About Wayanad Tourism

Wayanad, which is also known as the 'green paradise' lies in between the mountains of the Western Ghats. It is called the 'green paradise' because it forms the border of the greener portion of Kerala. It lies at a distance of 76 km from Kozhikode. Wayanad district is located on the southern tip of the Deccan plateau and in the northeastern part of Kerala. It is at a short distance from popular tourist destinations like Ooty, Kannur, Bangalore, Mysore and Coorg.

It is spread over an area of 2132 square km and includes three talukas, namely, Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Vythiri. The headquarters of the district is situated at Kalpetta. Wayanad District was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district. It has been formed from the Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The name of the district, 'Wayanad' means 'Land of Paddy Fields'. Wayanad has a rich history and the hills of Wayanad have several evidences of the New Stone Age civilisation. There are pictures and pictorial writings on the walls of both the caves of Ampukuthimala, which lie between Sulthan Bathery and Ambalavayal, that provide crucial information about the past era and civilisation. In ancient times, Wayanad was under the rule of the kings of the Veda tribe. Later its control came into the hands of the Pazhassi Rajahs of the Kottayam royal dynasty. After becoming the king of Mysore, Hyder Ali invaded this land and brought it under his control. However, it went back to the Kottayam Royal Dynasty during the reign of Tipu Sultan. Numerous changes were seen in Wayanad, after it came under the British rule. Tea and other cash crops were cultivated in the plateau and roads were also built from Kozhikode and Thalassery, across the risky slopes of Wayanad. Today Wayanad is a popular tourist destination in Kerala with numerous attractions such as Chembra Peak, Edakkal Cave, Kuruva Island and Lakkidi, which is the highest point in Wayanad. Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary, Pakshipathalam, Pazhassi Raja Tomb, Pookot Lake, Sentinel Rock Waterfalls, Kanthanpara Waterfalls, Soochippara Waterfalls and the Banasura sagar Dam are other places of interest. This place is also famous for a number of temples such as Sulthan Bathery Jain Temple, Thirunelli Temple, Valliyoorkavu Temple, Sita Lava-Kusha Temple and Thrissilery Shiva Temple. It also has a popular church known as the Pallikkunnu Church, which is devoted to the Lourdes Matha.