A trek up the mythical Thangal Para

There is something magical about the hills. The rolling greens, the cloud kissed peaks – they urge you to walk up to the top. And as you start walking up and breathe in the clear, unpolluted air, you feel relaxed, free from the mundane daily routine. There is no reining in the joy of being high up among the clouds. 

Thangal Para at Kolahalamedu near Vagamon is one such place where peace reigns. Though a place of worship, you can explore it at your own leisure. Let’s start off with a bit of legend. 

The legend

It is said that about 800 years ago, Husrath Sheikh Fariduddin Baba, a Sufi saint came here with followers. He stayed on and his teachings were widely accepted. The huge rock you see near the darghah, it is said, was the rock on which the Baba used to grind his paan (betel nut). There is a small perennial water source between the cracks of the rocks that does not dry up even in the harshest summer. 

To see

One of the three hills around Vagamon, the view from the top of Thangal Para is nothing short of mesmerizing. The roads winding up and down the lush greens, the clouds gathering around you. You feel you are just one step away from attaining Nirvana. On a clear summer day, you can see the Kurisumudi peak and the Murugan mala.  But then, the clear sunny days are a rarity during the monsoon. 

As you stand on the top of the hill, you will realize how and why the saints and the monks prefer the silence of the hills to commune.

  

Reaching Thangal Para

Thangal Para is about five kilometers from Vagamon. Take a deviation from down the Elappara route and you will reach the darghah.

Read more : Travel | Places in Kerala