Mangaladevi Chithra Pournami Private Trip

Once a year, on Chithra Pournami, the ancient Kannagi temple on Mangaladevi peak inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve opens for a single day. We take you to Kumily the day before; forest jeeps take you up at dawn. Event dates: ≈Tue 20 Apr 2027 · open one day a year (Estimate — confirm with Idukki & Theni district administrations).

Itinerary

• Day 1 · 2:00 PM — Pickup
  Home, hotel, Thodupuzha KSRTC stand, Kattappana or Cochin Airport.
• Day 1 · evening — Kumily
  ≈116 km via the Kuttikkanam ghat. Overnight in Kumily, your booking. (Book your stay early)
• Day 2 · 5:30 AM — Forest jeep to the peak
  Jeeps leave the Kumily bus stand from 5:30 AM; no private cars. (Jeep fare paid direct)
• Day 2 · morning — Darshan at Mangaladevi
  Kannagi's old stone temple on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. (Leave the forest by 5 PM)
• Day 2 · ~6:00 PM — Home
  Down by jeep, lunch in Kumily, then home.

Good to know

• 🛕 The temple: A ruined stone temple to Kannagi, heroine of the Tamil epic Silappathikaram, about 1,337 m up on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. It lies inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve and opens to devotees only on Chithra Pournami.
• 🌳 Forest rules: In 2026 the forest gate opened at 6 AM and closed to entry at 2:30 PM; everyone had to be out by 5 PM — no night stay. No plastic bottles or covers, no non-veg food, no cooking, no photos or drones inside the forest.
• 📅 Date: Chithra Pournami falls on Tuesday 20 April 2027 by the calendar. The Idukki and Theni collectors fix the festival day and rules — we re-confirm before your trip.
• 🚧 Roads & crowds: Police close roads around the venue on the main days. Your driver drops you at the nearest open point and you walk the last stretch. Agree a meeting point and time with the driver before you get out — phone networks jam in big crowds.

Included

• Private vehicle and driver for the day
• Door-to-door, in Thodupuzha or from your city
• Driver waits through the event — no waiting charge
• Driver bata (+ night allowance on late or 2-day trips)

Not included

• Food and stay
• Tolls and parking
• Forest jeep fare and offerings

What to carry

• Steel water bottle (no plastic)
• Veg food wrapped in banana leaf
• Cap, comfortable footwear
• ID card and a little cash

Cancellations follow our cancellation & refund policy.

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