Places · Legends · 7 min read

Ilaveezhapoonchira: The Pond Where No Leaves Fall

On the border of Kottayam and Idukki districts, three grassy hills enclose a hollow that fills with water in the monsoon. No trees grow around it, so no leaf ever falls in. Ilaveezhapoonchira's legends of Draupadi, Indra and the sage Agastya, and its wide-sky sunrises and sunsets.

By GK Global, Adimali, Munnar · Trails & Tales by GK

A dawn view from a grassy hilltop over layers of blue hills and valleys, with mist and glints of water in the valleys and a pink sky — Dawn from the hilltop at Ilaveezhapoonchira, looking over the hills and valleys of Idukki. Photo: Akhilgeorgekutty, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and enhanced by GK Global, and this version is shared under the same licence.

Few place names in Kerala are as lovely as Ilaveezhapoonchira. Broken into its parts, ila is leaf, veezha means "does not fall", poo is flower and chira is a pond or tank. It is "the flower pond where no leaves fall". The name describes the place exactly: a hollow among three bare, grassy hilltops, where water collects in the rainy season, and where there are no trees to drop leaves into it.

Where it is

Ilaveezhapoonchira lies in Melukavu panchayat of Kottayam district, right on the border with Idukki. It is usually reached from Kanjar, on the road between Thodupuzha and Moolamattom, by a steep, narrow hill road. Thodupuzha is about 20 km away and Kottayam about 55 km. The hilltops are at roughly 960 m (about 3,200 ft) above sea level.

The three hills that enclose the hollow are Mankunnu, Kudayathoor mala and Thonippara. Their tops are open grassland, with tea and smallholdings on the lower slopes. On a clear day the view is enormous: the hills of Idukki in one direction and the midlands and plains of central Kerala in the other. Local guides say that parts of six districts (Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur) can be seen. That may need a very clear day indeed, but the sense of space is real. Both sunrise and sunset can be watched from the same hilltop.

A dirt path winding through tall green grass over a rolling hilltop, towards rounded grassy hills under a cloudy sky — The grassy, treeless hilltops that give Ilaveezhapoonchira its name. Photo: Vis M, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and enhanced by GK Global, and this version is shared under the same licence.

The legends

Like many high, strange places in Kerala, Ilaveezhapoonchira has gathered stories from the epics:

Draupadi's bath. During their years of exile, the Pandavas are said to have stayed in these hills. Draupadi (Panchali) came to bathe in the pond, and some of the gods were tempted to spy on her. Indra, king of the gods, raised the flower-covered hills around the pond as a screen. With no trees nearby, no leaf could ever fall into the water. Hence the name.
Agastya's hermitage. The sage Agastya, whose legends are tied to the southern Western Ghats, is believed by some local people to have a hidden hermitage nearby, and some believe he still lives there, guarding Draupadi's inexhaustible vessel, the akshayapatra.
Rama and Lakshmana are also said to have spent part of their forest exile here.

A more down-to-earth explanation is offered too: the hilltops are so exposed that the strong winds carry away any leaves before they can settle. Whichever you prefer, the place has the feel of somewhere set apart. The Pandava legend connects it with Uravappara, a few kilometres away near Thodupuzha, where Bhima is said to have struck a spring from the rock.

Grey monsoon clouds over a grassy slope, with a gap in the clouds revealing a bright winding river or reservoir far below — A break in the monsoon clouds over the valley. Photo: Vis M, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized and enhanced by GK Global, and this version is shared under the same licence.

When to go

Monsoon and just after (July to November): the hills turn bright green and the pond fills. This is when Ilaveezhapoonchira looks most like its name, but it can be cloudy, very windy and slippery, and views come and go.
Winter (December to February): the best chance of clear views, crisp mornings and good sunrises and sunsets.
Summer: hazy, hot in the day and the grass turns brown, but evenings are still pleasant.

Before you go

The hilltops are completely exposed. Carry water, a jacket and rain protection, and avoid the summit during lightning.
The road up from Kanjar is steep and narrow; a jeep or a driver who knows the road is a good idea in the rain.
These hills are on fragile slopes. In August 2022, a landslide at Kudayathoor, on the slopes below, killed five members of a family. After very heavy rain, it is best to postpone the trip and follow district warnings.
Facilities at the top are minimal. Please carry your rubbish back down.

See it for yourself, with a local driver who knows these roads.

Book a Munnar Jeep Safari

Sources & further reading

Figures are from the sources listed and were checked in October 2026. Park timings and road conditions change, so please confirm before you travel.