Monday, September 28, 2015

Suruli Falls, Suruli Malai, Theni

Suruli Falls, Suruli Malai, Theni
Suruli Falls is a 2 stage Cascading water fall, located in Suruli Malai near Cumbum Town in Uthamapalayam Taluk in Theni District of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the major tourist attractions in the Theni district and draws tourists from different parts of the state, particularly during the southwest monsoon.





History
The beauty of this falls finds mention in the ancient Tamil epic, Silapathikaram written by the poet Ilango Adigal.
The Falls
The Suruli River supplying the falls originates from the Megha Malai mountain range. The falls drop from a height of 150 feet (46 m) gathers into a pool, flows for a short distance and again plummets an additional 40 feet (12 m). The water is said to act as medicine and cure diseases. Suruli Falls lies on the way to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The beauty of the falls increases with its surroundings. With the dense forest all over, the wild flowers and fruits add charm to the route of the falls. The sounds of the falling fall can be heard from the road which leads to the Falls.




It is one of the major tourist attractions in the Theni district and draws tourists from different parts of the state. Although tourists visit the place throughout the year, the best time to come here is June to October. During this time, the volume of the water in the falls is astounding. This fall is tourist friendly with showers and changing area near the falls. There are facilities for both men and women to bathe in the falls separately.




Religious Places
Suruli Malai is the part of the Podhigai Malai. Podhigai Hills is a highly divine and spiritual center. Famous Suruli Velappar Temple is located close to the falls. The pilgrims visit the temple with pots of milk on Saturday. The Kailasanathar Temple Cave is also an added attraction of the place. It is located near Suruli Falls, at a height of 800 meters above the falls and has a spring, which is believed to have water with curative powers. There are also other 18 caves in and around the Suruli Falls of Tamil Nadu. There is a dargah near the falls, named after a Muslim mystic, Abubacker Masthan who lived around here in 1630s. Being the last resting place of the mystic, the dargah is an important place of worship. The dargah also lies close to the cave temple of Kailasanathar. 
Saaral Festival
The falls serve as the venue of Summer Festival called Saaral Festival, organized every year by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department. Saaral Festival will be conducted during the first or second week of August.
Connectivity
Suruli Falls is located at about 9 Kms from Cumbum, 10 Kms from Cumbum Bus Stand, 19 Kms from Uthamapalayam, 26 Kms from Chinnamanur, 29 Kms from Kuchanur, 47 Kms from Theni, 48 Kms from Theni Railway Station, 124 Kms from Madurai and 141 Kms from Madurai Airport. There are buses and share autos available from Cumbum to reach this place.
Location