A guide to the incredible Athirappilly Falls in Kerala

Athirappilly Falls, situated in the Thrissur district, is the largest waterfall in Kerala. Fed by the Chalakudy River, this incredibly gorgeous waterfall is a destination in itself! The falls, over the period of time, has managed to capture the attention of Bollywood filmmakers and foriegn tourists alike. Today, the fall has become an important part of Kerala tourism because of spellbinding natural beauty.Here is a complete guide to Athirappilly Falls to help you plan your trip in future.

To reach this pretty falls, you'll have to go inside the Sholayar Reserve Forest in Thrissur which is about 40 km from the Kochi airport, and nearly 30 km from the Chalakudy railway station. The falls is fed by the Chalakudy River coming from Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Hills.

Athirappilly Falls in the early 80s was still unexplored. Very few people knew about its existence but after the government began a hydroelectric project in the region, people noticed this beautiful falls. The waterfall then featured in an acclaimed Tamil film in 1986 called Punnagai Mannan. A sucide scene was shot here which became iconic. And that’s how the waterfall started gaining popularity and attracting tourists. Since then, these falls have featured in the superhit movies including Maniratnam’s Guru, Dil Se, Raavan and the recent blockbuster Bahubali.

To reach here, people will need to take a taxi from Kochi airport which takes less than two hours. Those coming from Chalakudy railway station can avail state bus services, which will take an hour. One can also choose to drive as the roads go through deep forest and tea gardens. The Forest Department along with locals look after the administration of the waterfalls and tickets are required. For Indians, it’s INR 30 (per person) and for foreigners it’s INR 100.

Dropping from a height of 82 ft, this 330 ft wide waterfall is obviously the prime attraction in the region. However, the ticket also gives you access to smaller but equally beautiful Vazhachal Falls and Charpa waterfalls which are about 5 km from here. These are another spellbinding spot inside the jungle.