Thekkady

Thekkady is a rich in natural as well as cultural wealth. It boasts of the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 777 sq km, is home to elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. The Periyar Lake is an artificial lake spread over 25 sq km formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam. The Mangla Devi Temple is a ruined stone temple situated deep inside the forest. Sukri Dam is a 120 years old dam built across the Periyar. The Tribal Heritage Museum is built inside the Mannan settlement and displays various artifacts related to ancient agricultural practices, marriage ceremonies, cultural events, dress code, rituals and death ceremonies like fishing gear, hunting weaponry, indigenous medicine and vessels, cereals, medicinal herbs and bamboo furniture. You can indulge in activities like Bamboo Rafting, Border Hiking and Nature Walks while at Thekkady.

The sanctuary is centered around the large (24 sq km) artificial lake formed by a dam across the Periyar river. The main attraction is a boat trip over this man-made lake of Thekkady. The forest department would also arrange elephant rides and trekking inside the sanctuary. One can see deers, monkeys, tigers, herds of elephants and other exotic flora and fauna here. For the more adventurous, trekking into the jungle would be an exciting thing to do.

There are bus regular bus services from the major towns and cities in Kerala to Thekkady.


Some of the main attractions of Thekkady are:

Plantation Tours: Plantation Eco-Tours are arranged from the District Tourism Information Office at Thekkady jn. in Kumily. Tours cover cardamom, pepper, coffee and tea plantations, tea factories, tribal settlements and the surrounding hill regions.

Elephant rides: The forest Department, Thekkady offers facilities for elephant rides through the jungle. Time : 1000 to 1700 hrs. Duration of a trip : 30 minutes. Tickets are available from the wildlife information.

Trekking: Main trekking areas in Thekkady are Kurisumala near Kumily, Pullumedu, Ottakathalamedu, 5 km from Kumily, Grampi near Vandiperiyar.

Boat cruises on the Periyar Lake

Location     :


Thekkady is a hill station at an altitude ranging from 700 m to 1900 m in the Idukki district. It lies on the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala.