Kerala Tips

Ramakkalmedu is a small village/hill station on the border between Kerala and TamilNadu. It is famous for the strong winds and the breathtaking views of Tamil Nadu villages from the hill top.  If you are looking for a reason for buying a high end binoculars, plan a trip to Ramakkalmedu today!

The name Ramakkalmedu is derived from Rama-kal-medu (Rama’s foot on the rock). According to the folklore, Hindu god Rama had set foot on this rock while searching for his wife Sita abducted by Ravanan. Any way if someone needs to have a bird’s eye view of  Tamilnadu, I don’t think there is a better place than Ramakkalmedu. According to local experts, on a clear day you can get a good view of 6 major towns of Tamilnadu!

Ramakkalmedu was a relatively unknown tourist destination till recently. Thanks to its location (between Munnar and Thekkady) and also due to wind energy farms setup recently, this place now attracts thousands of visitors every day.

How to reach Ramakkalmedu tourist destination?

Ramakkalmedu is located in Idukki district and can be reached from Thekkady-Munnar route. You can find some decent hotels in Nedungandam or Kattappana and both places are nearby.  Ramakkalmedu is about 20kms from Kattappana town and the road is narrow but in good condition.

Ramakkalmedu distance chart

Please note that the distances given below are approximate. Also distance varies depending on the route you take.

Nearest railway station: Changanacherry (90km)
Nearest airport: Madurai (145km) and Cochin International Airport(Nedumbasery - 185km)

Thekkady	Ramakkalmedu	40km
Kattappana	Ramakkalmedu	20km
Nedunkandam	"	15km
Munnar	"	70km
Trivandrum	"	300km
Ernakulam	Ramakkalmedu	150km

 

Check out the following maps for more information.

In the above Google earth photo, the structure visible on the top right is the "kuravan and kurathi" statue details of which are available below. As you can see that the road takes a sharp right turn on the bottom left of the map. This is where you need to park to go to the biggest mountain which is located towards the left of this junction.

Ramakkalmedu Trip Report (with photos)

I reached Ramakkalmedu in the evening and my family was with me. It was an unplanned visit and hence I was short on time. The experience was so good that I am planning a visit to this place again, only this time I am planning for a trekking expedition.

From Nedumkandam, the road to Ramakkalmedu is narrow, but there are hardly any potholes. As you drive along, you will first see the wind turbines installed for power generation on the right side. It is possible to drive up to a wind turbine, but due to lack of time we decided to head straight to the Ramakkalmedu hill.

Following is the zoomed photo of a wind turbine visible from main Ramakkalmedu road.

The main road ends at a small junction and there are couple of shops where you can get tea/drinks and relax a bit.  From this junction, you can either take a right turn and drive up the hill to reach the official Ramakkalmedu or park the car at the junction and take a walk to the left side mountain. The photo below shows the right side road with official welcome sign.

Unlike the thugs at Aathirappalli water falls (that is for another post), there is no entry fee and there are no restrictions right now.

Again due to lack of time we decided to skip the official place and head straight to the left mountain which is the tallest structure and gives the most beautiful view of TamilNadu vilages!

As you turn left you will get a feeling that you are going into a cave. After about 50 metres you need to take a right turn and then go up the hill.

Once you start climbing towards the mountain top, you can see the "kuravan and kurathi" statue on the other side of the mountain. The wind at this stage is of medium strength. 

I am again going up and you can see the kuravan statue on the far right. If you look closely you can see tourists all around the place below. Some of the images can be clicked to get a bigger view.

Following is the rock you need to climb in order reach the top most place on Ramakkalmedu. It is not easy (especially since winds are strong)!

Towards the right side you can see the Tamil nadu stretching out to eternity! You must see it to feel it!

As you start walking towards the zenith of this hill, the wind speed gradually increases. There is a narrow road which leads to the last rock on the top. This path is dangerous as slip will cause you to fall down.  The height of fall will be so big that you will get time to repent about all your sins if you are to fall down. The white patch is the valley which cannot be focused by the camera!

This rock below is popular with bachelors. It is much below the main rock, but gives you a feeling that you are floating on air.

The winds at Ramakkalmedu are very strong and continuous and hence is an ideal place for Wind power units. The average wind speed is about 30km/hr and I have a feeling at certain areas it could go as high as 60km/hr and more.

Luckily the sky was clear and we could see Tamil nadu in all its glory as can be seen below. For a travel addict, this is the moment of orgasm!

Following towns are captured using zoom. Some of the towns that can be seen are Kambam, Kudallur and Theny.

Wind farms at Ramakkalmedu

Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurated the wind farm power generation unit at Ramakkalmedu on 27th April 2008.  Currently there are 14 wind farm units which supply power to KSEB grid at Kallar.  The cost of setting up a unit is around Rs. 4 crores and the power is sold to KSEB at a rate of 3.15 paise per unit. The wind farm units are installed with the help of Danish experts from Vestar Denmark and are being run by private companies.

It is estimated that from Ramakkalmedu alone 50MW of electricity can be generated from wind energy. Wind energy is the best energy source since there is zero pollution.

One interesting adventure will be to trek from the Ramakkalmedu top to one of these wind turbines. I guess for that you will need to have a team and start early morning.

Kuravan & Kurathi at Ramakkalmedu

The Kuravan & Kurathi statue is designed and built by C.B. Jinan and is the signature structure of Ramakkalmedu. This statue was erected in August 2005 and most tourists head straight to this place. The view of the Tamilnadu is not as good as from the other side. Kuravan & Kurathi is a native tribe of Idukki and  according to legend, Idukki dam (which is Kerala’s biggest power source) was proposed by a Kuravan. There is a resting place behind this statue.

Interestingly you will find ice cream vendors even on the hill top during evenings. There are some guys who are selling liquor. But you should stay away from it unless you went there planning to commit suicide.

Dangers at Ramakkalmedu

There are hidden dangers at Ramakkalmedu. Sometimes wind can be very strong and it is never a good idea to go to the mountain cliff. There are stories of people falling down and committing suicide. According to locals, retrieving the body of someone who had fallen requires experts since the slop is almost 90 degrees!

Also if you are taking your family along, return before sunset. There aren’t any guards and Malayalis can turn easily become a monster after a drinking peg of brandy or rum (unfortunately alcohol is openly sold at the mountain top). There are also broken glass on the top, so lookout for them.

While filming my family, some guy came behind me and said - "njanum photoyil kerattey"? It may sound innocent, but bands of bachelors can be deadly if you are in a vulnerable situation (read: you have a daughter/wife/mother/sister).

Summary

Ramakkalmedu an ideal place to spend an evening or to go for some real trekking expedition. This is one place where you can’t go in our traditional dress (mundu) - well you can if you don’t mind getting naked

This article will be updated after my next visit to Ramakkalmedu. I have a feeling that I have missed a lot of important/interesting stuff  at Ramakkalmedu and of course the thrill of trekking is too good to miss.

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