Elevated at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level is a picturesque hill station located in Kerala known as Ponmudi. Situated in the Thiruvananthapuram district, it provides for a magnificent view of “sunrise”.
This hill station is renowned for a number of splendid valleys, hills and plantations. It also possesses a rich biodiversity and is home to about 283 species of exotic birds. In addition, “Golden Peak” is the sobriquet given to this beautiful hill station. It is one on the most enchanting hill stations in Kerala.
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How to reach Ponmudi?
[put_wpgm id=120] Ponmudi map
By train:
The nearest railway station to this scenic hill station is situated in Trivandrum. Considered to be one of the most important in Kerala this station is connected to most of the major cities in the country.
By road:
The ideal starting points to get to Ponmudi would be Kottayam, Alapuzzha, Kochi, and Thiruvananathapuram.
a. Via Kottayam:
There is one major route available from Kottayam to Ponmudi via Main Central Road, with the total journey duration being 4 hours and 46 minutes.
b. Via Alapuzzha:
There are three routes available to Alapuzzha to Ponmudi via Main Central Road with total duration of the journey being 4 hours and 54 minutes, via NH-66 with the total duration of journey being 4 hours and 58 minutes, and finally via NH-66 and Thiruvananthapuram and Ponmudi Road with the total duration of journey being 5 hours and 1 minute.
c. Via Kochi:
There are two routes available from Kochi to Ponmudi via Main Central Road with total journey duration being 6 hours and 21 minutes and via SH 15 and Main Central Road with a journey duration of 6 hours and 52 minutes.
d. Via Thiruvananthapuram:
There are three routes available from Thiruvananthapuram to Ponmudi via Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Road which possesses a total journey duration of 1 hour and 44 minutes, via Nedumangad Karipoor Road and Thiruvanthapuram Road-Ponmudi Road which comprises of a journey duration of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and via Parandode-Meenakal Road and Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Road which consists of a journey duration of about 1 hr and 54 minutes.
Climate and the best time to Visit Ponmudi:
The summer months in Ponmudi which begin from March and ends in May, which is hot and humid with temperature ranging from a maximum of 34 degree Celsius to a minimum of 25 degree Celsius. The winter season which begins in the month of December and ends in February is extremely “pleasant” with the temperature ranging from a maximum of 21 degree Celsius to a minimum of 15 degree Celsius. The monsoons season which begins in June and ends in September receives “heavy” rainfall. And so, the ideal time to visit the picturesque hill station is during the winter season from December to February.
Places To Visit Around Ponmudi:
There are couple of tourists spots located in close proximity Ponmudi that are worth visiting. They are as follows:
- Kallar Falls: Combined using the words “Kallu” meaning stone and “Aru” meaning river the Kallar Falls is magnificent waterfall situated around this scenic hill station. Located around River Kallar this waterfall possesses a wonderful landscape which comprises of round boulders and pebbles.
- Meenmutty Falls: This magnificent waterfall is situated at a distance of about 3 km from Ponmudi. Furthermore, to reach this beautiful spot one needs to acquire special permission from the Forest Department and then trek through dense forests. Facilities for trekking are provided by a forest protection group known as “Kallar Vana Samrakshana Samithi” who are based in a small town called Kallar.
Interesting Facts:
Since this beautiful hill station is renowned for its rich and diverse “Ecology”, a variety of birds, reptiles, butterflies, and amphibians can be found over here. In terms of birds, rare species such as the painted bush quail, the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Wayanad laughing thrush, broad tailed grass bird, and Nilgiri pipit can be seen over here. A rare butterfly species known as “Spot Puffin” can also be seen in this hill station. Furthermore, with regards to amphibians and reptiles endangered species such as the Travancore tortoise, the Malabar Gliding Frog, Malabar Tree Toad, and the Nilgiri Tahr can also be observed at this picturesque hill station.
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