Malampuzha

And her home is here, at Malampuzha at the bottom of the Western Ghats near forest and rivers amidst stone and grass. And you can admire her for as long as you wish, for she is not bashful nor will she budge an inch and you won’t feel voyeuristic for all around you, others – men, woman, children birds – are doing the same.

You are in Malampuzha the abode of Yakshi. Sculpted in concrete by Kanai Kunhiraman, Kerala’s best – known contemporary sculptor, Yakshi adorns the landscaped gardens of the irrigation dam at this popular picnic spot, perhaps Kerala’s earliest such attraction. Sometimes referred to as the Vrindavan of Kerala, this garden town derives its name from the curvy Malampuzha River, which flows though as a tributary of the Bharathapuzha, Kerala state’s second longest river.

Among the first exciting things you’d want to experience in Malampuzha is the Udan Khatola the passenger ropeway claimed to be the only one of its kind in south India. Any of its 64 two-seater chairs with their transparent hoods give you a beautiful view from a height of 60 ft of the Malampuzha Gardens at the foot of the blue hills. The 20-minute, 625 – m ride in the sky will thrill your kids. After that they’ll get more thrills on the toy train rides in the gardens.
You get on at Hermit’s End and get off at the KTDC hotel. The ride is reassuringly slow and you can get on or disembark from the chairs even while they are on or disembark from the chairs even while they are on the move. The ropeway is run by Usha Breco Ltd.

Ropeway Fee – RS 3 = 00, Timings 10 am to 1 pm, and 2-30 pm to 7 pm. Toy train timings 8 am to 8 pm.

Gardens And Roses

The Malampuzha Gardens on the banks of the reservoir often remind Keralites of Prem Nazir darting across rose plants as he wooed sheela in many a classic Malayalam Flim. Don’t be surprised if you get the urge to burst in to song yourself for the rose garden itself has over a hundred varieties. Malampuzha has all the other ingredients of a well-managed garden – manicured flowerbeds, fountains and pretty pathways.

The Rock Garden at Malampuzha is particularly worth spending time in. designed by the legendary Nek Chand Saini, the man behind the rock garden in Chandigarh, it reflects his unique method: a broken tile here, a fractured bangle there some discarded tincans – all reincarnated into High Art. The gardens are bathed in coloured lights from 7 to 8 pm on weekends, and during national holidays. On other days, if there are enough visitors you can get the officials to turn on the lights for free. Timings 10 am to 6 pm.

Where to Stay And Eat

Malampuzha Resort

Phone No : 0491 – 2815280

Tariff : Rs 60

Malampuzha Garden House

Phone No : 0491 : 2815217 / 2815191

Tariff :Rs 300 -750.