Vythiri Village | |
Settlement Type: | Village |
Pushpin Map: | India Kerala#India |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Kerala, India |
Coordinates: | 11.5497°N 76.0364°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | ![]() |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Name1: | Kerala |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name2: | Wayanad |
Seat Type: | Headquarters |
Seat: | Kalpetta |
Unit Pref: | Metric |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Demographics Type1: | Languages |
Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
Demographics1 Info1: | Malayalam, English |
Timezone1: | IST |
Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
Vythiri is a village located in Wayanad district in the Indian state of Kerala.[1] Along with Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery, it is one of the three taluks in the district.
The Vythiri taluk consists of 18 villages, including Lakkidi, Vythiri, Chundale, Meppadi, Kalpetta, and Kaniyambetta.[2] The village of Vythiri acts as the administrative centre of Vythiri Taluk.
St. Mary's Orthodox Church, part of the Sultan Bathery Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is located in Vythiri.[3]
The all season attractive weather, greenery and the terrain of this place makes Vythiri a major tourist destination in Kerala. Tourists from all parts of the world visits and stays in Vythiri to enjoy the beauty of Vythiri and other tourist destinations in Wayanad.
According to the local legend, an English engineer built the Ghat road to Vythiri on the basis of the information given by a tribal youth. After getting the necessary guidance, the English people killed the tribal guide. The spirit of the tribal youth got angry and caused many accidents in the road. So a priest took the initiative to chain the spirit to a tree in Vythiri. This Chain Tree is seen even today at Lakkidi. Some of the passing motorists even pay homage to the tree for allowing a safe passage.
Vythiri is 700 meters above the sea level and the weather is remarkably cooler than other parts of Wayanad. There are many resorts in Wayanad thanks to the salubrious climate here.
There is a university here specializing in Veterinary science and there is a special college for catering management. Oriental school of hotel management.
Vythiri is 66 km by road from Kozhikode railway station and this road includes nine hairpin bends. The nearest major airport is at Calicut. The road to the east connects to Mysore and Bangalore. Night journey is not allowed on this sector as it goes through Bandipur national forest.
Pookode Lake is a fresh water lake with boating facility. It is very popular with tourists coming with children. The lake is 8.5 hectares big and the maximum depth of the water is 6.5 meters.
See main article: 2024 Wayanad landslides. Landslides occurred near the villages of Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala in July 2024 due to heavy rains that triggered the collapse of hillsides. The landslides marked one of the deadliest natural disasters in Kerala's history, with reports of at least 400 deaths.[4] [5]