THEVALLY PALACE

Standing on a promontory in central Kollam, this palace is located on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake.  Thevally Palace is  26 km away from Kollam. Built during the reign of Gauri Parvathi Bai, between 1811 and 1819, it was the residence of the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore, whenever he visited Kollam for meetings with the British resident. Built with laterite and lime plaster, the structure is a blend of Dutch, English and Portuguese architectural styles.  A temple dedicated to Lord Sastha is also seen.  Overlooking the Ashtamudi Lake, this palace is set amidst scenic surroundings covered by hills on the three sides. Sasthamkotta is situated on the banks of Kallada river and is the fresh water lake in Kerala.Thevally Palace is open to public and tourists after renovations.

Thevally palace has its own romantic charm as the palace itself  tells a legendary love story of a British resident who lived across the lake with a noble ady from the palace. The British resident’s faithful pet dog used to swim across the lake to hand over the love letters of his master to the palace lady.A crumbling pedestal has been built in memory of this faithful dog. The palace is currently occupied by the army and Public Works Department and at present headquarters of   the Kollam/Alleppey N.C.C. – National Cadet Corps.

ASRAMAM GUEST HOUSE

Basic Facts

City Kollam

Location 3 km to thenorth of city centre on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake

Rooms standard rooms

Housed in an elegant colonial era building, the Govt. GuestHouse Kollam is replete with an old world charm now hard to find. The Govt.Guest House Kollam boasts of one of the best locations in Kollam city and isone of the best cheap hotels in Kollam.

Accommodation at Govt. Guest House In Kollam In India

The rooms at the Govt. Guest House are done up antiqueperiod furniture that would surely take you back on a tour of the time whencollectors and tea garden officials gathered at this place for a tete a tete.

PARAVUR PUTTINGAL

The renowned Paravur Puttingal temple is located at Kurumandal, Paravur village of Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India . The temple is centuries old and was first constructed when the presence of Godess herself was experienced on an ant hill. The temple was named Puttingal temple, 'Puttu' being the malayalam word for ant hill. In due course of time the temple was reconstructed. The present structure is about a couple of centuries old.The main offerings for the Puttingal Godess include flowers, tender coconuts, aval(beaten rice) and malar(puffed rice). Sandal paste and saffron powder are distributed to the devotees as prasadam. The famous "thottampattu",the most important offering in this temple, starts on the 21st day of Vrischikam(a Malayalam month falling in between mid November and mid December) and lasts till the princip The 'birth day' of the Godess is on the day of Bharani in the malayalam month of Meenam(falling in between mid March and mid April). The main events associted with the festival are Aswathi vilakku, Kathakali, Kampadikali, Marameduppu and other cultural events. Various pujas are performed and offerings are made daily for the fulfilment of desires and redressal of various greivances of devotees. al festival of the Godess.

ALUMKADAVU

At a distance of 28 Kms from Kollam, Alumkadavu is a beautiful village located on Ashtamudi Lake Backwaters. Alumkadavu is famous for houseboat constructions. This place is also known for coir making. Visitors can plan a tour to one of the boat building yards in Alumkadavu and watch the art of making boats. Alumkadavu is about 4 Kms from NH47 towards Alleppey and connected by frequent bus services with Kollam.

Timings: 8 AM to 5 PM. Close on Sundays.

KOTTUKKAL ROCK CUT CAVE

At a distance of 44 Kms from Kollam, Rock-Cut Cave Temple located in Kottukal is a magnificent temple situated at a distance of 10 Kms from Ayur junction on Thiruvananthapuram - Kottayam.

This rock-cut temple has a ShivLinga & sculptures of Nandi & Hanuman. This temple has similarities with Mahabalipuram temple (near Chennai) and is believed to belong to Pallava period - 8th Century. There are two 10 ft x 8 ft rooms cut through rocks and covered by a single rock overhead. The temple would appear like an elephant's back from outside.

A rectangular carved area in the center of cave has the image of Ganapati carved on the rock. On either sides of it are two larger structures. Inside of each structure are the entrances to the inner shrines. One of the entrances has a Nandi carved in the portico and the shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva.The rock cut temple with the Shiva linga flanked by Nandi and Sri Hanuman is believed to belong to the Pallava period (8th century BC) and contemporaneous with the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. There are two 10 ft x 8 ft rooms cut into the rocks and covered by a single rock overhead. The temple would appear like an elephant's back from outside. The combination of Shiva linga , Nandi and Hanuman is found nowhere else in India.

Best Season:

The best season to visit Kottukkal is December to May.

SHENDURUNY WILDLIFE

The etymological meaning of the name 'Shenduruny' has been derived from a tree species locally called 'Shenkuruny or Chenkuruny' (Gluta travancorica), an endemic tree mainly confined to this area. The Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary was formed in 1984. The construction of the Parappar dam across the confluence of the Shenduruny and Kulathupuzha rivers has resulted in the creation of an artificial lake of about 26 sq.kms. which spreads along the middle of the sanctuary.

Prime attractions

The sanctuary is home to the Bonnet Macaque, Gaur, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Indian Giant Squirrel, Three-Striped Palm Squirrel, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Mouse Deer, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Nilgiri Langur and many more animals.

Historically, Shenduruny has a rich heritage. The cave paintings seen here are comparable to the Mesolithic paintings found in the caves of central . The cave found here is large enough to hold at least twenty people at one time.

How to reach there?

By road : 66 km from Kollam town on the Kollam - Shencotta Road

Nearest airport : Thiruvananthapuram 72 km away.

PALARUVI WATER FALLS

Location : About 75 km from Kollam on the Kollam - Shencottah road.

Best time to visit : June - January

Palaruvi - literally, stream of milk - is one of Kerala's most picturesque waterfalls, cascading down a height of 300 feet. It is a favourite picnic spot for visitors from all over south India. The journey to Palaruvi through the dense tropical forest is a spellbinding experience.

The surrounding mist-clad blue hills and green valleys form a stunning backdrop to the milk white burst of foam that resounds through the otherwise tranquil virgin forest. Visitors love the cool shower. Ayurvedic physicians sometimes prescribe a bath in the waters of Palaruvi.

Getting there: Palaruvi is about 75 km from Kollam town.

Nearest railway station: Kollam, about 75 km

Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport about 77 km from Kollam town.

JADAYU ROCK (Chadayamangalam)

A 1000-feet high rocky hill cluster at Chadayamangalam in south Kerala, believed to be connected with mythical character 'Jatayu' in epic Ramayana, will woo tourists as the country's first 'Rock Theme Park'.According to local tradition, the rock, 'Jatayupara', in Kollam District, is the place where the mythical bird 'Jatayu' fell after its wings were slain by the ten-headed Ravana by his lethal sword 'Chandrahasam'.As per the epic, Ravana, who ruled Lankapuri (Sri Lanka), chopped off one the wings of the bird when it tried to block his airship 'Pushpaka Vimanam' in which he was forcibly taking away Rama's consort Sita.The project is a blend of ecological and epic tourism and the state government, through this public-private partnership venture, is building a high-tech theme park on the rocky terrain with a mammoth statue of 'Jatayu' as its core.

NEEDAKARA BRIDGE

The place has unique natural setting with the long Neendakara bridge spanning the Ashtamudi lake, with fishing boats and the vast lake and the sea separated by sand bed called Ashi, Neenadakara is a fishing center.

Neendakara, in Kollam District is on the NH 47 ,nestles between the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake, and the shores of the Arabian Sea. One of the largest fishing harbours in the state.An erstwhile tiny fishing hamlet with traditional fishermen and household coir fibre spinning industry has been transformed by the base provided by Indo-Norwegian Project in the 1950s