Wayanad - Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, & Pazhassi Tomb - Review

Banasura Sagar Dam (Open 10AM to 4PM) is around 45KM from Sultan Battery.

It is named after Banasura, the son of Mahabaili. To get there, on Calicut Road take the Kalpetta Byepasse to the Left and from the Byepasse junction take a Left for 1KM towards the town and Left again at Chemmannur Jewelers. From that point, it is about 20KM to the site. The last few kilometers of the route is very scenic with nice views of the reservoir at several spots - the dam is on the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini river and a set of islands were formed when the reservoir submerged the surrounding valleys - The vast area surrounded with water and the islands along with the Banasura Hills make for a spectacular site.

Tourism at Banasura Sagar Dam is co-ordinated by Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre, the tourist facilitation centre of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). They do a pretty good job and ticket pricing is very reasonable (Rs 20 and Rs 25 for camera). Access to the actual dam itself is cordoned-off due to security reasons - a nice garden by the side and the boat launching site is what is on offer to the general public. To access the area, there is a short walk from the ticket counter around KSEB residential lots and a short hike up to the site. There is stunning scenary on offer here but the actual dam location is not visible - the best place for that is on the way in, a kilometer or so before reaching the ticket couter. It is the largest earth dam (made up of massive boulders) in India and the 2nd largest in Asia. Activities available include pony rides, kid’s play areas at the park, boating, and a couple of exhibitions (philately & numismatics and horticulture - very modest - philately/numismatic museum has Kannur philately club president’s collection - nothing special but still interesting). It is also feasible to go trekking at the Banasura Hills. Meenmutty Falls (a different one than the one with the same name off Vaduvanchal-Ooty Road) is around 5KM from the site as well.

Kuruva Island is about 33KM from Banasura Sagar Dam. The route is via Padinhara Thara, Kellur, and Kappunchal. The island is reached via a bamboo ferry from the banks of the Kabini River. There are two ferry locations one on either side of the river bank. The direction markers to the site can be confusing at some points as it does not clearly indicate the correct ferry location. The nearest one when coming from Banasura Sagar Dam is termed locally as Mananthavady-side ferry while the ferry on the other side is termed Pallipudi. On the Mananthavady-side, the roads in the final15KM stretch are narrow but generally OK - there are stretches with potholes and the final kilometer is through a gravel road with a concrete path. 

The ticket counter is open from 8AM to 3:30PM. Tickets are Rs 80pp and Camera & Parking are an additional Rs 50 each. There is a short walk leading up to the ferry launching site. Your bags are checked and plastics are tagged with a Rs 20/- deposit. The bamboo ferry is manual - there are ropes across the banks of the river and the ferry is moved by pulling the ropes thus pushing the ferry forward - fascinating and technique is more important the raw power to get the job done - on our way back, we were the only ones in the ferry and the driver allowed us to have a go! The forest department has constructed a pathway of around 800 meters that gets you to the other side of the island. A rocky spot in the river on that site is designated for people who want to get in the water. The area is very popular and pretty crowded most of the day. The water is reasonably clean, shallow, and safe in the designated areas but people have lost lives in other parts of the same river. Animals are aplenty in the islands in the Kabini river and it is not unusual for elephants to roam in as well. At the Kuruva Island, it is however very rare to see any animals at all, as the place is always crowded with tourists.

Pazhassi Raja Tomb is in Mananthavadi Town -   by following direction markers (~18KM) and then it is up District Hospital Road (there is a three-way road and this is the middle one) a short distance to the entry gate - there is limited parking inside. The Pazhassikuteeram Project Museum site was recently renovated with funding of Rs 10L  by the Kerala Department of Archaeology. Tickets are Rs 10/- and Camera is Rs 25/- (camera not permitted inside the museum). The museum has Pazhassi-era artefacts from the area.

Veera Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (aka Lion of Kerala) - was one of the earliest freedom fighters of India and conducted guerilla warfare against the British East India Company - he was killed in 1805 and buried with fully military honors at the site. When coming from Kuruva Dweep, reach Mananthavadi

Related Posts:

1. Wayanad - Edakkal Caves, Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, and Soochipara & Meenmutty Falls - Review. 
2. Wayanad - Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, & Sultan Battery Jain Temple - Review. 
3. Wayanad - Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary Safari & Chembra Peak - Review.  
4. Wayanad - Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, & Pazhassi Tomb - Review (this post).

Last Updated: 08/2016.

Wayanad - Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary Safari & Chembra Peak - Review

Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary & Chembra Peak epitomizes what is on offer in Wayanad.

The one downside with either attractions is that they are not very accessible. With the Sanctuary, the main feature is a Jeep-Safari, but that is restricted to the first 40 Jeeps (starts at 7AM) in the morning and 20 more (starts at 3PM) in the afternoon. With Chembra Peak, the main issue is that the last 10KM to reach the place is not maintained at all and so it is best to not attempt the drive with cars (four-wheel drives and SUVs are OK).

Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary is around 16KM from Sultan Battery on the Mysore Highway (212). For some reason, Google maps show Thirunelli/Tholpetty Wild Life Sanctuary when searching for Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary.

That is a different one located ~65KM from Sultan Battery, off the route to Coorg - that Sanctuary also has a similar Safari and is a good alternative if you plan to visit the famous Thirunelly Temple.

The ticketing process at Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary is confusing.  Tickets are Rs 115 pp (Rs 40 for Camera).    we were the first at the gate. The Safari is around 10KM and it is through a dirt road inside the forest - the ride is bumpy made worse by your sitting position - you are sitting side-on and have to turn  around in the seat to look. We got in right after the first Jeep (the first one carried Forest Department special guests) and were lucky enough to see many animals in their natural setting - elephants, bison, red mongoose, deers, feeding vultures, etc - also, a male peacock perched on a very tall tree was a stunning sight. We were dropped back at the hotel by 9AM, in-time for breakfast - overall, a very smooth affair. Basically, one has to first get tickets at the Forest Department ticket-counter at the left side of the Safari entry gate and then arrange a Jeep with private parties (unionized) that line the road. The Safari starts at 7AM and since there is a limit of 40-Jeeps for the morning Safari, the earlier you get to the ticket counter, the better. A Jeep can hold four people comfortably and a maximum of six people - excluding the driver and a forest guide that travels with you on every Jeep. The Safari Jeep charges are fairly uniform at Rs 1100. The trick is to try and be the first few Jeeps to get in, once the gates open at 7AM - chances of seeing animals go down dramatically after the first few Jeeps.

We opted for a Jeep that the hotel arranged. The guy came to the hotel with the Jeep at around 5AM thus ensuring that we were the first in line at the ticket counter. Once we got the tickets, the guy ensured

For Chembra peak, we asked the services of the same guy who took us to Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. He offered to take us there and back for Rs 1800 and we went with it. Basically, it is a day-long program and there are no restaurants and such in the area - so, a very late lunch is a given.

To get there, the turn-off is from Meppadi (about 27KM from Sultan Battery via Kolagappara-Vaduvanchal Road and Manjappara-Karapuzha Road). From the turn-off to the Left, it is a few kilometers to the Forest Office on the Left. They collect 750/group for the trek and give a guide (he gets 250 apparently). The trekking site is around 7KM from the Forest Office. The last ~5KM of that road is very bad - they don’t restrict anybody but we saw several vehicles turning around.

There is a forest department office and a watch-tower at the Start location. It took us around two hours to the heart-shaped lake and back (2.5KM one-way) - the lake area is very pretty and there is a nice view point a little further - both the lake (no swimming and the water is not drinkable) and the viewpoint are good places to hang-out although there are no services at either point - carry plenty of liquids and snacks (as with most tourist spots in Wayanad, it is an eco-friendly zone and all bags are checked for plastics - each one requires a Rs 20 deposit which you get back when you show them after the trek).

The original trek was another 7KM that crosses 3 other peaks (currently closed) - apparently someone used a cellphone up there and got burned by lightning, thus resulting in the indefinite closure.

They say it might reopen when Neelakurunji blossoms in 2018. On the way back, a 1KM diversion gets you to Phantom Rock. 













Related Posts:

1. Wayanad - Edakkal Caves, Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, and Soochipara & Meenmutty Falls - Review. 
2. Wayanad - Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, & Sultan Battery Jain Temple - Review. 
3. Wayanad - Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary Safari & Chembra Peak - Review (this post).  
4. Wayanad - Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, & Pazhassi Tomb - Review.

Last Updated: 08/2016.
   

Wayanad - Edakkal Caves, Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, and Soochipara & Meenmutty Falls - Review

Edakkal Caves is around 10KM from Sultan Battery. The shortest route is via the single-lane road starting at the Manichira turn-off near Sultan Battery on the Kalpetta to Sultan Battery state highway. The far better option is to take the Kalpetta State Highway (212) route and take the turn-off  (at ~5KM from Sultan Battery) to the Left for Edakkal Caves/Ambalavayal at Kolagapaara Junction. It is an additional 3KM, but the newly constructed rubberized two-lane scenic road from Kolagapaara makes it very worthwhile - it is around 9KM from the turn-off to Edakkal Caves - there is a sharp v-turn up the hill after around 7KM.

There are several parking spaces near the Edakkal Caves entrance - some are paid-parking areas while others are free. It is best to drive up the steep hillock to the entrance gate and look for parking on the way down as otherwise you will end up walking the distance to the entrance gate (curio shops line the area till the entrance on either side of the road - they mostly sell Wayanad spices and such - very reasonable pricing although quality for some items such as home-made chocolates are below par).

The Edakkal Caves ticket counter is around 1KM up a steep walk-way from the entrance gate - this pathway also has several shops lining both sides selling everything from curios, spices, and drinks - honey amla (gooseberry marinated in raw honey - both from the forest) and Bamboo Rice Payasam are the popular items here. They sometimes have Jeeps taking people up to the ticket counter for a Rs 100 fee. Tickets are Rs 20 pp (camera Rs 30) and are open from 9AM to 4PM (Monday holiday). From the ticket counter, there is a short pathway followed by winding steel stairs (300-odd steps) till the cave. It takes upward of two hours for the hike and back.

There was a trek further up from the caves to a viewpoint but that is now closed to the public. The cave itself is a marvelous natural wonder. There are a couple of huge granite rocks and between them is another rock stuck in the middle, thus forming the giant cave structure (depth about 30-feet) - the site got its name from this precarious rock formation - ‘Edakkal’ literally means rock-in-between. The historical significance of the cave is the presence of several sets of petroglyphs: the youngest are believed to be over 2000-years old and may have a connection to the Indus Valley Civilization while the oldest date back to over 8000-years - the pre-historic stoneage carvings are very rare and are the only ones in South India. The site is maintained by the Wayanad District Tourist Promotion Council (DTPC) and their personnel man the site during visiting hours.

Less than 5KM from Edakkal Caves is Ambalavayal Heritage Museum (aka Wayanad Heritage Museum, Open 10AM to 5PM). 

To get there from Edakkal Caves, at the sharp V-turn to Kolagappara on the Vaduvanchal-Kolagappara Road, take a Left instead and go about 3.5KM to the Museum turn-off on the Left (Government Hospital Road). It has one of the largest collections of archealogical relics and artefacts from the neolothic period to around the 17th century AD (presented in three types: Gothrasmruthi, the Devasmruthi, and the Jeevanasmruthi). Memorial grave stones and stone age hunting equipment are the highlights.

Meenmutty Falls is ~13KM on the same road (Vaduvanchal-Kolagappara), around 3KM after the Meppadi route turn-off (SH29).

The final stretch (about a kilometer) is very bumpy and it is best to park your vehicle on the muddy pathway and hike down the rest of the way - the way back up is strenuous and no services. There is another Meenmutty Falls near Banasura Dam and that is more popular and has more services as well (tickets are Rs 50) - it also requires a good kilometer or so of hiking. The Trail and the Falls are very beautiful in both these locations. Soochipara Falls is around 16KM from Meenmutty Falls (the one near Vaduvanchal) - from Vaduvanchal-Meppadi Road (SH29), take a Left turn at Meppadi to Chooralmala/Soochipara, and it is about 3KM from the turn-off to the Right. Parking lot is 2KM from this point and there is another 1KM hike to the Falls. Tickets are Rs 50 (open 8AM to 5PM). Here again, the trek down is easy and picturesque while coming back up can be strenuous. There are several other Falls in Wayanad district and many are largely unexplored. One thing to be aware of is that the terrain is slippery and dangerous especially during the monsoon - the ones with facilities are closed during monsoons.

Related Posts:

1. Wayanad - Edakkal Caves, Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, and Soochipara & Meenmutty Falls - Review (this post). 
2. Wayanad - Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, & Sultan Battery Jain Temple - Review. 
3. Wayanad - Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary Safari & Chembra Peak - Review.  
4. Wayanad - Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, & Pazhassi Tomb - Review.

Last Updated: 08/2016.

Wayanad - Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, & Sultan Battery Jain Temple - Review

To get to Wayanad district from most parts of Kerala state, the only way is to cross one of several mountain passes. From Ernakulam area, the distance is only around 290KM, but it can easily take upwards of 6 hours to reach there as the traffic after Thrissur and the narrow ghat roads after Thamarassery can slow you down. But, once you get there, the natural beauty is all around. Thamarassery mountain pass (churam/choram)  has nine hair-pin bends and after that stretch is the Lakkidi View Point. There is limited parking on the valley-side of the road (one can park on the road shoulder on the other side of the road as well, but as it is a state highway, it is best avoided, if possible) - as a road-side attraction extreme care needs to be taken especially with kids.  The sweeping view of the mountain pass is definitely worth a stopover - some of the hair-pin bends are very visible on a clear day.

A few kilometers after the mountain pass is Vythiri Village, a tourist hot-spot - the hill station is known for several health resorts and spas. Pookode Lake turn-off is just before Vythiri  - there is a sign-board for the sharp-left turn-off and it is about a kilometer from that point.

The road is narrow and there is no designated parking facility - so vehicles are parked on either side of the road and so there is barely enough space to pass through for tourist buses and such. Pookode Lake (open all days from 8AM to 5PM, boating is from 9AM to 5PM) is a natural fresh water lake surrounded all-around in ever-green mountains. The lake covers over 20 acres and the maximum depth is just under 9 meteres. The shape is uneven although it is claimed that the shape resembles the map of India (needs a little imagination). Lotus & Lilies cover parts of the lake. Fresh-water fishes are abundant as well and a species (Pethia Pookodensis) of cyprinid fish is endemic to the lake. The stunning location makes it a hugely popular tourist spot and so the place can get very crowded. Maintenance is pretty good and the facility is managed by the Wayanad tourist promotion council. There is a curio-shop, small park, aquarium, magic-mirror show, etc in the facility. Entry fee is Rs 20 and the aquarium and magic mirror attractions have separate entry fees. Also, there are several options for boating on the lake - rates start at Rs 100 for a 2-person pedal boat (20-minutes) to Rs 500 for a an 8-seater row-boat (30-minutes). We took the 2KM walk around the lake. It was butterfly season when we visited and so parts of the pathway around was completely taken over by them - a very pleasant sight.

We had reservations at Pepper Grove, a KTDC property near Sultan Battery.The place can be hard to locate as sign-boards are almost invisible (apparently PWD doesn’t allow placing signboards on the road-sides anymore). There is a sign-board at the turn-off to the Right from the State Highway connecting Kalpetta to Sultan Battery (Manichira, Ambalavayal, etc. road-signs are also there). 1KM after the turn-off, take the first Left after Buddha’s Ayurvedic Spa (opposite Parsa Tower) - around 300M on that road is the entrance - it borders Manichira Pond. The rooms show their age but otherwise OK. There is a “restaurant” but you have to tell what is needed in advance.

The Sultan Bathery Jain Temple is on the right side of the State Highway after the Manichira turn-off, just before reaching Sultan Battery town - it was open during renovation when we visited. There are several Jain Temples in Wayanad district although this one is the most popular.


Related Posts:

1. Wayanad - Edakkal Caves, Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, and Soochipara & Meenmutty Falls - Review. 
2. Wayanad - Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, & Sultan Battery Jain Temple - Review (this post). 
3. Wayanad - Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary Safari & Chembra Peak - Review.  
4. Wayanad - Banasura Sagar Dam, Kuruva Island, & Pazhassi Tomb - Review.

Last Updated: 08/2016.