Thenmala is a tourist destination in the eastern side of

Kollam district Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 List of districts in Kerala, 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 Lac ...

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 city and is just 14 km away from

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 ...

state border. The interstate National Highway-744, connecting Kollam 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 fund ...

destination in India. The Thenmala Dam 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. 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 A musical fountain, also known as a fairy fountain, prismatic fountain or dancing fountain, is a type of choreographed fountain that creates aesthetic designs as a form of entertainment. The displays are commonly synchronised to music and also ...

. 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 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 hang ...

used by forest dwellers to escape harm from wild animals.

Nearby attractions

Kulathupuzha Sastha temple,

Anchal Anchal is one of the fastest developing town located in the centre of Kollam district in Kerala, India. Etymology There are a number of different legends about the origin of the name Anchal. One legend is that there used to be an "Anchalappi ...

Pinnacle view point, Kudukkathu para,

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 ...

. 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 Palaruvi Falls ( ml, പാലരുവി വെള്ളച്ചാട്ടം) is a waterfall located in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the 32nd highest waterfall in India. Palaruvi (literally "stream of milk") falls ...

References

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

External links

{{commons category, Thenmala
Thenmala AttractionsThe Namal International