Thenmala is a tourist destination in the eastern side of

Kollam district Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an in ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, India that is home to the first eco-tourism centre in India. The word 'Thenmala' means "'Honey hills" in Malayalam language. The town is 66 km away from

Kollam Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...

city and is just 14 km away from

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

state border. The interstate National Highway-744, connecting

with

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

, and State Highway-2 of Kerala are passing through Thenmala.

Eco-tourism

Thenmala is the first planned

eco-tourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

destination in India. The

Thenmala Dam The Thenmala dam is the second largest irrigation project in Kerala, India. It impounds the longest reservoir in the state and water from the reservoir is also used for power generation. The dam was started in 1961 under the Kallada Irrigation ...

is an ecotourism destination in Kerala. The Dam, which impounds the largest reservoir in the state which was built under the Kallada Irrigation and Tree Crop development project. The construction of the Parappara Dam across the confluence of the Chenduruney, Kazhuthurutty and Kulathupuzha rivers has resulted in the creation of an artificial lake of about 26 Sq. Km. which spreads along the middle of the

Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, located in Kollam district of Kerala and comes under the control of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. It was established on 25 August 1984 and comprises . The name is ...

. It is the largest irrigation project in Kerala.

Etymology

''Thenmala'' is derived from malayalam word "thēn" means nectar/honey and "mala" means mountain. Thenmala was the shooting location for several Malayalam and Tamil movies including Adiverukal.

Tourism

Thenmala attracts foreign and domestic tourists with a host of attractions including boating on the lake, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and a musical fountain. Thenmala is approachable both from Trivandrum and Punalur by road. The nearest railway station is Punalur. Kollam-QLN is better connected nationally. The waterfall called

Palaruvi Palaruvil is a tiny village in Kollam district, Kerala in South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Ka ...

is a prime attraction nearby. Also nearby is a deer rehabilitation center where visitors can see deer in a forest setting and have a peep into a traditional

tree house A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a han ...

used by forest dwellers to escape harm from wild animals.

Nearby attractions

Kulathupuzha Sastha temple Kulathupuzha Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple located on the banks of ''Kulathupuzha'' river, a tributary of Kallada River. It is located in Kulathupuzha in Punalur taluk of Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. The presiding deity there ...

, Anchal Pinnacle view point,

Kudukkathu para Kudukkathu Para ( ml, കുടുക്കത്ത് പാറ) is a complex of three rocks situated at Anakkulam in Alayamon Panchayath of Kollam district in Kerala, India, and is a popular tourist spot. The rock structure is 840 metre a ...

Punalur suspension bridge The Punalur Suspension Bridge, located in Punalur is the oldest motorable Bridge in Kerala, which was built by Travancore Government and is now a historical attraction. The bridge has a length of . The suspension bridge was built to prevent w ...

. Thenmala is 72 km from

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

and 16 km from Palaruvi Falls.

References

Geography of Kollam district Villages in Kollam district Tourist attractions in Kollam district

External links

{{commons category, Thenmala
Thenmala AttractionsThe Namal International