Bharathappuzha

Malampuzha Garden & Fantastic ropeway

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• published: 06 Dec 2016
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malampuzha, a little township on the foothills of the Western Ghats takes its name from the River malampuzha. Nurtured by this tributary of Kerala's longest river, the Bharathapuzha, malampuzha is a lush green town is a major tourist attraction for its trekking trails and the large irrigation dam. Around the reservoir of the dam are beautiful gardens and amusement parks. Boating facilities are available on the lake. Other attractions in the malampuzha garden are the beautiful rock garden, the fish-shaped aquarium, the snake park, the ropeway which takes you on an aerial tour of the park, and the gigantic Yakshi (an enchantress) sculptured by Kanai Kunhiraman, a renowned sculptor of Kerala. The most interesting feature of the rock garden is that the whole place is made of unwanted and broken pieces of bangles, tiles, used plastic cans, tins and other waste materials. The garden is a master work of sculptor Padmasree Neck Chand Saini. His rock garden in Chandigarh is world famous and attracts thousands of tourists every year. The dam was conceived as a multi-purpose project to provide water for irrigation, drinking, industries, power generation dan fish farming. However, plans for water transport was dropped from the initial phase itself, and later, boating services for leisure was started. Soon after the inauguration of the dam, Palakkad and malampuzha became a part of the newly formed Kerala State. Kerala Government started the malampuzha Gardens on the front side of the dam. Later, various other features were added like the Rock Gardens, an aquarium, Snake Park and Rope Way. In 2012, major renovation works started in malampuzha Gardens as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. The dam was re-painted, and a huge LED Hoarding was placed on top of the dam. The entire garden was demolished for constructing a new and modern garden. At a cost of Rs. 21.57 crores, a new garden was created which has made malampuzha Gardens the best tourist destination of Kerala. The dam and the gardens are open from 9:00 AM in the morning to 8:00 PM in the evenings on all days. malampuzha Garden is a beautifully landscaped garden on the front side of the malampuzha Dam. It is full of lush green lawns with well laid-out flower beds. There are pathways to watch and enjoy variety of fountains and marvelous sculptures, including the famous Yakshi sculpture created by Sri. Kanayi Kunhiraman. There is a canal flowing through the middle of the garden, which has 2 hanging bridges above it. The ropeway moves across the garden giving an unforgettable aerial view of the garden. Boating Facility is available in the Garden. The dam and the garden is illuminated at nights on Weekends and Public Holidays. There is a swimming pool in the Garden, which is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The pool will be closed for Lunch Break from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, and only ladies will be permitted from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The pool is safe for people of all age groups, and all necessary security gadgets are available. While going for swimming, bags and other belongings can be kept in a safety locker. The entire garden is under video surveillance under the Tourism Police. The following facilities are available in the garden. There is a ropeway running parallel to the Dam, which is first of its kind in South India. The ropeway gives a 20 minutes thrilling ride with an aerial view of the Malampuzha Gardens and the Dam. This 2000 ft long ropeway runs at a height of 60 feet from the ground. There are 64 rope cars, each with a capacity of 2 persons. The Ropeway operates from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and safety gadgets are provided.