August 31, 2003

The Shenduruny forest - declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 gets its name from an endemic species of tree called Chenkuruny (Gluta travancoria). In the central region of this moist, mixed deciduous forest, spread over hilly terrain of over 100 sq km, is the 26 sq km artificial lake formed by the Parappar dam built across the Shenduruny and Kulathupuzha rivers.?

But beautiful surroundings guaranteed to give those exhausted batteries a recharge is not all that the forest is famous for. According to some recent archaeological studies, Shenduruny was the cradle of one of the oldest river valley civilizations in India - one older than even the Indus Valley which dates from 4400 - 3700 BC! Paintings similar to those of the Mesolithic period (5210 - 4420 BC) found in the caves of central India, have been excavated from a cave, large enough to hold 20 people, in the northwestern part of the river.?

Getting there

By road: 66 km from Kollam town on the Kollam - Shencotta Road, in Pathanapuram taluk of Kollam district.
Nearest railway station: Thenmala connected with Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kashmir.
Nearest airport: Thiruvananthapuram 72 km away.