How Pirappamankad put itself on Thiruvananthapuram’s tourism map

There is a nip in the air as the sun readies for a slow reveal of lush green paddy fields with a tree house in the middle, egrets out for a stroll, an old-world tea shop brimming with early morning customers, and a few elderly women getting ready for the day’s work as a soulful devotional coming from the loudspeaker at the temple gives the perfect background score.

This picture-perfect scene unfolding before me is just another regular day at Pirappamankad, 25 kilometres away from Thiruvananthapuram city. As you soak in the natural beauty of Pirappamankad, you know why this sleepy village in Mudakkal Panchayat is now a sought-after tourism spot in the district, with people flocking here on weekends and holidays.

Morning view at Pirappamankad
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

All that Pirappamankad has are vast expanses of paddy fields on either side of a tarred road, the tree house and a check dam. Over the last one year or so, however, that has been enough for the social media-savvy crowd to make a beeline for the spot to shoot videos and make reels/shorts. Its popularity peaked last Onam.

Pirappamankad owes its fame to the people who worked to reclaim paddy fields that had been unattended and overgrown for over two decades. Today this village stands as a fine example for how community farming can bring a change for the better.

Leading from the front is Pirappamankad Padashekhara Samithi, a collective that has been making efforts to revive paddy farming. “People stayed away from cultivation for want of profit. Shortage of labour also hit them hard,” says Sabu VR, a farmer and president of the Padasekhara Samithi.

Members of Pirappamankad Padashekhara Samithi
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

The result was that acres of land became breeding grounds for snakes, Sabu says. “Drug peddling was common and anti-social elements had a field day. Someone was murdered near a field a few years ago. We needed a change but it was not easy to return to farming since not everyone was enthused by the idea. It took several meetings and discussions to convince many.”

Sabu adds, “Challenges were many when we started afresh. Most of us didn’t even know the boundaries of our fields.”

The cultivated area has increased from 15 hectares in 2022-23 to 24.5 hectares in 2024-25. The production rose from 4.7 tonnes to 6.7 tonnes, with a sizable quantity being sold to Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.

Of the 100-plus individuals who are cultivating here, a majority are those who have leased the plots to individuals, organisations, educational institutions and cooperative societies. At least eight schools are carrying out farming here. They use the produce for noon meals or sell it on their campuses.

“The best part is people have joined hands irrespective of their political and religious differences,” Sabu adds. And this has been made possible through Pirappamankad Souhrida Sangham, a collective whose members are from different spheres of society. “When cultivation was restarted, we realised that the Samithi alone won’t be able to carry out all activities related to farming. So we brought together people from all walks of life – politicians, cultural activists, retired hands, religious leaders etc to join the cause and thus the Sangham was formed,” says Ratheesh Raveendran, chairman of the Sangham, which has over 600 members.

Sabu VR, farmer and president of Pirappamankad Padasekhara Samithi
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

The Sangham was to organise cultural activities and draw people’s attention to Pirappamankad. The first activity was the construction of the tree house. Initially made of wood, it was later converted into a structure made of iron, thatched with coconut fronds. “We spread word about the tree house through social media and that clicked. That was followed by a series of activities based around the paddy field,” says Ratheesh.

Among them was vayal imbam (planting 101 oleander plants on the roadside), vayal nadatham (morning walk through the field), vayal sadya (grand feast by the field), vayal Iftar (breaking the Ramzan fast on the premises of Sree Bhoothanathan Kavu temple located near the field), putting up a 36-foot-tall Santa during Christmas and many more activities. The Chettulsavam (bullock race) held in December 2024 with participation from across Kerala was a major event.

Check dam at Pirappamankad
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

“Recently we opened membership for Vayal Sena, an initiative to provide employment opportunities for labourers. This will ensure that there are enough hands to work on the fields,” Sabu says.

Another centre of attraction here is the checkdam built over Mamam river from which the water is used to irrigate the fields. A viewpoint has been built for a glimpse of the dam, which was built in 1894. Visitors are fascinated by the engineering behind the dam.

“We were not prepared for the huge crowd that turned up during Onam,” Sabu says. “A flower field with marigold and other flowers was a huge draw. But more has to be done in terms of the infrastructure for which we need support from the administration. The Panchayat has been supportive so far.”

Funds have been earmarked to build a paddy procurement centre, an office for the Samithi, and a toilet among other things, says Sabu. “We have also proposed for a Gramavandi, a KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation) service for people to explore the area.”

Paddy field and the tree house at Pirappamankad 
| Photo Credit:
SREEJITH R KUMAR

According to Ratheesh, there are plans for a children’s park and open gym. Street lamps have already been installed. “We were particular about having no overhead electric lines while installing the lamps and that has been ensured,” Sabu says.

They also hope to popularise the vazhiyambalam, the road-side resting place of yore built in stone, which is a few kilometres away from the paddy field.

The current crop will be harvested by the end of March. Till then they expect a steady stream of visitors. Meanwhile, plans are on to expand the cultivation.

How to reach

On Thiruvananthapuram-Attingal route, take a right from Pathinettam Mile Junction. Or follow Google map by typing Pirappamankad Padashekharam.

Published – February 11, 2026 10:09 am IST