Bhothathan Kettu

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Bhoothathan Kettu
Kothamangalam, Ernakulam District, Kerala

Bhoothathan Kettu, the perfect getaway for the nature freak. Forests to trek in, birds to watch, a river for boating, rapids to shoot, a lake to fish in, and much more, provide the perfect holiday for the nature loving tourist.

An Overview

Tall mountains, a calm lake, the river Periyar and an all-encompassing forest meet at Bhoothathan Kettu to make it a tribute to nature. Bhoothathan Kettu is 100 mtr. above MSL and has a very moderate climate. At Bhoothathan Kettu a nature loving tourist can enjoy a cruise through a tranquil fresh water lake, trek through deep green reverie forest in search of remnants of bygone civilizations, go for an adventure expedition down the turbulent Periyar reenacting the old route, take a cool dip in fresh clean water coming down a mountain where the ‘Neelakoduveli’-a life-giving herb- is said to grow and much more. All this is located just 50 km. North east of Kochi and a 35 km. drive from Kochi International Airport.

A lot has been written about the Periyar or ‘Churni Nadi’ in the Tamil epics of the Sangam age such as the ‘Chilapathikaram’,. ‘Akananooru’, ‘Purananuru’ etc. It is a river that has witnessed the rise and fall of many civilisations, cities, ports, towns and villages. At Bhoothathankettu, the river Periyar joins the Edamalayar and Pooyamkuttiyar, forming Kerala’s longest and largest river. Down-stream from Bhoothathan Kettu there are several islands, falls, rapids, and deep chasms in the river bed. This multi-faceted nature of the river provides challenging opportunities for those who love adventure.

In the olden days the bamboo from the forests was taken to Kalady through this river in rafts. Navigating the river posed a great challenge for those who transported the bamboo down the river. This old raft route can be rediscovered by an expedition on dinghies.

A myth associated with the place explains its name and how it came about. According to it Bhoothams (evil spirits/ghosts) wanted to destroy the temple at Thrikariyoor dedicated to Lord Shiva. They decided to flood the region by damming the river Periyar. To do this the Bhoothams rolled down massive stones from the surrounding hills into a narrow portion of the river. Lord Shiva, realizing their intention came up with an ingenious plan to deter them. Ghosts being scared of daylight, he tricked them into believing that morning had arrived. To do this Lord Shiva imitated a rooster’s crow, the most common announcement of dawn’s arrival, on hearing which the evil spirits fled, leaving the dam incomplete. Visitors can see the structure downstream from the present dam. Hence the name Bhoothathan Kettu (fort of the spirits). Later, this natural topography helped in building a dam here.