Illikkal Kallu - 8 Things to Know Before Visiting

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About Illikkal Kallu

Illikkal Kallu (Illikkal Rock) is a large rock located 900 meters above the sea level on Illikkal Mala (Illikkal Mountain) in the Western Ghats. The rock is peculiar for its view, with half of it fallen down years ago and the remaining half still standing tall intimidating and fascinating its visitors. The beauty of the landscape is comparable to that of the popular Pillar Rocks at Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu.

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Things to Do at Illikkal Kallu

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Illikkal Kallu consist of three hills and each of them has distinct shapes. The first one is called Koonu Kallu (hunch back rock) as it has a hunch on its side. The second one is called Kuda Kallu (umbrella rock) as it looks like an umbrella/ mushroom. The third one is Illikkal Kallu which derives its name from the mountain itself. Illikkal Kallu also goes by the name ‘Kolliyan Para’ (lighting rock) and ‘Satan Kallu’ (evil rock) locally. Kolliyan Para because the rock is prone to lightning strikes and Satan Kallu because of its dangers and dreadful looks. 

The second and the third hills are connected by a narrow bridge of one and a half feet width. The bridge is called 'Narakapalam' by the locals. Narakapalam literally means hells bridge in Malayalam, probably due to the drop at each of its sides. For those who venture to the top of Illikkal Kallu, crossing through it is very dangerous and a wrong step will result in visitors dropping to few hundred meters down.

The road towards Illikkal Mala is very steep with winding curves. The drive uphill is intense but also picturesque with views of low laying lands on one side and the tall mountains in other. Once at the top, the view of the half fallen Illikkal Kallu and the two other tall rocks behind it captivates the visitor. To enjoy the beauty of the place, you do not even have to climb up the dangerous Illikkal Kallu. The peaks of Illikkal Mala and the base of Illikkal Kallu are already immersed in rich beauty. The sunset in the evening of a full moon day is especially spectacular here as the moon slowly rises up while the orange sun goes down.

To climb up to the rock itself, further journey through a narrow path with tall grasses in either side is required. The steep and slippery downhill ledge takes the visitors to the base of Illikkal Kallu where a small cave is located few meters in front. From the base of Illikkal Kallu, a complex and risky climb awaits to the top. You would have to climb through the extremely steep rock making use of pits and marks in the rock. There are no safety harnesses or precautions to help the climbers as well, a fall will be fatal.

At the top only few people can stand at a time and since the area is extremely windy, you should always be careful. Narakapalam, the bridge connecting the two rocky hills are extremely dangerous due to its narrowness combined with the winds. It gets worse in rains as the rock become dangerously slippery and thick mist covers the area. Although the view is mesmerising with a panoramic view of entire Kottayam District and of the Arabian Sea far away in the horizon, its mostly terror that engulf the visitor realising the danger one is in.

Activities Around

Best Time to Visit Illikkal Kallu

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During and right after the monsoon season from June to September the Illikkal Kallu will be immersed in rich greenery. However the view will be obstructed most of the time due to thick mists but it adds its own charm. There will be many small waterfalls too that can be seen near the peak areas during monsoon. Outside of the monsoon season, the place will unveil its views for majority of the time in a day. Its less dangerous too during these months due to the general absence of stormy weather.

Tips for Visiting Illikkal Kallu

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  • Plan your visit during the dry season, which runs from October to March. The monsoon season can be very wet, making the hiking trails slippery and dangerous.
  • Wear proper footwear. Sneakers or hiking boots are ideal, as they provide good traction on the rocky terrain.
  • Start your hike early in the day to avoid the heat of the midday sun.

How Much Time Did Visitors Spend at Illikkal Kallu

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The average visit lasts about three hours, but some people spend the whole day hiking and climbing in the areas around Illikkal Kallu.

How to Reach Illikkal Kallu

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Illikkal Kallu is located in Kottayam District of Kerala State in Southern India. The nearest town is in Nellappara (8km) and large town is in Erattupetta (19km). Nearest railway station is in Kottayam (56) which is connected to rest of the country and state by trains and buses. From Kottayam, there are buses to Erattupetta through Pala Town. From Erattupetta there are buses to the direction of Illikkal Kallu but one should check with the locals there to know the exact bus to take. The last 5-10km to Illikkal Kallu can only be covered by hiring a taxi/ rickshaw, so it is much recommended to visit the place by bringing own vehicle.

Entrance Fee of Illikkal Kallu

The entrance fee to the Illikkal Kallu is Rs. 30 for adults and Rs. 15 for children. Foreigners are chared Rs. 500.

Opening Hours of Illikkal Kallu

The Illikkal Kallu is open daily from 9am to 5pm, however, it could be closed on short notice on days with bad weather.

Attractions Near Illikkal Kallu

Kattikkayam Waterfalls

Kattikkayam Waterfalls

2.61km from Illikkal Kallu

A short hike, a flight of steps, and then swim under the well-hidden Kattikkayam waterfall.

Ilaveezhapoonchira

Ilaveezhapoonchira

5.7km from Illikkal Kallu

Ilaveezhapoonchira, sandwiched in the border of Kottayam and Idukki Districts of Kerala State in Southern India is a hill station surrounded by three hillocks - Mankunnu, Kudayathoor Vindhyan and Thonippara. This mesmerising hill station offers panoramic views spreading five districts of the state- Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, and Thrissur.

Marmala Waterfalls

Marmala Waterfalls

5.75km from Illikkal Kallu

Waterfall set amidst the thick forest and surrounded by boulders with a deep pool at it's bottom.

Vagamon

Vagamon

14.71km from Illikkal Kallu

Hill station popular for its green valleys and beautiful meadows.

Vagamon Pine Forest

Vagamon Pine Forest

16.25km from Illikkal Kallu

The pine trees on the slopes of the hill create an incredible view. Pine forests are a rare sight in Kerala and this is one of the few you can visit.

Keezharkuthu waterfalls

Keezharkuthu waterfalls

17.68km from Illikkal Kallu

The waterfall located inside forest, falling from a height of 60 meters and accessible by hiking.

Discover More Attractions in Kottayam, Home of Illikkal Kallu

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The land of panoramic paddy fields, highlands, hills, hillocks, rubber plantations.

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What Visitors Say About Illikkal Kallu

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Nithin Mathew

Nithin Mathew

2018-04-12

Wanted to visit Illikkal Kallu for a long time and finally that happened spontaneously due to a power outage at work. In half hour, fixed the rout map and we were on the way to one of the most hyped places in Kerala recently.

The drive was through scenic countryside, steep hills and total greenery everywhere we went. Made use of the mobile camera as much as we can as they were too soon to run their juices out.

The roads are mostly good, although uphill. We made use of Google maps and it was very good at getting us there even though one or two times we asked the locals just to make sure that we were on the right direction. At the foot of the hill, local jeeps will take the visitors up to the view of the partially cut Illikkal Kallu. There is an entrance fee of 10 and jeep charges of 20 per person. The jeeps take you uphill for about 1.5 kilometer which to be honest can easily be hiked. We did not take the Jeep ride on the way back, instead just walked and it took only 10 minutes!

Up on top, there are few small shops selling snacks and teas and stuff and then there is the view. There is steep falls, tall mountains surrounding and the dark sky that about to pour down made the place look serene. The Illikkal Kallu looks magnificent and the half cut rocky portion is unlike anything I have ever seen. It look as if it was cut straight down by a large sword.

Untill last year people used to climb on top of Illikkal Kallu but that stopped after few accidents which resulted in some of them loosing their lives. The pathway towards the rocky mountain is narrow with drops in each side, at the bottom of the mountain there is a cave and then at top, there is a small rocky bridge connecting two large rocks. Its called Narakapalam or hell's bridge as a walk through it has a fair chance of slipping down to the bottom, few hundreds Meters down.

Being an adventure junkie myself, it was very difficult for me to not go and explore the cave and the bridge but recently I have started valuing my life more ;)

After visiting Illikkal Kallu, we were off to Kattikayam Waterfalls which presented us with one of the most adventurous and surprising exploration we ever had.
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