By Ashok SP
The plan was to visit Vandiperiyar and Gavi and then go to Thekkady, but route was changed and went to Kumily and Ramakkalmedu. Kumily is an average city. It can be called as the entrance to Thekkady and Tamil Nadu and is a spice trade center, which is what it is famous for. The famous Mangaladevi Temple can be reached by going 12 km off road from Kumily through Thekkady forests. Here, the festival is celebrated once in a year on the day of Chithra Pournami. The forest guards open this jungle path only on this day. Here, Dravidian culture is seen chiefly. Mangaladevi Hill is the place where Kannagi died after burning the City of Madurai. People who come from Tamil Nadu for the festival have to climb the hill to reach the temple. It is easier for people from Kerala. There are jeep trips to this place from Kumily. I was not able to visit the temple this time. The story of Mangaladevi was told to me by a hotel employee.
The next day morning, I went to Ramakkalmedu. From Kumily, I took the road to Munnar, passed by Sixth Mile, Puttadi, Vandanmedu, Kutta, Kambam Mettu and reached Shanthipuram Junction and travelled 5 km from there and arrived at Ramakkalmedu, the land of wind. It is a hill station situated in the district of Idukki, around 48 km away from Kumily. Here, we can see and hear the wind. When it is windy, on the top of the hill, its speed is around 30 to 35 km. Ramakkalmedu is a land of wind which can generate 12.5 megawatt electricity. On top of the hill, there is a beautiful statue of Kuravan and Kurathi.
From here, villages in Tamil Nadu and appealing sceneries of places like Kambam and Theni can be seen. Below this lies acres of farmlands. The view that we get from the top is as charming as a painting done by a painter with different colors on a canvas. There is another hill on the other side of this hill with a large rock on top.
There is a narrow way to reach the top. When we reach the top, we feel like we are on top of the sky. Viewing from the top, we can see wonderful scenery of varied colors below, in the morning and evening. Time passed by without realizing. I took the same way back to Kumily.
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