Kolli falls

Kolli Hills (or Kollimalai, in Tamil) is indeed a remarkable spot in Tamil Nadu. Unlike man-made Ooty and Kodai, Kolli Hills is traditional hill country, the land of friendly tribes, and a part of the erstwhile kingdom of Valvil Ori, a Tamil king who was renowned for his generosity and valour. Formed in the shape of an open square, these hills were also known as Chathuragiri, literally meaning square-shaped hills. Located at an ever-so-pleasant altitude ranging from 1000 to 1300 metres above mean sea level, Kolli hills enjoys a salubrious climate throughout the year. There are total of 70 hair pin curves. At every curve, you can see and enjoy the beautiful sceneries.

The first village of the top of the Hill is Cholakkadu. The Kolli Hills tourism spots starts from here. First we saw the nearby Telescopic House; its equipped with a mini telescope to see the view from the top of the Hill. Next, is Arppalli Iswarar Temple, nearly 8 to 10 Kms from the Cholakkadu village.

Below is the short history of this temple:
A siva temple in the Valappur Nadu situated on the stream Aiyaru. Its is dedicated to Arppalli Iswarar. The deity’s other names are Thiru Arappalli Ashavar. Thiru Arappalli Mahadhevan and Thiru Arappalli Udaiyar, The Deity’s consort is Archalai Valli Amman, also known as Sucmathamba, and Thayammai. Because of the belief that Arappalli Iswarar resides in the small fish of Aiyaru, the temple has also the name of Fish temple. It is customary for the pilgrims to catch the sacred fish by hand, adorn them with gold or silver nose rings in fulfilment of vows. The Hindu legends of the temple’s origin claim that the lingam in the main shrine was unearthed during the ploughing of a field. The scar on its top is supposed to have been caused by the plough.

There, you can see two interesting spots, Mini Falls and the Main Falls (also known as Kolli Falls or Aagaya Gangai). The falls is the main tourism spot to see in the Kolli Hills. To reach the Aagaya Gangai falls, you should walk down by steps (steep down, nearly 45 to 60 minutes of walk). We can bath in the ‘falls’ bath. Hiking back uphill is not recommended for those who dislike physical workouts.

Related link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolli_Hills

white water rafting

Bhoothathankettu, Ernakulam

Bhoothathankettu Ernakulam – Location : 50 km north east of Ernakulam town, Ernakulam district, central Kerala.

Bhoothathankettu, a scenic damsite with boating facilities is situated in a vast virgin forest. A myth associated with the place explains its name and how it came about. According to it Bhoothams (evil spirits/ghosts) wanted to destroy the temple at Thrikariyoor dedicated to Lord Shiva. They decided to flood the region by damming the river Periyar. To do this the Bhoothams rolled down massive stones from the surrounding hills into a narrow portion of the river. Lord Shiva, realizing their intention came up with an ingenious plan to deter them. Ghosts being scared of daylight, he tricked them into believing that morning had arrived. To do this Lord Shiva imitated a rooster’s crow, the most common announcement of dawn’s arrival, on hearing which the evil spirits fled, leaving the dam incomplete. Visitors can see the structure downstream from the present dam. Hence the name Bhoothathan Kettu (fort of the spirits).

Later, this natural topography helped in building a dam here. Lying close to Bhoothathankettu is the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Thattekkad . Trekking through the forests here is an exhiliarating experience. The two main irrigation projects of Ernakulam district – the Periyar Valley Irrigation Project and the Idamalayar Irrigation Project are also located nearby.

WHITE WATER RAFTING – Transfer to Bhoothathankettu dam. Meet the guides and get briefed for the trip. The river takes us down through forests on either side. We will experience mild to medium rapids on the way. Lots of fun and frolic as we hit the Paneli rapids the most exciting rapid on the stretch. Pull out Paneli. Picnic -biriyani lunch served at the finish point.

Kalypso Adventures
G 340, Panampilly Nagar
Kochi – 682036,Kerala-India

http://www.kalypsoadventures.com/php/activity_itineraries.php?aid=3