God’s own country – Kerala is called so for its cultural heritage, good hostage and splendid greenery. A heaven on earth that is being placed in the world map of tourism, for its integrity, natural scenery and colours of arts and festivals. Western Ghats just beautify this natural beauty with its unique climate, hill stations, chillness, water bodies, tea plantations and of course, rare medicinal plants and forests. Idukki is the second largest district of Kerala, but the most beautiful one famous for its cool climate, forests, electric power station and associated dam. This district consists of several protected and reserved areas and has many wild life sanctuaries too, to protect its flora and fauna.

What’s so special about Idukki?

No doubt, it’s most beautiful district of Kerala free of pollution and every thing, just natural. Its inhabitants are also less in number and majority of them belong to tribal groups.

A tea shop that gives meter tea to strong tea; Idukki is very similar to such a tea shop giving you different ranges of sites to see. Varieties of sites are available here, in any colour or any taste as you desire. From milk white water falls to lime light evenings, Idukki’s nature gifts its visitors a lot of amazing and surprising packets that asks them to come to again later. Its visuals never end as if sights are disappearing behind the mist and each time you visit this place, nature might be waiting you with yet another surprising packet.

India’s biggest electric power station, Mulamattam comes under its mountain ranges. How many wonderful locations are here for those nature lovers who like chilled breeze, fresh air, snowy evenings, forests and water bodies a lot! Each year a new location comes out of the veil of mist and those people who love such excavations will surely find new locations every time for sure. Idukki Arch Dam is opened now, this December and it happens so only twice a year.

Route map to Idukki

Pala, Muttam, Kuzhamavu and from there to Idukki – this is the route map to climb those mountains. When you return you can take another route - from Moolamattam KSRTC bus stand to Pulikaanam and from there climb a mountain. You can enjoy the cool water falls at Ilappalli too. Yes, it’s a pleasant journey to climb from one mountain to another while the whole nature is showering its blessings from both sides and giving a fresh sight every moment. S- curves and stony hills make your journeys a little adventurous too. You can end this amazing journey at Idukkupara.

From Thodupuzha, it’s 32kms to Kulamavu. If you are coming by train alight at Ernakulam or Kottayam railway station. From Ernakulam, it’s 93kms to Kulamavu while it’s 88kms from Kottayam. Idukki is just 28kms away from Kulamavu. Within 60 km surface area from dam, come tourist locations Malankara Reservoir, Wagamon, Ilaveezha Poonchira, Thomman Kuthu waterfalls and Ramakkalmedu forest. Thekkady wild life sanctuary is just 63 kms away.

Snake road towards Idukki

Through rubber plantations goes the road and it resembles a crawling snake a lot. A expert driver is needed to drive through the hair pin curves. Wonderful village locations free of pollution. Only small homes, small shops and tea shops here and there! Mist hides them very often. In addition to it, traditional coconut liquor shops called ‘Kallu shop’ in Malayalam are available here and there. Many people come to here as a group to enjoy ‘kallu’, boat trips and natural scenery. 

Well on road?

From Kulamavu, there are 12 hairpin curves and after each hair pin, it appears as if mountain ranges are parting apart. After the fourth hair pin, there is a well exactly at the centre of the road. This well has a story to tell about ancient times and bullock carts. Years back, it was difficult to get water for daily use and when the place to dig a well was located it came in the exact centre of the road. During the old days, this well was the resort of bullock travelers and later when buses replaced bullock carts, well became a part of the road. Later when road was broadened, well came inside the road exactly at the middle. Though many tried to remove the well from the path as it’s risky, local people didn’t allow it as memories associated with well are really nostalgic for a generation of people. Yet people throw plastic containers, drink bottles and wastes in the well while passing by and it remains the duty of villagers to clean the well once a while. They also keep an eye on such youngsters who don’t know the real value of this ancestral well.

Breath taking Kalvari Hills

When you reach the fifth hair pin, you can see the arch of Thumbachi Cross Church. Just travel a few steps forward to see breath taking scenes of Kalvari Hills. Just look below from the hill tops to see the fine sketch of greenery and small homes, as if you are watching google map. You can see the entire village with small streams and water bodies in the midst of clouds and mist. It appears as if mist has just started from its home for a wonderful trip through mountain valleys. Church and its surroundings look so beautiful in the December snow.

If you go forward a little, there is a pavilion of KSEB (Kerala State Electricity Board) from where you can view the same valleys. But you need to buy a ticket of 10 rupees.

Mulamattam power house

Then you reach Mulamattom electric power station. It’s the biggest underground Hydro-electric Project in India. But most sad part is that tourists are not allowed inside; you can’t even roam around for a long time. Even mobile photos are not permissible there. This hydro electric power station is 750 meter beneath the Naadukani mountain top. But you can satisfy your quest by seeing the teak plantation and Edappalli waterfalls nearby.

City of Kulamav

As soon as you leave Mulamattom unwillingly you will reach ‘Kulamav city’. You might be wondering where the chance of a city in such a remote place of mountain ranges and Western Ghats. Never imagine about shopping malls and multiplex theatres once you hear the word ‘city’. For Idukki people there, if they find three or four shops together it’s their metro city! A hotel, two grocery shops and two vegetable shops; nothing else! You shall reach boat land of Nellikkapara through Kulamav.

Journey through Cheruthoni dam

Only a single boat is there that’s allowed to sail through the dam. It’s not for tourism purpose only. When dam was built, a small village called Chakkimali got isolated from the rest of the world and this boat links its residents with external world. 32 families are present there and even for buying ration from Kulamav they need to sail through the dam for 1.5 hours. In that occasion village panchayat gave that boat for those poor people and every Wednesday a boat service is done for them to transport their goods at a cheap rate of 10 rupees. For the rest six days, the boat sails for tourists.

Nellikkapara road starts just opposite Kulamav temple and that road is not good for comfort travel. It’s better to walk through forest. When you reach 1 km you get the beautiful view of a dark mountain. Voices of some unknown birds and wing flapping voice of beautiful and wild butterflies are so powerful to change a beast to a poet. Even the most bored person of the world would love to walk through the dense forests listening music of waterfalls and lovely birds.

That particular rock mountain is known as Nellikkapara. Para in Malayalam means rock and it looks as if it’s a colash of different colours. It appears as if someone has thrown a tea pot from the sky, so much mixing of colours. Mountain top is green. The path of flowing water is red and beneath dark green.

A journey through dam till Chakkimali may cost 600 rupees plus some additional charges in the form of bribes. In short, you may need to spend rupees 3000 it you want to sail throughout the water bodies. Yet you can’t go very near dam, only its premises.

While boat flies through the water bodies, it appears as if shining bald headed rasgullas are floating in sugar solution. Before the dam was built, that place was a village. When project came people moved to other places and whole place was immersed under water.

It’s believed that about hundred people were dead during the construction process of the dam. But the journey through water is like a silent song that gives a lot of mental peace to soul and body.

Chakkimali – the place where sail ends

Three sides are filled with water and the remaining side is forest. No government offices or service centres or hospitals are here. Though this place is very near to Idukki Dam, the dam that gives electricity to whole Kerala, its inhabitants still depend on solar energy to light their lamps.

Life has not changed in the past 50 years. Still post man never reaches there nor do newspapers. People solely depend on agriculture to earn a living. Many people have moved from those remote areas to far away places and their homes are without any inhabitants. People are now thinking of developing tourism in their villages allotting those lonely homes to tourists. Good and healthy food without pesticides and medicines, pure water to drink, silent atmosphere, non-polluted breeze and green forests – what else is needed to attract tourists? Villagers warmly welcome you as your guests if you are willing to stay there for few days.

During sunsets, sun scatters the sky as if a blue flower is torn to pieces. A pleasant sight to watch! Now hills begin to put the veil of mist.

Arch dam connecting Kuruvan Mala and Kurathi Mala

As I have told earlier, dam is opened for tourists only twice a year. Its gates are opened only during the vacation holidays of Onam, Christmas and Vishu. If you want to go to dam, you need to leave all electric equipment including mobiles at its doorstep. So, you need to go inside without any weapons! Cheruthoni Dam was just a sample fireworks. Arch dam connecting two mountains named Kuruvan Mala and Kurathi Mala is a spectacular sight to watch! Mala in Malayalam means mountain and Kuravan and Kurathi are translations of tribal people, both male and female gender.

Now let me tell you the folk tale of Kuravan and Kurathi. They were husband and wife and it’s believed that they were cursed by Sri Rama for polluting the stream while Sita was bathing there. Scales of fishes cleaned by those tribal people polluted water and Rama caught them red handed. They were punished too. Both were given curses to change to rocks. When begged for pardon, Sri Rama told that you two will get moksha when people try to join you two people. Some natives say it’s not Rama and Sita, but Shiva and Parvathy while others say it’s Pandavas who cursed that tribe couple.

It may be just folk stories. Any how, Kurathi is really charming comparing her husband Kuravan. Years back when a tribal man named Vellayan Kolumban showed these mountains to a British engineer he developed the idea of a dam and gave his project idea to the then king of Travancore.

After years, Idikki has witnessed the hard work, sweat and blood drops of many workers and finally the arch dam was completed. This arch dam itself is a great wonder. It has no shutters and if water flow in excess, shutters of Cheruthoni dam will be opened. If viewed from front it resembles a snake with open hood. But now visitors are not permitted to go there. Another such hidden mystery far away from visitors’ eyes is the Cave of Kuravan Mountain where the Malayalam movie Vaisali was captured. After the film shooting this cave got the name, Vaisali Guha. Guha means cave in Malayalam.

Journey in a speed boat when dam is opened during seasons

Inside Idukki dam, boat journeys are allowed. A family of four members needs to give rs.350 only for this wonderful drive. But the journey in a speed boat that travels in light’s speed on the surface of water with 400 feet depth is really adventurous. This boating service is available only when dam is open.

Hill View Park

Next you can walk towards Hill View Park once you have done boating. This park is constructed in 2 layers and now under renovation. At distance you can see arch dam with its head held high. If you stay in government rest house at night, you can view through your window curtains, Kuravan mala embracing Kurathi mala with their concrete hands in the moonlight. What a romantic scene to write a few lines in a poetic mood if you are a romantic person!

Now, say good bye to mountains and tea plantations

Near Kulamav Dam, there are a few hotels with excellent fish curries. Then you can return through another path to enjoy new scenes. For return journeys we should choose new paths so that we won’t feel bored and we stay fresh throughout. From Moolamattam bus stand you can choose Pullikkaanam bus route to climb another mountain. You can enjoy a few more scenes and a waterfall as well. When you reach Idikkipara in the evening tea plantations will shine before you in golden colour in evening sun and it give you the illusion of drinking a lime tea for sure.