Nelliampathi
Encyclopedia
Nelliampathi is a popular hill station 60 km away from Palakkad
in Kerala
, a small state in south India
. It is surrounded by tea
and coffee
plantations and has excellent weather conditions. The journey to Nelliampathi itself is an experience. The only route is from Nemmara
, from where the first town of Nelliampathi, namely Kaikatty
junction, is at a distance of 26 km. At the 9th kilometer is the Pothundi Dam
, a small irrigation
dam
which provides water for the rice fields in the surrounding area. The dam is at the foot of the Nelliampathi hills. From here, the road winds up for the next 17 km, with many hairpin turn
s on the way. Immediately after Pothundy dam, comes the government forest, where one can see massive teak
trees. The road is very narrow and requires a skilled driver behind the wheel. On the way, one can see wild animals like monkey
, deer
and porcupine
. The view of the Pothundy dam from the height is a breathtaking sight. There will be many waterfalls by the roadside during the rainy season.
is also seen in the grassy peaks.
. One such place is Kesavanpara
, which offers a panoramic view of the land below. The tea producer A.V.Thomas & Company has a large tea garden under its Manalaroo Estate nearby. Manalaroo Estate is the highest yielding Tea estate in India. One can buy fresh tea from their garden outlet in their factory. The Orange and Vegetable Farm, run by the Government of Kerala has its office and farm near Kaikatty. The Farm sells squashes and jams of fruits like pineapple, orange, passion fruit and guava. Vegetables like brinjal, bean
, chilly
and spinach
are also sold. Further ahead, there is another tea garden and factory owned by Veekay Tea Company under its Chandramala Estate. All the tea and coffee plantations were originally started by the British
. These were later on sold to the natives. The British were very conscious and responsible about the ecology of the area, utilizing the natural resources and only what was absolutely necessary.
The houses built by the British for themselves and their managers were constructed taking into consideration, the cold climate of the region. The walls and floors are wood lined to provide insulation, with fireplace
to provide heating. They also maintained good gardens in front of these houses.
Another famous tourist attraction is the Seetharkundu
. It is believed that Rama
, Lakshmana
and Sita
of the epic Ramayana
had lived in the place and Sita used to offer worship with the water from a small stream. This is the Seetarkundu, which can be viewed from the top of the mountains. At a distance, the Chulliyar dam, the Meenkara dam and the town of Kollengode
can be seen.
Even though the place is far away from the town, there is excellent communication facility provided by the Telephone exchange
of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
(BSNL). The telephone exchange is of the latest digital technology, connected to the outside world by optical fiber cable
. A mobile network tower has been installed with phone network coverage throughout the ghat sections. The ghat road which was very narrow and scary is being widened. The workers in the plantations are mostly of Tamil
origin. They are provided with labor quarters consisting of four to five units in one line, 'padi' in local language. Manalaroo Estate runs a school and a hospital for the workers and their children.
, there is a government run guest house with boarding and lodging facility. Reservation for lodging can be made in advance. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian foods are available.
The only public transport to the outside world is the bus service run by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
(KSRTC). These buses ply between Palakkad and Nelliampathi. There is also a KSRTC bus service from Nemmara. Within the hill areas, one has to depend on the taxi jeeps for transport. Essential items like grocery and vegetables are transported from Nemmara by jeeps.
and Coimbatore Airport
From Cochin Airport: Come to Thrissur - 30 km; take a taxi or bus from Thrissur bus stand to Nemmara - 48 km.
From Coimbatore Airport: Come to Palakkad - 50 km; take a taxi or bus to Nemmara - 30 km.
From Nemmara you can take a taxi or a four wheeler vehicle (jeep
) to Neliiampathi.
Nearest main railway stations: Palakkad
, Thrissur
and Coimbatore
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, a small state in south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It is surrounded by tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
plantations and has excellent weather conditions. The journey to Nelliampathi itself is an experience. The only route is from Nemmara
Nemmara
Nemmara is a predominantly rural village in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala in India. Nemmara and Vallangi form the two parts of this village.-Location:...
, from where the first town of Nelliampathi, namely Kaikatty
Kaikatty
Kaikatty is a small place in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It is 26 km from Nemmara village.-Places worth seeing near Kaikatty:...
junction, is at a distance of 26 km. At the 9th kilometer is the Pothundi Dam
Pothundi Dam
Pothundi Dam is an irrigation dam near a small village in Palakkad district of Kerala state, India. It was constructed in the 19th century. The dam is unusual in being constructed without a conventional concrete core, which is employed in most earth dams to counteract the force exerted by high...
, a small irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
which provides water for the rice fields in the surrounding area. The dam is at the foot of the Nelliampathi hills. From here, the road winds up for the next 17 km, with many hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
s on the way. Immediately after Pothundy dam, comes the government forest, where one can see massive teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
trees. The road is very narrow and requires a skilled driver behind the wheel. On the way, one can see wild animals like monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
. The view of the Pothundy dam from the height is a breathtaking sight. There will be many waterfalls by the roadside during the rainy season.
Fauna of Nelliampathi Hills
Located at the southern tip of the Palakkad gap, the Nelliampathi hills are known for their exquisite fauna. About 215 species of birds and 90 species of butterflies have been recorded in these hills. Some of the rare species of birds include Grey-breasted Laughing Thrush, Great Pied Hornbill, Jerdon's Baza, Great Black Woodpecker, Oriental Broad-billed Roller, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Broad-tailed Grassbird and Nilgiri Pipit. Primates including Lion-tailed Macaque, Bonnet Macaque and Nilgiri Langur are seen here. A small population of the endangered Nilgiri TahrNilgiri Tahr
The Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiritragus hylocrius, known locally as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex, is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu...
is also seen in the grassy peaks.
Places near Kaikatty
There are many places worth seeing near KaikattyKaikatty
Kaikatty is a small place in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It is 26 km from Nemmara village.-Places worth seeing near Kaikatty:...
. One such place is Kesavanpara
Kesavanpara
Kesavanpara is a small place in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It is 30 km from Nemmara village.Kesavanpara is home to the Nelliampathi mountains, and offers a panoramic view of the land below. It is near to Kaikatty. The only route is from Nemmara, from where the first town...
, which offers a panoramic view of the land below. The tea producer A.V.Thomas & Company has a large tea garden under its Manalaroo Estate nearby. Manalaroo Estate is the highest yielding Tea estate in India. One can buy fresh tea from their garden outlet in their factory. The Orange and Vegetable Farm, run by the Government of Kerala has its office and farm near Kaikatty. The Farm sells squashes and jams of fruits like pineapple, orange, passion fruit and guava. Vegetables like brinjal, bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
, chilly
Chilly
Chilly may refer to:*Cold, i.e. low temperature-Entertainment:*Chilly , a disco band from the 1970s*Chilly Willy, a cartoon penguin-Food:*Chiefly india: chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum...
and spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
are also sold. Further ahead, there is another tea garden and factory owned by Veekay Tea Company under its Chandramala Estate. All the tea and coffee plantations were originally started by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. These were later on sold to the natives. The British were very conscious and responsible about the ecology of the area, utilizing the natural resources and only what was absolutely necessary.
The houses built by the British for themselves and their managers were constructed taking into consideration, the cold climate of the region. The walls and floors are wood lined to provide insulation, with fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
to provide heating. They also maintained good gardens in front of these houses.
Another famous tourist attraction is the Seetharkundu
Seetharkundu
Seetharkundu is a small place at Nelliampathi in the district of Palakkad in the state of Kerala, southern India. It offers a fantastic view of the valley below...
. It is believed that Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
and Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
of the epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
had lived in the place and Sita used to offer worship with the water from a small stream. This is the Seetarkundu, which can be viewed from the top of the mountains. At a distance, the Chulliyar dam, the Meenkara dam and the town of Kollengode
Kollengode
Kollengode is a small town in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India.Kollengode, 19 km from Palakkad town, has endless green paddy fields, an ancient Vishnu temple and the Kollengode Palace, built in the traditional Kerala architectural style....
can be seen.
Even though the place is far away from the town, there is excellent communication facility provided by the Telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is a state-owned telecommunications company headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is the largest provider of fixed telephony and fourth largest mobile telephony provider in India, and is also a provider of broadband services...
(BSNL). The telephone exchange is of the latest digital technology, connected to the outside world by optical fiber cable
Optical fiber cable
An optical fiber cable is a cable containing one or more optical fibers. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube suitable for the environment where the cable will be deployed....
. A mobile network tower has been installed with phone network coverage throughout the ghat sections. The ghat road which was very narrow and scary is being widened. The workers in the plantations are mostly of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
origin. They are provided with labor quarters consisting of four to five units in one line, 'padi' in local language. Manalaroo Estate runs a school and a hospital for the workers and their children.
Boarding and lodging
At KaikattyKaikatty
Kaikatty is a small place in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It is 26 km from Nemmara village.-Places worth seeing near Kaikatty:...
, there is a government run guest house with boarding and lodging facility. Reservation for lodging can be made in advance. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian foods are available.
The only public transport to the outside world is the bus service run by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
(KSRTC). These buses ply between Palakkad and Nelliampathi. There is also a KSRTC bus service from Nemmara. Within the hill areas, one has to depend on the taxi jeeps for transport. Essential items like grocery and vegetables are transported from Nemmara by jeeps.
How to reach there
Nearest Airports: Cochin International AirportCochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...
and Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore Airport is a customs airport located at Peelamedu, Coimbatore. It was previously known as Coimbatore Civil Aerodrome. It is about from the city center. It is located along Peelamedu and Neelambur, with passenger entry at Neelambur and cargo entry at Peelamedu...
From Cochin Airport: Come to Thrissur - 30 km; take a taxi or bus from Thrissur bus stand to Nemmara - 48 km.
From Coimbatore Airport: Come to Palakkad - 50 km; take a taxi or bus to Nemmara - 30 km.
From Nemmara you can take a taxi or a four wheeler vehicle (jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
) to Neliiampathi.
Nearest main railway stations: Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
, Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
and Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....