An amazing journey to Marayoor – just a few foot steps away from Munnar
When each travel ends we talk a lot about those beautiful sights as well as those unseen moments, moments just flashed away from our eyes in a second and those that stayed in front of our eyes for a little while. We may even think that if we had lost that moment for a second, we would have left a lovely scene unseen. We may repeatedly watch those photos and videos taken by our camera. Certain journeys to nature’s lap give such lovely and wonderful experiences. Marayoor is one such. Through this article, let me tell you how beautiful Marayoor is so that you can enjoy that amazing journey along with me.
The journey starts from Adimali via.Kothamangalam
Once I have gone to Mysore through that Adimali route. Chillness just starts from there and it increases as we further climb the mountain top. As the name suggests, it is the starting point of mountain climbing and pin point curves and we get a beautiful view of mountains from there. Also, a few restaurants and spice shops are there at Adimali.
A flower that blooms green – Munnar is just the interval of the movie
The homeland of Neelakurinji, the flower forests that blossom once in 12 year adding blue shades to those blue mountains. It’s none other than Munnar, the place famous for Nilgiri Tahr and tea plantations. Though Munnar is a wonderful tourist spot, our journey is to another place passing those misty mountains. It appears as if it has just woke up and washed its face in mist and rain; so beautiful!
Our journey starts from Munnar and ends in Amaravathy traveling through Marayoor, Kanthallur and Chinnar. From Munnar, it is 43 kms to Marayoor. From there 16 kms to Kanthallur. When you look at each others’ faces and comment over something while you pass those routes, you miss a lot of sights in between. That’s the beauty of those hill stations.
Munnar blossoms once in 12 years in the love of nature. Mountains look as if it’s a big green flower with different patches here and there. It looks as if a mischievous kid has thrown a bowl of green paint as he was passing by. Shades of green in variant intensities in different parts of the same mountain! Tea plantation itself has different shades of green depending on the growth of leaves – light and tender green used for preparing tea, dark green leaves beneath and trees form another shade of green in between tea plants.
Nature switches off its ac when we reach Gap
When we leave chilled Munnar and reach Gap, nature changes from cold to hot. It’s just 13 km away from Munnar. Another strange mischief of nature! It appears as if nature has switched off its air conditioner when it reached Gap from Munnar. Yet we can see waterfalls as nature’s blessings on the way. There is a viewpoint in Gap from where we get a distant view of Marayoor. From there Marayoor resembles a coffee cup a lot. The land is surrounded by beautiful mountains and Marayoor is hiding inside that nature’s cup.
Warm welcome to Le cam
This land changes its nature like turned pages of a book. Tea plantations now give way to coffee plantations and on the way, we see Le cam waterfall. Near the water fall a few tea shops are available where you will get tea to drink and snacks to bite.
Le cam welcomes you will small water drops given in the hands of that chilled wind. A wooden bridge is there above the water fall from where you get spectacular sight of the nature. It’s a lovely experience too! Short trekking programs known as ‘Cascade Walk’ conducted by Eco Tourism Division of Kerala are also available here. It’s not adventurous as normal trekking programs; just half hour walk through the forests to get a lovely chat with nature.
Now, let me ask. Do you want to sleep inside the forest listening to the music of waterfalls? Who is present in this world who never likes to sleep so! If you are interested walk a few steps through the forest starting from water fall and reach the log houses of tourism department. You will get a lovely experience to be alone with nature and forests at midnight accompanied by lovely breeze and chilled atmosphere. But you need to book rooms earlier if you want to stay there at night.After KHD village, scenery changes suddenly. Now you travel through tea plantations. It appears as if you are going through an opened tea jar. Just as similar to its surprise opening, its end is also so sudden. When you loss the perfume of those tea plantations so suddenly coconut, aracanut and coffee plants appear next.
Very soon you will reach sandal wood forests
Those tall trees cover the sky completely. Those sandalwood trees of 3000+ hectare belong to Marayoor only; it’s Marayoor’s pride to own this property. In Kerala, such huge sandalwood trees are found in Marayoor only. Government has a sandalwood depot here. Fallen and damaged trees will be sold from here.
This heaven is like a lady’s hostel filled with beauties. They are protected by fences and security guards. Any one can only dream about them while passing by, no entry inside. When these beautiful trees got treat from robbers, Government decided to give them extra protection in the form of iron fences and a few security guards. All those trees were put under the fence; those one or two escaped from that prison are tied to that fence boundary with metallic threads.
Wild ox and deer often visit these sandal forests. But they won’t stay there if they see humans. Also, if you roam around for a long time, people of forest department may ask you the reason.
The land of sugarcane and jaggery
Next destination is sugarcane plantation. This place is called Karimbinpoovin kara. As the name suggests, the place belongs to sugarcane and sugarcane only. Karimb in Malayalam means Sugarcane, Poov means flower and kara means land. So, it’s the land of sugarcane flowers. You can see jaggery making in big furnaces.
Since rainfall is low in these places, people solely depend on sugarcane business. Sugarcane is cultivated wide and using big machines, sugar juice is extracted. From 600 litre sugarcane juice, about 180 – 200 kilogram jaggery is produced. The juice is transferred to big vessels and placed in big fire hearths known as ‘theevakuzhi’. The remains after the extract of sugar juice is used as firewood for jaggery preparation. Nowadays gas stoves are also used. Sugar cane juice is boiled and water content is evaporated to get sweet jaggery. Jaggery is used for preparing payasam and pongal in South India for auspicious occasions of temple celebrations as well as marriage and other ceremonies.
Two or three people work together at the same time to prepare jaggery from sugarcane juice. When water content is completely absorbed, they make balls. Though normal jaggery has a slight salt taste, Marayoor jaggery is 100% sweet in taste. They work in front of boiling pots engaged in jaggery preparation. But only a few people remember the efforts of those poor people while eating sweet during an auspicious occasion.
What else to see in Marayoor?
Tea plantations, sandalwoods and sugarcane plantations – what else can we see at Marayoor? A lot! In the interior portions of forests, there are dens where you can see pictures drawn by primitive men. Another important sight to see is ‘Muniyara’. It’s believed that muniyaras are the tombs of ancient men.
Now we can reach Kanthallur
Let us leave those ancient monuments and reach Kanthallur. Apple plants everywhere! I am sure, there is no other place in Kerala where you can get fresh apples free at roadside. There are apple plantations too in these places. In addition to apple, strawberry, plumbs, orange, cabbage, carrot, potato, garlic and fennel seeds are also cultivated here.
Road resembles a python a lot. It looks as if a python has caught that road. We need to climb a mountain and the journey appears as if we are traveling through blue sky to reach heaven. Though apple season ends in July you can get apples here and there on the way.
Pattisaiva Dam – A dam resembling Arjun’s arrow
This dam is rarely noticed by tourists. If you look from the top of dam, you can see mountains in the form of a ship. When the mountain casts shadows in water, it resembles an arrow a lot. This dam is just 2km away from Kanthallur small junction. So, it will be a missed chance if you leave this golden opportunity to see nature’s mischief. Stream is so silent without any ripples. If you take a camera shot from distance, you can clearly see an arrow.
Wild animals of wild life sanctuaries may block your way
Your journey is in between two wild life sanctuaries – Chinnar and Amaravathi. Obviously there are chances to get a glimpse of a few wild animals on the way. You can see two waterfalls also, Karimutti and Thoovanam. Eco tourism conducts trekking programs connecting these two waterfalls. You can see forest if you travel a little distance from Koottar. Various trekking camps are available at Thoovanam waterfalls too. But most fascinating experience would be night stay in forests in the midst of mist, water falls, wild animals and forests. Tree houses are available both at Koottar and Karakkad. It costs 1000 rupees per head for night stay.
Now Tamil Nadu border has reached
Now heat intensifies a little more and very soon you will reach Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Two check posts are there to indicate state borders. Now begins Annamalai Wild life sanctuary of Tamil nadu. Here and there you can see boards placed by forest department, “People have taken photos of leopards here”, “This path is for elephants” etc. Animals come out most during mornings and evenings.
Now towards our final destination – Amaravathi
From 9/6th check post Amaravathi is just 5kms away. Super road in between coconut plantations! Actually, Tamil nadu roads are far better comparing Kerala roads. You can see deep blue mountains at distance. Near by a Sainik school is also there. Very soon you will reach Amaravathi Dam.
Construction was started in 1956. Pandiyan fort was built before the completion of dam. But you can see waste materials there, nothing else! It’s so sad that Indians never preserve valuable monuments having historic value.
On the way back to Kanthallur you may see elephants, peacocks, deer etc.
Sunset view at Kanthallur
It’s really a spectacular sight to watch evening sunset from rock top of Kanthallur. But you should leave the place before light goes. Wild animals may start reign there. While you leave Kanthallur and Munnar through ‘S’ shaped roads you will surely feel that ‘this journey is not at all a watch. It’s worth to go there once more!’ If mist is accompanied by a gentle shower of rain, it’s just like a plum added to a butter cake. If not, just think in mind that rain is like a romance that never showered while you desired so.
Travel information
You can stay at Munnar, Marayoor or Kanthalloor. In Chinnar and Le cam wild life division conducts trekking programs for tourists. You can stay in forest too. Nedumbassery airport of Ernakulam is the nearest airport. If you are coming by train from Kozhikode direction, alight at Aluva or Ernakulam stations. If you are coming from Thiruvannathapuram, Kottayam is the nearest.
Kottayam – Munnar 135 km. Kochi – Munnar 130 km. Munnar – Marayoor 43 km, Kanthalloor 59 km, Chinnar 75 km, Amaravathi 102 km.
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