"A TRIP TO EDAMALAYAR AND BOOTHATHANKETTU"

DEDICATED TO ALL THE STUDENTS OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

(2008-2012) BATCH

MET’S SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, MALA.

BHOOTHATHANKETTU

Bhoothathankettu is a scenic dam site with boating facilities is situated in a vast virgin forest. It is heaven to nature lovers. Lying close to Bhoothathankettu is the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Thattekkad. Trekking through the forests here is an exhilarating experience for adventure lovers. Two of the main irrigation projects of Ernakulam district - the Periyar Valley Irrigation Project and the Edamalayar Irrigation Project - are also located nearby.

Therefore the name Bhoothathankettu means Forts of the Spirits.. Later, this natural topography helped in building a dam here. Bhoothathankettu derives its name from a legend in which bhootham (ghost) tried to submerge the Thrikariyoor temple of Lord Shiva by creating a dam on Periyar but Shiva suspecting trickery, came up with a plan to frighten them. He made it appear that dawn was approaching by making a sound like the crowing of the rooster. The demons fearing the arrival of light fled leaving their task incomplete. Large boulders can be found to this day.

Kerala might be known as God's Own Country. But this land, mired as it is in mythology and folklore, is also known for its connection with demons or `bhoothams'. Bhoothathankettu is one such.

Long before the man-made dam was build to tame the flow of Periyar, Kerala's longest perennial river, and irrigate the paddy fields of Ernakulam district, Bhoothathankettu had already earned its name from an interesting legend. The story goes that ages ago, demons set out to submerge the Trikkariyoor temple, whose presiding deity is Lord Shiva, by damming the Periyar and flooding the area. But, Lord Shiva, suspecting trickery, came up with a plan to deter them. He made it appear that dawn was approaching by making a sound like the crowing of the rooster. The demons fearing the arrival of light fled from their task. But there remains to this day the visible proof of their effort - the huge stones the demons were supposed to have rolled onto the riverbed, the Old Bhothathankettu. The Periyar flows on through the narrow space which the demons did not quite manage to dam.

That's imagination for you. The actual cause for the formation of the old Bhoothathankettu remains a conjecture. Its been attributed to two great floods - one in the 4th century and the other in 1341, which threw open the port of Kochi. The massive landslides during the flood is believed to have caused gigantic rocks to roll down from the mountain and become entrenched in the Old Bhoothathankettu. If its curiosity about this place which that brings tourists here, it will be her beauty that keeps them enthralled forever. Bhoothathankettu has the potential of becoming one of the must-visit places in Kerala yet it remains virtually unknown by tourists. This is mainly because of the lack of infrastructure, even though plans for its development seem to have acquired some direction and drive of late.Bhoothathankettu is located 50 km north east of Ernakulam town, Kerala, India. Bhoothathankettu is situated amidst the lap of Mother Nature.

EDAMALAYAR

 

Things in the wild are full of beauty. It's no wonder that the wilderness is full of charms in nature. we are just astonished by the beauty of the wild. It has it's subtle nuances but, it has its own special way of seeing you through.To get lost in the beauty of nature. It can be a breathtaking scene that can cause our spirit to climb to new heights. After some time spent in nature; it's always refreshing to get that feeling of oneness with the universe and the wild.
The fresh air in the wilderness is enough to spring us back to reality of life. It's filled with hope, inspiration, and promise  

Edamalayar is a place near to Boothathankettu, both these places hold a major reservoirs of Kerala, which is surrounded by immense wild life and. You can see and experience virgin forest land on the banks of Edamalayar Rivers. Boating through the river will be a special experience when you visit this place. Edamalayar is a heaven people interested in Birding and trekking activities. You can find different species of birds in the forest of Edamalayar .Trips to these places will give you a pleasant a mind refreshing experience in your life.

The power of the flow of water depends the season we visit there. If we reach there in June to August, we can witness thunderous force of the waterfall in dams and the powerful spraying of showers to many meters away.

 However, if we visit between September to February, we may have to satisfy with a moderate waterfall and March to May the force of waterfall in dams is too weak.

 The works relating to Edamalayar Hydro electric project commenced in 1981. The project envisages the utilisation of the water of Edamalayar, a tributary of the Periyar, for irrigation and power development. A 90 metre high dam is proposed at Ennakal with a live storage of 110 m.cum. (35.9 TMC) and a catchment area of 381 sq.kms. Though designed for power development the scheme is also intended for irrigation and the release pattern is according to the irrigation and other needs.

The climate of the region is tropical humid, with temperatures ranging from 20°C - 32°C. The hottest months are April-May and the coldest December-January. The region receives heavy annual rainfall of around 2500 – 3600 mm. The rainfall is mainly concentrated during the months from June to October. The best time to visit Kothamangalam is between October and March. The South-west monsoon and the North-east monsoon bring rains to the region.

TOUR REPORT

 We guess no one had slept in that night. Everyone was rolling in beds. But the time, passed strictly without caring the anxieties in our minds. We were rushing to the college in that cold morning. Sun was opening his eyes slowly...dewdrops were laughing at us….there our bus was waiting…

Within a short span we all got seated in the bus. Driver pulled out the reins and our bus galloped towards the target…We started our journey at sharp 7.00 am from our college. There were 66 students from ECE Department. We were accompanied by 4 staffs, miss.Neethu, miss.Aswathy from Biotechnology Department and shiju sir and lins sir from Electronics and communication Department. When we entered the bus all were very much enthusiastic to know about the trip. All the students were enjoying in the bus by dancing and singing throughout the three hours journey…Around 9.30am, we reached at Perumbavoor and we had our breakfast from a hotel over there.

   We decided to visit Edamalayar dam first. On the way we saw many paintings of nature. Rivers, trees, birds, boulders…all were making the mind blowing sceneries.

Around 11.30am we reached at Edamalayar dam. We took a walk together through the one tributary of the river Periyar. Really that place was thrilling as well as dangerous. The Edamalayar Hydro Electric Project and The Irrigation Project is based on this reservoir built in the lap of nature. But due to the burning climate in Kerala, the water level was comparatively low and the shutters were closed. It was such a nice place for trekking. By spending around one hour, we pushed off. And our bus roared as a lion smelt its prey.

EDAMALAYAR DAM FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES

 

  BAMBOO BED

 

From  our ride to Edamalayar dam and its nearby forest area. We saw these bamboo logs left in the water and we were curious to know why this is being done so..The bamboo harvested from the forest logged in water so that they don’t use its moisture content while waiting for it to be transported to the factory. It’s a beautiful scene with these bamboos spread across the dam water. You can actually walk across the water on top of bamboo logs... Bamboo is known as “poor man’s timber”. Bamboo is currently being elevated to the status of “the timber of the 21st century”.

Besides bamboo shoot is supposed to be a nutritious food as well. A bamboo shoot is a young Culm harvested at the time, or shortly after it appears above the soil surface. When the shoot pierces the ground, critical bio-chemical processes start. These lead to rapid growth, as well as concurrent hardening, as the shoot elongates and turns into a woody Culm. Bamboo shoot has high nutritional value and low fat, and is a good source of fibre. Bamboo shoots are rich in vitamins, cellulose and amino acids. At harvesting, a shoot may contain as much as 90% water. The edible content of a newly harvested shoot is typically around 30%; the balance is made up of the sheath, and the extreme portions of the shoot.

Most bamboo species produce edible shoots. In many parts of India, bamboo shoots have formed a part of traditional cuisine – fresh, dried, shredded or pickled. There is however also a growing market for processed and packaged shoots, representing an opportunity for the establishment of commercially runs processing units.

We reached our second destination Bhoothathankettu by around 1.00pm.The amenity of that place was beyond words. It was fully covered with greenery. Even the summer rocks in Kerala. The imposing structure in the wilderness of the Periyar river barrage greets you on reaching there. There is a strange board of “Photography not permitted” at the entrance of this barrage, but on crossing the barrage you can take a photograph. I have been thinking about this logic, since my trip, with no result. We crossed the barrage and the view from the barrage is breathtaking Really a fantastic place.

To one side of the river lies a dense forest, that grows to the very edge of the water, so much so it seems as if a part of the forest is growing on the Periyar itself. On the other side, you can catch an occasional glimpse of habitation between the coconut and rubber trees, but not enough of them to dampen the serenity of the place. The scenario remains unchanged for some time before that side too is overtaken by forest.

The river dips inland at times, creating tempting green coves that beckons you to swim in. As you go further upstream, to the right the river seems to break away from its almost straight path to flow between the Thattekad bird sanctuary and Chelamalai, which might have been the `Vanchi' of the old - the seat of the Cher Empire.

According to locals, the forest on either side of the Periyar was once home to a thriving civilisation. Remains of wells, walls, pieces of pottery recovered from there and the ruins of temples, of ancient architecture, are proof of a highly developed culture that once existed on this river's bank.

Even if one may not be interested in anthropology, the river itself, embraced as it is by ever-green forests on both sides, the white storks lazily rising into the air, the kingfishers nearly torpedoing into the water, sightings of rare migratory birds from Siberia and above all the absolute peace and quiet that one can experience will make a trip to Bhoothathankettu worthwhile.

                                       Time and tide waits for no one. Sun was starting to sink in the sea after all the duties. That was our time to leave. We returned back around 4.30pm.No one really wanted to return back and somebody was simply trying to hold the passage of time. We reached back at college at 6.30 pm.

On that day we realized the exact beauty of kerala,

“GOD’S OWN COUNTRY”