The Untouched beauty of Kerala : Athirappilly Waterfalls

Athirappilly Waterfall, Kerala,India

It was a cloudy day in the month of July and this is the perfect time to visit Athirappilly Falls also nicknamed as the Niagara Falls of India . Since it was monsoon the maximum flow occurs during this season.

The Waterfall is located 30 km from Chalakudy town . The one hour drive through the forest from Chalakudy itself was enjoyable. The falls can be viewed from the top where one can see the Chalakudy river flowing down to the falls. 

Athirappilly is one of the most loved and favourite shooting spots of director Mani Ratnam and it can be spotted in his movies like Dil se, Raavan, Guru to name a few. The shooting of  many Malayalam and Bollywood movies have been done here.



This 80 feet high water Fall and the nearby Vazhachal Falls is close to dense green forests and is a part of the Chalakudy river. This largest waterfall in Kerala is set at the entrance of the Sholayar ranges and  originates from Anamudi mountains of the Western Ghats.    

When we reached Athirappilly Falls , it started raining and we could see the source of the waterfall, before flowing down to the falls. We witnessed a stunning atmosphere around the falls. 



To enjoy the waterfall at its very best, we walked across the forests through slippery steps to reach the foot of the falls. Pathways are constructed for easy movement. It takes around 20 minutes to reach the bottom. It is pleasant to stand down the falls by watching the performance of the nature as the water falls and heavy water sprays . The area was covered in mist and it was hard to take any photographs, as the tiny droplets carried by the wind just settled on the lens of my camera. One should take care not to cross the border lines marked by the security staff, which is the safety measure taken by the authorities to prevent accidents.

View from the bottom

After spending  around one hour, we headed to  Charpa and Vazhachal falls. Charpa Falls is close to Athirappilly Falls and it seems to be almost plunges on to the road.

Charpa Falls

Vazhachal falls is located 5km from Athirappilly Falls. There is a small garden and Children's Park near to Vazhachal Falls.  From this garden we can actually view the waterfall. All these are monitored and administered by Vazhachal  Forest Department.

Entrance of  Vazhachal Falls

Plantation Valley between Athirappilly and Chalakkudy looks amazing.

Plantation Valley

On our way back to Chalakudy , we visited Thumboormuzhy Dam and River view Garden.

Thumboormuzhy River view Garden

Nowadays this Thumboormuzhy park is one of the important eco-tourism attractions in Chalakudy- Athirapally Ecotourism. Located 12km way from Athirappilly, Thumboormuzhi Dam is an irrigation dam built on the Chalakkudy river.

If you are a fan of nature and love to travel, then Athirappilly Falls must be in your list.