Marayoor

An enchanting place to live and tour.

Marayoor is situated in the district of Idukki in kerala. The major portion of the geographical area of Idukki district lies in the high lands and is characterized by high rainfall and a cool climate. Idukki is one of the few districts in Kerala that does not boast of having a sea coast. The total geographical area of the district sprawls over an area of 5150 sq. km., which is 13 percent of the total area of the state. Marayoor comes under Devikulam block- Several notes are found in history and epics about this area. It is believed that, Lord Sriram and Seethadevi visited this place during 'Vanavaasam'. The name 'Devikulam' took its origin from Seethadevi and it is believed that she took bath in a pond here. In the great epic Mahabharatha, this area has also been cited. It is said that, 'Pandavaas' had stayed in the area during their 'Vanavaasam' and so the place was named as 'Maranjirunnaoor'. Now the place is known as 'Marayoor'.

Idukki food, sight-seeing and shopping options 
Excellent tasty veg and non veg Kerala cuisine is available at every small restaurant at exceedingly low prices, fresh, hot, and much better than what is offered at resort hotels. Shopping: Spices and masala, aromatic soaps - try unusual vanilla fragrance soap, good quality leaf tea - Kolukkumalai BOP is the best, strawberry jam, beautiful thick coir baskets or different rubber baskets made from old truck tyres, Kerala mixture etc. Sightseeing: Periyar Sanctuary activities, Prehistoric Dolmens [Muniyaras] at Kovilkadavu nr Marayoor, Spice plantations - Valley View at Chellarkovil was the best, Chinnar WLS with guided trek to Thoovanam falls, Munnar and all its famous falls and sights, Tea estates, Pambadum Shola reserve forest at Top Station etc. Avoid the over rated boring Tea Museum. 

Activities & things to do  Great for light trekking with guide [compulsory] in lesser known places such as the Pambadum Shola rainforest, entry point at Top Station. Also at Chinnar WLS. The Muniyaras at Marayoor are also worth a visit. The Annakara region near Kumily is very picturesque and charming, Valley View spice plantations at the edge of the cliff offers spectacular views at a very cheap cost. Just walking along the plantations at Vandanmedu and Puliyanmala is also most rewarding. Apart from the usual Munnar area sights. Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.  Hire a private taxi with driver for the entire trip, it is worth it as you will always have transport when you require. Convenient airports are Nedumbassery at Cochin, Coimbatore and Madurai. Angamaly or Aluva nearest rail heads from the Cochin side. Very safe area so just the usual precautions required. Everyone in Kerala is aware of the benefits of tourism so they are all very courteous and friendly to visitors.

People migrated from Tamil Nadu to this area when the Madurai King Thirumalainaicker was defeated by Tippu Sultan. The Migrated people created five villages namely Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayoor and Kottakudi. These villages were called 'Anju Nadu'. During the British period this block was under Periyakulam taluk. British administration introduced plantation crops like rubber, coffee, tea, cardamom etc. Now plantation crops are grown predominantly in Devikulam block. Labourers from Tamilnadu were brought here to work in these plantations. As a result migration of hundreds of Tamil families took place. A mixture of Tamil and Kerala cultures is prevalent here. Apart from Malayalees and Tamils, hilly tribes ( Muthuvar ) can be found in some areas of the block.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Overview of the destination Idukki district is much more than Munnar and Thekkady. The entire district is full of lush green, dense jungles and plantations, high mountains, grasslands, rivers, lakes and water bodies. From Cochin airport the nearest entry point to Idukki distt. is at Neriamangalam from where the tall rainforests begin. A 2 day halt at Kothamangalam, just 35min drive from the airport will enable you to visit the under rated, excellent Thattekadu Bird Sanctuary whose entrance is in Ernakulam but forest in Idukki district, and it is possible to trek through to the forests of Neriamangalam with a guide for those who are interested. From Neriamangalam to Munnar, the route is entirely forested upto Adimaly at the foothills of Munnar. Munnar is well written about so I wont add more here. From N'mangalam you can also take the road along the Lower Periyar catchment along the river with dense jungles on both sides interspersed with plantations and very little traffic. Seasonal waterfalls add to the scene. Pretty birds and huge butterflies flit about the entire route. This road goes to Cheruthoni where you can enjoy a tasty Kerala meal at any small restaurant. You can also see the Cheruthoni dam and proceed to Idukky passing the famous Idukki Arch Dam, open to the public only at Onam time. The road goes on to the picturesque spice plantations of Kattapana, Vandanmedu, Puliyanmala, Annakara and then to Kumily [Periyar Tiger Reserve]. Chellarkovil near Annakara is also a picturesque place to spend some time with its spectacular views of the plains and mountains of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The Maraiyoor Chinnar area, closer to Munnar is also an excellent but under rated place to explore.

Sandalwood Forest Marayoor is the only place in Kerala with a natural growth of sandalwood trees. The sandalwood factory run by the Forest Department is of tourist interest. A reduced rainfall is more suitable for the growth of the best types of sandalwood trees from which good quality oil can also be extracted. Compared to the neighbouring states like Tamilnadu and Karnataka (especially the forests of Mysore), Kerala has less acres of sandalwood forests. Kerala's share of sandal wood trees is confined to Marayoor and a few forest areas in Wayanad hills.

Sandalwood oil / Perfume An inevitable cosmetic of the elite, the sandal oil called the "liquid gold" is a popular perfume. Most of the government handicrafts emporiums in Kerala have this item for sale. One such is the SMSM Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, where you can buy 50 ml oil for Rs.1243/-. A few private agencies are also producing sandalwood oil and sold here, after testing its quality by the government's research cell. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the roots and wood of sandalwood (Santalum album )

Sandalwood sculptures They are a little expensive, but they carry with them the fragrance and memories of a rich land. The sandalwood sculptures of Kerala are popular souvenirs : icons of Ganapathy - the elephant headed god, the trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, little snake boats, elephants... Handicrafts emporia across the State offer a range of such sculptures in sandalwood. A sample of our craftsmen's skills, these artefacts capture the expressions, features and proportions of the subject, the golden colour of the wood adding to the richness. Sandalwood retains its fragrance for years, a sprinkling of water on the article can perfume your room for days together. Price varies with the size and complexity of carving. The rate begins from four hundred rupees onwards. The sculptures of nearly 5 foot height are sold for Five hundred thousand rupees at the SMSM Institute, Thiruvananthapuram

About the tree Sandalwood is a small evergreen tree attaining a height of 40-50 feet and a girth of 3-8 feet. Mature specimens are covered with a dark brown to reddish bark. The smooth trunk of young trees turns rough with age and exhibits deep vertical cracks. The leathery leaves display a range of greenish colors. The purplish brown flowers are small and unscented. There is little externally that calls one to notice the sandalwood tree as a specimen containing the prized aromatic heartwood whose virtues have been sung for several thousand years. The tree can grow under a variety of environmental conditions but produces the finest heartwood amidst the dry rocky/hilly terrain of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka States, and Kerala States where the famed "sandalwood belt" is located. It is in this region that most of the remaining natural stands of sandalwood are to be found.

Sandalwood-It's Precious Heartwood The most valuable part of the sandalwood tree is the scented heartwood. If the tree establishes itself in a favorable location it will begin forming the heartwood after 10 years of growth. At that point the girth of the tree will be about 9 inches and its height 10 feet. After 20 years the heartwood begins to form rapidly and reaches its prime in the 50-60 year range at which point the tree will be about 2-3 feet in girth, and upto 60 feet high. The trees having reached this stage and considered ripe for harvest are uprooted not cut, as the roots are highest in oil content. The appropriate time for doing this is just after the rainy season so as to reduce labor.

 

In the sandalwood depot the remaining sapwood is carefully removed by people skilled in this type of work. Extreme care must be taken so that all the precious heartwood remains intact. After all the processes are completed the wood is separated into heartwood, branchwood, chips, and powder for auction. Even the sapwood containing a tiny bit of fragrance due to its proximity to the heartwood will be auctioned off. The wood is auctioned off from these sites twice yearly. Due to its high value sandalwood is exploited by thieves and smugglers. They have developed many ingenious means for transporting the wood to people willing to illegally traffic in this commodity. Penalties for detection of illicit trading in it are severe and the government is making restrictions on the purchasing of sandalwood even more stringent. Once a company has purchased it through legal channels, careful records must be kept as to how it is being used so that when officials check the records, the amount purchased and the amount sold match. Sandalwood has a lot of medicinal values. Its use in treatment of skin problems is legendary. When applied to the forehead in the form of a paste it has a cooling effect and is used to bring down fevers.It is an excellent moisturizer .Traditionally sandalwood has been used for treating digestive complications arising from diarrhea, nausea, colic and gastritis. Commercial tree : Price and market trends Sandal wood means money! Buyers are willing to pay as much as Rs 9 lacs per tonne for sandal wood. While sandal oil fetches nearly Rs 18,000 per kg! Till now in India a major hinderance for cultivating sandal wood were tough government laws. But these laws have now been liberalised

 Special Tourism Zone comprises the   following Panchayats

. Munnar. Pallivasal. Chinnakkanal. Marayoor. Kanthalloor and. Vattavada Tourist Attractions Anayirankal Dam Kulamavu dam Pallivasal Hydro Electric Project Attukadu Waterfall Lockhart Ga Pothamedu Blossom Park at Munnar Mannavanchola Rajamala - Eravikulam National Park  Chenkulam Dam Marayoor Sandal Forest  Thoovanam Waterfall Cheruthoni Dam Mattuppetty Dam Kundala Dam Chinnakkanal   Mattuppetty- Indo-swis Project Kanthalloor Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Guhanathapuram Devikulam Lake Munnar R.A. Head works Naimakadu Kovilkadavu Munnar- Top Station Vaguvarai Waterfall

Getting there:
Munnar - Marayoor is 40 km
Munnar-Idukki is 55 km by road

The district is accessible only by road. The total extent of road mileage in the district is about 8000 Kms. of which only less than 1750 Kms are black topped. About 80% of roads are of lower type. National Highway NH 49 passes through the district.

Nearest railway station: 
Aluva railhead, is 120 km away. Ernakulam railhead is 173 km away.

Nearest airport:
Kochi international airport, 
about 150 km away.

Distance from Munnar to near by tourist spots

Munnar	Cochin 130 Km
Munnar	Coimbatore 180 Km
Munnar	Madurai 135 Km
Munnar	Kodaikanal 160 Km
Munnar	Udumalpet 88 Km
Munnar	Ootty 245 Km
Munnar	Thekkady 110 Kms
Munnar	Kottayam 180 Km
Munnar	Trivandrum 340 Km
Munnar	Devikulam 6 Km
Munnar	Rajamalai 13 Km
Munnar	Mattupatty 13 Km

Munnar	Marayoor 40 Km
Munnar	Chinnar 60 Km
Munnar	Topstation 41 Km
Munnar	Koviloor 50 Km
Munnar	Kothamangalam 80 Km
Thodupuzha	Malankara 6 Km
Thodupuzha	Moolamattam 22 Km
Thodupuzha	Kulamavu 40 Km
Thodupuzha	Idukki 62 Km
Thodupuzha	Kattapana 90 Km
Thodupuzha	Thekkady 120 Km