Places To Visit In Kollam Sightseeing

A beautiful beach town, Thangassery was established by the Portuguese in 1502 and became one of the major sources of Pepper trade. The town is famous for its beautiful and clean beach and a 44 meters tall light house that provides the most amazing views of the city. The town is a picturesque and contains several churches and other monuments that belong to the Portuguese and Dutch era.

Thenmala is located by the Kallanda River and is famous for being a favorite shooting location for Tamil and Malayalam films. The town attracts several tourists with its trekking and mountaineering spots and lush green surroundings. The Hanging Bridge is a popular attraction along with the Thenmala Dam.

Palaruvi Waterfalls are a horsetail waterfall and a major tourist attraction in Kollam. The name Palaruvi literally means a stream of milk and is one of the most picturesque places to visit in Kerala. The lush green surrounding with the backdrop of the misty mountains make it a perfect picnic spot to relax your body and senses.

The Thevally Palace was constructed between 1811 and 1819. The architecture of the palace borrows influences from British, Dutch and the Portuguese architectural styles. The Palace also contains a temple dedicated to a local deity Lord Sastha.

Named after Colonel John Munroe from the British Colonial Period, Munroe Island is a famous tourist destination located in the backwaters of Asthamudi River. The island is home to a plethora of attractions including Watersports, fishing, boat racing and watching migratory birds etc.

The Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 100 sq kilometers. The sanctuary was established in 1984 and contains a plethora of animal, bird and reptile species along with several archeological sites with excavations dating back to the Stone Age. Considered as the gateway to god’s own country, Kerala, Kollam is a picturesque town with its rich culture and natural surroundings.

Punalur, lying along the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, derives its name from two words one Tamil and one Malayalam. Tamil word 'punal' means water and Malayalam word 'ooru' means place together making Punalur the place of water. Indeed the river Kallada flows right through the heart of the city with the famous suspension bridge hanging over it, stretching for 400 metres across its width. The river and the lovely woods of pineapples, peppers, cinnamons and other spices and many different species of fauna, as well as flora, make this place a perfect getaway for a short trip. Not just for the peace lovers, Punalur has exciting adventure sports and exotic jungle experiences in the Thenmala Ecotourism Park for those with an adventurous heart.

The town of Karunagapally is located 23 km away from Kollam. It is said that Karunagapally is an old Buddhist site. A Buddhist bhikshu named karinagan lived in Karunagapally, and since it is situated on the bank of Pallikkal river, it got the name of Karunagapally. Another popular attraction of the place is Krishnapura Palace which houses a deity of Lord Buddha which was recuperated from the local tank. The town also has a temple in which Lord Shiva is the primary deity, two ancient mosques and a church named Mar Thoma.

A hub of many popular shrines for Hindus and Muslims, Mayyanad is situated about 10 km from kollam town. The major attraction of the place being Lord Subramaniam Temple, one can also visit an old mosque and several old churches in the area. However, the temple is said to be blessed by Shri Shankaracharya of Kalladi.

Ashtamudi Lake has been recognized as the second largest lake in Kerala. It runs over a length of 16 km the town of Kollam. The name Ashtamudi has been derived from the fact that the lake has eight branches since Ashta means eight and Mudi mean branch. All eight branches converge into a single channel and fall into the Arabian sea. Kallada river is the major river which releases out in the Ashtamudi lake. Coconut and palm trees surround the place adding to its beauty. Chinese fishing nets are laid across the waters to give a different look to the lake. There is greenery all around the place giving its visitors a very fresh look.

Ashram of Amritapuri has been constructed at the same place where Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was born. People from all over the world, flock in to seek the blessings of Amma. The people residing in the ashram and all the disciplines of Amma have given up their life in the salvation of God and making the world a better place to live in. Amma makes sure to listen to each and every child who comes to her 'darshan' and solve each of their problems with an effective solution. Looking at Amritapuri, one can relive the ancient saying of 'the entire world is one family'. It is a collection of people from different cultures, speaking different languages and following different religions.

At a distance of 28 Kms from Kollam, Alumkadavu is a beautiful village located on Ashtamudi Lake Backwaters. Alumkadavu is famous for houseboat constructions. This place is also known for coir making. Visitors can plan a tour to one of the boat building yards in Alumkadavu and watch the art of making boats. Alumkadavu is about 4 Kms from NH47 towards Alleppey and connected by frequent bus services with Kollam. Alumkadavu is place that can mesmerize you with if nature's bounty.

One more popular religious center, Pattazhi or Pattazhy is located in Pathanapuram Taluk in kollam District. An ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy is among the major attractions of the area. Mudi Festival organized annually in the temple attracts large number of devotees.

Dating back to 16the century AD, Pullichira Church is an ancient building that is mainly renowned for its annual fest. The fest is organized by the church on the first day of the Malayalam calendar or on a Sunday prior to Christmas. Situated in Mayyanad Panchayath in kollam District on the banks of Pullichira Lake, the church is easily approached from various neighbouring cities.

Considered to be the oldest temple of kollam town, Maha Vishnu Temple was said to have been established and blessed by Lord Parshuram or the mythological creator of Kerala. Presiding diety of this shrine is Lord Mahavishnu and other sub diety of this temple are Durga Devi, Subramaniya Swami and Paravur. People offerings the Palpayasam, Unniyappam in this temple.

Thirumullavaram Beach is located 6 km north of Kollam in the state of Kerala. It is a secluded beach and a beautiful picnic centre. About one and a half kilometre into the sea is the Nyarazhcha Para, literally Sunday Rock, that can be seen from the shore at low tide. And near the beach is a Mahavishnu Temple.

The Mahatma Gandhi Beach & Park is a very interesting place, which combines a beach and a well-maintained park, where tourists can sit and relax while enjoying the natural beauty surrounding the place. This place is situated at Kochupilamoodu, which is just 2 km away from the Kollam town and was inaugurated in 1961. The park area is suitable for long walks along the shoreline and to witness the beauty of Arabian Sea, which looks most appealing during dusk.

Rameshwaram Temple is one of the oldest temples in this region. Dedicated to Lord Siva, this temple is one among the four Lord Siva temples built by the Legend Natukotta Chettiar. Rameshwara Temple is an ancient temple believed to be established in the Pandian style of architecture. The temple features inscriptions that date back to 12th to 16th century. A fascinating sculpture of a monster named Vyala can also be seen in the temple.

Quite a sought after pilgrim center in kollam, Oachira lies on the Kollam-Alappuzha Road. Locals of the area worship Lord Parabrahman who's neither the idol or the temple is present at the site. A striking feature of this temple is that like the traditional temples, which have definitive structural layout and mode of worship, the temple at Ochira does not have a proper structure or an idol for the visitors to worship. The whole concept of worship revolves around the Parabrahmam or the universal consciousness. This unique temple setting itself is a big attraction to hundreds of visitors coming to the temple everyday, irrespective religious faith.

Sasthamcotta Lake the largest fresh water lake in Kerala and said to have derived its name from an ancient Sastha Temple located near the lake. The lake is the biggest source of drinking water for the residents of kollam town. Located19 kms from kollam town, this lake houses a large population of larva cavborus which is responsible of consuming bacteria from the lake water and makes its healthy for drinking.

Jatayu Nature Park is a rock-themed park which got opened on November 25. Built to promote mythology and adventure tourism, the tourism centre boasts of 6D theatre, a digital audio-visual room, cable car and ayurvedic cave resort. It is also a home to umpteen adventure activities including paintball, laser tag, archery, bouldering, rock climbing, air-rifle shooting etc. The primary attraction of the park, however, is the world's largest stone-cut bird sculpture replicating Jatayu, the mythical bird from Ramayana. It is located on the exact same hill where the demi-god Jatayu fell after being defeated by Ravana in a fight to save Sita from his clutches. Alongside being the major tourist attraction, the park also sets to provide rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources to the localities.