We are bringing you the fifth out of the many videos in the Kodaikanal series.
In this video, we will be visiting Poombarai village and Mannavanur lake.
Poombarai village is essentially a tightly packed and burgeoning spread of largely red-tiled, brick houses nestled in a mild valley and is located 18km from Kodaikanal. It is a tiny village that is famous for its production of garlic. It is comfortably nestled among terraced fields and lush greenery. It stands at the height of 1,920 m in the Palani Hills and offers a picturesque view of the surroundings. You get to see colorful houses laid out in neverending greenery. Poombarai is as tranquil as it is mesmerizing, and makes for a fantastic addition to any Kodaikanal trip.
Poombarai’s history dates back more than 3000 years. The Kuzhanthai Velappar Temple is a major attraction of this scenic village. Travelers are known to visit the temple and enjoy fresh local produce in the form of beans and carrots. This small village with a population that does not exceed 6000 is hugged by lush green hills and is often referred to as Kodaikanal’s Best Kept Secret.
Mannavanur Lake is situated close to 40 km from Kodaikanal but it is worth visiting this place. The lake is quite serene and peaceful. There are a couple of activities such as Horse Riding, Kayaking, and Boat Riding available at the lake. I tried Kayaking and it was really great. Many people just stop at the recreational activities point but there is a lot of beauty beyond that point. You should just keep walking to explore the beauty this place has to offer and a sense of calmness.
Mannavanur also has ICAR, which allows tourists to see some of the viewpoints present there and rabbit, sheep sheds.
How to reach Kodaikanal:
By Air -
Madurai International Airport is the nearest to Kodaikanal, approximately 120 km away. Regular flights of Air India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways are available from here for cities like Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. From outside the airport, travelers can easily avail of bus or taxi services to reach Kodaikanal.
By Road -
Kodaikanal is linked by road with several prominent cities, including Bangalore (460 km), Trichy (198 km) Chennai (530 km), Ooty (255 km), Coimbatore (175 km) and Kumili (160 km). From Madurai (120 km), it takes less than four hours to reach Kodaikanal via NH 49. Depending upon their budget and requirement, travelers can choose from pocket-friendly state government buses or private luxury buses available from these cities.
By Train -
Kodai Road (approximately 95 km away) is the nearest railhead that links Kodaikanal with cities like Madurai and Trichy. This railway station mostly serves as the rail-to-bus transfer point for those visiting Kodaikanal, about two to three hours journey. Taxis are easily available from the railway station.
Google locations :
Poombarai: goo.gl/maps/F6JmbGu3bqe17ygA7
Mannavanur: goo.gl/maps/fyCXXVnMEu1PgjNC9
We would like to highlight that drones have been banned all over the state and we got special permission from our tourism department to record these footages. So, stay tuned to Heaven Explorer for some enthralling views of Tamil Nadu.
CREW & INSTAGRAM ID:
VOICE : NIDISH (thisisnidish)
EDIT : Loganathan (logu_ravi)
EXPLORER : PRASANNA (himalayan_devil)
DIRECTION & CAMERA : SARAVANA (saravana_the_explorer)