph value of the earth. In Marayoour and Kanthalloor you can see the beautiful sugar cane farms.

sarkkara production cottage

making of sarkkara

Another specialityof this Sarkara is that it is made in the farm itself in a traditional manner. means sarkkara production is a cottage industry here. First the sugar cane juice is boiled in a special type of huge vessel and then condenses to jaggery balls.You can make various types of delicious dishes using this jaggery. One of the best dishes using this ‘Sarkara’ is ‘Marayoor Sarkara Payasam’ some of the famous temples are using this jaggery

Don’t forget to taste it travellers, if you have planned a visit to Marayoor. And also, if you are lucky enough to reach Marayoor in the sugarcane harvest season, you can watch how the sarkara balls are made. If you want to take home some sweet balls, Tourists can purchase this product at a premium price around RS. 70 / KG from the farm or local outlets there.
In earlier days sugarcane was cultivated in 2500 acres of land. But at present this has shrunk to 1400 acre. Many of the farmers have left sugarcane cultivation due to increasing production coast and fall of prize. For an acre of land to be cultivated, Rs.30,000 should be spent. But the total yearning from the land will be less than Rs.25,000. There are three reasons for the decrease of production. The scarcity of water, unscientific use of fertilizers and the white-fly disease. The whitefly affects the leaves of sugar cane and sucks out the juice. Thus the production decreases.

sugarcane farm

KANTHALLOOR THE LAND OF FRUITS | TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN KANTHALLOR | PARADISE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS | KANTHALLOOR IDUKKI KERALA

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Kanthaloor is a village it is lying in the eastern side of the Western Ghats near to Marayur, kerala And it is famous for its wide variety of crops which is not seen on the other parts of kerala, which includes varieties of tropical crops. Situated at a height of 5000 ft above sea level, it provides the cool climate for the natural farming of fruits like Apple, Orange, Strawberry, Blackberry, Plums, Gooseberry, Egg fruits, peach, Sugarcane, passion fruits. etc.Vegetables and spices like cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, beans, potato, and garlic grow here a plenty. It is also known for terrace farming. Hill sides are carved out into a series of wide steps, enough to cultivate crop.

kanthallor town

passion fruits

It is a virtually a rain shadow village. A paradise for photographers and nature lovers, Kanthalloor and its surrounding environs are especially spectacular just after the rains. One can enjoy the beauty of dense fog in early morning and evening, sublime mist and clouds during this season
With its sprawling tea estates, rolling hills, waterfalls, picture - postcard hamlets, Kanthalloor has the makings of an idyllic holiday destination. Nestled in the eastern side of the charming Western Ghats, in Idukki district of Kerala State, it is 180 kms from Ernakulam, 60 kms from Udumalpettai, 14 km from Marayoor and 57 kms from Munnar. It is on the border of Kerala and Tamilnadu placed between Udamalpet and Munnar.
Unlike Munnar, Kanthaloor is untouched by commercial tourism and still not explored by many travelers. Due to this reason, visitors can enjoy its real natural beauty.

The salubrious climate and the picturesque landscapes and wide variety of tropical crops coupled with the close proximity of Munnar, has transformed this village into a tourist destination. The Anaimudi Sholai National Park(Formerly known as the Mannavan Chola) is the evergreen forest surrounding Kanthalloor. The major places of attraction includes Pattisseri Dam, Kulachivayal rocks, Keezhanthoor waterfalls Muiyaras, View point, Watch towers, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Anaimudi Sholai National park , and the cave temple of Sri Rama are the main places of attraction. The cave temple of Lord Rama is also a historical landmark.

BEST TIME FOR VISITING:
Eventhough, Kanthallor is best any time of the year but August to March and will be the best. Those who want to see the nearly ripe oranges, passion fruits, gauva visit between the months of October and December and to see the apples visit the month of August.
GETTING THERE: Only road transportation available. Nearest highway is NH-49 which passes through Munnar and can be accessed from Kanthalloor-Marayoor-Munnar.
it is better to travel to Munnar from there. There are two routes from here. One is Maryoor route and other one is Top Station via Kanthalloor Route. The first one is the best because the road is good and the distance is 65 km. Travel may take more time as scenic spots are all along the route. One can seen the Sandal wood forest on this way. The second one 40 kms distance. The drive from here takes just about an hour or a bit more but the road is bad. Better to drive from Marayoor route.

Air:
Nearest Airport Kochi (139km), Madurai(142km) Coimbatore(167km), Kozhikode(287km),Thiruvananthapuram(302km). Daily IA flights to Nedumbassery Airport near Ernakulam from Mumbai,Bangalore, Delhi and Goa and four flights from Chennai. Jet has daily flights from Mumbai.

Rail:

Nearest Railway Stations Kochi (13km), Kottayam (147km), Madurai(162km), Thiruvananthapuram (302km). Trains that connect Kochi with important cities and tourist destinations in the country are Kerala Express, Trivandrum-Chennai Mail, Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Express, and the Trivandrum Rajdhani Express.

Road:

The place is well connected by a well developed network of road transport. Buses run by the KSRTC start from the Central Bus Stand in Ernakulam. One can access Munnar by road from Kottayam (147 km), Thekkady (110 km), Madurai (160 km) and Thrissur (158 km).

And there is a private bus from munnar at 01.00 pm starting from aluva and it will reach kanthallor at 03.45 pm.

WHERE TO STAY:
At Kanthalloor, one can get an opportunity to live in cottages which are built near orange and apple farms and most of these cottages are big enough for families. They have full facilities like hot water, TV, Phone etc. One will get a chance to either cook your own food or there will be staff available to cook food of your preference.