Malampuzha

After spending two nights as guests at GK Homestay, we embarked on our journey towards Malampuzha at 7:00 in the morning. This picturesque destination is located about 8 kilometers away from Palakkad, a town known as the gateway between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, nestled in a valley between hills. Palakkad is a major rice-growing area and has been home to many Tamil Brahmins who have lived in Kerala for centuries.

Malampuzha Garden is situated next to a reservoir with the same name and features a mini hydro-electric project. The garden boasts a scenic backdrop with the forested hills of the Western Ghats. Much like Brindavan Garden in Mysore, which is located adjacent to a reservoir on the River Cauvery.

The garden is equipped with a unique ropeway that enables visitors to explore the entire area. It includes meticulously manicured flowerbeds, pools, a snake garden, a Japanese garden, pedal boats, an aquarium, and more. During our visit, the park was undergoing renovations, so we could only spend some time in the children’s area, where Aarush was particularly enthralled by the helicopter. Within Malampuzha Gardens, stands a large cement sculpture known as “Yakshi” by the renowned artist Kanayi Kunhiraman. Opinions about this sculpture tend to be polarized; people either love it or dislike it, with little in between. Kanayi is the most famous living sculptor in Kerala, and his works, though impressive and modern, sometimes appear out of place in traditional Kerala settings.

We made a stop at Hotel Tripenta, situated across from the Rock Garden, for lunch. The food was satisfactory, but the standout feature was the cleanliness of the restrooms. We found ourselves intrigued by the property, which, although somewhat off the beaten path, offered modern amenities like a swimming pool.

The Rock Garden, a unique attraction in southern India, was inspired by Nek Chand Saini, the artist behind Chandigarh’s famous Rock Garden. All the artwork in this garden is crafted from recycled materials. To our delight, the Rock Garden was nearly empty during our visit, having recently undergone renovations under the supervision of the Nek Chand Foundation. We captured many beautiful pictures and found the experience well worth our time.

At around 4:00 PM, we commenced our journey back, passing through Coimbatore before dusk and continuing our drive. This was a change from our initial plan, as we had originally intended to spend a night in Palakkad. The drive was long and tiring; we made a quick dinner stop in Salem around 9 PM and pushed on all the way to Bangalore.

We arrived back safely after an eight-day trip, reaching our destination at 2:30 AM. In retrospect, we could have taken a restful break in Salem. On our next trip, when we traveled to Munnar via Salem, we chose to stay at GRT for the night, which is conveniently located on the highway.

Links

• Hotel Tripenta
• Nek Chand