Courtallam

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Courtallam, the 'Spa of the south', is situated at an elevation of about 167 m on the Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu, India. It is famous for its waterfalls and has a number of health resorts.

Contents

1 Location
2 Seasons
3 Medicinal herbs
4 The Nine Falls
5 History
6 Temple in Courtallam

Location

Courtallam is 160 km from Madurai, 137 km from Kanniyakumari and 112 km from Thiruvananthapuram. The nearest railway station is Tenkasi which is just 5 km from here.

Seasons

July to September

Medicinal herbs

This is not only a tourist spot but also a health resort. Courtallam water has medicinal properties since the water runs through forests of herbs and the water has therapeutic qualities to cure physical ailments. During the season (period June to September in every year) thousands of tourists from far and near visit this place.

The Nine Falls

1. Peraruvi (Main Falls),
2. Chitraruvi, (Small Falls),
3. Shenbaga Devi Falls, - (The area is filled with Senbhaga Trees)
4. Thenaruvi (Honey Falls) - The area is known for the honey
5. Aintharuvi (Five Falls),
6. Pazhathotta Aruvi (Fruit Garden Falls or Orchid Falls).
7. Puli Aruvi (Tiger Falls),
8. Pazhaya Courtallam (Old Falls),
9. Puthu Aruvi (New Falls) or Palaruvi (Milk Falls) - The falls look like white

History

It is said that Lord Siva sent saint Agastheya to the south to avoid imbalance due to overcrowding in the mount Kailas on his celestial wedding. Another notable feature of Courtallam is Chithra Sabha (in which a number of mural painting of rural deities and stories from epics are depicted in the central hall. This Sabha is one of the five Sabas where Lord Nataraja performed the Cosmic-dance. Chitra Sabha is made out of medicinal herbs. The wooden carved planks serve as doors.

Temple in Courtallam

It is dedicated to Lord Thirukutralanathar (Siva). This temple contains many inscriptions about Chola and Pandya Kings. Less than a furlong from here is a small temple called Chitra Sabha (Hall of Pictures) dedicated to Lord Nataraja and decorated with paintings of rural deities and devotees, puranic stories and religious events. The sabha is one of the five sabhas where Lord Nataraja is said to have performed the cosmic dance.

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