Things to Know about Jatayu Nature Park, Kerala
Kerala is the heaven of earth. No doubt, it has gifted beauty. All credits should be given the Tourism department of Kerala. One of the major attractions in Kerala is Jatayu Nature Park or Jatayu Earth's Center. It has been built together by the Tourism department of Kerala and Mr. Rajiv Anchal. It has been the result of a unique idea. The sole aim was to take people to the God’s own Country.
The renowned film director, art director, and sculptor Mr. Rajiv Anchal is the trailblazer behind this staggering idea. It took almost ten years for him to meticulously design and complete this monumental project. Obviously, he alone could not do anything so he took the aid of the team. They, together, did an amazing work. Jatayu Earth’s Center has been constructed government-owned land. It is the worth mentioning that is spread over 65 acres.
Where is it Situated?
Jatayu Earth’s Center tourism project is located at Jatayupara near Chadayamangalam town in Kollam district of Kerala. The nearest international airport, Trivandrum, is only 50 km away from Jatayu Earth’s Center.
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As the name itself suggests, it has the statue of Jatayu. It is built on a mighty rock named Jatayupara. It is 200 feet long, 150 feet wide and 70 feet. This is what makes it the largest functional bird sculpture in the world. It has also got the place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
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Jatayu Earth’s Center is a tourist attraction that develops sustainable ecosystem. With its beautiful hills, fauna and flora spread over an area of 65 acres this place is totally controlled and maintained. It is also a complete tourist attraction destination that keeps everyone excited.
The uninterrupted availability of water source was the major challenge. Due to this a check dam was constructed between two rock valleys. It was possible to store twenty lakhs liters of water. Rest of the problem was solved by collecting and storing rainwater. It helped in two ways. Firstly the water was conserved and the plants also grew well. The major problem was electricity issue. This was solved via solar power. Organic farming was promoted to a major extent. For this purpose, a planned agricultural society was formed. Special stalls will be set up at the Earths Center for visitors to buy the fresh product. The source of those fresh products will be farm itself. Thus Jatayu Earth’s Center is something that was well planned and executed to preserve the environment without disturbing its ecosystem.
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Jatayu is respected all over the country. He has a powerful contribution in the great epic Ramayana. He is known as a noble bird of divine origin. The Jatayu Nature Park is now opened for commoners as well. It is located in Chadayamangalam in Kollam, Kerala. It took 2 years to work on the project. It is one of those places who earned popularity. It gained fame for two reasons. The first reason being its location as the park lies in the site where Jatayu, the mythical demigod in the form of an eagle, was put down by the demon king Ravana. And the second reason is that the whole bird structure constructed is the largest in the world. This whole project came into execution because of the partnership between the public and private group.
It has an Ayurvedic resort, a digital museum and a 6D Theater. It is not confined here. It has more than 20 activities to accord adventure and thrill. You will experience fun over there from shooting to paintball and rock climbing and rappelling. The rock formations make it up for it. The statue of Jatayu is 70 feet tall and 200 feet in length, spreading 150 feet wide.
It is developed by regional filmmaker Rajiv Anchal. As far as the construction is concerned, it is astonishing. There is the mythical eagle on its back, wings outstretched to depict its fall after heroically fighting against Ravana. Basically, it is telling one of the incidents of Ramayana. Jatayu died in that incident amid saving Sita. The local people are mesmerized to go through it. It will support the community with rainwater harvesting and renewable energy generation projects. It is obvious that it will generate good tourism revenue. The park lies in Chadayamangalam Jatayupura. It itself is a good picnic spot.
As mentioned earlier, it is the result of the public-private partnership. The contract has been signed by Kerala Government and Guruchandrika Builders and Property Private Limited. It is known to be one of the major tourism initiatives. It has followed BOT (build-operate-transfer) model.
Also Read : Top 10 Reasons to Visit KeralaMany people interrogate about the major attractions of the place. In the answer to their question, the following places are given:
- The park sprawls over 65 acres of land. The giant sculpture of Jatayu is worth visiting. The sculpture is 200 feet long, 150 feet broad, 70 feet in height and has a floor area of 15,000 square feet.
- The sculpture sits at the spot where Jatayu took his last breath. It expresses an incident of Ramayana where this bird died. He even fought with the powerful Ravana in order to save Sita.
- The astounding things are Beak mark of Jatayu and Footprint of Rama. This is what makes it pure and soothing as well. One can also enjoy the bird’s eye view experience from 1,000 feet above the sea level. It is possible to see the bird’s eye from inside the sculpture.
- It has links with a filmy world as well. He is none other than Rajiv Anchal who is filmmaker and sculptor. It is worth mentioning that he is the Chairman and Managing Director of Guruchandrika Builders and Property Private Limited.
- The park is not only spiritual but also adventurous. It has an adventure zone and about 20 games. It is a powerful pack of dedication, devotion, and thrill. It has games like paintball, laser tag, archery, rifle shooting, rock climbing, and bouldering etc. It also has ayurvedic cave resorts.
- Another major attraction is the facility of the cable car. It is South India’s first state-of-the-art cable car. This is something new to experience.
On being asked about the experience, he was filled with pride. This is what he said: "It took us seven years to build the sculpture. It is basically a concrete structure that has been given a stone finish. Building it has been a major struggle as the terrain was hard and we had to carry all the materials to the top."
This is the first ever build-operate-transfer model via private-public partnership. It is worth mentioning that it is a growth in the tourism industry in Kerala. Rajiv Anchal and his team deserve to of praise for their job. They worked on this project for a decade.
The Jatayu Earth’s Center was expected would have been launched in early 2017. But it could not happen due to some issues. This is the reason it has been inaugurated now. As far the cost is concerned it is just INR 2,500 per head. This is really an interesting place which one must visit.
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