Kuttikkanam, is a hill station in Idukki district,

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 Ca ...

, southern

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It is above sea level and surrounded by lush green tea plantations. It is within the territory of

Peermade Peermade, also spelt Peerumedu (Malayalam: പീരുമേട്) is a village, Grama Panchayat and hill station in the state of Kerala, India. It lies above sea level in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) about east of Kottayam on the way to The ...

Kanjirappally Kanjirappally is a taluk and a town in Kottayam district situated about away from the district capital, in the state of Kerala, India. Climate Kanjirappally has the highest number of rainy days in Kerala. It receives the highest amount of sum ...

and

Mundakayam Mundakayam, is a town in Kanjirappally Taluk in the Kottayam District of Kerala. It is the doorway to the high ranges of southern Kerala, and is at the border of Kottayam and Idukki districts. The next nearest town, Kanjirappally, is & Erum ...

are the nearest towns.

History

In the 16th century the territory was under the rule of Changanacherry kings and was uninhabited. In 1756, the King of Travancore conquered

Changanacherry Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

, and brought the place under his supremacy. A

Church Mission Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

missionary, Henry Baker, started coffee plantations, and under the regency of Sri Moolam Thirunal these became tea plantations. Under the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

in India, Kuttikkanam became an up-market resort. Since at first there was no road but only a pathway, the British started the Aerial Ropeway Ltd, Travancore state's first public limited company. The summer palace of the

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. A ...

kings was located in Kuttikkanam. During the British period and after, manpower was brought to Kuttikkanam from various parts of Kerala and

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

. The descendants of these migrant workers constitute the major part of the population of Kuttikkanam.

Surroundings

*Peeru Hills. About 1 km distance. *Grampi. Commonly known as

Parunthumpara Parunthumpara is a village in the Indian state of Kerala's Idukki District. It is a small scenic location near Wagamon en route to Peerumedu. Parunthumpara is located 6 km from Peermade and 25 km from Thekkady. The Malayalam word ''p ...

, a rock sculpture about high and about above sea level. *Thottapura. The place where the Travancore royal family stored weapons. *Baker Hills (Commercially Named To Thrisangu Hills), Rolling hills with views. *

Panchalimedu Panchalimedu is a hill station and view point near Kuttikkanam in Peerumedu tehsil of Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. On the Makar Sankranti day, many Ayyappa devotees camps there to witness the sacred Makaravilakku (holy flame) ...

, a viewpoint, according to legend one of the many hiding places of the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

and Panchali. From a pond known as Panchalikkulam the "Makarajyothi", can be seen, the divine flame lit during the

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

season in

Sabarimala The Sabarimala Temple (; ml, ശബരിമല ക്ഷേത്രം) is a temple complex located at Sabarimala hill inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Perinad Village, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest ...

. *

Valanjanganam falls Valanjanganam falls, locally known as Valanjanganam Vellachaattam is a scenic waterfall located in Kuttikkanam in Idukki district, Kerala state. It lies on the Kottayam- Kumily state highway, about 1 km from Murinjapuzha and 5 km from Kutti ...

. A main attraction of Kuttikkanam, also known as Ninnumullippara. The waterfall is about in height and is usually covered in mist. *Nallathanni viewpoint. On the Kottayam-Kumily National Highway. *Artificial forest. A dense

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

forest covering . Contains an estimated 30 species of birds, including rare

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. It is classified as a buffer zone by the Department of Forests and Wildlife, Kerala. *Azhutha Diversion Project. A project constructed by the Kerala government on the Azhutha river, diverting water to Idukki Reservoir through a 987 m long tunnel. Kuttikkanam junction

Atrractions Josh Shiju John

Educational Institutions

Marian International Institute of Management
*

Marian College Kuttikkanam Marian College is an autonomous educational institution in Kuttikkanam(Idukki), Kerala, India. It offers graduate and postgraduate courses. The Catholic Diocese of Kanjirapally established Marian College Kuttikkanam in 1995 to provide the stude ...

* Mar Baselios Christian College of Engineering and Technology, Kuttikanam * IHRD College Kuttikkanam * St. Pius X English School Kuttikanam * St. Joseph's Malayalam Lower Primary School, Kuttikanam * Government Model Residential School (GMRS), Kuttikanam * Sahyadri Institute of Ayurveda Nursing & Panchakarma * Mariagiri English Medium Higher Secondary School, Kuttikanam

Gallery

References

Books

* The Story of Peermade by

George Thengummoottil George Thengummoottil (born 10 January 1985) is wildlife filmmaker, documentary editor,http://www.lalithkala.org/sites/default/files/Photography%20Selection%20List%20%28Website%29.pdf from India who is the founder of Moundain Films, a visual ar ...

() http://www.theindia.info/Peermade/

External links

{{Idukki district
Idukki Photo album

About Kuttikkanam

Kuttikkanam resort

Populated places in the Western Ghats Hill stations in Kerala Villages in Idukki district Kuttikkanam