Kaikatty

Kaikatty is a small place in Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. It is 26 km from Nemmara village.TourismKaikatty is home to the Nelliampathi mountains. The only route is from Nemmara; the first town of Nelliampathi, namely Kaikatty junction, is at a distance of 26 km. At the 9th kilometre, is the Pothundi Dam, a small irrigation dam which provides water for the rice fields in the surrounding area. The dam is at the foot of the Nelliampathi hills. From here, the road winds up for the next 17 km, with many hairpin turns on the way. Immediately after Pothundy dam, starts the government forest area.Tea estatesNear the village, the tea producer A.V.Thomas and Company has a large tea garden in Manalaroo Estate as well as Veekay Tea Company in Chandramala Estate. All the tea and coffee plantations were originally started by the British. These were later sold to the natives. The plantations took into account the cool climate of the region.SetharkunduAnother famous tourist attraction is the Seetharkundu. The traditional beliefs of the area say that Rama, Lakshmana and Sita from the famous Hindu epic Ramayana had lived in the place and Sita used to offer worship with the water from a small stream.Migrant workersThe workers in the plantations are mostly of Tamil origin. They are put up in shacks known as 'padi' in local language. The Manalaroo Estate runs a school and a hospital for the workers and their children.