Thirunetti Kallu
Kannur, Kerala 670571, India
About Thirunetti Kallu
A mountain peak with tall rocks that resembles a forehead. A short trek of 2 kilometers takes you to amazing views of wavy Western Ghat mountains.
Located in a small hilly town of Josgiri in Kannur District of Kerala State, Thirunetti Kallu is a short and sweet hike of about 2 kilometers(one side) to the top of a hill which consists of large rocks that resembles a forehead (from some angles). The name translates to "Holy Forehead Rock", it is a local pilgrimage site for the Christian population of the area.
Unless you have a hardcore off-road vehicle, you will have to walk uphill to reach the peak. It is not an extremely difficult hike though. The peak offers panoramic views of the many hills of the western ghats, the sunset from here is amazing too. If you are a bit adventurous, you could even climb the tall rocks on its peak. One side of the peak is a steep drop so be careful while going there, especially due to the slippery nature of the rocks after rains. Also, the area in general is very windy, so mindful of that while standing near the drop.
In order to reach here, if you are coming from the direction of Payyannur where the nearest railway station is, reach the town of Pulingome and from their to the small town of Josgiri. The route from Pulingome to Josgiri itself comes with great views. The hiking trail starts from Josgiri, you can check with any of the locals for direction.
Attractions near Thirunetti Kallu
A large sculpture of Christ the Redeemer on top of a hill, overlooking valleys and mountain ranges below. About 2 kilometers of hiking(one side) is required to reach the place. Especially popular for sunset views.
Chathamangalam Hills, also known as Theruvumala is a hill station is a trekking spot in the Kannur district of Kerala, India. The hilltop consists of a large plain of grasslands and lies near the border of Coorg in Karnataka.
Located 900 meters above sea level, Mount Kottathalachi is accessible either by a 3 km hike or by off road vehicles. The peak is filled with tall green grasses which dances with the cool breeze, and amazing 360 degree views of thousands of Western Ghat Mountain peaks. This is also a local Christian pilgrim site.
An amazing adventure through the fresh waters of Tejaswini river.
Hike through jungle, stand on top of the tallest peak in the vicinity, enjoy a breathtaking sunset if you are lucky.
Part of majestic Western ghats, carpeted by a lush rain forest canopy. A trekker's paradise with numerous trails.
Where is Thirunetti Kallu
Discover more attractions in Kannur, where Thirunetti Kallu is located
Forts, temples, beaches and wildlife sanctuaries and a long history of spice trade.
What visitors say about Thirunetti Kallu
Mar 2021
Nov 2018
You have to off road two kilometers followed by a hike of another two kilometers to reach this place. The last 200 meters of the hike is on a an extremely steep slope, diffodiff to climb. We unfortunately did not carry any water, we were panting all the way up.
The spot is the usual good Friday hiking point for the nearby churches to commomerate Christ's crucification. There is a cross installed on top the bigger rocks.
From the top, you can view criss crossing mountains of Western ghats in all directions. The tall rocks looks like forehead of a person. The name "thirunetti" means holy forehead, probably named due to religious reasons. You can climb on few of the rocks but then the largest one of the all is not climbable (at least from our experience). One side of the mountain top has a steep drop as well. You don't want to get in near to that.
Aside from the mountain, there is a small restaurant running there, supplying some basic snacks and drinks. They also provide off road vehicles as there was on monster looking one parked nearby.