Muvattupuzha
From Wikitravel
Muvattupuzha is a medium sized town near to north east of Cochin city in Kerala,India.
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Understand
It is famous for being a town with three rivers joining to form Muvattupuzha.It lies almost sea level,with small hills across the region.It is an important town in central Kerala, India. It lies between Thrissur and Kottayam on the Main Central (MC) Road which runs along the length of the old Travancore,from Trivandrum to Angamaly.Town is full of greenery and decorated by the smooth-flowing Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers through the centre of the town.It was the Capital of Vadakkumkoor Rajas Kingdom.
The Main attraction for Muvattupuzha is the Muvattupuzhayaar or Muvattupuzha river which is very calm and cleanly flowing. Infact,The town is named after the river Muvattupuzha which flows through it. The name is made up of three Malayalam words 'Moo' which stands for 'three', 'aaru' - river, and 'puzha', which also means a river. 'Aaru' is a word that is usually used to rivers in the southern half of Kerala, while 'puzha's are northern rivers. The three rivers in this case are the Kothamangalam river, Kaliyar and Thodupuzha, which merge to form a single river.Thus it is called Thriveni Sangamam in Malayalam.So if you are coming to Cochin,it is definitely worth visting this town.
Get in
By plane
Kochi International Airport (http://www.cochin-airport.com/) is located in Nedumbassery - approx 35 Km from the town. There are flights to and from Colombo, Dubai, AbuDhabi, Singapore, Sharjah, Jeddah, Muscat, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Take a prepaid taxi to your destination.
By train
You can reach Muvattupuzha from other cities Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kozhikode (Calicut), Madras, Bangalore, Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta by train upto the near by town Aluva or Kochi. There are two major Railway stations in Kochi (Ernakulam Town and Ernakulam Junction, locally known as North and South railway stations). The Indian Railways (http://www.indianrail.gov.in) serves Cochin with a number of train services connecting it to other parts of the state and the country. From Kochi in a little over an hour you can reach Muvattupuzha.
By bus
Muvattupuzha is accessible from all parts of the state via road.National Highway 49 and MC road passes through the town.state run Kerala Road Transport Corporation (K.S.R.T.C.) bus services and Private buses ply between towns.Ernakulam city is approximately 42 KM away. There are tourist buses connecting Muvattupuzha from Mumbai,Bangalore,Mangalore,Coimbatore etc.K.S.R.T.C runs chain services between Thrissur and Kottayam via Muvattupuzha . also, between Ernakulam and Thodupuzha via Muvattupuzha besides other long distance services passes through the town.
If travelling as part of a large group (14+) it is better to book a tourist coach that would take you to your destination. They also would take you sightseeing and is available in most of the cities. The full rates for the trips should be negotiated prior to departure to Kochi or anywhere else for that matter.
By car and truck
There are also "parallel services" running between cities in Kerala. These are normally run parallel to the KSRTC service by private operators on the same routes and is normally a car-share or sharing a mini SUV. A tout would walk around a bus station informing people about the service. These are a bit more expensive than the normal bus service, but is marginally faster and is considered an option if you miss your bus. These are technically unauthorised, but it is the driver's responsibility to pay the relevant bribes.
It is also possible to hitch a ride with truck drivers if you pay them a small amount of money. Since most of the trucks are front engined, it would be very noisy in the drivers cabin and some travellers may find it uncomfortable. It is nevertheless hard to find trucks that would go to your intended destination. The truck drivers again are reckless drivers, so this option is not for the faint hearted.
Also, you could always get a 'lift' (i.e. hitchhike) mostly for short distances, but as with anywhere in the world, caution is advised.
Get around
Near by towns are also calm and safe for a traveller;with lots of things to explore for yourself.
See
- Thriveni or centre point of three rivers joining to form Muvattupuzha.
- A waterfall Thomman Kutthu lies 37 Km east in Idukki district.
- Puzhakkarakavu Devi Temple.
- St. Mary's Church Nagapuzha near Muvattupuzha
- Thattekad Bird sanctuary near Kothamangalam
- Rubber Estates and more for exploring.
- Bhoothathaan Kettu Dam near Kothamangalam.
- Vellorkunnam Siva Temple.
- Panieli Poru Waterfalls near Perumbavoor.
- Kodanad Elephant breeding Centre near Perumbavoor.
- Veegaland Amusement Park lies just 24 KM away.
- Kadamattom St.George's Church
- River-side Park with rare Butterflies Near Latha Theatre
Do
- Ferry through the river by country boat known as Vallom.
Buy
In Muvattupuzha You can get basic shopping ameneties for eg; like white goods and other things.there are few curio palaces in the town,where you can collect Kerala style curios mostly models of various houses,country boats..etc..
Eat
In most hotels/Restaurents,you can get kerala meals which is consisting of lots of curries or Koottaan.local specialities change with places.but you can find fish fry/curry items in almost all areas in Kerala.As against other parts of India,Kerala People are habitually more inclined to non-vegetarian foods.But beware of very cheap class hotels for higenic reasons as it is with any other countries.
Drink
If you dont mind have a light alcohol drink,You can take kallu or toddy,a country liquor made from coconut tree.There are lots and lots of Toddy bars licensed from governemnt in all parts of Kerala.also beer parlours also are run by government which is giving average Luxuary.
Sleep
There are few Hotels giving High class lodging. But cheaper lodges are a pleanty. Haritha Farms [1] (http://www.harithafarms.com) is a good resort to stay in.
Get out
- Munnar - lies 90 km away.
- Elaveezha poonchira (valley where leaves don't fall) - a hill station near Melukavu Mattom via Thodupuzha,with gigantic hills around 3200 ft. height. Beautiful hillocks Mankunnu, Kudayathoormala and Thonippara, Poonchira. Famaous for the legend that says the pool here was a bathing place for Panchali the legendary heroine of the Mahabharata.