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As any seasoned tourist
will agree, human interference can dilute the beauty of the nature.
Nature’s grandeur can be best experienced
in its raw, virgin state. As
man sets his greedy eyes into it, it becomes less natural and hence less
enjoyable. Many popular
tourist centers suffer from this type of human invasion.
So for the tourists, need of the hour is unexplored places, where
natural settings are suitable for unlimited fun and adventure.
In short, a place like Vayuvanthol.
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Vayuvanthol
is a natural waterfall in the southern part Kerala.
It is situated at the acknowledged home of natural waterfalls-
Western Ghats. Western Ghats is famous for its calmness and serenity for
ages. It was in Agasthyarkudam,
one of the peaks of
Western Ghats, that
famous Ayurveda rishi Agasthya muni used to do his meditation.
Vayuvanthol waterfalls is the meeting point of two rivers falling
down to the bottom of the Ghats. Its vigorous flow amidst the rocks is
quite breathtaking. Water falling area at the bottom of the Ghat is like a
lake and ice-cooled water in it is pure and rich in minerals.
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Vayuvanthol
is in the State reserve forest area in Vithura at Nedumangadu Thaluk,
which is 30 km away from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Permission from the forest department should be obtained for
visiting this place. It will take just an hour to reach Vithura by bus
from the central bus station at Thiruvananthapuram.
And a one and half hour adventurous walk from Vithura takes you to
the quarreling waterfalls of Vayuvanthol. |
 Apart
from the extravagant charm of the nature, Vayuvanthol also offers a unique
sort of shopping. A well-known Adivasi (tribal)
market, which is popularly known as Anthichantha
(evening market), functions at Vithura.
Tribals in the area go to forest and collect edible fruits, honey
etc from there. In the
evening these things are sold in the market.
A number of people from various parts of the state came to the
market to buy the precious medicinal items from the market.
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 All
the glittering natural charm of Vayuvanthol also reveals a dark aspect
about the state. It is the
indifferent attitude of the State tourism department towards such small,
but beautiful places. The
fact is that the tourism department, who are spending a lot of money for
conducting foreign trips to promote tourism in the state, failed to tap
the potential of Vayuvanthol – a place literally under the nose of its
headquarters. For converting
Vayuvanthol into a full-fledged tourism attraction, the tourism department
should concentrate on the development of the place hand in hand with those
private agencies, which promote Eco-tourism.
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