Athirappilly Falls, is situated in Chalakudy in Trissur District of Kerala , India. Many of you may have heard of Kerala as a beautiful region in India. Its very popular among tourists worldwide. The Athirappilly falls is located on the , Chalakudy River which originates from the upper reaches of the Western Ghats at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges.It is the largest waterfall in Kerala, which stands tall at 80 feet. Its often referred to as the “Niagara Falls“ of Kerala.
The wildlife in the region is rich and diverse. It consists of the Asian Elephant, Tiger, Macaque ( lion tailed) leopards, sambar and bisons and many varieties of Deer. This Riparian forest is extremely unique and one of a kind where all South Indian species of HornBills – The Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill and Indian grey Hornbill are found in the same place.
The dense evergreen forests have a lot of Teak, Bamboo and Eucalyptus. The International Bird Association has declared it an ‘Important Bird Area' and the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation has recommended that the area should be declared a sanctuary or a national park, he points out. The Wildlife Trust of India says it represents one of India's best elephant conservation efforts. The River on which the waterfalls lie are home to 85 species of fresh water fishes. Among these, 35 are endemic species.
The journey to Athirappilly Falls passes through a landscape of winding roads, small villages and lush green trees. Visitors can reach the top of the waterfall via a paved path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. A steep narrow path also leads to the bottom of the falls. The falls attract visitors from across India, especially during the Rainy Season (June–September). About 7 million tourists visit the falls each year.
The Best way to get to this place is by train which is 19 Miles from the location. The nearest airport is Kochi International Airport which is about 35 Miles from the location. Private Taxis and Busses also ply to this location. Owing to wildlife presence travelling at night is dangerous and strictly discouraged.
Naturally owing to the stunning beauty of this place many Indian Movies have been shot in this location. A recent internationally popular film “Bahubali” was shot here. Since most of you may not know much about Indian moves so I am not going to go into the details :)
To sum up as a person who visited this place recently my first reaction when I saw the place was “Damn ! this can't be real”.
To all travel aficionados I would highly recommend this spot. It truly is Heaven on Earth !