Head to Kollam’s Kudukkathupara to soothe your mind and be with nature

Three huge rocks sit pretty amidst a huge expanse of lush green forest as if gazing at the sky. And that’s Kudukkathupara for you. Kudukkathupara, which is 2,756ft above sea level, is a paradise for people who love trekking through dense forest. The view from atop Kudukkathupara is out-of-the-world as you could see four districts of Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. This mesmerizing spot is situated in Anakulam forest ranges of Alayamon panchayat in Kollam district. The gateway welcoming you to Kudukkathupara can be seen after travelling 8km from Anchal on the Anakulam-Onthupacha road.

100 steps to ‘Sayipinte Guha’

You can travel 2km from the gateway by jeep, car or two-wheeler. After the 2km-journey through verdant forest, one has to walk to the majestic Kudukkathupara. You have to climb 360 steps from the check post to reach the top of the three huge rocks. The iron railings on both sides of the pathway provide enough safety to the travellers climbing the stairs. If you get tired by the arduous climb, you can take rest for a while by sitting on concrete chairs that dot the pathway.

After climbing 100 steps, you will reach ‘Sayipinte Guha’ (white man’s cave). It is said that the cave got its name after a German white man stayed in the natural grotto during World War II and the twist in the tale is that the man disappeared one fine day. Stories are also doing the rounds that local people used to stay in the cave, which can accommodate five people, under peculiar circumstances.

A few more steps will take you to the ‘conference’ rock. This rock is called so because it is so large that it can accommodate 500 people. It is worth noting that the forest region is replete with the medicinal plant ‘Arogya pacha’. The tribal people believe that regular intake of ‘Arogya pacha’ will arrest ageing.

Though Kudukkathupara is 2,756ft tall, one can scale only up to 2,559ft as the remaining stretch is very steep. One can see parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts from this magnificent offering of the nature.

Atop Kudukkathupara

Huge rocks by the name of ‘Adukala para’ and ‘Train para’ could be seen atop Kudukkathupara. ‘Adukala para’ (adukala means kitchen) got its name after the travellers’ practice to cook food sitting on the rock. The legendary Jadayu para is located south-west of Kudukkathupara and the Ponmudi mountain range, which is a famous tourist spot, can be found on the south-east side of the rock formation. On a clear evening one could see the brightness of the Thankassery lighthouse from Kudukkathupara.

If you want to unwind and be far away from the madding crowd, then Kudukkathupara is the ideal getaway for you.