1, Malampuzha
Malampuzha, a little township on the foothills of the Western Ghats takes its name from the river Malampuzha. Nurtured by this tributary of Kerala's longest river, the Bharathappuzha, Malampuzha is a lush green town and has been a major tourist attraction for its trekking trails and the large irrigation dam.
Around the reservoir of the dam are beautiful gardens and amusement parks. Boating facilities are available on the lake. Other attractions in the Malampuzha garden are the beautiful rock garden, the fish-shaped aquarium, the snake park, the ropeway which takes you on an aerial tour of the park, and the gigantic Yakshi (an enchantress) sculptured by Kanai Kunhiraman, the leading sculptor of Kerala. It is located 10 km from Palakkad town, north Kerala.
The most interesting feature of the rock garden is that the whole place is made of unwanted and broken pieces of bangles, tiles, used plastic cans, tins and other waste materials. The garden is a master work of sculptor Padmasree Neck Chand Saini. His rock garden in Chandigarh is world famous and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Its attractions are dam, amusement park, boating facilities, rock garden and ropeway.
Access through:
Rail: Palakkad.
Air: Coimbatore, about 55 km from Palakkad town.
4. Siruvani
This reservoir at Siruvani was built for Tamil Nadu by the Kerala Government to meet the drinking water requirements of Coimbatore. The gateways on either side of the road across the dam are typical of the Kerala and Tamil architectural styles. Siruvani is also home to certain tribals like the Mudugars and Irulars. It is situated 46 km north of Mannarkad and 48 km from Palakkad.
5. Mangalam Dam
This dam is built across the Cherukunnath River, a tributary of the Mangalam River. The damsite is a popular picnic spot. It is 50 km from Palakkad.
