Vagamon kerala

Vagamon, also spelt Wagamon, is a hill station located in Meenachil taluk and Kanjirappally taluk of Kottayam districtand Peerumade taluk of Idukki district of the state of Kerala, India.

Location

Vagamon is located 15 km from Kottamala ,39 km from Thodupuzha, 23 km from Erattupetta, 33 km from Palai, 45 km from Kumily, 22 km from Kuttikanam and about 65 km from Kottayam. Cochin International Airportis the nearest airport, while the closest railway station is Kottayam. There are many fine resorts available in the surrounding areas with affordable cost for trekkers. Key tourist centers such as Thekkady, Peermade and Kulamavu are straightforwardly reachable from Vagamon.

History

Vagamon was discovered by the British who found the place ideal for tea plantations and they were followed by Christian missionaries who built their abode of service at Kurisumala in Vagamon. National Geographic Travelerhas listed Vagamon on their directory of the "50 most attractive places to visit in India".

Tourism

Still untouched by commercialisation, the sleepy town is surrounded by valleys, green meadows, pine forests, mists, fogs, tea estates, waterfalls and overall greenery. The landscape is mostly hilly bald with green meadows. Vagamon is also home to a variety of flowers and orchids. Three hills - Thangal, Murugan and Kurisumala hills - are the representation of the chief religions in Kerala, i.e. Hindu, Muslim, and Christian which represent the cultural harmony. Vagamon has amenities for trekking, paragliding, mountaineering and rock climbing. However, business interests are trying their best to exploit and sell and market Vagamon for tourists.How much benefit the local people are receiving from tourism boom is to be seen.The efforts made by the Kurishumala Ashram have helped the farmers of Vagamon to improve their earnings by ensuring better prices for milk and marketing opportunities.Vagamon also host the only Ultra Trail Marathon in Kerala, every January. It is organized by Soles of Cochin, a non-profit running Club.

Vagamon is at the fringe of the Western Ghats and the foothills on its lower side reach up to Teekoy with a gradual descent. This narrow strip of descending land gives a vital connectivity to the plains as both sides of Vagamon up to Kuttikkanam on the south-west and Moolamattom on the north-east, are marked by steep and inaccessible hill slopes. Travelling by the hill highway in this section is an exhilaratingexhilarating,with deep valleys and views all around. Reaching Vagamon itself involves traversing a meandering road that is cut into solid rock and lined with pine forests.

Transportation

The road to Vagamon from Erattupetta (Erattupetta is also known as the gateway of Malanadu) opened an easily accessible and direct route to Vagamon from the plains. This road, which was constructed in the 1950s, was an engineering marvel and is rated a state highway. The road was made in treacherous and dizzying terrain under the initiative and leadership of Acharya Francis who established the Kurisumala Ashramam. About a dozen workers died during the construction at the hanging cliffs, and a 20-foot-tall memorial tower stands in honour of those who gave their life for this road project at the beginning of the road in Teekoy town junction.

 About

1. The nearby Kurisumala Ashram is an abode of calm and spiritual delight. This hill area includes 12 sub mounds where pilgrims visit. Travelers can enjoy trekking and climbing this high hill. The area is fully surrounded with tea estates and lakes.
2. Hitech Bull Mother Farm KLDB Kolahalamedu.Acclaimed as a top research-oriented facility in the dairy sector in the State, the high-tech bull mother farm comes under the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB), which was born after the integration of the Indo Swiss Project, Kerala, and the Bull Station in Dhoni in 1976. (restricted entry)
3. Vagamon Meadows: The rolling green meadows of Vagamon has a lake amidst them. It has for long been a favorite location for shooting movie songs
4. Bible Believers' Assembly is located on Zion Nagar, Vagamon its a place to worship God in Truth and Spirit. It is the first Pentecostal church in Vagamon now with Malayalam, Tamil worship services
5. Mitraniketan: Padma Shri Laurie Baker's & wife Dr. Elizabeth Baker's residence and hospital (now the residence is known as Ashasadan) also home to nurse Alina Cattani, and Dr. Hildegarde Sina, built by Laurie Baker in 1964 his inimitable style of architecture.
6. Pine Forests: A valley having huge lofty pine trees lined in rows (pine valleys is one of the Most attractive place in Vagamon)
7. Murugan Hill: It is situated near to Thangal Para. A Murugan temple is situated which is devoted to Lord Muruga with gorgeous stone age carving.
8. Paragliding and Paragliding Festival