Anachadikuth Falls and Thommankuthu Falls are located near Thodupuzha town in Idukki District, Kerala state, India.

Anachadikuth falls.  Image courtesy – Akhil George

The word Ana means Elephant and chadi means jumped. Locals say elephant herds used to come to the top of the falls to drink water. It is said that an elephant has jumped (or fallen) from the top to the bottom of the falls. Nobody knows what happened to the elephant. The falls got their name from this incident!

In the first week of August 2022, a similar incident happened to another Elephant near Aathirapally Falls, when the Elephant got struck in the ranging Chalakudi river waters.

If the reason mentioned earlier is not valid, it may be for the big black rock, which looks like an elephant’s back, which gave the name to the falls. This elephant-like rock is situated where people bathe.

This fall is also known as Anayadikuth Falls or Aanayadikuth Falls.

It is not tough to reach Anachadikuth Falls. People of all ages, especially families can enjoy these falls. You can take a bath in the falls, and it is safe unless you go diving or climbing the falls. It is not crowded and is slowly gaining popularity.

Thommankuthu Falls

There is another fall called Thommankuthu Falls in the same village, Thommankuthu. It is about two kilometers from Thommankuthu Bus Stop. The reason why Thommankuthu Falls got its name is because, it is believed that it was the great hunter, Mr Thommachen Kuruvinakunnel, who let the outside world know of this beautiful falls. He found these falls inside the jungle in the late 1920s.

It is a wide fall situated inside the forests of the Thommankuthu Eco-tourism area. The water from the top falls over the massive rocks into the bottom lake-like place.

How Do I Go to Anachadikuth Falls?

Thodupuzha is the nearest city at around 22 kilometers distance from Anachadikuth Falls. Anayadikuth Falls is situated in Thommankuthu village panchayat. The falls are located near Anachadikuth junction near Thommankuthu Bus Stop.

You can take your vehicle close to Anachadikuth waterfalls. You must walk around 30 meters through a private road, with rubber trees on both sides.  Then, you need to climb a few steps to reach the hilltop. From the hilltop, you need to again walk for a few meters to get to these scenic and serene falls.

There is a small but decent shop near the falls. There is also a toilet there.

Kuruppanthara railway station and Vaikom Road railway station on the Kottayam – Ernakulam railway line are the nearest railway stations, at around 30 kilometers distance. Some passenger trains stop at Vaikom Road and Kuruppanthara. Express trains may not stop at any of these two stations. The closest major railway stations are Ernakulam South alias Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam North alias Ernakulam Town, around 70 plus kilometers from the falls near Anachadikuth Junction at Thommankuthu.

Cochin International Airport at Nedumbrasssery, on the outskirts of Cochin, is the nearest airport to  Anachadikuth Falls, at around 65 kilometers.

Conclusion

Anayadikuth Falls or Aanayadikuth Falls is an unexploited waterfall in Kerala state. Are you interested in visiting these magnificent falls? Please leave your comments.