Lakkidi, Wayanad

Lakkidi is a rain forest located in the gateway of Wayanad district of the Indian state of Kerala.

The Chain Tree at Lakkidi
Lakkidi Church
Lakkidi school

Geography

Lakkidi is one of the highest locations in Wayanad and is situated 700m above mean sea level, atop Thamarassery ghat pass. Vythiri is the nearest town, 5km from Lakkidi.[1] Chain tree, Pookot Lake and a sightseeing point are within five km of Lakkidi. It is about 58 km northeast of Kozhikode district.

Three km from Lakkidi is Pookot Lake, a natural freshwater lake spread across 15 acres. It is one of the rarest reservoirs of water in Wayanad. Surrounded by meadows and hills, it is a favourite picnic spot.

Lakkidi's annual rainfall averages from 600cm to 650cm. Many species are found in this area including lion-tailed macque, rare birds, Indian Shag (Phalacrocorase fuscicollis), Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger), Little Green Heron (Ardeola striatus), and Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii).

Lakkidi has rich soil that supports farming of coffee, tea, oranges, spices, etc. It gets copious rainfall laterite soil. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Wayanad district is situated here.

History

During colonial rule, Lakkidi was a secret route for the local Adivasis of Wayanad. Karinthandan helped a British engineer to find the shortest route to pass the ghat. Once the engineer found the way, he killed the Adivasi to take credit. The local myth goes that, travelers who passed by the new route were haunted by the soul of Karinthandan. A lot of accidents occurred and many people lost their lives. In order to prevent further accidents, a priest was called and his spirit was called and tied to a small tree with a chain. It is believed that the chain grows along with the tree.[2] This place has become a tourist spot.

An NGO called "PEEP" (People's Action for Educational and Economic Development of Tribal People) organises Karinthandan Smrithi Yatra on the 2nd Sunday of March every year in memory of Karinthandan, who is considered as the first martyr of Wayanad.

Climate

Rains start in May and end in December. Due to the rainfall and beauty, it is often called "Chirapunjee of Kerala". Average rainfall ranges from 600 to 650 cm or above. It experiences chilly climate throughout the year with mist and fog. It is said to be the coldest place in Wayanad district as well as one of the coldest in Kerala. It enjoys koppen highland climate. Generally, monsoon comes with torrential rainfall and windy weather.

Average Rainfall
Month Jan.Feb.Mar.Apr.MayJun.Jul.Aug.Sep.Oct.Nov.Dec.
High temp 172021222523212020191818
Low temp 6101315171615141211108

Lakkidi experiences warm climate from March-May and cold climate from October-January.

Transport

From Kozhikode: Thamarassery–Lakkidi Ghat road, part of NH 212, connects Kozhikkode and the rest of Kerala, south of Kozhikkode with Wayanad. The Hill Road at Lakkidi is the lifeline of Wayanad. 1,813 buses and 591 minibuses pass through the Hill road every day. The total number of vehicles passing this road is 17,207.

References
  1. "Views from Lakkidi".
  2. "History of Chain Tree".

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