Athirapally falls - A magic of nature

Athirapally falls

Athirapally waterfalls is a magical face of nature located in Kerala, India. Its beauty attracts tourists from all over the world. Moreover, it is called the Niagra of India. from this itself we can understand the beauty of it. It is situated in Athirappilly panchayath in Thrissur district of Kerala, on the southwest coast of India. Located on the west-flowing Chalakudy River near the Vazhachal Forest Division and the Sholayar ranges, this 24-metre (80 ft) waterfall and the nearby Vazhachal Falls are popular tourist destinations.

 The 145 kilometres (90 mi) long Chalakudy River, originates in the Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats[1] and flows through the Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea. The river initially runs smoothly but becomes more turbulent as it nears Athirappilly. At Athirappilly Falls, the water surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate plumes. Below the falls, the river remains turbulent for about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) until it reaches Kannamkuzhi. Then it calms and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumburmuzhi.

The railway station nearest Athirappilly Falls is 30 kilometres to the west in Chalakudy, and the nearest airport is Kochi International Airport, about 55 kilometres southwest of the waterfall and 58 kilometres south of Thrissur. Athirappilly is easily reachable from Chalakudy by taxi or by bus from the Chalakudy private bus terminal. Athirappilly is situated on the highways connecting Tamil Nadu and Kerala, amidst thick forest, so night riding is not advised. The journey from Chalakudy to the Athirappilly Falls passes through a landscape of winding roads, small villages and lush green trees. Visitors can reach the top of the waterfall via a paved path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. A steep narrow path also leads to the bottom of the falls. The falls attract visitors from across India, especially during the monsoon months (June–September). About 7 million tourists visit the falls and the Vazhachal picnic spot each year.

shooting of Raavan in athirapally falls

The scenic beauty of Athirappilly falls has always been attractive to filmmakers. This falls is used as a location for several Malayalam Films. Major portion of 1986 Tamil movie Punnagai Mannan was shot near the falls, the Falls itself playing a role in it. It made the Falls a popular one in Tamil Nadu that it got the nickname "Punnagai Mannan Falls". The 2007 bollywood movie Guru used Athirappilly Falls as one of its locations. Rajiv Menon, the cinematographer of the movie, chose Athirappilly Falls as a background for one of its songs. The falls are also famous as a site location for Narumugaye Narumugaye, a song from the Tamil film 'Iruvar' acted by Malayalam superstar 'Mohanlal' and actress 'Aishwarya Rai'. This falls is also a major location in the Hindi Film Raavan and Tamil Film Raavanan.

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