Kerala Hills: Agasthyakoodam ( Agasthyarkoodam)

The great agasthyakoodam is in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. We need to travel about 25 KM long trekking through World's biggest ayurvedic forest. We need to walk up and down through forest total 50 KM.

Agasthyakoodam trekking is not an easy task. We need to take vratham without non veg and liquors for a successful trip through dense forests and dangerous hills.

It need to get permission from Thiruvananthapuram wild life warden before trekking. Forest department will provide entry pass on January month of every year from thiruvananthapuram forest office at PTP nagar. They will allot a date for trekking. Trekking only allowed as a team. Only 100 people allowed for trekking in a day

Agasthyakoodam is second largest peak in kerala. Forest department guard will be there with trekking team along the journey.

Bus services to Bonakkad from thiruvananthapuram city are very less. So we reached Bonakkad through taxi from vithura. We walked about 2 KM from Bonakkad bus stop to starting point of our trekking. We had poori and vegitable curry from the canteen at Bonakkad starting point.

We started our trekking from bonakkad with 6 team members at 10.00 AM. Our first destination point was Athirumala camp, which is in forest, 18 km away from the starting point. There are 5 or 6 small camps in forest within in 2KM difference before Athirumala camp. Attayar is the 5th or 6th camp. We need to walk 4.5KM more to reach Athirumala camp. The forest guard will change in every small camp.

The journey was through different types of forest. We could see small Waterfalls thorughout journey to athirumala camp. Very cold and pure water, we used to drink. There are some cold water sources for a fresh bath. We took food to take at noon. We had food on the way after bath, which made us very fresh and energetic.

We reached Athirumala camp at 5.30 PM. Our body were not in good condition when we reached athirumala camp. We had a tea and bajji ( a small food like pazham pori) and booked dinner food. The cost of food was not affordable. Every one in our camp was tired due to walk. we took rest for some time at camp.

The atmosphere at athirumala camp was very cold at evening and morning. we can see the top of agasthyakoodam covered with clouds from there. We had our dinner and rested that night. There was fire camp infront of camp at night

Next morning was very cold and windy. Water at Athirumala camp was very cold. Our team prepared for the remaining journey to top before 8:00 AM. We need to walk 6 KM more to reach top of Agasthykoodam through forest and hill.

The remaining journey was very difficult. We walked thourgh dark forests, and hills. Some rocks have ropes to climb to top. Trekking thorugh rock surface will be very dangerous if there is heavy wind. The wind was not calm, but not heavy. We reached at the top of hill about 12.30PM.

The view from the top of Agasthyakoodam is amazing. We could see alot of lakes, small hills and clouds below us. It was look like heaven. There is a small temple of Agasthya muni with a statue of Agasthya. We got prasadam from there and took rest for some time. There we can see Neyyar Dam, Peppara Dam etc from the top of hill station. We started to return back at 2.00PM and reached athirumala camp at 5.30PM. we had dinner and rested there that day.

Guard told us that there are lot of animals in the forest except lion. we had seen some mark of elephant's tusk , and monkeys only in forest. We retured back from Athirumala camp at 7:15 AM. The return journey was very fast to catch the bus at 11:30 AM from bonakkad. We reached bonakkad bus stand at 11:25 and returned back to Thambanoor railway station.

It saying even the wind of Agasthya mala have ayurvedic values. Nobody in our team felt any type illness for next 2 or 3 weeks