Perunthenaruvi Waterfalls And Dam - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Perunthenaruvi Waterfalls situated on the river Pamba is known for its wide area, rather than its height. Set against the backdrop of the Western Ghat Mountains, the fall appears beautiful as well as mysterious due to the way the rocky bed presents itself to the visitors.

The meaning of the name Perunthenaruvi

The name Perunthenaruvi is derived from the Malayalam words ‘Perunthen’ (great honey) and ‘Aruvi' (stream). The unusual name is due to the bees that are settled in the adjacent woods that have transformed the area to a kingdom of beehives. In addition, rather coincidentally, when the rocks in the river appear during the summer months, they look like stacked beehives too.

Exploring the waterfall

The waterfall which is a slanted stream with lots of boulders in it extends to a length of around 100 meters. During the peak monsoon season from June to October, most of these boulders will be under the waters. The river will be flowing with great force and there will not be an indication of the waterfall at all while looking at it.

Soon after the monsoon, the water level will start to retreat and the boulders will slowly emerge with its fascinating views. They create a rocky gorge through which the water continues its journey on Pamba River. The boulders are stacked up on top of one another, dark coloured and with plenty of deep crevices on them. Do watch out for these crevices if you are exploring the river bed as they can be deep and can injure your leg. Additionally, water snakes also can be seen in some of these crevices.

When the water flowing through the stream is decreased, the water will start to trickle down through the many cracks and cuttings of the boulders. This is when it offers the best views. There are rocky pools in some of the parts too. While it is mostly alright to swim in the pools, do take extra precautions due to the unknown depth.

In addition to the waterfall, there is also a newly constructed dam right before the fall which is part of a Hydro Electric Power Project.

Myths surrounding Perunthenaruvi Waterfalls

There are many instance of visitors getting injured due to the rocky bed of the falls. Most of the boulders can be easily climbed and explored but the crevices and slipperiness of the rocks presents chances for accidents. There is an interesting myth sighted for this.

According to the myth, a gigantic and strongly built tribal man named Chakkan Velan lived in the nearby village. He was a heavy drinker and had the habit of molesting women and causing disturbances to the normal life of the people. As his mischiefs became unbearable, some of the people made a plan to kill him by kicking him into the rocks near the falls after intoxicating him with alcohol. When the plan was finally in action, Chakkan Velan sensed the danger and caught hold of bunch of people along with him when he fell, drowning all.

After this mishap, it is believed that the accidents occured at the waterfall area were caused by the wandering spirit of Chakkan Velan. To prevent the wrath of the spirit, a statue of Chakkan Velan was erected in the nearby temple and people started worshipping it. The main offerings at the temple are chicken and liquor, and once the worshipping was started, it is believed that the accidents at the falls were significantly reduced.

Ways to reach the waterfall

Perunthenaruvi Waterfalls is located near Mannadisala Town in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala State in Southern India. Nearest large town is in Ranni (18 km) from where there are buses to Mannadisala.  Ranni is connected by buses from Pathanamthitta Town which is located 33 km away from the falls. Nearest major railway station is at Chengannur (43km), connected to Pathanamthitta Town by buses.