Marayoor In Kerala: Places to Visit
Introduction
Marayoor or Marayur is a picturesque location located in the Idukki district of Kerala, India, at a distance of 41 kilometers from Munnar, 70 kilometers from Palani, 90 kilometers from Idukki, 115 kilometers from Valparai, 116 kilometers from Coimbatore, 131 kilometers from Dindigul, 164 kilometers from Kochi, 168 kilometers from Meghamalai, 172 kilometers from Thrissur, 175 kilometers from Kottayam It is a well-liked tourist destination close to Kochi and one of the top locations to visit in conjunction with Munnar vacation packages.
Marayoor, a prehistoric site and the only location in Kerala with natural sandalwood forests, is hidden in the Western Ghats’ shadow. This picturesque town asserts to have roots in a Stone Age culture that dates back as far as 10,000 BC. A must-see location in Marayoor vacation packages is the large-scale dolmen buildings from a later period that are located there. According to history, Tamil Nadu residents moved to this region after Tippu Sultan defeated Madurai king Thirumalainaicker in the 18th century AD. They established the five villages of Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayur, and Kottakudi, collectively known as the “Anju Nadu,” or “five lands.”
Marayur has been able to keep a secret enshrined in stone for more than ten centuries. The Megalithic-era muniyaras, or burial chambers made of four stones placed on edges and covered with a capstone, are still visible in Marayoor’s jungles and hillsides. Ancient rock art can be found in Marayoor at Attala, Ezhuthu Guha (near Kovilkadavu), and Manala. Attala has more than 90 painted motifs and is located in the western portion of Marayur Township. Except for a few figures of people and animals, most of the paintings at Attala are abstract designs. The Ezhuthu Guha rock paintings are located in Koodakavu’s Sandalwood Reserve Forest.
Here, about 90 painted motifs are visible. This location is Kerala’s most well-known rock art site and attracts many tourists. Ten painted motifs can be found on the plateau overlooking the Pambar River’s southwest slope. Additionally, a rock painting can be seen at Malana in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is close to the Alampetty tribal settlement.
The distance between Coimbatore International Airport and Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai’s airports is 123 km. Palani Railway Station has located about 70 km from Marayoor. Trains from Rameswaram, Chennai, Madurai, Palakkad, and Coimbatore are well connected. To get to Marayoor from here, take a bus or taxi. Bus service connects Marayoor Bus Station with Munnar, Idukki, Udumalpet, Aluva, Kochi, Palani, and Coimbatore.
Tourists can stay in various homestays, resorts, and hotels in Marayoor while exploring the area. The best time to visit Marayoor for cool, pleasant weather suitable for sightseeing is October to March.
Marayoor Tour Packages
Marayoor, a popular heritage site in Kerala and a prehistoric site, is hidden in the Western Ghats’ shadow. In Kerala, there is only one tourist destination with authentic sandalwood forests. Marayur has been able to keep a secret enshrined in stone for more than ten centuries. The muniyaras, or Megalithic-era dolmen remnants, are scattered throughout the Marayoor jungles and hillsides. Ancient rock art can be found in Marayoor at Attala, Ezhuthu Guha (near Kovilkadavu), and Manala. Amaravathi Dam, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Thoovanam Waterfalls are a few must-see attractions in Marayoor. One of the top locations to visit as part of Munnar tour packages is Marayoor.
Marayoor can usually be explored in 1-2 days. The nearby locations of Munnar, Valparai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Meghamalai, Thrissur, Madurai, and Trivandrum allow for 3- to 4-day excursions, including Marayoor.
History
Marayoor is a part of the Devikulam block. History and epics contain several notes about this topic. During the Vanavasam festival, Lord Sriram and Sitadevi are said to have visited this location. Sitadevi took a bath in a pond, giving the name Devikulam its origin. Mahabharatha mentions this region. The area is now referred to as Marayoor.
These dolmens, known as Muniyaras, date back to the Iron Age. Four stones were set on edge to create the burial chambers for these dolmenoids, which were then covered by the capstone, a fifth stone. Some of these Dolmenoids have multiple burial chambers, while others have a quadrangle that has been scooped out of laterite and is lined with granite slabs on all four sides. These have capstones covering them as well. Numerous dolmens near the Then Kasinathan Temple at Kovilkadavu, on the Pambar River’s banks, as well as those near Pius Nagar and the rock carvings on the plateau’s south-western slope overlooking the river, have drawn tourists.
The use of neatly dressed granite slabs for the dolmens makes it clear that there are several Iron Age dolmens in this area and the Stone Age ones, particularly on the left side of the Pambar River. In the underground chamber, at least one of them has a 28 cm-diameter hole that is precisely circular. There are various dolmen types in this area. Most of them are above ground and range in height from 70 to 90 cm. Another kind is between 140 and 170 cm tall. In addition, an above-ground dolmen with a double length of 350 cm exists. In the vicinity of the dolmens, burial urn fragments are also present.
Rock Paintings: In the Marayur panchayat, ancient rock paintings can be found at Attala, Ezhuthu Guha (literally, “cave of writing”), Kovilkadavu, and Manala. Attala is located in the western portion of Marayur Township and is home to more than 90 painted motifs. Attala’s rock art is located in a massive, east-facing rock shelter 1500 meters above mean sea level. Except for a few figures of people and animals, most of the paintings at Attala are abstract designs. The Ezhuthu Guha rock paintings are located in the Marayur Panchayat’s Koodakavu Sandalwood Reserve Forest, 1000 meters above mean sea level. Here you can see roughly 90 painted motifs.
Attractions
Lush, verdant tea estates border the Rajamala to Marayoor road. Sporadic waterfalls enhance the sandalwood forest. The area is in the rain shadow, and the air is cool. The Neolithic-era Muniyaras, or stone coffins, are a popular tourist destination. The stone coffins, which are stone slabs that resemble spartanly constructed boxes and are perched on vertical rocks, are everywhere. As one descends the hill, cane crops sway in the wind.
Over a hectare of land, a children’s park created under the protection of a single Banyan tree is a beautiful sight. The Thoovanam Waterfalls are another location where one can spend a lifetime in love with nature. Another attraction is the nearby Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
Sandalwood Forest
The only location in Kerala where sandalwood trees naturally grow is in Marayoor. As a result, tourists are drawn to the Forest Department’s sandalwood factory. The best sandalwood trees in the nation grow incredibly well in conditions with less rainfall. Sandalwood (Santalum album) trees’ roots and wood are used to make sandalwood oil. The sandalwood oil, also known as “liquid gold,” is a well-liked perfume, particularly among the affluent.
This sandalwood forest, about 40 kilometres from Munnar, has almost 65000 trees, and the sandal made there is the best. The Sandalwood Regeneration Experimental Plot offers tourists more information about this procedure.
Muniyaras
The muniyaras, or stone coffins, at Marayoor, also about 40 kilometres from Munnar, date back to the Neolithic era (around 10,200 BC). Four stones were placed on the edges of these coffins, and a fifth stone, known as the capstone, covered the top. These burial chambers are dispersed over a sizable area in Idukki’s Western Ghats mountain range.
Here, a clear picture of the Pandavas’ and Rama’s legendary wanderings is presented. There are also underground tunnels, caves, and artwork in this area. For anthropologists and archaeologists, this location is paradise.
Thoovanam waterfalls
The breathtaking Thoovanam waterfalls offer a location for romance and adventure. This picturesque picnic location will delight visitors with its beauty and freshness. This location is ideal for a hiking trail because it is inside the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. There is a possibility that you will encounter some of this area’s exotic wildlife. The Pambar River, which rises in the Anamudi Hills, creates this waterfall.
It is located 50 kilometres from the hill resort of Munnar and 10 kilometres from Marayoor.
Neelakurinji Flowers
This area is the natural home of the rare Neelakurinji (Blue Flower). A rare flowering plant called neelakurinji blooms once every 12 years, painting the hills a vivid blue. This flowering occurs on the Munnar mountain slopes, particularly at Rajamala, Iravikulam National Park, and Kadavari. In addition, the Nilgiri Thar, an endangered species of mountain goat, can be found in Iravikulam National Park.
The last blooming took place in 2018. Around the end of August, this blooming begins, and it may continue through October. The following blooming is anticipated to take place in 2028.
Children’s Park
Your kids will have a great time at the Rajiv Gandhi Children’s Park in Marayoor. This park is unique in that it is covered by the canopies of a single Banyan tree that covers an area of one hectare. This is truly a beautiful sight to behold. In addition, this location offers a cozy, serene atmosphere that will undoubtedly calm your nerves.
Geography and Climate
Marayoor is located in Kerala’s Idukki district. High lands comprise most of the Idukki district’s geography, distinguished by heavy rainfall and a cool climate. Idukki is one of the few Keralan districts that cannot claim to have a seashore. Five thousand one hundred fifty square kilometres, or 13% of the state’s total area, comprise the district’s geographical area.
- Wintertime temperature (can go down to 8 C)
- Summer (can go up to 30 C)
It is a rain shadow village known as “heaven on earth,” and the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu borders.
Tribal people live there, and the majority of them work in agriculture.
Marayoor Acess
Access: One of the major towns in the Idukki district. It is reachable from Munnar and Pollachi in Tamilnadu. There are numerous lodging options for visitors in Munnar and Marayur. The shopping options are better in Munnar than in Marayoor.
How to get there: Road distances from Marayoor to Munnar and Idukki are each 40 kilometres.
Idukki district is traversed by National Highway 49. The Aluva railhead, 120 kilometres away, is the closest railroad station. The international airport in Kochi is 150 km away.
Places around Marayoor
Munnar: At the height of 6000 feet, Munnar is the only hill town in south India. It is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams, Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala, in the high ranges of the Western Ghats. This location is a perfect getaway from the demanding demands of daily life because of the breathtaking view of cloud-kissed rolling hills carpeted with tea plantations, rivulets dancing through green meadows, and the British colonial settlements in the town.
Kanthalloor: Kanthalloor is a veritable land of fruits and vegetables, with farms bursting with ripe apples, plums, pomegranates, and other fruits and vegetables uncommon in Kerala.
Numerous fruits are grown here, including guava, gooseberry, orange, eggfruit, peach, and passion fruit. Nobody needs to travel to Ooty or Kashmir to see apple orchards grown.
Kanthalloor, which is 5000 feet above sea level, provides an ideal environment for apple cultivation. The Kanthalloor apple has a thick skin but is generally sweet. Therefore, chemical fertilizers are used sparingly during the cultivation process.
Flora and Fauna of Marayoor
Marayur is a famous repository of medicinal plants and home to more than 1000 species of flowering plants. There are 114 endemic species, and a recent sighting of the critically endangered Aibizia lathamii tree from the dry forests was reported. The wildlife sanctuary in Marayur, Chinnar, has the highest recorded diversity of reptilian species in Kerala, including the mugger crocodile. It is one of the most diverse avian habitats in south India, with 225 bird species recorded. The Grizzled Giant Squirrel, an endangered species, is still in Marayur’s forests. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary has recently received reports of the rare white bison.
Elephants, tigers, leopards, guar, sambar, spotted deer, Nilgiri Thar, common langur, bonnet macaque, etc. are other significant mammals found. In addition, between monsoon seasons, the butterfly migration phenomenon takes place.
Marayoor is the only location in Kerala with a natural sandalwood forest, with a number of them. The local economy includes the processing of sandalwood and the oil that goes along with it, and an industry supporting this is located close to Marayur town. A parasitic tree known as sandalwood and Santalum album has a fragrant and fine-grained yellowish heartwood.
Sandalwood wood and roots create sandalwood oil, also called “liquid gold.” This oil is a pricey product sold at a select few stores across the state. Fine sandalwood trees can grow best in a climate with little rain, from which high-quality oil can be extracted. About 60,000 naturally growing sandalwood trees are thought to exist in the 93 km2 Marayur reserve forest; however, since the last survey was done in January 2004, nearly 2,000 of these trees have allegedly been stolen. According to sources in the forest department, the first-quality Marayur sandal is valued at 1,100 per kg at auction (2004).
Conclusion
Marayoor, a picturesque area about 40 km outside of Munnar, is notable for more reasons than its sights. Along with two prehistoric sites, Marayoor’s attractions include a vast sugarcane farm known for a tasty variety of solid molasses (sarkara in Malayalam), a sandalwood forest, and two prehistoric sites.
