Jatayupara - 5 Things to Know Before Visiting

Jatayupara, meaning ‘Jatayu Rock’ is a large rock sprawling over 60 acres of land, housing a giant sculpture of the mythical bird Jatayu along with an adventure park. The rock lies 300 meters above sea level, having diverse geographic features ranging from hills, valleys, rugged rocks, caves, and cultivable lands.

Planning and development of Jatayupara and its facilities

The sculpture and the associated activities are conceived and developed by renowned Malayalam filmmaker Rajiv Anchal. The aim of the project- named Jatayu Earth’s Center is to create a destination which offers an adventurous Kerala experience to the visitors. It took Rajiv Anchal and his team almost ten years of planning and designing to make the project come to a reality.

The sculpture and the developments around it are made keeping in mind the eco system and the landscape. The rocks, hills, and vegetation spread across the area remain mostly from destruction as the sculpture and the park are built on top and around the hill with minimal damages. The electricity for the functioning of the facilities is harnessed from solar power as well.

The significance behind the name and the story of Jatayu

The rock and the adventure park are named after Jatayu- the mythical demigod bird in epic Ramayana. Jatayu is believed to have collapsed in this rock after failing in his attempts to prevent Ravana- the demon king of Lanka from kidnapping Sita- Lord Rama’s wife. Ravana slit Jatayu’s wing and escaped to Lanka with Sita in his flying chariot named ‘Pushpaka Vimana’. It is said that the injured bird and it’s lost wing landed on top of this rock and in time, the rock received it’s name Jatayupara.

There is a pond near the rock which is said to be formed by the stroke of Jatayu’s beak upon falling from the sky. Legend also mentions that Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana later came to Jaytayupara searching for Sita and gave deliverance to wounded Jatayu after hearing about the abduction. As a sign of this, there is a mark of footprint on the rock which is said to be that of Lord Rama and a small temple and statue honouring him is located on the rock.

The sculpture of Jatayu

The giant concrete sculpture is 60 meters long, 45 meters wide, 20 meters high, and has a floor area of 15,00 square feet making it one of the largest sculpture in the world. It is located on top of the rock at the spot where locals believe that the mythical bird Jatayu fell after being struck down by Ravana. 

The sculpture is in the form of wounded Jatayu lying on its back with its giant wing spread, raising its head and legs up in air as if in a struggle. The three storied statue is planned to house many attractions such as Virtual Reality Museum, Multi Dimensional Theatre, a Cave Healing Centre, and more which are currently under development. From the viewing dock of the sculpture, one will have a birds eye view of the surroundings as Jatayu’s eyes are planned to be round windows opening out to the world.

The adventure zone around the sculpture

The adventure zone, which is already opened has several options for activities such as paint ball, laser tag, archery, rifle shooting, hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, ATVs, rappelling and a lot more. A full day long adventure program under the guidance of professionals is conducted here - excellent for team building activities.

The cable car and other amenities

A state of the art cable car is also being built in the area. It will be able to accommodate 400 visitors an hour, carrying them through 500 meters from the rock’s base to the top at 90 meters height. I addition to the cable car, a Heli-taxi services for helicopter tour is also under developments.

Getting to Jatayupara

Jatayupara is located in Chadayamangalam Town in Kollam District of Kerala State in Southern India. Nearest major railway station is in Kollam (35km) from where there are buses to Chadayamangalam Town.