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ILAVEEZHAPOONCHIRA
| Location
: |
55
kms from Kottayam |
| Main
attraction : |
Suitable
for trekkers |
| Altitude
: |
3200
feet above sea level |
| Season
: |
November
- March |
It
is one of the comparatively virginal tourist destinations in Kerala
and it is located at distance of 55 km from Kottayam and 20 km
from Thodupuzha. Many visitors have found it an ideal tourist
spot, especially the trekkers.
At
the spot you can view four hillocks and between them a verdant
valley. Atop of one of these hills, Kudayathoor Vindhyan, one
can view large parts of Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha,
Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts; it also offers excellent
views of sunrise and sunset.
According
to a legend, the Pandavas had a sojourn here during their life
incognito. Their wife, Draupadi, came to take a bath at a lake,
which was here at that time. Some devas, bewitched by her beauty,
tried to satisfy their voyeuristic itch. King of devas, Lord Indra,
came to know about what was going on, and built screens or hills
heaping flowers and prevented them from indulging in such a practice.
And the pond thus became a dam isolated by floral hills. Since
there were no trees around the bund it was always free of leaves
and so it was called Ilaveezhapoonchira or the floral bund where
the leaves never fall. Some say that the name comes from the fact
that it is always windy at the place and hence the leaves are
carried away. But today, there is no bund at the spot, although
during the monsoons the valley laps up water and forms a scenic
lake and unveiling another facet of the place.
Although
a bit arduous, the joys of the journey upwards are too much to
resist.
GETTING
TO THE PLACE:
Nearest
airport : Kochi International Airport
Nearest railway station : Kottayam
Nearest bus station : Thodupuzha
 
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