Have you noticed a stunning shot of a giant bird structure atop a green hill in the latest trailer of Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’? Does the place look familiar to you? The hilltop sculpture is Kerala's famous Jatayupara or Jatayu rock, located at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district.
Aamir apparently spent a few days in Kerala to shoot the Bollywood film, which is a remake of Tom Hank’s ‘Forest Gump’ (1994).
For the tourism industry, this definitely brings hope as Jatayupaara is also a tourist destination frequented by people from all over India.
Jatayupara is the first public-private tourism project in Kerala. It is believed that the battle of Jatayu and Ravana took place on the top of the Jatayu rock at Chadayamangalam. Legend has it that the large pit above the rock here was made by Jadayu's beak and the foot on the rock belonged to Lord Rama. Based on these beliefs and legends, the giant Jadayu sculpture was created under the direction of filmmaker and sculptor Rajiv Anchal as part of his dream project, the Jatayu Earth Center.
Jatayupara is home to the largest bird sculpture in the world. The statue is 200 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 75 feet high. The sculpture depicts Jatayu, the mythical demi-god with a bird form, whose giant left wing collapsed on the ground in a battle with Ravana, spreading his right wing and holding his beak and toenails facing the sky. Jatayu is believed to have played a crucial role in the Ramayana and died trying to rescue Sita from Ravana.
The walls inside the three-story sculpture are huge screens. The story of Sita's abduction will be shown in 6D on these huge screens. On the third floor, you can enjoy the natural beauty of Jatayupara through the eyes of Jatayupara. An adventure park has also been set up near the Jatayu Earth Center. There are a variety of climbs, commando nets, paintballs, rope hanging valley crossings, chimney climbing, shooting, vertical ladder, wall climbing, an hour's trekking, archery, and a rope-made Burma Bridge.
There is also a cable car facility to enjoy the views from the sky. Helicopters are also available for an aerial view and high-speed travel of Jatayupara. You can hire tents in case you are planning to spend the night on top of Jatayupara to enjoy the scenery.
Jatayupara is located on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam route, just 500 meters from Chadayamangalam town. You can also book a ticket to Jatayupara online. There are separate tickets for adventure park, trekking, and resort to see the Jatayu Park. For more information call 9072588713 or visit the official website jatayuearthscenter.in
