Jatayu Earth's Center

The Ramayana has Jatayu, a vulture, attempt to stop Ravana carrying off Sita and fall wounded to earth; local tradition places that fall on this rock in Kollam district. A sculpture completed in the 2010s renders the bird lying on the hilltop at around two hundred feet long and a hundred and fifty wide, built in concrete over the rock and described as the largest bird sculpture in the world, with a museum inside its body reached through the wing. A cable car climbs the hill, and the site includes adventure activities, a 6D theatre and viewpoints over the surrounding country.

History

The town of Chadayamangalam, or Jatayumangalam, is named for Jatayu, the vulture demigod of the Ramayana who tried to rescue Sita from Ravana and, old and defeated, fell onto the rocks here with his wings clipped. The park, Kerala's first public-private tourism project of its kind, has a concrete and steel sculpture of the bird by Rajiv Anchal, 200 feet long and 150 feet wide, and it opened to visitors on 17 August 2018 (Wikipedia, Jatayu Earth's Center Nature Park).

What to look for

• The sculpture - a two-hundred-foot bird lying wounded on the hilltop.
• The interior museum - exhibition space inside the sculpture's body.
• The cable car - the lift up the hill from the base.
• The adventure zone - climbing, paintball and rope activities on site.

When to go

October to March; the monsoon closes outdoor activities. Weekends are crowded and cable car queues long. The hilltop is exposed with little shade.

Practical notes

This is a modern themed attraction, not a heritage site, and priced as one with layered ticketing. The climb on foot is steep if the cable car is skipped. Activities are charged separately.

Nearby

Kollam lies southwest; Thiruvananthapuram is south.

Key facts