A treasure trove of natural wonders and historical edifices, Kollam is an enchanting town with backwaters and picturesque landscapes. Located 70kms away from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Kollam is a commercial centre and home to India’s cashew producing industry. Popularly known as Quilon, it is often regarded as the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.
It sits on the bank of the Ashtamudi Lake, hence, cruising along the Alappuzha route is one of the main highlights of the region. With a history dating back to the 9th century, Kollam was a prominent spice trading centre. It is one of the oldest ports in the Arabian Sea that lies on the southwest coast which was frequented by iconic merchants, missionaries and explorers including Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, Vasco da Gama, Henrique Henriques and many more. Venture the lesser-known path, and this beautiful city on India’s Malabar Coast is sure to enchant you.
Places To Visit- Thevalli Palace
A place of great historic importance, Thevally Palace is situated on the banks of Ashtamude Lake. Once served as the home of Maharaja of Travancore, it was constructed under the rule of Gauri Parvathi Bai between 1800 and 1819. The striking feature about the palace is that it presents an intriguing fusion of Dutch, English and Portuguese style of architecture.
Amritapuri
Ashram of Amritapuri has been constructed at the same place where Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was born. People from all over the world, flock in to seek the blessings of Amma. The people residing in the ashram and all the disciplines of Amma have given up their life in the salvation of God and making the world a better place to live in. Amma makes sure to listen to each and every child who comes to her ‘darshan’ and solve each of their problems with an effective solution.
Looking at Amritapuri, one can relive the ancient saying of ‘the entire world is one family’. It is a collection of people from different cultures, speaking different languages and following different religions. Diverse people from different environments live together under a single roof in search of a meaningful life.
Amritapuri Ashram is a small village remotely located on a small island which is surrounded by the backwaters and the Arabian Sea. It has now become a famous location for people seeking spirituality and inner peace. The Ashram is home to the international disciplines as well, almost 3000 of them.
Mahatma Gandhi Beach and Park
Lying at a distance of just 2 km from kollam town is Mahatma Gandhi Beach and Park which is quite popular as a picnic spot among locals and tourists. The park was introduced in year 1961 and offers an ideal location for mindless strolling along the shore.
Jatayu Earth’s Centre
Jatayu Nature Park is a rock-themed park which got opened on November 25, 2017. Built to promote mythology and adventure tourism, the tourism centre boasts of 6D theatre, a digital audio-visual room, cable car and ayurvedic cave resort. It is also home to umpteen adventure activities including paintball, laser tag, archery, bouldering, rock climbing, air-rifle shooting etc. The primary attraction of the park, however, is the world’s largest stone-cut bird sculpture replicating Jatayu, the mythical bird from Ramayana.
Punalur
Punalur, lying along the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the district of Kollam, derives its name from two words one Tamil and one Malayalam. Tamil word ‘punal’ means water and Malayalam word ‘ooru’ means place together making Punalur the place of water. Indeed Kallada flows right through the heart of the city with the famous suspension bridge hanging over it, stretching for 400 metres across its width. Panalur is known as “Pepper Village of Kerala” and is also houses a major Paper Mill established in 1850’s.
Palaruvi Waterfalls
Palaruvi Falls, cascading downstream from the height of 300 ft, is one of the prime attractions in Kutrallam or as some call it Courtallam, Tamil Nadu. Owing to its height; it is the 32nd highest fall in our country. The name Palaruvi means ‘Stream of Milk’ in the regional language. Ironically it seems to be a glittering stream of milk as it flows down. Hence, the beauty of this fall stands unimaginable till witnessed with own eyes. The roaring sounds of the fall stand in stark contrast to the silence of the forests and mist-kissed mountains around it.
Mayyanad
A hub of many popular shrines for Hindus and Muslims, Mayyanad is situated about 10 km from Kollam town. The major attraction of the place being Lord Subramaniam Temple, one can also visit an old mosque and several old churches in the area. However, the temple is said to be blessed by Shri Shankaracharya of Kalladi.
Ashtamudi Lake
The second largest lake in Kerala, Ashtamudi Lake is situated in the Kollam district. The lake runs over a length of 16 kilometres and covers almost 30% of the town of Kollam. Its name, Ashtamudi has been derived from two words ‘Ashta’ meaning eight and ‘Mudi’ meaning branch, thereby stating the fact that lake has eight branches. All the eight branches converge into a single channel that meets with the Arabian Sea. The lake is fed by the major river, Kallada. Coconut trees and palms surround the entire vicinity of the lake adding to its beauty.