Kodikuthimala is a hill station located in Malappuram district of Kerala.
Kodikuthimala
It is located at an elevation of 522 m above sea level, in the villages of Vettathoor and Thazhekode.
Watch Tower in Kodikuthimala
In a survey conducted in the past, the British hoisted the flag on this mountain range, hence the name Kodikuthimala. The top of the hill began to appear on the tourism map of Kerala two decades ago..
Kodikuthimala, Malapuram
Trekking to the top of Kodikuthimala is a challenging task due to the diverse topography of the hill. Kodikuthimala is located close to Perinthalmanna in Malapuram.
It was the last stop of the Janashadabdi Express. We got off at the Thiruvananthapuram railway station. The time is about half-past five. It was early in the morning and we left the railway station canteen with a cup of tea. It is very cold. The Kanyakumari bus came and stopped. A few women and children boarded the bus with us from that stop. They travel by bus. Looks like they’re about to get off at a stop somewhere nearby. We all had seats to sit on. Still pretty busy.
Sri Subbiah Inn
The bus started moving at a good speed. Nicer breeze, blowing from outside. The bus crossed the Karamanayar and the Neyyar the southern tip of Kerala and crossed the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Parashala. The views from both sides of the road are breathtaking. Flat terrain. The small hills, which look like spirals, like hills of white limestone. Occasional greenery can be seen in the hills. The bus reached the pit. Here you can see a river with good water. The Pahrali River originates from the Mahendra Hills at the southern tip of the Western Ghats, on the Kerala border with Tamil Nadu. A tree-lined river on both sides. The abundance of water in this river indicates a fertile area.
The famous Marthandam Steel Flyover begins at the end of this river bridge. The flyover is about two and a half kilometres long and can be reached in five minutes from the busy city of Marthandam. Padmanabhapuram Palace, which was the headquarters of Travancore in the 16th century, is not far from here. The city was named after the then ruler of Travancore, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, during its heyday. Today, Marthandam is a bustling city on the Kanyakumari route in Thiruvananthapuram and in the Kanyakumari district itself. The morning views were very dim. After Marthandam we reached Parvathipuram. From there, the Parvathipuram flyover starts to bypass the hustle and bustle of the next city, Nagercoil, which is about 1.5 km long. It takes about three minutes to cross the city. It will be another half hour drive to Kanyakumari. The road was very wide and there were no ups and downs so the journey was very comfortable. When the bus reached Kanyakumari, we got off at the stop near Vavadhurai beach.
There was a room we had booked nearby. Our trip was a team of twelve ladies, including three children. The streets of Kanyakumari looked very clean. Not like we have heard about Tamil Nadu before. Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so Kanyakumari district was closely related to Kerala long back before. Mainly they have followed the Kerala culture. Then we went up to a nearby restaurant for breakfast.
A restaurant with good cleanliness and delicious food. From there we walked to the room. The room was booked on Oyo offer. It was a quiet area. Go up the stairs to the spacious courtyard and surroundings. To reach the rooms you have to go up a flight of stairs and a long veranda. Everything was nice and clean.
At about 11 o’clock the sun began to shine hard. Vavathurai beach is just a short walk from where we stayed. The road is very active. The path does not feel hot as there are tree shades on both sides. Along the way, street sellers sell their wares. Interested to see, we all bought sunglasses for a hundred bucks each. It was just bought but later put to good use. The sun on Vivekananda Rock was so strong. It is a short downfall to Vavathurai beach. For a boat to Vivekananda Rock, we have to go through a building to reach the boating dock and pick up a ticket from the ticket counter at the queue. Ticket price 50. So we arrived at the boat jetty. Good rush. There are many places where life jackets are offered and the sea with strong tides. Good waves are coming. The boat was shaking well and had to struggle a bit to board. Nice rush on the boat. The boat ride on the water is very interesting. Vivekananda Rock is only 500 meters away from here. In the distance, we can see two rocks rising. One is the Vivekananda Smriti Mandapam and the other is the Sripadam Temple. The Thiruvalluvar statue is about 133 feet high on a small rock nearby. The boat reached the jetty of Vivekananda Rock Memorial in 5 minutes. It’s sufficiently hot in the sun here. It was then that we realized the benefits of buying a cooling glass along the way. We had to queue again to reach the entrance of Vivekananda Smriti Mandapam. We have to go up through a passage that is close to the sea on the side of the rock. From there, we can enjoy the sea views, Vavathure Beach and other seaside visuals, as well as the Bhagwati Amman Temple, Fishing Harbor, Sunrise Point and Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church. In the distance towards the north, the Agasthya Range, part of the Western Ghats, glowing on Sun. From there it is a feeling that a painter looks at his painting from the sidelines at the end of its construction while thinking about our Indian land. Anyone who gets an insight into our country this is the apt place I think. The queue began to move a little. There are a number of steps to go up. There is a place where shoes are kept. The heat that burns the feet when I take off my shoes from there. The pathways are painted white to survive the heat. Sripadam Temple is located on one side of the Vivekananda Rock, which is about seventy-five feet above sea level and covers an area of about 17,000 square meters. Books are being sold at a discounted rate near the temple. We bought a few books. Then we went up the steps to the Smriti Mandapam. The hall is filled with darkness. The atmosphere of the meditation hall is filled with refuge mantras all the time. It is said that there are six rooms in the meditation hall. We came down the stairs through the passage on the side and reached the back of the Smriti Mandapam. There is a pond near the wall that looks like a deep where many fish are kept. The sea views from here are very attractive. The Indian Ocean stretches endlessly straight ahead. The Arabian Sea on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other – the confluence of three oceans. Kanyakumari is not only the southernmost tip of India and a Hindu pilgrimage centre but also the confluence of three oceans and a place where sunsets and sunrises can be seen from one location.
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