Kerala’s long list of tourist attractions just got longer and taller, with the opening of the Jatayu Adventure Centre. The 65-acre park boasts of a 200ft-long sculpture of Jatayu, the mythical vulture from the Ramayan who was slain while trying to rescue Sita from Ravana. The park sits on a 1,000-ft tall hill in the village of Chadayamangalam (Kollam district). Some believe that it is here that Jatayu died and the hill even has Lord Ram’s footprint etched in stone.

Adventure central

While the Jatayu sculpture atop the hill is the star attraction, it is the range of adventure activities that will keep you busy. The adventure centre offers more than 20 adventures including rock climbing, ziplining, bouldering, rappelling, archery, paintball and laser tag. The Jatayu Adventure Centre also has a ‘6D theatre’ that will show the tense battle between Jatayu and Ravana, and a viewing deck with a telescope that looks over the lush rainforests and hills around. To calm you nerves, you can check in to the Siddha Healing Cave. Getting in and out is fun too. You can trek uphill or take the ropeway. Up on the hill, book yourself a stunning view of the Jatayu sculpture and the hills nearby through the heli-taxi.

The adventure park is currently open for groups of 10-100 persons, for a fee of Rs3,500 per head, which includes up to 15 of the 20 activities. Parts of the park are still under construction and the complete experience zone will be ready by April next year.

The Jatayu Adventure Centre is an hour’s drive away from Thiruvananthapuram and four hours from Kochi.