VAGAMON
Vagamon is a tiny plantation township in Central Travancore. Vagamon has the overtone of a misty, green Hill Station. At a height of 1,100 Meters above sea level, the British once used it to establish Tea Plantations. Vagamon has remained away from the hustle and bustle of commercialization. However, it is getting popular by the day, with National Geographic Traveler featuring Vagamon in its “Fifty most attractive places to visit in India”.
The abode of everything green is home to a great many flora, especially orchids and is wrapped in lush meadows, pine forests, waterfalls and more. It is heaven for nature lovers, giving them ample opportunities to explore an idyllic location to their hearts’ content.
The Three famous hills of Vagamon are;
– Thangal Para, the resting place of a venerated Sufi Saint
– Muruganmala dedicated to Lord Muruga (son of Lord Shiva)
– Kurisumala, a very popular Christian place of pilgrimage
The three hills are said to represent the three main religions of India, all three of which are harmoniously represented in the tiny state that Kerala is!
POONJAR PALACE
Poonjar Palace at Poonjar is situated on the Pala-Erattupetta route in Kottayam district of Kerala. Our monuments are permanent reminders of the glorious past, wherein valorous stories once played out in ornate Royal Halls. The Poonjar Palace in Kottayam is one such great example of the exalted times and memories of a royal, bygone era.
The Poonjar Palace is replete with royal antiques and exotic, hand-carved furniture, a Droni (treatment bed) carved out of a single piece of wood for Ayurvedic massages, huge chandeliers that will cause the beholder to gasp in wonder and beauty, palm leaf engravings, exquisite jewel boxes, a large variety of lamps, sculptures of Nataraja (the dancing Siva), grain measures, statues and weapons. A replica of the great Madurai Meenakshi Temple, where ancient sculptures narrate the tales of the Puranas (ancient Indian legends), ay also be found at the Poonjar Palace. Visit Poonjar Palace and be taken on a roller coaster ride through Kerala history, experiencing its many facets and colours.
MARMALA WATERFALLS
Travellers on the Kottayam District Roads may chance upon this bounty of Nature, called Marmala Waterfalls. This is a less-frequented, 60 Meter high Waterfall, as one needs to trek for about 2 Kms through tough, evergreen foliage, to get to the Waterfall! Unline Vagamon, public facilities are nonexistent in this remote area, with food and snacks not being available for up to about 7 Kms. We advise you pack up on snacks, if Marmala is on your itinerary! We also warn you that you will be wading through narrow, slushy paths, with huge, dangerously slippery rock formations all around. The water body itself is about 12 Meters deep!
However, if you are game – and careful, you will be rewarded with an unmatched scene of grandeur! Come monsoon and the sound of falling water will drown out all noise and drench all visitors with its spray of pure, mountain-fresh water!
ST. GEORGE FORANE CHURCH
St. George Forane Church is one of the oldest Roman Catholic Churches in Kerala and the largest shrine to St. George. The aboriginal building of the Church, constructed in 594 AD and dedicated to Virgin Mother, was reconstructed in 1080 AD, as the congregation had outgrown the original Church.
The George Forane Church acquired its name due to the uncountable miracles of Edappally St George. As a result, the Catholic Church were deciding to elevate this miraculous Church to the status of a National Shrine Basilica and it became the richest Catholic Shrine in Kerala..