Ponmudi Tourist Attractions

Ponmudi is on the outer edge of the Western Ghats near Agasthyakoodam, the second highest peak in Kerala at 6,201ft.

A small little hill station which offers the nearest trekking escapede, 61 km away. And the good professor used to trek in the shoal shrub hills of ponmudi even when she was well into her eighties. No doubt, the salubrious atmosphere and the twisted trails across clear streams must have contributed to her health.

Ponmudi means golden hair or golden crown, a name said to have been born from the golden rays of the sun striking the face of the hills at this end of the ghats. This is a very small hill station and the expected thing to do is to walk around, preferably slightly off the main ponmudi center which houses the KTDC complexed as well as the government guesthouse.

If you’re driving down to ponmudi from Thiruvananthapuram with sign boards counting down the 22 hairpin bends on the last stretch stop off at the bridge across the Kallar River, a few kilometers from ponmudi. Get your snacks at the little teashops here before you trek along the banks of the kallar upstream to the Meenmutti Falls, an hour away. This used to be the best spot to swim the waterfall feeds into a largish pool that is deep at one end, but generally safe until students discovered it and assorted youngsters who are not eco-friendly and leave behind a trail of broken bottles and litter. Some accidents of them from lingering at Kallar, but don’t expect to find it as nature intended it to be.

And always heed the warnings of the locals about foul weather before you set out, especially if it is during the rainy season. They have seen the river in all its moods and can predict when it can turn nesty. Ask at the bridge or in one of the teashops about weather conditions. Early mornings would be the best time to do kallar, so that you return to the bend in the road where you’ve parked in time from lunch before setting off to ponmudi.

Agasthyakoodam 60km

Agasthyakoodam is the abode of Agasthya, the puranic saint and seer who travelled around south India, especially in the hills of the western Ghats. A favourite spot for birdwatchers, Agasthyakoodam has forests that teem with medicinal herbs as well as rare orchids. It is also the source of the kallar River. The area once came under under the Kotoor Reserve Forest, but got rapidly degraded. It is now a protected park the Agasthya Vanam Biological Park.

There are two routes to trek to the peak one starting at Kotoor near Neyyar Dam and the other at Bonacaud. Remember this is a protected area and you won’t be allowed to trek through the forests at will. You’ll have to get permission and a forest pass from the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. They organize guided tours with an overnight halt at the camp inside the forest. For Rs 500-1,000, the tour can include trekking inside the park, boat rides, food and stay at the camp.

Trekkers say the first 10 km of the trek is a breeze, along a much-trodden but well maintained path. The next 16 km are very steep and you will find your knee meeting your forehead more than once. Even before the final ascent, you’ll get to see waterfalls. From the top, the views of the Neyyar and Peppara dams are breathtaking. Send out a prayer of gratitude to the statue of Agasthya at the top.

Nayyar Dam

The Neyyar Dam 80 km and Sanctuary attract bus-loads of visitors, not all of whom are headed for the famous Sivananda Ashram, founded by the Flying Swami in 1978. Most instead, have come to peek at the crocodiles in the Crocodile Park, Lying deceptively lethargic, jaws open to the sun. These are small freshwater marsh crocodiles, said to tbe almost extinct. Get on a boat that circles a small island that contains a variety of Wildlife. The boat ride starts at the Wildlife Information Centre and is fairly enhoyable, set against the bluish mountains. The sanctuary forms the drainage basin of the Neyyar River and its tributaries, the Mullayar an dKallar and nudges the Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.

Around Ponmudi

Thenmala 70 km

Thenmala is the site of what is claimed to be India’s first planned ecotourism project. It’s worth the excursion as there is a range of things to do including dabbling in adventure sports like rappelling and river crossing. The staff of the Tenmala Ecotourism Promotion society is particularly helpful and will patiently brief you about the project and the options on offer.

The project area has been divided into zones such as the Leisure Zone, Adventure Zone and Buffer Zone. You can walk along the elevated walkway a wooden stairway that climbs at tree canopy level to the old disused. Thiruvananthapuram shencottai road. At the end of the walkway exists a sheer rock face which you can climb aided by trained mountain climbers.

Route: NH7 to Tirumangalam via Salem, Dindigul and Madurai. NH208 to Thenmala via Tenkasi and Shencottai; state road to Ponmudi.

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