A weekend at Ramakkalmedu

Ramakkalmedu is a beautiful hill station located in the Idukki District of Kerala. It is situated on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu state border and is home to various attractions, such as the Periyar Tiger Forest, Munnar, Kuttikanam, Parunthumpara and spice farms.

The name of this place is a mix-up of the three words including ‘Ram’, ‘Kal’ and ‘Medu’, meaning Lord Rama, rock and land, respectively. It is assumed that Lord Rama visited this place Ramakkalmedu when he was searching for his beloved wife Sita, who was kidnaped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Rama set foot on the tallest rock to search for Sita. This same rock later named Ramakkal, which finally came to be known as Ramakkalmedu.

The cool, grassy hills and the fresh mountain air make Ramakkalmedu an enchanting escape. As mentioned, the place has its name from the impressions of the feet discovered on the rock surface here, which is believed to be of The Rama, an epitome of Lord Vishnu, as mentioned in the Indian epic Ramayana.

Ramakkalmedu is just 40 km from Thekkady. Thekkady is considered one of the most popular and chosen wildlife destinations located in Kerala, South India. The captivating hills of Ramakkalmedu are located in the Western Ghats, which is about 16 km from Nedumkandam.

Ramakkalmedu is remarked for its hills and also for the panoramic and scenic views of villages in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, which is towards the eastern side of the Western Ghats. A noticeably tall, pillar-like rocky structure, about 300 m high and facing east is another attraction located here.

It is one of the breeziest places in Asia and being so, one can also find here a wind farm producing electricity, which is undertaken by the Government of Kerala.

Started from Palakkad at around 10 pm. It took around 6 hours to reach Ramakalmedu. We checked in at Green Meadows In at around 5 am. After the breakfast we took a jeep trucking which costs around Rs.2500 (8 people). They picked us from the hotel itself. 

First we went to Aamapara (Tortoise Rock). The shape of rock structure is like Tortoise ('Aama' in malayalam). The morning view of this place is amazing, surrounding by full of fog. Walking in between the heavy rock structure is a life time experience. Offroad jeeps makes the trip more enjoyable. It's quiet & cool.

The next place is Ramakkalmedu View Point. It's a best place to view sunrise.  There's another huge rocky hill besides which will need some heavy trekking to get to the top. We had a great experience at the bottom viewpoint itself. Its amazing to see how nature transforms itself from night to day, from hills to flatlands.

The statues of Kuruvan and Kuruthi which sit on the summit of a hill are one of the main attractions famous among the tourists. They represent the tribals of this region belonging to the Sangam period & remind us of a glorious past. Other attractions is a 300 m high pillar like structure facing towards the east direction from where tourists can enjoy the scenic view of this charming village. As dusk falls, the lighted up towns and villages are a feast to your eyes.

The exquisite beauty of sunrise and sunset viewed through the mountains surrounded by green forest is a fabulous panorama that can be experienced only at Ramakkalmedu. A safe haven for a number of birds which sing a lullaby for you to sleep and their chirping bird songs will wake you up in the morning to start a beautiful day at Ramakkalmedu.