Fast Facts

Location: Idukki, Kerala
Nearest Airport/Railway Station: Kochi International Airport/Aluva Railhead
Best Time to Visit: October to April

Marayur, the small town in the district of Idukki in Kerala, is famous for the enormous growth of sandalwood trees in its vicinity. These forests contain evidences of a Stone Age civilization that could be dated back to around 10000 BC. There are quite a few rock-cut paintings here that go on to prove the relationship of Marayur with the Stone Age. Tourists coming here would also be thrilled to find out the many dolmen-style buildings and structures scattered all over the place. History has it that around the 18th century, many people from Tamil Nadu had sought refuge in Marayur as their ruler was defeated by the mighty king, Tipu Sultan. These people who migrated from Tamil Nadu slowly started forming five villages known as “Anju Naadu”, meaning Five Lands. These villages were known as Marayur, Karayur, Kottakudi, Kanthaloor and Keezhanthur. All of these villages are found along the sandalwood forests and rock edicts found here. Some of the almost extinct tribes are still residing in these villages, where they rigorously follow their customs and culture. The unique architecture of the buildings with their dolmen patterns, rock paintings and edicts are proofs of the rich culture and heritage of Marayur.

Topography

Marayur does not have a highly-levelled terrain. There are quite a few ups and downs all over the town as there is a huge difference in the minimum and maximum altitudes here. Chinnar is the shortest at 500m and Nandala Malai is the tallest at over 2300m. The lovely hills, hamlets, waterfalls, lush paddy cultivations, sandalwood forests, sprawling grasslands, rain forests and the huge rock structures combine together to make Marayur a place with a highly heterogeneous topography.

Flora and Fauna

As the topography of Marayur is quite diverse in nature, the kinds of plants grown here are quite different too. However, Marayur has a rich and exquisite collection of flora and fauna. Animals that have Marayur as their native are shifted between various shelters all over the place. The forests are the ideal place to spot some exciting varieties of flora, fauna and avifauna.

Attractions

Dolmenoids that are basically used as burial grounds, constructed from five stones are the principal tourist attractions in Marayur. These could be traced back to the Megalithic Age. Of these five stones, four cover the sides and one forms the roof or cap. There are also many rock-paintings in Marayur that must be explored by the tourist. These paintings are adorned all over the forests explaining the rich cultural heritage of the place. Trekking can be done on the brilliant trails found on this forest. Apart from these adventurous activities, these forests attract tourists for their sheer natural beauty and serenity.

How to Reach Marayur

In order to reach Marayur, one should first reach Idukki district, from where there are lots of buses. The road from Idukki to Marayur is very good and there are buses available all through the day. Marayur is well connected by trains too from the railway station at Aluva. Cochin airport too is within reasonable distance from Marayur.