The centuries-old Munnar Royal Road to Kochi: Why local people demand its reopening

A road that existed as early as 1200 AD, washed away in 1924 floods, and completely closed in 2010 by the Forest Department, is in the news yet again. The Royal Munnar – Kochi road of Kerala, a 120 km path that starts in Aluva and ends near the present-day Munnar town, has not been in use for a long time after extensive damage and a 2005 government report that advised against its revival. However, the local people, led by the church, demand the road's reopening as it reduces the distance to Munnar’s Mankulam by 20 km. However, the government and the Forest department are against it, saying it passes 26 kms through a deep forest of Pooyamkutty, has many elephant corridors, and it would invite more man-animal conflicts.

The mesmerizing history of the iconic royal path is still fresh in the older generation's minds, as protests are getting stronger. Although the path was in a dilapidated condition and unfit for transportation, it was partly used by the people until 1990. The native people mostly used it to transport bamboo from the forest. Meanwhile, the bridges built as part of the old royal path still stand sturdy, as per reports.

Started as a pathway
Between BC 300 and 250, a pathway was opened in this route for commercial purposes; it was part of the trade corridor that connected Mudurai and Muziris (Kodungallur). This corridor disappeared after the Muziris port was completely destroyed in the deluge of 1341, which formed a bay in Kochi. Meanwhile, in 1891, the authorities had decided to revive this pathway. The royal route was revived with a broader lane to accommodate bullock carts for transporting goods to Munnar via Aluva, Kothamangalam, Thattekad, Kuttambuzha, Pooyamkutty, Pindimedu, Kurathikudi, Perumbankuthu and Lakshmi Estate. Although goods transportation was mostly held via Madurai, this royal route maintained trade with central Travancore. The road aligns parallel to the Periyar River without any ascent.

The deluge of ‘99’
Munnar was devastated in the mega deluge of 1924, which the older generation calls the ‘deluge of 99’. The road was destroyed when the Karinthiri mountain at Perumbankuthu came sliding down. The authorities then tried to open a new route to Munnar. Rani Sethu Lakshmi Bai 1931 approved the construction of a new road to Munnar via Neriamangalam. The old Munnar became irrelevant when the new road and Neriamangalam bridge were opened in 1936.

The forest path
The old royal route from Pooyamkutti passes through the forest area in a 27-kilometre stretch. The rest are habitable areas and revenue land. The details of the path from Kothamangalam to Perumbankuthu are included in the assets register of the public works department, and the boundaries have been correctly marked in the revenue documents. However, many boundary stones were later removed, and the boundary lines were redrawn. Until the 1990s, bamboos from the forest were transported via the royal route from Pindimedu to Pooyamkutti. But, in 1990, the forest department blocked transportation by placing a crossbar on the cement bridge where the habitable areas ended in Pooyamkutti. Meanwhile, in 2010, the forest department completely closed and attached the road.

On August 13, 2021, Minister PA Muhammad Riyas stated in the Legislative Assembly that opening the old royal route was pivotal in reshaping Kerala's financial and tourism map. However, the forest department still acts as a barrier to opening this historical path.