Important Places
Gateways to Kuttanad: Vettithuruth and Parallum Vettithuruth and Parallum are two very beautiful villages in the western region of Changanassery, which share the border of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The lush green paddy fields and water bodies make these villages special. Vettithuruth is a historically famous area adjoining Changanassery Municipal Council and Vazhapally Panchayat. Behind the name: In ancient times, this place was a 'thuruth' surrounded by backwaters, and it got the name 'Vettithuruth' because it was cleared and transformed for agriculture and residence.
Cultural Heritage: This land has centuries-old history of Thekkumkur administration and the history of Travancore wars. There are many ancient families and temples here. The main attraction here is the friendly rural life.
Paral
Paral is a border village of Kuttanad where the backwaters and natural beauty come together.
Natural Beauty: Paral, filled with vast paddy fields and small streams, is a place to enjoy the true rural beauty of Kuttanad. An active community of farmers and fishermen resides here.
Unique Culture: Paral has a way of life that is intertwined with agriculture and the lake. The unique agricultural culture and rural communities of Kuttanad can be seen here.
Paral Ambal Vasantham
Paral Ambal Vasantham is a beautiful natural phenomenon that forms in the village of Paral near Changanassery in Kottayam district. Like the famous 'Malarikkal Ambal Vasantham' in Kottayam, it has recently become a favorite place for tourists.
Key Features:
A beautiful sight: After the monsoon season, thousands of pink/red ambal flowers bloom together in the vast paddy fields here. The entire field looks like a pink carpet.
Time to visit: The best time to enjoy the beauty of the ambal flowers is between 5:30 AM and 8:00 AM. The flowers start to bloom as the sunlight becomes stronger.
Boat trip: Small boats and canoes are arranged locally for tourists to travel among the ambals. This helps in getting to know the flowers up close and taking beautiful pictures.
Main season: Ambal flowers are in full bloom here usually in the months of August, September and October.
The joy of water transport (the pleasure of travelling on the blue sea)
What makes these two regions more famous is the water transport facility here. The main boat services of the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) connecting Alappuzha and Changanassery pass through Vettithuruth and Paral.
Alappuzha - Changanassery Boat Service: Daily boat services are a major feature of these areas, allowing you to travel while enjoying the beauty of the backwaters at a low cost.
Boats, which operate at regular intervals from Changanassery to Alappuzha and back, are also the main means of transportation for the people here.
Madappally Bhagavathy Temple
Madappally Sree Bhagavathy Temple is an ancient temple located 7 km from Changanassery in Kottayam district. The goddess spirit of this temple was discovered by Vilvamangalam Swamiyar, who had the vision of Guruvayoorappan, who established many great temples in Kerala.
While traveling from north to south, the divinely enlightened Swamiyar reached Tenganai, realizing that the spirit of Mahadev was present in this area, and decided to install a Shivalinga there. Later, when he looked towards the east, he saw the presence of Bhadrakali, one of the incarnations of Shiva, and performed an idol installation near the Vayalungal Bhavan near the present-day Karikkandam area.
One of the important pujas at Madappally Sree Bhagavathy Temple is the first Friday puja of the Malayalam month. On this day, many devotees visit the temple, prepare to perform the first Friday puja and light ghee lamps to achieve their desired results.