Ramakkalmedu, Idukki Overview

Ramakkalmedu is a tiny hamlet in the Idukki district close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Located 40kms away from Thekkady, the scenic beauty of Ramakkalmedu has turned it into a fantastic tourist place with thousands of people visiting it. From here, one can get beautiful views of the sunrise in the eastern hills and the sunset on the eastern mountains.

The thick evergreen forest surrounding the mountains which are situated adjacent to the site and serving as a natural habitat for a variety of birds and animals provide a beautiful view worth looking at. Since Ramakkalmedu hill station is situated at an elevation of 3560 feet from sea level, the area is famous for carrying out adventure activities including hiking, paragliding, trekking, and camping.

How To Reach Ramakkalmedu

One can take the bus till Thookupalam which is a small town situated 7 km away from Ramakkalmedu and is the last stop for buses. To complete the remaining journey, hire a local vehicle from here. In case you are driving, Ramakkaledu lies midway between Munnar and Thekkady.

Kuruvan & Kuruthi Statue

Situated atop one of the Ramakkalmedu hills, the statue of Kuruvan & Kuruthi is one of the major tourist sites of Ramakkalmedu built by C.B. Jinan of Balaramapuram. This exquisite beauty which was launched on 1s August 2005 is visited by hundreds of tourists on a daily basis. One can also view a part of the Tamil Nadu state from this hill. Kuruvan and Kurathi were the two historical characters belonging to the local community whose names have been given to these huge rocks between which the Idukki Dam was constructed.

It is also said that the famous place where the Idukki Dam is built was found out by Kuruvan and Kuruthi. According to the rules, no tourist is allowed to climb on the top of the statue. There is a mandapam built behind the statue by the authority which serves a rest house for the visitors. One can reach here by foot or vehicle with parking facility available.

Etymology of Ramakkalmedu

Its name can be broken down into three words namely Ram, Kal, and Medu referring to Lord Rama, rock, and land. According to legend, this place was visited by Lord Rama while he was searching for his wife Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana, the king of Lanka. While his search was going on, he stepped on the tallest rock while looking for Sita which was named as Ramakkal and later came to be known as Ramakkalmedu.