Thenmala: Cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived at Kuttalam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday on a private visit. Courtallam is thronged by tourists to witness the waterfalls during the monsoons.
Tourists gathered as they sighted the star unexpectedly, and breached the strong Tamil Nadu police security cordon to reach him.
Dhoni visited the Aintharuvi waterfalls and Kundar dam before he returned in the evening. The cricketer, who relaxed at a private resort in the tourist hub, did not meet media persons. He said that he had come for a private visit with a friend.
Though located in Tamil Nadu, Kuttalam is easily accessible from Kerala, especially in the border areas.
Also read: Time to head to Kuttalam and splash waterfalls
Kuttalam can be reached from Kerala via Thenmala and Sengottai or Tenkasi from Punalur. Thenmala is 25 km from Kerala's Punalur. Sengottai is 29 km ahead and Kuttalam is 7.5 km from there. From Tenkasi, one can reach the waterfalls by travelling 7 km.
Celebrations start at Kuttalam in Tamil Nadu when monsoon arrives in Kerala. It is then the several waterfalls in the area come alive and start attracting travellers.
Compared to the waterfalls in Kerala, the falls here are ‘gentle’ in nature and there is no danger in taking a shower directly beneath the plunging water.
There are mainly nine waterfalls at Kuttalam. In addition, there are numerous tiny streams, adding to the beauty of the place. Among them, two waterfalls, Peraruvi and Ayntharuvi, attract the most number of visitors. All the other falls can be reached within a distance of 1 km.
Bus services have also been started from nearby towns of Sengottai and Tenkasi for the benefit of travellers.