Mudaliarkuppam Boat House
Mudaliarkuppam Boat House, also known as Raindrop Boat House, is a
water sport facility located on the East Coast Road,
36 km to the south of Mamallapuram and
92 km from Chennai & 58 Kms from Pondicherry. It was developed by the
Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation on the Odiyur lake back waters. It
has rowing, cruising, speed boating, waters scooting and kayaking facilities.
In 2007, Mudaliarkuppam Boat House became the first of the eight
boat houses of Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation to offer water
scooters. The boat house organizes motor boat trips to the beach island located
in the Odiyur Lake.
Mudaliarkuppam attracts of tourists from all parts of the country.
It is located in the district of Kanchipuram, 92 km from Chennai and 36 km down
Mamallapuram on ECR (East Coast Road). Mudaliarkuppam is an incredible tourist
destination. Visitors and tourists visit this place alike, to while away their
time on the choicest array of row boats, pedal boats and motorboats. The Tamil
Nadu Tourism Development Corporation undertakes and preserves this unusual boating
house.
Activities
In fact, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation came up with
new ideas and policies to make it even more attractive. Recently, they have
launched a special boat riding facility at its Raindrop Boat House in
Mudaliarkuppam. It is called kayak, the one-seater boat. At present there are
fifty-four varieties of boats. The Boat rides include two/Four-seater pedaling boats,
Two/Four seater Rowing Boats, Speedboats, Motorboats and one-seater Kayaks(Self
Rowing). Special boat races are organized every year within this vast spread of
backwater. College and university students participate here with great
enthusiasm and unison. There is an island approximately 4 km from the Raindrop
Boat House, in the expanse of the waters in Mudaliarkuppam.
Tourists are allowed to spend some time in the island and tents
are available for this purpose. There is a snack bar where one can have light refreshments,
beverages. Lunch and other refreshments are prepared against orders in advance.
In order to enjoy the famed boating bonanza, tourists need to pay a specific
amount of money, depending on the type of boat and duration of time. At
present, it is recorded that Mudaliarkuppam attracts an approximate decent
crowd of five hundred to Thousand tourists on Sundays and other holidays. Two
new six seater Banana Boats are expected to be put for tourists use.
The boat house offers water sports like Banana Boating, Water
Scooter, Kayaking, Speed boat ride and there is an array of boats like row
boats, pedal boats, water scooters, speed boats and many more. People
often prefer banana boat ride and the boat will speed up to 25 Kmph and beware
while your boat taking turns. Another pleasant ride could be Kayaking and
enjoy ride on single seater kayaks hours together.
Enjoy a relaxing boat ride which can be extended up to Beach
Island through backwaters and experience the mind blowing view of sparkling deep
turquoise blue water, boat propelling on the still water with rhythmic sound of
splashing water, powder blue skies punctuated with white cotton candy clouds,
dazzling sunlight, swaying palm trees, wind tussling through the green leaves;
as the landscape glides by and one has to fight the urge to take a nap in such
idyllic surroundings. The boat ride will bring relaxation to body and the
mind will be clear and uncluttered.
The geographical features of Coramandel coast especially the East
Coast Road attracts many native and migratory bird species during October to
March. If any one likes birds and just want to be able to approach and watch
them closely, Mudaliarkuppam backwaters is one of the hot spot to watch birds.
Commonly found bird species include brahminy kite, brown headed
gull, greater flamingo, Indian skimmer, osprey, painted
stork, slender billed gull, stone curlew, white bellied sea eagle
etc. Bird photography, especially migratory bird photography can be quite
challenging.
In total Mudaliarkuppam is the wonderful picnic spot where one can
spend some quality time with family members, relatives and friends. Though the
place is located in East Coast Road (way to Mamallapuram and Pondicherry) at a
distance 92 kms from Chennai, the picnic spot is enjoyable and worth visiting. This
Boat House could be visited throughout the year.
Fauna
This is a very good birding area where one can see: white bellied sea eagle, osprey, Indian skimmer, slender billed gull, brahminy kite, brown headed gull, painted stork and stone curlew.
There are also jackal, Indian hare, Bengal monitor, sea
fans, turtles &
Russel's viper
Backwaters
Mudaliarkuppam backwaters are a brackish water lagoon adjacent to
the Bay of Bengal on the East Coast Road. This is yet another
haven for wading birds and migratory ducks. The habitat consists of coastal
water mudflats, sand banks and salt pans.
Highlights: Hundreds of greater flamingos can be spotted here throughout the
year. Thousands of migratory ducks, terns and waders can also be spotted during
winter months.
The resident birds seen here include little cormorant, spot-billed pelican, little grebe, common kingfisher, pied kingfisher, white-breasted kingfisher, little green or striated heron, pond
heron and red-wattled lapwing.
Some of the winter migrants seen here are greater flamingo, Kentish plover, lesser sand plover, Pacific golden plover, grey plover,
Common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, Eurasian curlew, osprey,
little stint, Temminck's stint, black-tailed godwit, redshank, greenshank, common tern, little tern, whiskered tern, gull-billed tern, Caspian tern, brown-headed gull, Pallas's gull, slender-billed gull, painted stork, open bill stork and grey heron.
Thousands of Eurasian wigeon, northern pintail,
and northern Shoveller also use the
backwaters.
Tariffs
