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how to reach boothathan kettu
By Air
Nearest airport is Kochi International Airport about 35 kms away.
By Rail
Nearest railway station is Ernakulam about 50 km away.
This place is situated in the north eastern part of Ernakulam district. Bhoothathan Kettu, the perfect getaway for the nature freak. Forests to trek in, birds to watch, a river for boating, rapids to shoot, a lake to fish in, and much more, provide the perfect holiday for the nature loving tourist.
Tall mountains, a calm lake, the river Periyar and an all-encompassing forest meet at Bhoothathan Kettu to make it a tribute to nature. Bhoothathan Kettu is 100 mtr. above MSL and has a very moderate climate.
Muniyara Pindimed Waterfalls Sunrise at Bhoothathan Kettu A lot has been written about the Periyar or ‘Churni Nadi’ in the Tamil epics of the Sangam age such as the ‘Chilapathikaram’,. ‘Akananooru’, ‘Purananuru’ etc. It is a river that has witnessed the rise and fall of many civilisations, cities, ports, towns and villages. At Bhoothathankettu, the river Periyar joins the Edamalayar and Pooyamkuttiyar, forming Kerala’s longest and largest river. Down-stream from Bhoothathan Kettu there are several islands, falls, rapids, and deep chasms in the river bed. This multi-faceted nature of the river provides challenging opportunities for those who love adventure.
In the olden days the bamboo from the forests was taken to Kalady through this river in rafts. Navigating the river posed a great challenge for those who transported the bamboo down the river. This old raft route can be rediscovered by an expedition on dinghies.
A myth associated with the place explains its name and how it came about. According to it Bhoothams (evil spirits/ghosts) wanted to destroy the temple at Thrikariyoor dedicated to Lord Shiva. They decided to flood the region by damming the river Periyar. To do this the Bhoothams rolled down massive stones from the surrounding hills into a narrow portion of the river. Lord Shiva, realizing their intention came up with an ingenious plan to deter them. Ghosts being scared of daylight, he tricked them into believing that morning had arrived. To do this Lord Shiva imitated a rooster’s crow, the most common announcement of dawn’s arrival, on hearing which the evil spirits fled, leaving the dam incomplete. Visitors can see the structure downstream from the present dam. Hence the name Bhoothathan Kettu (fort of the spirits). Later, this natural topography helped in building a dam here.
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