KOTTAYAM TRAVEL GUIDE

At a distance of 3 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid is one of the oldest mosques in India built around 10th century.

Situated on the banks of Meeachil River, it was built by Habib Dinar, son of Malik Dinar who introduced Islam in the country. This magnificent mosque is famous for its rich architecture & wooden carvings, constructed in typical Kerala Architecture. The Government of Kerala has declared it as one of the protected monuments of the state.

The sacred well of the mosque differs from those of other Islamic places of worship. The well has stone steps resembling the steps noticed in most of the temples of India.

At a distance of 3 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Thalikotta Siva Temple is one of the oldest temples in Kerala. This temple was the place of worship for Thekkumkoor Royal Family.

The annual festival is celebrated during April / May for 10 days. Sivaratri (Feb) is also celebrated in a grand manner. This place attracts large number of devotees on these festivals.

At a distance of 6 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. Mary's Church situated in Kudamaloor is one of the ancient Syrian churches in Kerala.

Built in 11th century by Chempakasseri Maharaja, it is dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary and popularly known as 'Mukthi Amma'. The temple has a 400 years old beautiful oil painting of Jesus Christ. In this painting, Jesus can be seen painted in sky blue color (the color usually used to paint Lord Krishna).

St. Alphonsa, the first Christian Saint from India, is born in Kudamaloor and dedicated her whole life in the service of Jesus Christ. There is a memorial dedicated to St. Alphonsa near the church.

At a distance of 7 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Sri Dharma Sastha Temple is located in Pakkil, close to SH1 towards Changanassery.

Dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, this temple is believed to be one of the eight temples established by Parasurama, the legendary founder of Kerala. Annual festival is called Samkranthi Vanibham, celebrated in June / July.

At a distance of 8 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Sri Krishna Temple is located in Thiruvarpu.

The annual festival is celebrated for 10 days in the month of April which attracts thousands of devotees. The highlight of the festival is that the young virgin girls carry lighted lamps during celebrations.

At a distance of 8 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Manarcad Bhagavathy Temple dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali is located near Manarcad, less than 1 Km from NH220 towards Thekkady/Periyar.

This temple is believed to be older than 2000 years.The Kumbha Bharani festival of the temple is celebrated in a grand scale which attracts thousands of devotees.

At a distance of 10 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Saraswathi Temple (also known as Dakshina Mookambika Temple) is located in Panachikkad. This temple is famous, as the Mookambika Temple at Kollur (Karnataka).

The idol of the Goddess is placed beneath a pond. The main deity at this temple is Lord Vishnu. According to temple history, there was a poor Brahmin who was a devotee of Sri Mookambika Devi and he used to visit Kollur every year. As the Brahmin grew old, he realized that he could no longer visit Mookambika again due to his poor health. As he returned to Panachikkadu, it is said that the Goddess Mookambika settled at the present location in Panachikkadu.

The main festival is the Saraswati Pooja celebrated in September / October. The nine day festival 'Navarathri' is also famous here.

At a distance of 10 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. Mary's Cathedral, also known as Marthamariam is located in Manarcad, about 3.5 Kms from NH220 towards Thekkady/Periyar. This 10th century Cathedral is one of the most important churches of the Jacobite Syrian Christians.

The main annual festival is 'Feast of Virgin Mary's Birth' celebrated for 8 days between September 1st & 8th of every year. It is also called as Ettunompu, where devotees take fasting for 8 days. During this festival, hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over the world reach Manarcad to seek the blessings of Virgin Mary.

At a distance of 10 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St George Orthodox Church is located in Puthupally. This is one of the prominent churches of Malankara Orthodox Church.

The church was consecrated about 400 years ago by the Malankara Metropolitan Mar Dianasiyous. This Church is famous for the powerful intercession of St.George. It is believed that saint protects those who take refuge, from serpents, ailments, and all kinds of dangers and troubles. The Church is famous for its rich traditions as well as wealth. The main sanctum has beautiful wall paintings and ornamental decorations. The unique Golden Cross weighing around 450 sovereigns is taken out during the annual festival.

The annual festival is celebrated on 7th or 8th of May. Hundreds of thousand of devotees of various religions participate in the celebrations.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM.

At a distance of 10 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. George Jacobite Syrian Church is located in Kallumkathra, near Aymanam village (1 Km).

Established in 1817 AD, it is one of the oldest churches in the Kottayam Diocese. The picturesque landscape and the innumerable tributaries of Meenachil River add to the beauty of the village.

At a distance of 10 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. Joseph's Monastery Church located in Mannanam is an important Christian pilgrim center. This Church is associated with the Blessed Father Kuriakose Elias Chavarachan who was famed in miracle cures.

Thousands of devotees gather here to pay homage to the saint every Saturday. Though renovated many times, the Church retains its original altar with gold filigree work and paintings.

The festival of Blessed Chavara is celebrated on 3rd January with great devotion. The nearby Chavara Art Museum preserves articles of Church history.

At a distance of 12 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. Mary's Ferona Church is located in Athirampuzha, about 2 Kms from SH1 (from Ettumanoor junction). This place is also known as Valiya Pally.

The Church was constructed in 835 AD on a land donated by a Brahmin family. The renovation of the present church began in 1962 and was consecrated in 1966. Built in western architecture, the church is 180 feet tall and 55 feet wide. The bell tower measures a height of 85 feet, and houses three bells which were brought from Germany in 1905. The big cross in front of the church was built from a single block of stone.

The annual festival is celebrated for 8 days starting from January 19th every year. The festival, known as 'Athirampuzha Nercha' attracts a huge crowd.

Timings: 9:30 AM to 1 PM & 3:30 PM to 6 PM

At a distance of 14 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, the Palli Bhagavathy Temple is located in Neelamperoor, close to SH1 Changanassery. Neelamperoor is part of the Kuttanad region and is a beautiful place surrounded by canals.

The temple has a history of 1700 years. The original construction is believed to be a Buddhist Temple, which was later converted to Hindu Temple. Cheramanperumal, the Emperor of Kerala (250 - 300 AD), had become a Buddhist monk and spent his last days at Neelamperoor. It is believed that Cheramanperumal has built the original temple as a Buddha Vihara. Later the temple was said to be converted to Devi temple.

The principal deity of the temple is Goddess Durga. Separate shrines for Lords Ganapathi, Siva, Dharmasastha, Mahavishnu and Rakshas are built outside the main temple.

The annual festival is called 'Poonam Padayani' celebrated in the month of Aug / Sep for 10 days. The primary attraction of the festival is the display of the 45 feet Sway .....

At a distance of 20 Kms from Kottayam, St.Mary's Forane Church (also known as Martha Mariam Church) is located in Kuravilangad, on the way to Muvattupuzha.

Constructed in the year of 105 AD, this Church belongs to the diocese of Palai. It is believed that Mother Mary appeared to a few children in this area and asked them to build a church at the place from where a miraculous spring emerged, which exists even today. The church was built and a statue of the Virgin Mary carved from granite is installed here. A 48 feet single block granite cross is located in front of the church, which was erected around 1597. Three majestic bells of Kuravilangad were brought from Germany in 1911.

The main festival of the church called 'Moonnu Nompu', celebrated for 3 days in the month of xx. Thousands of devotees from all parts of Kerala participate in the festival.

At a distance of 20 Kms from Kottayam, Anchu Vilakku (Five Lamps) is a stone lamp post located in Changancherry town.

Situated near Changancherry Boat Jetty, it was built by the renowned freedom fighter Veluthampi Dalawa in 1905 during the inauguration of Changancherry Market, one of the largest in Kerala.

At a distance of 21 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Kavil Bhagavathy Temple is located in Changanacherry town. The presiding deity of the temple is Kavil Bhagavathy, an incarnation of Goddess Durga.

This temple was built by Thekkumkoor Maharajas, to worship the ancestral deity of the Thekkumkoor Royal Family. It is currently managed by the Travancore Devasthanom Board. This temple is also known as Kavil Ambalam and Sri Bhagavathi Temple.

The annual festival Kavil Chirappu is held on December-January.

At a distance of 21 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Sri Subramanya Swami Temple is located in Perunna near Changanacherry.

The idol of Lord Subramanya (Lord Muruga) at this temple is about 6 feet high. Built in 753 AD, this temple is under the administration of Urazhma Devaswam Board. This is the first temple in Kerala, opened to all Hindus irrespective of caste, according to the order of Sri Chithira Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore. Hearing this incident, Mahatma Gandhi at his first visit to Kerala, came to Perunna Temple and worshipped the Lord Muruga.

The annual festival (called 'Pallimetta Utsav') is celebrated for 10 days in the month of November / December.

At a distance of 23 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, Surya Deva Temple is located in Adityapuram, close to SH12 towards Vaikom (near Kurupamthara). This is the only temple in Kerala dedicated to the Sun God.

The last Sundays of the Malayalam months of November- December and April - May are celebrated in a grand manner. Devotees from far away places participate in the celebrations. It is believed that performing Adithya Pooja at this temple can cure eye and skin related diseases.

At a distance of 24 Kms from Kottayam, St. Mary's Church located in Kaduthuruthy (on Kottayam - Kochi road) is also called Thazathu Pally.

The Church belongs to the Diocese of Palai and it is one of the most famous traditional Churches in South India. The original structure of the Church is believed to have been built in 1009 AD. The present structure is completed in 2005 and it's the biggest in the Diocese of Palai.

The main festival is called 'Holy Family', celebrated on the first Sunday of the month of Makaram (around mid of January). The festival of St. Mary is celebrated on August 15th and called 'Kallitta Thirunal'.

At a distance of 24 Kms from Kottayam & 2 Kms from Changanacherry, Vishnu Temple located in Thrikkodithanam (also known as Amrita Narayanan Temple) is a famous temple and among the 108 Vishnu temples in India.

This 9th century temple is believed to have been built by Sahadeva of the Pandavas. The temple is famous for wooden carvings and murals. Inscriptions from 10th century are also found in the temple. The outer wall of the temple is gigantic like a fort wall. The temple represents typical Kerala style of architecture. The walls of the inner sanctum display the images of various gods. There are separate shrines for Narasimha and Dakshinamurthy.

The 'Deepam' festival is one of the most important festivals celebrated here in the months of November & December.

At a distance of 27 Kms from Kottayam Railway Station, St. Thomas Cathedral is an 11th century Syrian Church located in Palai town.

The Church was constructed in the year 1002 by four Syrian Christian families of Palai. It was destroyed by Muslim invaders and was reconstructed after 17th century. The church was built with the support of Hindu rulers and it resembles temple architecture. A new Church was constructed by Portuguese near the old church following European architecture.

The annual festival is called 'Rakkulithirunal' celebrated on 6th January every year.

At a distance of 28 Kms from Kottayam, St. Jude Shrine is a highly revered shrine located in Kizhathadiyoor near Palai.

This Church contains the relics of St Jude brought from Rome. There are several institutions, including a hospital, functioning under the St Jude Shrine.

The festival of St. Jude is celebrated from October 19th to 28th.

At a distance of 32 Kms from Kottayam & 5 Kms from Palai, St. Mary's Forane Church situated on the banks of Meenachil River in Bharananganam is one of the most famous churches in Kerala. The church is also known as Anakkallu Palli.

Bharananganam is associated with St. Alphonsa, the first Saint from India. The mortal remains of blessed Saint Alphonsa who died on 28 July 1946 are carefully preserved in a chapel next to St. Mary's Church.

The important festival is the death anniversary of St Alphonsa held on 28th July.

Timings: 8 AM to 6 PM.

At a distance of 35 km from Kottayam and 18 km from Kumarakom, Vaikom, situated on the eastern side of Vembanad lake is the oldest township in Kottayam district. Vaikom is famous as a temple town and a popular getaway to experience beautiful backwaters in kerala.

Vaikom is well known for the the ancient Mahadeva temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and believed to be built by Parasurama, the founder of Kerala. The temple has a huge courtyard spanning over to 8 acres of land and four towers on each side of the temple. Other major attractions of the Mahadeva Temple includes the Garbagriha, a golden Stupa surmounting Garbagriha, 19.5m tall golden staff, etc. The exterior walls of the Garbagriha exhibit several pieces of artwork.

This is the place which had made a significance in Indian history with the Vaikom Sathyagraham in 1924, i.e the movement against untouchability in Hindu society. Leader of the Indian Freedom Movement Mahatma .....

Distance (From Kottayam): 38 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kottayam - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
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At a distance of 38 Kms from Kottayam, St. George's Church is situated on the banks of Meenachil River in Aruvithura, in Erattupetta Town. The ancient name of the place was Irapuzhai or Irapeli.

This Church belongs to the Syro-Malabar Rite in the diocese of Palai. This place is believed to have been founded by St.Thomas in the early days. The original structure of the church was built in 16th century. The present structure was constructed in 1952 in Gothic style. A miraculous statue of St.George is placed in the church above the main alter.

The annual festival dedicated to St. George is celebrated on 24th April.

At a distance of 41 Kms from Kottayam and 2 Kms from Erattupetta, Poonjar Palace is 600 years old Palace built by Poonjar Rajas.

The Poonjar Palace is entirely made out of wood, reflecting the traditional Kerala architecture. The Place has a museum that exhibits royal collection of exquisite furniture, a boat carved out of a single piece of wood, huge chandeliers, palm leaf engravings, jewel boxes, lamps, sculptures, etc.

The replica of the Madurai Meenakshi Temple nearby the Palace is another attraction. The Sastha Temple close to the Palace is also an interesting place to visit.

At a distance of 36 Kms from Idukki, 72 kms from Kumarakom, 48 kms from kottayam, 20 Kms from Thodupuzha, Ilaveezha Poonchira is a beautiful valley spread across thousands of acres at the foot of three hillocks - Mankunnu, Kudayathur Hill and Thonippara near Kanjar. Ilaveezha Poonchira (meaning - the valley where leaves don't fall) has no trees, and is literally a place where leaves do not fall.

Surrounded by hillocks raised above 3000 feet from sea level, Ilaveezha Poonchira is an ideal place for trekking. This is one of the best places to watch Sunrise and Sunset. The wonderful views of Malankara Dam can be viewed from this place. Malankara Dam (7 Kms), Thommankuthu Waterfalls (30 Kms) & Vagamon (35 Kms) are near by places of interest.

Buses are available from Palai (25 Kms) and Erattupetta (30 Kms).

Distance (From Kottayam): 48 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kottayam - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
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At a distance of 48 Kms from Kottayam and 10 Kms from Erattupetta, Ayyampara is famous for rocky formation spread across 20 acres amidst great natural beauty.

The rock formed in the shape of a stadium, it is a good trekking destination. Located at an altitude of 2000 feet, Ayyampara derived its name from the Lord Ayyappa temple located here. This place is also famous for spectacular sunsets. The Five Rocks here are said to represent the five Pandava brothers of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

This place is connected by bus service from Erattupetta, which is connected with Kottayam by frequent bus service.

At a distance of 57 Kms from Kottayam & 16 Kms from Erattupetta (near Vagamon), Kurisumala is a sacred mountain and one of the most prominent pilgrim centers for Christians in South India. The church comes under Diocese of Neyyattinkara.

The word Kurisumala means Mount of the Cross. Kurisumala Ashram is situated at foothill of the mountain. During the holy week, hundreds of devotees climb this holy hill carrying small wooden crosses.

There is another mount on the eastern side of this hill called Muruganmala, which houses a rock cut temple dedicated to Muruga. There is a beautiful artificial lake on the way to Kurisumala.

At a distance of 43 Kms from Idukki, 65 Kms from Kumarakom, 58 kms from Kottayam and 80 Kms from Munnar, Malankara Dam & Lake (in Idukki district) is a lovely place located at a distance of 7 Kms from Thodupuzha on Thodupuzha-Erattupetta route.

Malankara Lake, spread over 11 Kms is an artificial lake formed as part of Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigation Project. The Dam is constructed across Thodupuzha River for irrigation purpose. This place is a very good picnic spot with boating facilities in the lake.

It is located on SH8 and easily accessible from Thodupuzha by Bus, Auto & Cab. Thodupuzha is accessible by Bus from all parts of Kerala.

Thommankuthu Waterfalls is about 27 Kms from this place which is connected by Bus from Thodupuzha.

Distance (From Kottayam): 58 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kottayam - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
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At a distance of 58 km from Idukki, 76 km from Kumarakom and 64 km from Kottayam, Vagamon is an enchanting hill station situated at an altitude of 1100 m in Idukki district on Kottayam-Idukki border. It is one of the ideal summer destinations in Kerala state and also one of the top places to visit in Kerala.

At the foot hill of Western Ghats, Vagamon is surrounded by 3 hills namely, Thangal hill, Murugan hill and Kurisumala. Also known as the Scotland of Asia, Vagamon was discovered by the British who found the place ideal for tea plantations and they were followed by Christian missionaries who built their abode of service at Kurisumala in Vagamon. National Geographic Traveler has listed Vagamon on their directory of the '50 most attractive places to visit in India'.

Kurisumala is a Christian pilgrim center and one of the main attractions at Vagamon. Kurisumala Hill is also home to the famous .....

Distance (From Kottayam): 60 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kottayam - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
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At a distance of 61 Kms from Kottayam, Valanjaganam Waterfalls (also known as Kesari Waterfalls) is located very close to NH220 towards Thekkady/Periyar, before Kuttikkanam.

Regular buses are available between Kottayam and Thekkady/Periyar. September to January is the best time to visit the falls. The falls are located just adjacent to the highway and no trekking is required to reach the falls.

At a distance of 75 Kms from Munnar, 68 kms from kottayam & 60 Kms from Idukki, Nadukani is a small hill station in Ernakulam district. It is 35 Kms from Thodupuzha, close to NH49 near Kothamangalam.

At an altitude of 3000 feet, Nadukani is an ideal destination for trekking and mountaineering. On the sunny day Nadukani offers a clear view of the areas extending to Thodupuzha. The excellent view of the Muvattupuzha River that forms Malankara Lake on Malankara Dam is feast to the eyes.

Distance (From Kottayam): 68 Kms
Trip Duration (From Kottayam - Including Travel): 3-4 Hours
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