When it comes to travelling, journey in God gifted nature is awesome i.e. travelling across hills, rivers, falls etc. makes our journey more beautiful and memorable. If you want such a beautiful and memorable journey Thenmala is one of the best destination. Thenmala is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Thenmala is a tourist destination in the Eastern side of Kollam District in Kerala, that is home to the first eco-tourism centre in India.The word ‘Thenmala’ means “Southern hill” in Malayalam language.
The Town is 66 kms away from Kollam City, 69 kms from the state capital Trivandrum and is just 14 kms away from Tamil Nadu state border. The interstate National Highway, connecting Kollam with Madurai in Tamil Nadu, and State Highway-2 of Kerala are passing through Thenmala.
The Thenmala Dam is an eco-tourism destination in Kerala. The Dam, which impounds the largest reservoir in the state 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 Sqkms, which spreads along the middle of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the largest irrigation project in Kerala.
A visit to Thenmala includes the Nakshatravanam, a nursery of trees considered to be sacred to the 27 constellations. People throng to this grove to take home saplings of the tree related to their birth star. Besides this aspect, the trees also have medical, social and aesthetic value. Stroll around to see their shapes and sizes.
The Thenmala Eco Tourism area focusses on preserving, protecting and even improving the environment. The culture zone at Thenmala Ecotourism focusses on showcasing the best of Kerala’s cuisine, crafts and natural wealth. A Butterfly Park gives you an opportunity of seeing many varieties of butterflies in their natural habitat.
A Hanging Bridge, one of its kind in South India, leads to the Sculpture Garden – a garden built on the theme of ‘man and nature’, where are displayed carved stone art pieces depicting the relationship between man and nature.
Another attraction of Thenmala is Deer Rehabilitation Centre. It is a small centre established to cover the deer that stray out of the jungles into the urban areas. The centre accommodates three species of deer – Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer and Barking Deers. If you ever get an opportunity visit this amazing place, enjoy the journey.