Ilaveezha Poonchira

Ilaveezhapoonchira (Malayalam: ഇലവീഴാപൂഞ്ചിറ) is a tourist destination located in Melukavu village in Kottayam district near Kanjar. Ilaveezha Poonchira is surrounded by three enchanting hillocks - Mankunnu, Kodayathoormala and Thonippara. This makes the place ideal for trekking.

"Ila-veezhaa-poonchira", means 'the pond of flowers where the leaves do not fall'. During the monsoons, the valley between a complex of mountains fills up to form a large pond.

According to a legend, the Pandava had a sojourn here during their life incognito. Their wife, Draupadi, came to take a bath at a lake, which was present at that time. Some devas, bewitched by her beauty, tried to satisfy their voyeuristic itch. King of devas, Lord Indra, came to know about what was going on, and built screens or hills heaping flowers and prevented them from indulging in such a practice. And the pond thus became a dam isolated by floral hills. Since there were no trees around the bund, it was always free of leaves and so it was called Ila-veezha-poonchira. Some say that the name comes from the fact that it is always windy at the place and hence the leaves are carried away.

poonjira's myth is closely related to Agastya and his hermitage,he lived here and the native people believes that he still lives here,his hermitage is hidden in somewhere here.In puranas and our myths there is no evidence for the death of GURU AGASTHYA.Another important attraction is the ancient krishna temple, that was founded by panjaly herself.the mass belief is that panjaly's akshayapatra is hidden here and it is protected by agastya.The myth is also associate with ramayana his vanavasa popularly believes that he lived here with lakshmana for few months

Ilavvezha Poonchira is located 55 km from Kottayam, and is 20 km from Thodupuzha. From Ilaveezha Poonchira, it is possible to see large parts of Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts. It is one of the places in Kerala where you can watch sunrise and sunset.

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