Marayoor, the land of Dolmens in Kerala, India

Where is Marayoor located?

Marayoor  is the only place in Kerala with natural sandalwood forests and is located in the Idukki District in the state of Kerala in India. Marayoor is located at about 42 kilometers north of Munnar while you drive through Udumalpet to go to Munnar. The name Marayoor is said to have derived from the word ‘mara’ which means hide in both malayalam and Tamil, then ‘Ooru’, a  village, that is,  meaning, an  hidden village. 

The name of Marayoor
There are two sides to say how the name Marayoor was derived. One says that the five Pndava Brothers stayed here when they went  hiding for a year during their vanvasam period and there is  another saying that the village got its name because it is hidden due of the surrounding hills of the western ghats.  

Ancient history of Marayoor
Marayoor has claims that it is there from the stone age times, that is, it is said to be as old as 10000 BC  The land even now has the dolmens, caves , rock edicts and engravings to declare its rich heritage  and it is also said that when Tippu Sultan defeated Thirumalai Naicker ,the King of Madurai, in the 18th century, people migrated to this area.  They created five villages named Karayur, Keezhanthur, Kanthalloor, Marayoor and Kottakudi. These villages are also known as Anju nadu and tribals are still there living  in these villages with their unique customs.

Dolmens or the Portal tombs
Dolmens, also known as Portal Tombs,  date from the early neolithic period that is 4000 to 3000 BC . They are set in clusters of 2 to 5 in numbers which are believed  to be the burial tombs of a family. There are many such, in fact more than hundreds, found in the area Alinchuvad, located at about 7 kilometers from Marayoor. It is also said that the tribals continued to use these tombs for burial, till they were destroyed in 3rd CE.

Rock Paintings of Marayoor 
There are rock paintings which are a part of Marayoor heritage as well. An Ezhuthu Guha literally meaning cave of writing is found in Kovilkadavu and manala in the Marayoor panchayat There are about 90 rock paintings can be seen in Attala and is situated in the west part of the Marayoor township.  These rock paintings that are located in  colossal east facing rock shelter at about 1500 ft above sea level, are mostly abstract designs except for a few animal and human figures.
These Ezhuthu Guha paintings have been found in the Koodakavu sandalwood reserve forest at the Marayoor Panchayat and the region attracts many visitors every year ever since the  place was brought to the public attention.
  

Anjengo Fort in Varkala ,

Anjengo is really Anju Thengu,  meaning the five coconut trees, in Malayalam, is located near the sea coast at Varkala. Varkala is located at about 36 kilometers from the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. Anjengo fort is  a place of historical importance  with a beautiful natural setting .  Anjengo is an ideal  destination for the tourists who love walking and hiking.

According to the local history, anju thengu was the area given to the East India company on lease for trade purposes by the Queen of Attingal . The place seems to have had just 5 coconut trees in the area. In the year 1684 English established their first trade settlement in the Anju Thengu area which was later called as Anjengo Fort.  Eevn now you can find the remnants of the old English fort  which had been targetted many times by the other foreign powers namely Dutch and the Portuguese. They used to fight among eachother to get a firm footing in the state .

At present the Anjengo fort is under the protection of the National Heritage monuments. There is also a cemetry inside the fort  which would have the mortal remains of the occupants of the fort . The oldest of the burial sites dates back to 1704.  This has become a popular destination with the tourists  and the beach is an ideal place to be in.
There is a backwater stretch at Anjengo where the swaying coconut trees criss cross the water channels making it a wonderful sight to behold. Anjengo is a calm and serene beach clean and ideal for the picnickers locals as well as tourists. You can also watch the fishermen of the village nearby going about their activities .

How to Reach Anjengo
The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram which is located at about 46 kilometers away.
The nearest Railway station is Kadakkavur which is about 2 kilometers from the Anjengo area but all the trains will not stop there. You will have to get down at varkala railway station and then take autos or cabs from thereto reach Anjengo.