The best way to get to know a river is to journey to its source, says local historian and cultural heritage activist Pallikkonam Rajeev. It reveals the geography of the river, the cultures it nourishes and life it sustains. “Understanding a river opens a window to our own multiple histories as a people,” he adds. 

A heritage tour initiative headed by Rajeev, ‘Roots & Roads’, is organising a journey to the headwaters of the Manimala river. It intends to take participants through the tributaries, streams and waterfalls of the Pullakkayar, considered the childhood (a more pristine form) of the Manimala river. 

The Manimala river
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The two-day river exploration that starts at Mundakkayam will move on to Palurkavu, Thekkemala, Panchalimedu, Ammachikottaram, Peer Mohammad Dargah, Kuttikanam-Kokkad waterfall, Amruthamedu, Azhutha, Urumbikkara, Madammakulam, Uppukulam and Thangalppara on the first day. The idea is to see and understand how the river changes while flowing across these regions and its catchment areas. 

The second day will cover Mithraniketan, Bhoomika in Poonjar, Valyentha, Elamkad, Yendayar, Koottikkal, Pappani, Vembly and Ekayam waterfalls. 

A view of the Manimala river that flows in full spate
| Photo Credit:
LEJU KAMAL

Curated by Rajeev, who has been exploring local history for the past 15 years, through travel and interactions with people and communities, the tour will help people get a peek into the history of a place. “Not everyone who attends these journeys are history buffs, nor are they looking for a purely academic experience, but by the end of the tour, they are actively engaging with a region’s past and participating in its history,” adds Rajeev. 

After his retirement from a leading Malayalam magazine for children, Rajeev has been collaborating with like-minded individuals and collectives and organising similar heritage tours. Rajeev, along with Kottayam Nattukoottam (a centre for cultural and heritage studies) president Zakeer Hussain Perumbranadu Charitra Padana Samithi (a heritage studies collective) secretary Maneesh Kuzhiveli, formed Roots&Roads, under which history and heritage tours across Kerala will be held. 

Manimala river tour, ‘Uravukal Thedi Yathra’, will be held on October 16 and 17. For information, contact manish Kuzhivelil on 9037470750.