Konni – Pathanamthitta
May 21, 2010 by admin
Filed under Eco Tourism, KONNI - PATHANAMTHITTA
KONNI – PATHANAMTHITTA
Drastically different from modern cities is the town of Konni, which lies at a dozen kilometres from Pathanamthitta district. It is also the main entry point to the dense forest bordering the district. Earlier, wild elephants caught from the forests were brought here and put into a cage known as ‘Aanakoodu’ and they were trained and tamed for work. Due to the prevalence of pachyderms, many houses in this region were previously built on raised wooden stilts that have now been replaced by concrete beams.
Konni is blessed with a popular centre for elephant training. Elephant training dates back to early years when the Maharaja of Travancore reigned here. But today this practice of taming catches the attention of tourists who are very fond of these gentle giants who can be incredibly sociable.
Konni is mainly an agricultural terrain which is rich in cash crops and also very established for its royal elephant ride and Aanakoodu. This elephant training centre is a haven for the elephant enthusiast. Built in1941, it is one of the oldest elephant training centres in India. It is very interesting to watch the way these elephants behave here. In comparatively confined spaces and relatively new kinships among other elephants, these mighty heroes also learn how to interact with human beings.
You can also see baby elephants that are fed, bathed and trained. They are the star attraction of this place. By seeing them playing and enjoying, every traveller becomes an admirer of this buddy chap.
Ecotourism in Konni
Here, we have an Elephant Museum which is a historical museum specifically based on elephants. The Elephant Camp acts as a bull’s-eye for ecotourism activities. Various locations nearby has also been developed as camp sites, which is approachable only through hiking. There are many trekking activities which takes place here. Audacious trekkers who go for trekking are assisted by trained guides. The eco – tourism provides a half – day trek to the forests like Kurichi, Chayarpandy and many more. Peruvally region near the Kallar River is an enchanting place for relaxation.
There is also a one day hike to points like Kattathi, Kottampara and Aluvamkudy. Then we have refreshing programmes for you, which are deep inside the forest of Manalar -Kumbhavurutty at Achankovil that can be reached by two days of trekking.
Way to Konni
Location: This wonderful forest region is located in Pathanamthitta District.
Road: It is about 10 kms distance from Pathanamthitta.
Rail: The nearest railway station is Chengannur Railway Station, which is about 35 km away.
Air: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is 110 km away and Cochin International Airport is 165 km away from Pathanamthitta.