Writings of Kerala Geek

Unlike my hometown Idikki (or Idukki?), Thrissur (or Trichur?) has a flat terrain. But there is a small hill on the outskirts of Thrissur town which is very popular locally. This place is known as Vilangan hills and gives a panoramic view of the Thrissur city. It is located about 5KM from city centre.

After visiting anathottil at punnathur kotta, we left for Vilangan hills. At the bottom there is a check post and you have to pay an entry fee to the hills. The road from there to top is narrow and rather dangerous at some places. While going up we could see lot of couples coming down in bikes (Yes! it s a popular destination for young and old lovers in Thrissur who look for some privacy).

Towards the top we could see an open theatre on the left side of the road. This is now covered with high grown bushes and is home to crickets and frogs. When we reached at top we could see the Thrissur town in all its glory! There is a playground for children at the edge and it seems well protected from the cliff. In fact when we were there two school buses came there. There is an open room on the top to sit and chat.  There is also a small ice-cream shop below.

Check out the Vilangan hills photos below. If you are interested in a satellite picture, click here.

The whole Vilangan hills is covered with heavy grown bush. That is why there are lot of young couples who come there and disappear into the grass! What happens next is something national population committee or hindustan latex would surely be interested) When we were there we saw a couple being questioned by security (yes - the omnipresent moral police of Kerala). Reason: The girl is in school uniform and the guy looks like he is over 40. hmmm…

In conclusion, Vilangan hills (Vilangan kunnu) is popular with kids and those who wish to produce kids.

Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala. Cultural events are a way of life for people of Thrissur. Some of the interesting events include Thrissur pooram, temple festivals, etc. Thrissur also has the first mosque in India (cheraman mosque built around 600AD).

Last week I visited an interesting place called aanakkotta or aanathavalam(elephant’s den). This is where elephants belonging to all Guruvayoor temples are kept. Sounds simple? Well only catch is that it contains over 60 elephants!

Punnathur Kotta is located near Guruvayoor in Thrissur district of Kerala. The Elephant pound currently has about 60 elephants and is located over 10 acres of land. It is a popular local tourist destination. All the elephants came here as offerings by devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan. Gaja pooja (Worshipping of Elephants) and Anayoottu (Feeding of Elephants) are observed here.

We started from Thrissur which is about 25KM from punnathur kotta and it took about 1 hour to reach there. The aanathavalam (Elephant pound) is managed by Guruvayoor Devaswom (an organization which maintains temples). There is a parking fee of Rs.5 outside the entrance and an entry fee of Rs. 5. You cannot take the vehicle inside the pound. For still camera there is an additional fee of Rs.25 and for video camera fee is a whopping Rs.1000!

The moment you enter the pound, you are awestruck. Wherever you look you can see elephants and more elephants. The diversity is truly an experience. You can go around the place and catch some interesting elephant moments

Some tourists come here to get elephant tail strands. It is banned here, but many bribe and get it. We also had seen a group asking for the sand on which elephant was sleeping! Also there is no guide service at the pound (Guys may offer you services for money, but it is illegal)

Check out the photos I have taken at the pound.

Further Reading
Official site of Guruvayoor devaswom