Coutrallam Falls

Coutrallam Falls
Coutrallam Falls
Main Coutrallam Falls
Location	Coutrallam, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu
Coordinates	8°55′55″N 77°16′09″E / 8.93194°N 77.26917°E / 8.93194; 77.26917Coordinates: 8°55′55″N 77°16′09″E / 8.93194°N 77.26917°E / 8.93194; 77.26917
Type	Segmented Plunges
Total height	167 m (548 ft)
Watercourse	Chittar

Coutrallam Falls (also called Kutralam Falls) is located in Coutrallam in Tirunelveli district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The falls is located on the Western Ghats on the river Chittar and is considered a "medical spa" on account of the medical smell in the waters. It is located 7 km (4.3 mi) from the nearest city Tenkasi. There are a total of nine falls of which Peraruvi, Aintharuvi and Puli Aruvi being the most prominent. As per Hindu legend, sage Agasthya is believed to have got the grace of Shiva to set it as his abode and create the medicinal falls to cure his headache.

The Tirunelveli district administration organises Saral Vizha, an eight-day festival every year during the Tamil month of Aadi (July - August). The falls is the most prominent tourist destination in the region and usually frequented by devotees of the Papanasanathar Temple and Sabarimala. The season starts with the South West monsoon from July to September. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has a boat house that operates boating during season.

As per Hindu legend, during the divine wedding of Shiva and Parvathi, there was heavy crowd at Kailash, the abode of Shiva. Sage Agasthya could not view event and prayed to Shiva at this place to get him a view of the event. Shiva told him that he would offer darshan in Kutralam itself. Dvarapalas, the gateway deities did not allow entry to Agasthya, which was originally a Vishnu temple. With his powers, he changed Vishnu to Shiva, conch to deer and Tulsi to crescent moon and pressed the head of Vishnu until it became a lingam, the iconic form of Shiva. On account of the heavy pressing, Shiva got a headache and it is believed that in modern times, the image of the presiding deity carries the hand marks of the sage. To alleviate the headache of Shiva, the sage prepared an oil with cow milk, green coconut and mixture of 42 herbs and applied it to Shiva. Pleased by his devotion, Shiva made the place his abode and came to be called Kutralanathar and the falls nearby the temple got the name of Coutrallam as Coutrallam Falls. The tradition is followed in the Kutralanathar Temple in modern times as well.