The Beautiful Queen Of Thekkady, Kumily: The Artery Of Periyar River

The name Kumily is repeated with the Thekkady and there are still confusions for many people regarding both the places. One thought is that both Thekkady and Kumily are same. But this is wrong. Kumily is almost 3 kilometres away from Thekkady and is the place where our accommodation and town are located and Thekkady is the location where the Periyar Tiger reserve is located and sightseeing is conducted. This is as per the knowledge of tourists visiting the popular tourist destination, Thekkady but the real Kumily is something different and has a long back history. The present Kumily is a hub of tourist attractions and there are lots of adventure activities to undergo in the place. Most of the family tours prefer taking Thekkady sue to the famous boating presenting the scenic facet of Periyar Tiger reserve, Children love to watch elephants and other animals. In Kerala, Thekkady is one such place which is picked by families for their holidays after Munnar or both. The Kumily and Thekkady attractions, adventures are awaiting more number of family Kerala holiday packages every year and the tourists won’t disappoint them. A handful of utmost adventures like elephant trekking safari, jeep safaris, bamboo rafting and trekking are prevalent in the list of tourism. Understanding the Kumily is important prior to the tour.

Kumily was earlier called as Kuzhumoor and was the capital of the Thekkumkoor kings, who was taking care of the land. but later in 18 Th century, Marthanda Varma of Travancore defeated the Thekkumkoor kings and took the then Kumily land. At that time, the Poonjar royal family was prevalent and on mediation, Kumily was given by to Poonjar family by the Travancore kings. Till 19 Th century, this system continued and the Travancore ki9ng used to visit monthly for checking. everything changed after the coming of British reign. The land saw some drastic changes. Poonjar royal king was forced to give the administration of Kumily to the British forces. They bought the land and realising its potential for vast plantations, the forestlands were converted efficiently for plantation of tea, coffee, cardamom and pepper. Presently, Kumily is a plantation town closely associated with Thekkady. The main difference between these two places is that Thekkady is a sleepy, tranquil picturesque place while Kumily is a busy trade town. The spice trades, tea plantations are the reasons for the busy moving nature of the town. Kumili is currently the most important commercial in terms of trade as well as tourism of Kerala. Tourists who wish to take a holiday in Thekkady can best and decent accommodation in Kumily town.

There are some indigenous people in the lands of Kumily who are basically tribals. There is almost 2000 population of tribal communities are there, located on the outskirts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. The names come out to ve Mannans, Paliyars, Mala-Arayas, Uralis and Malampandarams. Although fishing and plantations are their livelihoods, some of them assist in tourism activities like taking the role of a local guide in trekking, forest guards to prevent poaching and other illegal activities in the forest. A bullock cart safari is an interesting activity to watch these tribal villages and is the best adventure tourism for a family as too much risk is not involved. Bullock cart safari is a unique fun even for children. Kerala and its tourism is the best way to spend a holiday. Thus Kerala tour packages for the family are most welcomed here.The main highlight of this beautiful land is the Periyar Tiger Reserve and is the reason why people throng this place. It is only possible on the banks of Periyar to watch herds of elephants moving down to quench their thirst. Therefore boating is what every tourist chose. The thick evergreen forests around the borders of the river is a great treat for eyes. The lively jungle, of Periyar Tiger reserve, is the best spot for night patrolling and jungle safari. In Kerala, the Periyar river is the lifeline as it supports many irrigations and meets domestic needs. Some of the best experience that can be availed from Kumily is the visit to world’s largest cardamom auction centre in Vandanmedu. There are some spice fests and other spice trade initiatives prevalent in some villages of Kumily. In short, the queen of Thekkady, Kumily is a perfect tourist location for travelers in Kerala.