Malampuzha

Malampuzha is a tiny hill station situated at the foot of the Western Ghats, in Palakkad district of Kerala. The place is located 10 km from the town of Palakkad. The entire land of Malampuzha is covered with thick vegetation all over the place. The reason behind such lush green locality is the presence of the Malampuzha River, which is a small tributary of Bharathapuzha River - Kerala’s longest river.

Malampuzha is divided into two main regions - the highlands and the lowlands. The highlands consist entirely of regions with high altitude, where the soil is not thick and is rich in Laterite. On the other hand, the lowland regions consist of midlands where the soil. The thick soil of the lowlands of Malampuzha is highly favorable for the growth of cash crops like coconut, areca nut, cashew, pepper and rubber. This place enjoys a tropical and humid climate. The months from March to June are very hot, especially in the western part of the district, compared to the eastern part of the district. This phenomenon happens because of the highlands and the lowlands. The balance of water table is maintained by the arrival of the south west monsoon, which strikes in the middle of the month of June.

Malampuzha, along with being a popular hill station is also a pious place, is also famous for the Chariot Festival (Rathotsavam), which is celebrated at Viswanatha Temple. This race is held in the month of November and the annual festival at the Bhagvathy Temple in the month of March. Other major festivals which celebrated near the hill station are Kalpathi Rathotsavam, Nenmara Vallangi Vela, Vela at Manappulli Kavu and the Konganpada, which is held at Chittur. These festivals are full of energy and vigor. These also include different activities, such as traditional dances and songs which are performed using different instruments and costumes.

Another unique feature of the hill station is the Malampuzha Dam, which is one of the most popular dams in Kerala. It is also the largest reservoir in the state, with a height of 6,066 feet. With a backdrop of forested hills of Western Ghats, Malampuzha Garden and Reservoir are the two favorite tourist spots of Malampuzha. The highlighting feature of the garden is a large cemented sculpture named ‘Yakshi’. Famous sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman created this sculpture. A unique ropeway has been constructed in this garden, for the convenience of the visitors. Flowerbeds, pools, snake garden, aquariums and Japanese garden beautify the entire garden, making it a wonderful tourist attraction. Malampuzha Dam was constructed with an aim of providing water for irrigation, drinking and for industries. Apart from this, water stored in the dam is also used for the generation of power and fish farming.