Ilaveezhapoonchira is a tourist destination located in Melukavu village in Kottayam district near Kanjar. Ilaveezha Poonchira is surrounded by three enchanting hillocks - Mankunnu, Kodayathoormala and Thonippara. This makes the place ideal for trekking (Elevation 962 m (3155 ft)). [1]
"Ila-veezhaa-poonchira", means 'the pond of flowers where the leaves do not fall'. During the monsoons, the valley between a complex of mountains fills up to form a large pond. [2]
Ilaveezhapoonchira is an established destination for both domestic as well as foreign tourists. It is a hill station in bordering Idukki Kottayam district, Kerala, southern India. It is 3,200 feet above sea level and surrounded by lush green tea plantations and valleys.
According to local Legends, the Pandava had a sojourn here during their life incognito. Their wife, Draupadi, came to bathe at a lake, which was present at that time. Some devas, bewitched by her beauty, tried to satisfy their voyeuristic itch. King of devas, Lord Indra, learned of the situation, 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. [3]
Poonjira's Legends is also related to story of Agastya and his hermitage, he lived here and some of the native people believes that he still lives here, his hermitage is hidden in somewhere here. Another attraction is the ancient Krishna temple, that was believed to be founded by Panjali herself. It is believed that Panjali's akshayapatra is hidden here and it is protected by agastya. The Legend is also associate with Ramayana his vanavasa popularly believes that he lived here with Lakshmana for few months
Ilavvezha Poonchira is located 20 km from Thodupuzha and is located 55 km from Kottayam. From Ilaveezha Poonchira, it is possible to see large parts of Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts. Sunrise and sunset can both be observed here.
Pathanamthitta District, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvalla.
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Uzhavoor is an expanding town in Kottayam district, Kerala in India. It is just 32 km away from the administrative capital Kottayam District. Most of its residents are either wealthy farmers or businessmen. Many of the houses belong to NRIs. The tenth President of India, K. R. Narayanan, was born and brought up in this village. The newly expanded road which connects the city of Pala and other destinations such as Sabarimala to the city of Muvattupuzha passes through Uzhavoor. The town is 177 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
The Idukki Dam is a double-curvature arch dam constructed across the Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills locally known as Kuravan and Kurathi in Idukki district in the state of Kerala, India. It is constructed and owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board. It supports a 780 MW hydroelectric power station in Moolamattom, which started generating power on 4 October 1975. At 168.91 metres (554.2 ft), it is one of the highest arch dams in Asia. The Indo-Canadian project was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on February 17, 1976.
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Kattappana ([kaʈ:ap:ɐna]) is a municipality in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located 21 km (13.0 mi) southeast of the district headquarters in Painavu and about 140 km (87.0 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. Kattappana is the second-largest municipality in the district by population, and serves as a major hub for commercial and economic activity for the surrounding region.
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Nedumkandam is the headquarters of Udumbanchola taluk which is situated in Idukki district of the Indian state of Kerala. Nedumkandam is among the fastest growing towns in the Idukki district. Nedumkandam is well known for its spices production and is a major contributor to the production of spices like cardamom and pepper. This town situated an average elevation of 900 meter above sea level and maximum elevation respectively 1190 meter 1100 meter and 975 meter and is a destination for economical stay and shopping for tourists in the popular Kumily-Munnar tourist route.
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Illikkal Kallu is a monolith located on top of the Illickal Malaa in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India.The distance from kottayam railway station to illikal kallu is 57km. Situated at around 3500 feet above sea level, Illickal Kallu is a major tourist attraction in Thalanadu. L. S. G.D., Thalanadu village of Meenachil taluk. Only one half of the original rock remains, as the other half of the rock has fallen off. The nearest town is Teekoy. Numerous mountain streams originate from this peak and flow down to form the Meenachil River. Tourists must trek <1 km to reach the summit of the peak.
Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple is an ancient Shiva temple in Kottayam, Kerala, India. The temple is one of the major Shiva temples in Kerala, along with Vaikom Temple, Kaduthruthy Mahadeva Temple, Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple, Ernakulam Shiva Temple, Vadakkunathan temple and Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple, Thiruvananthapuram.
Anakkara is a geographic area of around 50 square kilometres that spans across Vandanmedu, Chakkupallam Panchayats in the Udumbanchola Taluk of Idukki District. Anakkara is the administrative capital of Chakkupallam Grama Panchayat and Anakkara Revenue Village. Situated at about 18 kilometers (11 mi) from Thekkady wildlife sanctuary on the Kumily-Munnar state highway, Anakkara is a fast-growing tourist destination for its unique spice gardens and many picnic spots in and around. It is one of the 36 distinct places identified by Government of India and United Nations Development Programme for exploring and promoting the unique tourism potential of these places.
Muttom is a rural area in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. This place is 66 km away from Cochin. Geographically this place is part of Midland or Idanad region of Kerala.
Sabarimala Railway is a proposed 111-kilometre (69 mi)-long railway line in Kerala, India, that will run from Angamaly to Erumeli. It was sanctioned in 1998 by Indian Railways. The line's name comes from the fact that it will provide a railway facility to pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala Temple.
Panchalimedu is a hill station and view point near Kuttikkanam in Peerumedu tehsil of Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. On the Makar Sankranti day, many Ayyappa devotees camps there to witness the sacred Makaravilakku that appears in the Ponnambalamedu near Sabarimala temple. On Good Fridays, Christians come here to follow the way of the cross here.
Adithyapuram Surya Temple is a Hindu temple located in Iravimangalam near Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is noted mainly as the only 'Adithya' shrine in the state. The temple is situated just 200 m (0.20 km) from the main highway leading to Vaikom. It is about 3 km from Kaduthuruthy, 17 km from Ettumanoor and 16 km from Vaikom.
The Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line is a railway line which runs through the districts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha in Kerala state of India. This railway line starts as a branch line from Ernakulam Town railway station towards Kottayam and joins with the Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line route via Alappuzha at Kayamkulam Junction. This line comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. The line has a total distance of 118 km (73 mi). The Ernakulam Town/Ernakulam Junction - Kottayam section opened in 1956-57 and Kottayam - Kollam section in 1957.
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