Tuesday, 3 June 2014

Ramakkalmedu - Idukki

Ramakkalmedu 
Today I am introducing the Ramakkal medu. Ramakkalmedu is a small village/hill station on the border between Kerala and TamilNadu. It is famous for the strong winds and the breathtaking views of Tamil Nadu villages from the hill top.  If you are looking for a reason for buying high end binoculars, plan a trip to Ramakkalmedu today.

The name Ramakkalmedu is derived from Rama-kal-medu (Rama’s foot on the rock; heroes of the epic – Ramayanam). According to the folklore, Hindu god Rama had set foot on this rock while searching for his wife Sita abducted by Ravanan. Any way if someone needs to have a bird’s eye view of Tamilnadu, I don’t think there is a better place than Ramakkalmedu. According to local experts, on a clear day you can get a good view of 6 major towns of Tamilnadu.

Ramakkalmedu was a relatively unknown tourist destination till recently. Thanks to its location (between Munnar and Thekkady) and also due to wind energy farms setup recently, this place now attracts thousands of visitors every day.

Kuravan & Kurathi at Ramakkalmedu
The Kuravan & Kurathi statue is designed and built by C.B. Jinan and is the signature structure of Ramakkalmedu. The view of the Tamilnadu is not as good as from the other side. Kuravan & Kurathi is a native tribe of Idukki and according to legend, Idukki dam (which is Kerala’s biggest power source) was proposed by a Kuravan. There is a resting place behind this statue.

There are hidden dangers at Ramakkalmedu. Sometimes wind can be very strong and it is never a good idea to go to the mountain cliff. There are stories of people falling down and committing suicide. According to locals, retrieving the body of someone who had fallen requires experts since the slop is almost 90 degrees.


Ramakkalmedu an ideal place to spend an evening or to go for some real trekking expedition.

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