Kootickal – Picture Postcard



Kootickal is a picturesque nook tucked away on the banks of the river Manimala. 

A dam checks the flow of the river and the artificial lake stands still as if yearning to be one with the mountains rising majestic up ahead and still untamed unlike the river. 

Kootickal gets its kutesy name from the British penchant to find a bit of England wherever they went. So Kootickal is a throwback to UK’s Kutikul estate

Kootickal Sights and Sounds:

Hillock
Gaze down at the urban sprawl of Kottayam and Ernakulum districts from the top of the Muthukora hills

Waterfalls Galore
Vadakkemala and Melaruvithodi are beautiful picnic spots

Herb Heaven
Amruthameda which is renowned for its medicinal herb is nearby

Rubber Estate
This is the village where rubber was first cultivated aeons ago – 1905 to be exact! By rubber planter Irishman John Joseph Murphy who is buried beneath the hills of Yendayaar. There’s also a rubber factory set up by a Southampton farmer in 1935 that you can visit

Getting There
Kootickal is in Kanjirappally Taluka, Kottayam district

  •  Glide down – If you can afford it. It’s the landing spot for paragliders from Vagamon’s Kolahalamedu
  • Train travel – Catch the train to Kottayam 60 km away
  • Bus it – From Kottayam hop on to a bus going towards Elamkadu and Yendayar and hop off at Kootickal
  • Drive down – It’s 6 km from Mundakayam on the Kottayam-Kumily route
Tip 

Make Kootickal the pit stop on the way to Kumarakom or from a visit to the Periyar forest reserve and stay awhile longer than a day, it’s worth it

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