Vellayani Lake, or ''Vellayani Kayal'' as known in local language, is the largest fresh water lake in Thiruvananthapuram district, of

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 India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Location

It is around 9 km away from the

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 ...

Central Bus Station at Thampanoor. Buses ply to Vellayani Lake from City Depot at

East Fort The Kizhakke Kotta, commonly known as East Fort, is a busy commercial street located at the heart of the central business district of Thiruvananthapuram city the capital of Kerala. East Fort is known as the heart of the city as it is located i ...

also. It is at a distance of 7 km from

Kovalam Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination. Etymology Kovalam means "coconut grove," after the coconut trees which are common there. History Kovala ...

via Poonkulam junction.

Attractions

A road passes through this lake; a bund has been constructed for this purpose. This lake attracts a lot of tourists. Once in

, a visitor should not allow to miss the opportunity of seeing this wonder lake of freshwater. Its crystal-clear calm water, especially during moonlit nights, is a craze for the minds. The locals say a side of the lake is ''Kochu Kovalam'', meaning tiny Kovalam. There is a boat race in the lake during Onam which attracts a huge crowd. Country boat service is available from Kovalam beach to reach the lake. Harverting lotus leafs

Threats to the Lake

There was a move to drain the lake and use the reclaimed area for agriculture. It was resisted by locals and environmentalists and has been shelved.State Human Rights Commission directive
Indiaenvironmentportal.org.in (2011-05-22). Retrieved on 2011-05-27.

Illegal sand mining Sand theft or unauthorised or illegal sand mining leads to a widely unknown global example of natural and non-renewable resource depletion problem comparable in extent to global water scarcity. Beach theft is illegal removal of large quantities ...

, pollution and land reclamation is affecting the condition of the lake. Vavvamoola Lake road

Vavvamoola kadavinmoola bund road

The bund road in the Northern side of Kakkamoola-Trivandrum road connecting Vavvamoola and kadavinmoola. The drinking water supply for the Vizhinjam International Seaport is operated from this vellayani lake. and pump house is situated in kadavinmoola beside the bund road. The Road was renovated in December 2015. It also has concrete benches in the roadside to attract tourists. It is good picnic spot for urban people.

References

External links

Wikimapia
* https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g311295-d4151733-Reviews-Vellayani_Lake-Kovalam_Thiruvananthapuram_District_Kerala.html Lakes of Kerala {{thiruvananthapuram-geo-stub