Ezhattumugham Prakriti Gramam | ഏഴാറ്റുമുഖം | Athirapally Trip By Hridayaragam | Ezhattumugham Dam

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Ezhattumugham Prakriti Gramam | ഏഴാറ്റുമുഖം | Athirapally Trip By Hridayaragam

Ezhattumugham Dam And Thumboormuzhi Dam

Ezhattumugham is yet to enter the tourist's itinerary for one very good reason. About 13 km away, uphill, lies the majestic Athirappally Falls, which sashayed into celluloid history with Raavan, starring Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan. Film crews, both from the north and the south, often camp in its precincts to exploit its raw appeal. Therefore the quiet charm of Ezhattumugham, through which Chalakkudy flows leisurely, remains eclipsed by the glamour of Athirappally.

While Athirappally evokes awe, Ezhattumugham calms the soul. There are no signages to take you here and local people give you several directions including shortcuts, where crater-sized potholes pass off as roads. The oil palm estates of the Plantation Corporation form a big part of Ezhattumugham.

The state government's attempt to woo tourists began with Prakriti Gramam, a park on the side of a check-dam at Ezhattumugham. People walk along this check dam and cross over to the other side of the river. Poorly maintained, with little security, the park, built less than five years ago, is at best a glorified entrance to the check dam. An outlet selling biscuits and soft drinks is manned by Shinoj, who tells you the people who live there, like him, are mostly families of plantation workers. Acres of oil palm trees, with parasitic creepers all over them, line the road to Ezhattumugham. Women carry baskets of red oil-palm nut bunches to a lorry to be taken to Anchal, near Kollam, for processing.

According to a report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Chalakudy could well be the richest river in fish diversity in India, with thick vegetation on both sides. The sleepy village and the shallow parts of the river at Ezhattumugham, where you can sit and do what you like, can be a writer's delight and a balm for frayed nerves.