Neelakurinji bloom: Purple paradise in Kallippara charms visitors

Hundreds of tourists are flocking to the Kallippara Hills in Idukki to witness the blossoming Neelakurinji flowers that have turned the green patches into a purple paradise.

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes Kunthiana) has bloomed widely in the Kallippara hills known as Engineer Heights (Mett) which is one-and-a-half kilometers away from Kallippara in Santhanpara gram panchayat of Kerala's Idukki district on the Munnar-Kumily State Highway.

With visitors in large numbers swarming the scenic locality, the panchayat authorities and police have decided to enforce strict security measures.

The blue slopes

Strobilanthes kunthiana or the Neelakurinji blooms once in 12 years. They are purplish-blue and bloom like a million stars on the slopes of the shola forests of the Western Ghats. The phenomenon is called “gregarious flowering” in botanical terms. There have been times when the flowering has gone unpredictably haywire.

Neelakurinji plants are usually spread along mountain slopes that lie 1,500 feet above sea level between vast shola forests and undulating grasslands that coexist under a moderate tropical climate. They have to grow freely and will not survive man-made attempts to raise them in a structured environment.

No to plastic, trek your way up, entry till 4.30 pm

The way from the main highway to this place is rugged. The jeeps conducting off-road services were allowed to this place till the other day. However, considering the security angle, the police directed them to stop services. Travel to Kallippara hills after 4.30 pm too has been banned. Another direction for the tourists is not to bring plastic. Fine will be imposed if flowers are plucked or destroyed.

Don’t lose your way to Kallippara!

Recently, social media was agog with discussions on certain tourists from Malabar, who used Google Maps in search of Neelakurinji at Kallippara, landing at the Kallippara Viewpoint near Thopramkudy. They have to traverse nearly 45 km to finally land at Kallippara in Santhanpara where the kurinji bloomed.

Kallippara which did not find a place on the tourist map so far is not much famous. Hence if one searches Kallippara on Google Maps the first answer that surfaces is Kallippara Viewpoint near Thopramkudy. There is also the Kallippara Viewpoint near Vannappuram in Thodupuzha, another tourist spot Kallippara Hillview in Pathanamthitta, and the Kallippara Viewpoint in Kozhikode. Those who depend on Google Maps should search for Santhanpara or Pooppara for directions.

How to reach

• Those coming from the Kottayam district via Kumily and Kattappana should reach Nedungandam and then reach Kallippara via Udumbanchola. Those coming from Pala and Thodupuzha should proceed via Neriamangalam, Adimali, and Rajakkad to reach Santhanpara and then travel 6 km to reach Kallippara.

• Those coming from Ernakulam should proceed via Kothamangalam, Adimali, and Rajakkad to reach Santhanpara and Kallippara. From the Idukki district headquarters of Cheruthoni tourists can reach Santhanpara via Kattappana and Nedungandam and also Kallarkutty and Rajakkad.