Thrilling Off-road trip to Urumbikkara
A night on top of Urumbikkara hill!
Urumbikkara is like a
mystical beauty slumbering in her charming castle of greenery. With the
Enthayar village on its background, Urumbikkara lies impressively where the
hearts of Kottayam and Idukki meet. An off-road trip through the rocky forest
paths will certainly thrill the adventure enthusiast in you. The soothing sound
of the pristine waterfall welcomes you to the endless sights of misty hills,
green pastures, unique flora and fauna, and huge rocks.
One can reach Urumbikkara
from Enthayar via Vadakkemala. But it would be ideal to visit the place in the
accompaniment of a guide who knows the place really well. Enthayar is about 12
km from Mundakkayam in Kottayam district, and it is from Enthayar that the
off-road trip to Urumbikkara begins. A four-wheel jeep is the best vehicle to
enjoy the thrilling trip.
As we begin to climb
upward through the rough roads, the beautiful Enthayar– Kootikkal valley could
be seen below like an impressionist painting. The light drizzle and the
soothing breeze accompanied us all the way to Urumbikkara. The Pappani
waterfalls, which meander through the jet-black rocks, beckon you to enjoy its
mesmerizing charm.
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The tea shop
The lone tea shop on the
forest path at Urumbikkara has been a favorite evening hub of the locals for
the last seven years. Saseendran would open his stall only after 3 in the
afternoon and would keep it open until 11 am the next day. Urumbikkara was once
laden with plush green tea plantations and rubber estates run by the British.
An abandoned tea factory evokes the memories of its colonial past, and the
ignored tea plantations in the area seemed like the remnants of a glorious era.
Our jeep stopped in front of a colonial guest house, ‘Sayippan Bungalow', which
once welcomed many European guests.
The name of Murphy Saippu
(white man) has always been associated with Urumbikkara. But the truth is that,
other than an old estate that he owned in a part of Urumbikkara, Murphy doesn’t
have much of place in the history of this place
It is said that around
300 families of estate workers had lived here during the colonial times. Raman
had arranged facilities like housing, school, and hospital for the laborers. In
order to facilitate the tea export, a British officer had to certify the
quality of it. That is how Merpherson saippu touched here for inspection. Raman
built a bungalow on the hills for his guest. Experience this with
Unhindered View
The rocky paths seemed
endless, as we climbed upwards in our jeep; the sweet fragrance of wild berries
welcomed us too much more scintillating sights. Lush green pastures adorn the
sides of the road. We stopped our jeep in front of two huge rocks, and couldn’t
resist the urge to climb up on one of them. An amazing 360-degree view of the
low lands can be enjoyed from the top of one of these rocks. The brook which
peacefully flows through the pastures adds to the charm of the entire place.
Our next destination was
the small temple on top of the hill. Poojas (special prayers and offerings) are
offered in the temple only on the first day of every Malayalam month. The
temple remains closed on every other day. The huge rock with a flat surface
that lies beyond the temple is where the trekkers and adventure seekers set up
their tents to spend the night.
‘Madammakulam’, a small
waterfall, doesn’t show itself to the outsiders that easily, and one could
reach there only with the help of a guide. The legend says that the waterfall
got its name from a white woman (madamma) who loved to take a dip in its
pristine waters. Urumbikkara never disappoints
those who seek its captivating beauty. As we began our journey back, we stopped
at Sassendran’s tea shop which was now beginning to bustle with activity.
Sipping a cup of piping hot tea from the roadside tea shop seemed like a
perfect end to an exhilarating outing.
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How to touch Urumbikkara
Urumbikkara is 73 km from
Kottayam town and one can reach there by taking the Mundakkayam–
Kootikkal–Vembly road. Do you want more about this the Click the Best Kerala tour packages!
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