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There stands nothing between you and as-far-as-you-can-see. Just before sunset and during twilight, clouds often stage gorgeous performances. And they never repeat the same moves or hues — the view is unique every evening.

It shows how fun-loving our Earth is!

Goodness inspires. There are now two more spots in Kottayam that are inspired by the change-of-air Naalumanikkattu offered. Kalathilkadavu Puzhayorasahyanam along the Kodoor River on the Devalokam – Kolladu road (view on map) and Aattutheeram along the Meenachil River, between Cherppunkal and Mutholy, on the Ettumanoor – Pala highway (view on map). These are not as elaborate as Naalumanikkattu but are good little open places for some leisure.

Kalathilkadavu

There are about 6-8 benches here, along the roadside towards the bridge. There is an open park for kids with swings & see-saws, a locally-run hotel that serves snacks & drinks and an ice cream counter. The view get more scenic towards sunset.

Aattutheeram

The Aattutheeram project on the Cherppunkal – Mutholy stretch is a kilometre long beautification of the highway. A passionately maintained garden runs along the road on both sides and it instantly improves the feel of the trip. Even the routine, boring commute will feel better as you pass by. Extending the project, there are now few benches along the garden that overlook the Meenachil River with faint & foggy view of mountains far away.

There are 2 classes: Platinum and Gold.
Platinum class relates to the traditional Balcony and the ticket price is Rs. 120/-
The old main entrance is now the entry to Platinum class.

Gold class relates to the First Class and the price is Rs. 70/-
A new entrance near the Abhilash gates is built for the Gold class.

Reservation is enabled for the Platinum Class and is offered at the counter near the gate of Abhilash.
Online ticket booking/reservation is available for Anand, Abhilash and Asha theatres at TicketNew.com

View from the Platinum Class

Premium fabric seats and non-slippery carpeted floor with lighted steps

Platinum Class entry

The cafeteria serves coffee, tea, soft drinks, pop corn and snacks

A 40″ Samsung LCD mounted in portrait orientation — Digital poster wall!

The exterior. Gold Class entry towards the end.

There is an adequately sized parking lot right beside the Jetty. A 3oo-metre walk from here, along the canal-side road will get us to the walkway. The walkway is fenced on both sides and fully paved with non-slippery tiles. Savour the view, feel the air, enjoy the walk.

There is a chapel near the end which is situated in the lake. This dramatic spot has been the location for many films, including the giant-hit Mohanlal flick – Spadikam (see the screenshots at the end).

The trip could be extended to include a 30 minute (one-way) nonstop boat journey across the Vembanad Lake to Muhamma and back on a Govt. ferry service from the Govt. Jetty. Include a visit to the Bird Sanctuary located about 3kms away in Kavanattinkara/Kumarakom Tourist Complex and you have got a solid one-day trip in hand.

And hey, the Kottayam-Kumarakom road is now super-good from Illickal. It has a Changanacherry-Alappuzha Road feel to it!

A view from Cherpunkal, on the Ettumanoor – Pala – Erattupetta road

The roads are:

1. Vaikom – Thalayolaparambu – Ettumanoor
2. Ettumanoor – Pala – Erattupetta
3. Kidangoor – Manarcadu
4. Kottayam – Pulikkal Kavala – Kanjirappally
5. Pulikkal Kavala – Karukachal – Changanacherry
6. Changanacherry – Alappuzha
7. Chengalam – Kumarakom stretch of the Kottayam – Kumarakom road

Smooth and free-flowing, these roads are a pleasure to take on.
Tastes best when chilled. Feels best on Sundays and holidays.

The following route map includes all of the above roads to form a single route.

Individual Maps

Vaikom – Thalayolaparambu – Ettumanoor

Ettumanoor – Pala – Erattupetta

Kidangoor – Manarcadu

Kottayam – Pulikkal Kavala – Kanjirappally

Pulikkal Kavala – Karukachal – Changanacherry

Changanacherry – Alappuzha

Chengalam – Kumarakom (part of Kottayam – Kumarakom road)

Maps courtesy: Google Maps

The opening match saw Team Wayanad triumph over Team Thiruvananthapuram (3-0). Kottayam’s first match is against Alappuzha, on Saturday, 26th at 06:00 pm

Kottayam entered the finals beating Wayanad  in a match that reached a tie-breaker (5-3). In the finals, Kottayam will take on Kollam, who beat Ernakulam in the second semi final (2-0). The final match is scheduled for 06:00 pm at the Floodlit Nehru Stadium, Nagampadam.

Kollam won the championship beating Kottayam in the finals (4-0).

Location: Opposite Kanjirappally Taluk Hospital (36 km from Kottayam)

Phone: (04828) 201 578, 201 579

The air conditioned complex houses the neatly & sensibly organized supermarket and the mini-outlets of Third Place and Cafe Coffee Day. Plush couches, multi-channel music and TV along with a supermarket + cafeteria combo is definitely a “first-time”!

There is ample car parking space and restrooms which make this a perfect stopover place, while travelling on N. H. 220 (K. K. Road). 

Location: Adjacent to the Municipal Jubilee Park, Kurian Uthuppu Road, Nagampadam.
Working Hours: 11 am to 7 pm – Monday Holiday.
Tickets: Rs. 20/- for adults and Rs. 10/- for children.

The air-conditioned aquarium houses a huge variety of magnificent fishes and amazing marine biomass. This project is aided by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and is executed by Kottayam Municipality in association with Matsyafed. There is sale of aquariums and accessories too.

In addition to the spacious parking area inside the compound, there is ample space on the Kurian Uthuppu road side too.
Club the Aquarium and the Jubilee Park for an evening; it will be a great family evening.

Photos